Category: Wildlife

Goldfinch

Oh, My Hunt!

By Glen Wunderlich

Charter Member Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA)

Having had a great experience at the Rifle River Recreation Area in Ogemaw County earlier this year, I made sure to reserve a primitive campsite – in fact, the same one used in May – but this time for Michigan’s small game opener plus a bit of fishing.  It is a special time of year, because the final two weeks of stream trout fishing is combined with the beginning of hunting season.  Another trout breakfast will suit me fine,

Eating Like a King

but how would one locate good habitat for bushytails?

Planning a hunting trip to a new area has never been as exciting as it is today thanks to Mi-HUNT.  This eye-opening site is beyond my wildest imagination with its educational offerings that display approximate boundaries of public and private-land hunting.  Unlike my county maps I’ve carried with me for decades, Mi-HUNT has up-to-date information on not only roads, trails, recreational facilities, etc., but cover types.

It is the feature of cover types that really separates Mi-HUNT from conventional printed maps.  With color-coded features one can locate the following habitat:  Aspen, Oak, Upland Deciduous, Upland Conifer, Grass, Shrubs, Crops, Wetlands, Bogs, Lowland Conifers, Lowland Deciduous, Rock, Sand and Soil.  That about covers it for Michigan habitat types, but it gets much more interesting – especially for the squirrel hunter in me that requires mature nut trees.

Once oaks are located on the map, actual dates when trees were planted in specific areas can be determined with a click on the “identify” icon.  It shows nine levels of growth from low-density saplings to high-density logs along with the year of origin and the total acres involved.  (Private property is excluded from this feature.)  Can you believe that I’ve located high-density-log oaks planted in the year 1889?  Many are dated to the early 1900s, as well, and it all spells bushytails to me.

Oaks, Vintage Mossberg .22 Rimfire and Sub-Sonic Lapua Ammo: a recipe for success.

Once habitat is located on the map, the issue of actually getting to the site can be determined by the extensive mapping of various trail types including hiking, horseback, motorcycle, and ATV and UTV approved.

For those that may require help navigating the site, several YouTube videos are available for reference:  quickstart for desktop and laptops, quickstart for mobile users, and showcasing the identify tool – all accessible from the Mi-HUNT site.  These videos were updated in 2014 and demonstrate the versatility of accessing detailed information.

Additional features including aerial imagery show roads, lakes, rivers and hybrid imagery.  If you are familiar with Google Earth, some aerial photos can hide certain terrain, if the particular photo was taken when leaves were on the trees.  However, “leaf off” views are available with another click that shows imagery acquired in 1998 with color-infrared film.

Long ago, when the yellow pages of the phonebook were relatively new, its slogan was “Let your fingers do the walking” and never before has the sage advice become more appropriate than today.  I can only wonder what Captain Meriwether Lewis and Lieutenant William Clark would think of such technology, as they followed the stars and mapped their journey across the country.

Fishing, Hunting, Wildlife

Michigan: learn about night sky photography, gardening for pollinators, waterfowl hunting

There’s still time to sign up for Outdoor Skills Academy classes happening around the state in September. Check out the following offerings:

Night Sky Photography at the Porkies

Two sessions to choose from: 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16, or Saturday, Sept. 17
Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park Visitor Center, Ontonagon

Join Marquette photographer Shawn Malone for an evening of night sky photography at the Porkies, at either the Lake of the Clouds overview to photograph the Milky Way over the ridgeline or along the Union Bay beach if the northern lights are present. Covering DSLR/mirrorless camera bodies, this class will include a one-hour classroom session that leads to a three-hour, hands-on learning session at an outdoor location. For ages 18 and older. Cost is $95 per person. Read more

Wildlife

Montana: grizzly bear euthanized near Choteau

Bear confirmed to have killed livestock

GREAT FALLS – After confirming that a collared grizzly bear killed livestock along the Rocky Mountain Front north of Choteau, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks assisted the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services in euthanizing the bear after obtaining the necessary approval from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS).

