Fairfax, Va. – The National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) has partnered with Safari Club International, Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation, and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and filed motions to intervene in and dismiss a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision to expand hunting and fishing opportunities on more than 2.3 million acres of land at 106 National Wildlife Refuges.
“The National Wildlife Refuge System was created to increase opportunities for families to engage in traditional outdoor actives including hunting, fishing, hiking, and more,” said Erica Tergeson, NRA-ILA’s director of hunting policy. “Denying access to more than 2.3 million acres runs counter to the entire concept of public lands.”
In 2020, the Trump Administration opened 2.3 million acres across 97 national wildlife refuges and nine national fish hatcheries. That expansion created 900 distinctly new hunting and fishing opportunities for America’s outdoorsmen and women. It was the largest expansion in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service history. Read more
Kestrel® Ballistics, a subsidiary of Nielsen-Kellerman®, is pleased to announce the release of the KestrelMet 6000 Food Plot Weather station, a rugged, reliable monitoring solution that helps hunters more effectively grow and maintain a thriving food plot for years of successful hunting.
The KestrelMet 6000 Food Plot Weather Station ($2,199)is ideal for planning the optimum location for food plots, monitoring conditions during the growing season, and getting hyper-local wind data during hunting season. Choose a low-cost data plan from Verizon or ATT, with the first year of data completely free. This highly accurate food plot weather station comes with a metal tripod mount and includes sensors for measuring solar irradiance, soil moisture, and soil temperature.
A cost-effective, one-time investment, the KestrelMet 6000 provides the weather and site-specific growing conditions data needed to maintain a flourishing food plot season after season.
“Food Plots are no different than farming for agriculture, just on a smaller level,” states Katie Godfrey, Director of Kestrel Ballistics. “Knowing the exact conditions on your property will increase the success of plantings for the upcoming hunting season.” Read more
Two 2022 academies will be offered: the traditional 23-week academy and a shorter, hybrid academy.
DNR extends conservation officer job posting to March 31
In an effort to stay competitive with other law enforcement agencies that are hiring throughout the state, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has extended its application deadline for the 2022 conservation officer recruit school to March 31.
“As with most industries, it’s been a challenge recruiting qualified applicants in the current economy. We’re hoping this extension will provide prospective applicants additional opportunities to review our hiring and job information and training videos, and to reach out to our recruiters with questions before they apply,” said F/Lt. Jason Wicklund, DNR Law Enforcement Division. Read more
Elyria, Ohio – March 4, 2022 – When it comes to prepping shooting lanes and brushing in blinds for the 2022 spring and fall season’s, make sure you call on Wicked Tree Gear for precision cutting and durability you can count on.
“As our most exciting addition to the Outdoor Product Innovations family, we are proud to call Wicked Tree Gear one of our own. It truly sets the bar high in the hand and pole saw industry,” said Danny Reaser, Vice President of Outdoor Product Innovations. “The Wicked Tree Gear saws fit perfectly in line with OPI’s high quality products that continue to help every outdoorsman each time they go into the woods to hunt.” Read more
You can find the nearest Sandhill Cranes as spring migration progresses by using the Sandhill Crane Finder (photos by Paul Konrad).
One of the first signs of spring is the call of Sandhill Cranes, followed by the sight of a migrating flock; then flock after flock. But where can you go for the ultimate spring crane experience in your area? Now you can refer to the “Sandhill Crane Finder,” provided by the International Crane Foundation. It’s common knowledge that the Platte River Valley in central Nebraska offers the most impressive concentration of cranes in the world, but there’s are a multitude of locations you can view, hear, and absorb exciting Sandhill Crane experiences in North America.
To monitor the location of Sandhill Cranes across North America, and especially to find a Sandhill staging area near you, see Sandhill Crane Finder (savingcranes.org)
The Duncraft Eco-Friendly Bluebird House is a good example of a standard-sized nest box for cavity nesting songbirds.
The Duncraft Eco Chickadee Bird House.
The advent of March signals it is time to prepare our nest boxes for the variety of cavity nesting birds ranging from wrens and bluebirds to screech owls and Wood Ducks. Whether or not the weather in your area shows it or not, it’s time to clean and repair our bird houses for the nesting season, as well as plan for new additions. If you want to install new nest boxes, the time is right to get started, or in northern climes, you may want to follow through on building a new one, make a purchase. Then consider if where to position nest boxes to attract the birds you prefer?
Installing and monitoring a bird house is fun, but it’s also an important part of benefitting birds. By providing an “artificial cavity” – a nest box – you are helping cavity nesting birds, which is a great conservation service. Of course, nest boxes don’t come in one size to fit all birds, nor will one location necessarily fit the habitat requirements of all cavity nesting birds. Indeed, there are a number of topics to be aware of when planning for a bird house in your yard – or another location in your area. First, nest boxes and bird houses are simply the same product by a different name.
