Category: Wildlife

Goldfinch

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

NDA Premiers “Aging Deer in the Field” Video and Aging Quiz

September 1, 2022 – The National Deer Association is pleased to announce the premiere of a new educational video project, “Aging Deer in the Field,” produced in partnership with The Bearded Buck. The 31-minute video uses footage of dozens of live, wild whitetail bucks to teach the aging technique, followed by a test using 20 additional bucks.

“The team at The Bearded Buck gave us full access to their incredible collection of whitetail footage from years of their hunts, with bucks of all ages, and then offered to produce the final product,” said NDA’s Chief Conservation Officer and host of the video, Kip Adams. “The result is NDA’s most comprehensive and realistic look at how to age deer in the field.”

Estimating buck age in the field is an important skill for any hunter who wants to increase the number of adult bucks in the woods they hunt and help balance the buck:doe ratio for improved herd health. NDA teaches aging skills in numerous media, including Quality Whitetails magazine, educational posters, live seminars, and the book Observing & Evaluating Whitetails by Dave Richards. But the new “Aging Deer in the Field” video is unique because of the extensive live footage of wild bucks.

“Aging deer in the field is not an exact science,” said Adams. “It’s a personal skill that is improved through practice, experience and follow-through. Fortunately, just like humans, whitetails possess distinct body characteristics by age class, and with a little practice hunters can become proficient at estimating the ages of bucks in the field. This video serves to introduce the topic and highlight the differences for each age class from yearlings to mature animals. The 20-buck quiz then allows viewers to practice what they learned.”

To view the new video, visit NDA’s YouTube channel at YouTube.com/deerassociation. Read more

Hunting, Wildlife

Hummingbird Feeder Basics & Advanced

Hummingbirds that nest in northern latitudes are making important migration stopovers to rest and feed at backyard feeders.
Among the top hummingbird feeders that provide bee deterrents are the Perky-Pet top-fill feeders, like the Diamond Wine Top-fill Glass Hummingbird Feeder and Sugar Maple Top-Fill Glass Hummingbird Feeder.
Perky-Pet has developed colorful, soft, flexible artificial flowers for some hummingbird feeders that are designed with a long stem that acts as a bee guard to keep insects out while hummingbirds have no problem reaching the feeder’s nectar.

As late summer dispersal and migration continues, you may be looking for some tips and ideas about how to better serve hummingbirds in your yard, and perhaps at a business location or school. With that in mind let’s consider basics, some advanced ideas, and some potential problems: Problems like ants, bees, and wasps; Basics like cleaning feeders and providing sugar-water nectar, and Advanced aspects of hummingbirding like keeping feeders up after the last migrants pass through, just in case a vagrant Rufous Hummingbird finds its way to your yard.

Keeping it clean – Keeping your hummingbird feeder clean is easy, but like any other effort, it’s good to keep a regular schedule. Twice a week is a good cleaning plan, and that will keep the nectar clean and fresh too. Of course, if it’s particularly hot, or if you have many hummers feeding at your feeders, you may need to increase that cleaning and re-filling schedule.

Sugar-water ratio – The standard hummingbird sugar-water mix is 4 parts water to 1 part white cane sugar (never use honey, brown sugar, or sugar substitutes). We use a shot glass to easily measure parts although a measuring cup might be even better. This 4-to-1 mixture best represents the sugar content of natural nectar produced in flowers. Mix it yourself or buy one of the many options for pre-mixed hummingbird sugar-water nectar that use the same sugar-water mix ratio. Read more

Wildlife

America’s First Waterfowl Refuge is Dry

The Klamath Basin is dry! For the first time in history, America’s first National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) established for waterfowl conservation purposes by Theodore Roosevelt is a barren wasteland. Millions of migratory waterfowl, shorebirds and other essential wildlife species will not have anywhere there or at neighboring Tule Lake NWR to rest, refuel and prepare for their migration. This could have a permanent, lasting effect on migrating birds and local wildlife along the Pacific Flyway. Healthy wetlands in the Klamath Basin not only provide refuge for migratory and local species; they also help filter groundwater and recharge aquifers. Dry wetlands could result in people losing access to a vital water source that is necessary for drinking water and for sustaining the local economy.

HISTORY AND IMPACT

Due to reduced water deliveries, waterfowl counts in both 2020 and 2021 at the Klamath refuges were among the lowest ever recorded. In 2020, 60,000 waterfowl and other waterbirds also died from an avian botulism outbreak, which was exacerbated by low water conditions. Other wildlife like bald eagles, a large number of which spend the winter in the Klamath Basin, also suffered from lack of suitable habitat. Read more

Wildlife
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