The bear had first been captured and collared in 2021 in a trap set due to cattle depredation. It was unknown at the time if the trapped bear had killed the calf or was scavenging the carcass, so it was collared and released on-site. Later in 2021, the bear was documented to have visited two other livestock conflict sites (one calf and one sheep), confirmed by trail camera and collar data, but it evaded attempts to capture it at that time.

On Sept. 5, landowners reported another sheep had been killed, and FWP and Wildlife Services technicians responded and confirmed the sheep was killed by a bear. Collar data from the bear showed it was present at the kill site at the time of the conflict, and after obtaining USFWS approval to lethally remove the bear, the 4-year-old male bear weighing 386 pounds was shot and killed on Friday afternoon. Read more

Wildlife

Michigan Trails Week, Sept. 18-25

In Michigan, four-season motorized and nonmotorized trail recreation is the name of the game.

Whether you’re into hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, snowmobiling, off-roading or paddling, there are 13,400 miles of state-designated trails waiting for you. And, that number doesn’t account for the thousands of miles of local, county and federal trails in Michigan.

“Historically, trails have connected people to places they want or need to go. In fact, the state’s first roads were Native American trails,” said Tim Novak, state trails coordinator for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Parks and Recreation Division. “Today, Michigan’s trails network connects people, communities and places of interest, while providing stellar outdoor recreation opportunities, health and wellness benefits and transportation options.”

Michigan Trails Week is an annual effort to shine a light on Michigan’s vast trails network and elevate the resources and opportunities that continue to build our reputation as the Trails State. This year, Michigan Trails Week runs Sept. 18-25.

Treat yourself to trails

The DNR encourages Michiganders to pay tribute to and enjoy Michigan’s extraordinary trails system during these eight days – and get some inspiration for trail treks all year long! Read more

Wildlife

The Untold Story of How Mozambique’s Coutada 11 Went from Desolation to Wildlife Mecca

Bringing Back the Lions by author Mike Arnold tells it all.

WATKINSVILLE, GA (Sept. 15, 2022) – For most, Africa stirs up images of elephants, giraffes, lions and herds of wildebeests and impala. While that was once the case for Mozambique’s magnificent natural area known as Coutada 11 by the 1990’s, that once beautiful Zambeze Delta region was devoid of wildlife. Several factors contributed to the extreme change including a Civil War, poachers and a hungry local people that were taking extreme measures to survive.

After many visits to Coutada 11 and countless interviews, Mike Arnold recounts the incredible journey of how Mark Haldane and a select group of individuals restored wildlife and wildlife habitat in his new book, Bringing Back the Lions.

This is a fantastic true-life tale of modern conservation at its best that will keep you captivated from start-to-finish. Here is an excerpt from the book:

The Civil War in the southern African country of Mozambique lasted from 1977 – 1992. During this horrific conflict, particularly in the countryside, there was no food and no jobs. Children were suffering from chronic malnutrition and severe protein deficiency, or Kwashiorkor – a visible sign of which was their terribly bloated bellies. With no other options for survival, family units depended on poaching to bring in protein to keep themselves alive. Poaching drove game animals to near extinction. Many species of plants, birdlife, and mammals disappeared. The ecosystems within what is known as the Marromeu Complex of the Zambeze Delta deteriorated.

Shortly after the Civil War ended in 1992, people from the capital city of Maputo and neighboring South Africa arrived in the Marromeu Complex. They held meetings with the Sena people. They explained to them that they had a vision to improve not only the villagers’ lives, but also the ecosystems within which they lived. Their vision included the recovery of native plants, songbirds, small amphibians, insects, and, yes, all of the larger mammals that poachers coveted. They emphasized that for this resurrection to occur, the Sena people and the outsiders must work hand-in-hand. The newcomers described the first, critical action that must take place, without which, it would be impossible to achieve the seemingly unimaginable vision. Read more

Wildlife

Wildgame Innovations Hits the Trail With the Mirage 2.0 Trail Camera

Save time and money! Do just that with the new Mirage 2.0 trail camera from Wildgame Innovations. Built for hunters who want maximum coverage of their hunting territory, the Mirage 2.0 is a simple-to-use camera with exceptional image recording, a long capture range, and an aggressive performance-to-cost ratio that allows for multi-camera setups without draining your hunting budget.