Cavity-nesting Birds – Not all birds use nest boxes, but 88 species of North American birds do nest in cavities and will use nest boxes, ranging from chickadees to Barred Owls. Read more
New name for a familiar pest: Gypsy moth is now spongy moth
The Entomological Society of America Wednesday announced a new common name for the Lymantria dispar moth. The invasive moth most familiar in its voracious, leaf-eating caterpillar stage will now be known as “spongy moth.”
Formerly referred to as “gypsy moth,” the hairy, yellow-faced caterpillar with pairs of red and blue spots down its back was big news in 2021 when a population explosion in Michigan caused leaf loss in oaks and other trees in infested areas.
Spongy moth is now the approved common name in the ESA Common Names of Insects and Related Organisms List. The old name was removed from this list in July 2021 because it contained a derogatory term for Romani people. The move is part of the society’s Better Common Names Project.
The program – cooperatively implemented by the Michigan departments of Agriculture and Rural Development; Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy; and Natural Resources – addresses prevention, detection, eradication and control of aquatic (water-based) and terrestrial (land-based) invasive species in Michigan through four key objectives:
Preventing the introduction of new invasive species.
Strengthening the statewide invasive species early detection and response network.
Limiting the spread of recently confirmed invasive species.
Managing and controlling widespread, established invasive species.
This year’s grantees have offered $541,500 in matching funds and services to support these projects, leveraging a total investment of $4,141,500.
Improving prevention and management
This year’s grants will provide funding for a range of efforts targeting aquatic invasive species: Read more
SWANSBORO, N.C. –– High Speed Gear® embarks on a new product line up designed for K9 and working dog handlers. The Bonito 15’ Tracking Lead is the first product in the new series.
For over 23 years, High Speed Gear® has been developing and providing mission-essential tactical gear to first responders, military personnel, and government agencies, and is now able to offer equipment for those four-legged heroes. The Bonito 15’ Tracking Lead is designed specifically for K9 and working dog handlers. The lead is constructed with Mil-Spec tubular nylon using Schoeller™ Nanosphere™ coating. The new Tracking Lead is water and fur resistant; the handle is double bar-tacked for durability, and it’s equipped with a steel snap-hook with military-grade coating. The Tracking Lead is made in the USA and extends a total of 15 feet in length.
“A local Onslow County K9 Sergeant, Dawn Jauernik and her K9 Bonito inspired our team to design and offer the new K9 product line up to our customer base,” explained Shelbie O’Brien, HSGI® Sales Manager . “We’re proud supporters of law enforcement, and we know just how impactful the K9 units can be on a law enforcement agency so it was the perfect next step in product offerings from High Speed Gear.” Read more
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As winter draws to a close, we get teased by Mother Nature, as she doles out a few mild days to us weary wildlife watchers. As a lifelong birder, it is always exciting to notice the early arrival of some of our fair-weather feathered friends. Some of them – like some of us – seem to be pushing things a bit, however.
Their northern journey from parts unknown has not only begun, it has ended for a few early birds; however, they won’t be getting any worms just yet. A male red wing blackbird and two common grackles have beat the rush to Shiawassee County and found their way to a remote feeder of mine deep in the woods already. As for female red wing blackbirds, we won’t be seeing them this early; they inexplicably remain in their southern reaches, while the males scope out new home sites.
On the other side of the coin are some of the toughest little creatures known to mankind: the American Tree Sparrows.
Tree Sparrow
They actually travel south to Michigan for the winter to feed on indigenous weed seeds and those supplied in feeders. American Tree Sparrows breed in the far North and are rarely seen south of northern Canada in summer.
Another tiny, winter visitor of ours is the dark-eyed Junco that has yet to head to its breeding grounds in the Western mountains and Canada. A recent estimate set the junco’s total population at approximately 630 million individuals.
Interestingly, the oldest recorded Dark-eyed Junco was at least 11 years, 4 months old when it was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in West Virginia in 2001; it had been banded in the same state in 1991!
Wild turkeys, although non-migrating, are also in a transition phase. During spring, wild turkeys transition from the slow moving, gregarious mixed flocks of winter and start to disperse, as reproductive activity ramps up. That movement of wild turkeys, both male and female, during the spring transition period represents one of the most active stages of the birds’ lives.
This past week after not having laid eyes on a single turkey for months, they returned in a big way. Strung out in single file for well over one hundred yards in a nearby field was a group of returning turkeys in the snow-covered habitat. Where they were since last fall is anyone’s guess, but one thing I know for sure: Some of them were members of our local gang last year. The giveaway was one disadvantaged hen that walked with a noticeable limp among the birds. They didn’t forget where the feeding stations were, either, and made stops at my neighbor’s station and even my remote fast food feeder.
These game birds will now disperse. Dispersal is commonly defined as the movement of individual birds away from the area they were born to a different location.
Although this wintering location has been a mystery to me, it’s comforting to know they have, in fact, returned to their fair-weather range – even if fair weather remains but a promise for now.