The Mirage 2.0 is a 30-megapixel camera that delivers brilliant 16:9 ratio stills and 15-second 720p HD video clips to provide the imaging you need to observe, inventory, and target the alpha bucks in your hunting area. The Mirage 2.0’s half-second trigger speed combined with 42 nearly invisible infrared LEDs and a long 90-foot illumination/detection range guarantees a camera that is both discrete and can get the shot in any setting. A built-in automatic exposure control ensures top-quality image captures in all lighting conditions—from the dark woods to the bright and wide-open green fields. Read more

Optics, Wildlife

Covert Scouting Cameras Introduces WC20 Wireless Scouting Camera

COVERT SCOUTING CAMERAS INTRODUCES WC20 WIRELESS CAMERAS

More features and More for the Money

Russellville, KY – Covert® Scouting Cameras, #1 in Trail Camera Technology introduces the WC20 series wireless scouting cameras. Continuing to build better value from their industry-leading scouting camera systems the WC20 offers more features, fast trigger speeds and better connection in a competitively-priced format.

Available with cellular data service from either AT&T or Verizon wireless the feature-rich WC20 continues to deliver on a long-standing legacy Covert Scouting Cameras has become widely recognized for. With a new-for-2022 body housing the compact design of the WC20 measures 5.5”H x 4.5”W x 3.0” D. With faster recovery and better features the Covert WC20 features ultra-sensitive .30 second trigger speeds for better subject centering. With the ability to capture and transmit photos and capture video locally, those seeking intel of all types will appreciate the cameras’ ability to store high resolution images and 1080p videos on SD cards up to 32GB (not included) while transmitting previews to the Covert Web Portal and mobile app. Read more

Optics, Wildlife

WSF Dedicating $1.22 Million to Grant-in-Aid Projects

Bozeman, MT – The Wild Sheep Foundation Board of Directors has approved funding for its FY2022-23 slate of Grant-in-Aid projects. WSF will be contributing $1,222,637.00 toward 14 projects that in total will exceed $5 million to benefit wild sheep populations across North America. This Conservation Grant funding is one component of the expected $6 Million in mission program funding WSF will direct this fiscal year.

“As the trusted facilitator for raising and directing funds for wild sheep conservation, we receive a number of grant requests,” explained Gray N. Thornton, President, and CEO of the Wild Sheep Foundation. “This means a lot of agencies, universities, individuals, and other conservation partners are focusing on wild sheep, which is a good thing. We’re excited about this level of commitment and the quality of projects these experts have identified and brought forth.”

The project submission period was July 2022. WSF’s Conservation Staff conducted the initial review of funding requests received, followed by an independent review by WSF’s Professional Resource Advisory Board. Final funding recommendations were made to the WSF Board of Directors, giving special consideration to funding requests submitted by or through its network of 36 Chapters and Affiliates. Read more

Wildlife

Michigan: First official shoreline horseback riding season at Silver Lake State Park, Nov. 1-30

For many, the term “riding” soon will take on a whole new meaning at Silver Lake State Park.

This fall marks the first official shoreline riding season, when horseback riders will have the unique opportunity to ride the Lake Michigan shoreline at one of Michigan’s most unique state parks.

Silver Lake State Park is best known for its popular 450-acre off-road vehicle area in Oceana County. Each summer, thousands of motorcycles, quads, four-wheelers and other ORVs descend on this popular destination – which also happens to be the only sand dune riding opportunity east of the Mississippi River.

The shoreline riding season runs Nov. 1-30, and registration is open now. The registration fee is $10 per horse per day, and 100 slots are available each day. Read more

Wildlife

$3.6 million in grants available to target invasive species in Michigan

Proposals accepted through Nov. 1

Michigan’s Invasive Species Grant Program is now accepting proposals for the 2022 funding cycle, with an anticipated $3.6 million available to applicants.

The program – a joint effort of the Michigan departments of Natural Resources; Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy; and Agriculture and Rural Development – is part of a statewide initiative launched in 2014 to help prevent, detect and control invasive species in Michigan.

An invasive species is one that is not native and whose introduction causes harm, or is likely to cause harm, to Michigan’s environment, economy or human health. Read more

Wildlife
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