Michigan: Northern Lower Peninsula wolf survey starts soon

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ citizen-based northern Lower Peninsula wolf survey, to detect the presence of gray wolves in the region, will take place Feb. 19 through March 15.

“The probability of DNR personnel observing an actual wolf or its tracks in the northern Lower Peninsula is very low,” said DNR wildlife biologist Jennifer Kleitch. “It’s helpful to have as many eyes as possible looking, so public reports are important for this survey.”

Wolves began naturally returning to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula through Canada and Wisconsin in the early 1990s. Since that time, the population has increased and now occupies suitable habitat throughout the U.P. While the Straits of Mackinac is not an absolute barrier for wolves moving from the U.P. to the northern Lower Peninsula, it is a significant obstacle, especially when there is not complete ice cover.

The first observation of a gray wolf in the northern Lower Peninsula in recent times was in 2004, when a wolf was accidently killed in Presque Isle County. In 2014, the presence of a gray wolf was identified through genetic analysis of a scat sample collected in Emmet County. The DNR would like to gather further information to determine wolf presence in the northern Lower Peninsula.

If you see a wolf or wolf sign between Feb. 19 and March 15, please call the DNR Atlanta Field Office at 989-785-4251, ext. 5233 or report sightings online through Eyes in the Field, found at Michigan.gov/EyesInTheField.

Reports will be recorded and potentially investigated if recent sign is present. Priority will be placed on reports north of M-55.

“It’s important that observations are reported in a timely manner so we can work with fresh sign. Those who find what they believe are wolf tracks should preserve the physical sign and take a photo of the tracks with a ruler in the frame to indicate size,” Kleitch said. “We’d also be very interested in any recent pictures of a wolf in the Northern Lower Peninsula.”

Information on wolves in Michigan and links to other wolf-related web pages can be found at Michigan.gov/Wolves.

This winter wolf survey is conducted in partnership with the DNR, USDA Wildlife Services, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Grand Traverse Band or Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, and Little River Band of Ottawa Indians.

Wildlife

Savage Launches New Guns for 2019

WESTFIELD, Massachusetts – – Savage is excited to have introduced more than 40 new firearms at the 2019 Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show, held Jan. 22 through 26 in Las Vegas, Nevada. During the show, the company announced several additional firearms not mentioned prior to the show in marketing materials or its product catalog. These include the new Model 64 Takedown, 110 Prairie Hunter bolt-action 224 Valkyrie and four new left-hand models in the company’s pint-size rimfire Rascal family. Read more

Firearms

Environ-Metal Releases HEVI-X Strut Turkey Loads

Environ-Metal®, Inc., makers of HEVI-Shot® (Sweet Home, Oregon) introduces HEVI-X Strut™ from HEVI-Shot®. Like our HEVI-X waterfowl products, HEVI-X Strut is Deadlier at Distance®! New HEVI-X Strut™ is a tungsten-based turkey load that offers higher energy on target than lead due to a payload that is HEAVIER THAN LEAD® #6 tungsten pellets layered over HEAVIER THAN STEEL® HEVI-X #5 tungsten pellets – plus a higher launch speed, made possible by the strength of the tungsten pellets. Smoke that Tom with 50% more energy than conventional #6 lead and all the loaded pellets of TSS #7 turkey loads at half the price. Works great with HEVI-Shot® Turkey choke tubes! More lethal pellets on target™ at a price that makes sense!

Available in 12ga 3.5” 5ct box, 12ga 3” 5ct box, 20ga 3” 5ct box, 410ga 5ct box.

12ga 3.5” 1-3/4 oz 1450 FPS, 12ga 3” 1-1/2 oz 1450 FPS, 20ga 3” 1-1/4 oz 1250 FPS, 410ga 3” 9/16oz 1250 FPS.
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Ammunition

Leupold and Total Archery Challenge Announce 2019 Truck Giveaway

BEAVERTON, Ore. — Leupold & Stevens, Inc., has announced that it will return as the exclusive optics sponsor of the Total Archery Challenge for 2019 – and to celebrate, the two brands are teaming up for the Leupold Truck Giveaway.

Total Archery Challenge is a competitive event that combines the most exciting aspects of archery into an epic three-day experience. Events are held across the United States, and feature courses designed to test the marksmanship of all skill levels. Each event includes over 100 3D targets, which challenge shooters to adjust for distance, angles, and natural obstacles.
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Archery

Norma Releases ECOSTRIKE – Lead-Free and High Impact Hunting Ammunition

Norma® has released its new ECOSTRIKE™ ammunition, bringing the latest in bullet technology to a lead-free projectile. The design features a polymer tip for better ballistic coefficients and more reliable terminal performance. Available in a variety of calibers, ECOSTRIKE is a great choice for hunting medium and large game because of its ability to expand at both low and high velocities.

“With ECOSTRIKE, Norma is ushering in a new era for lead-free hunting cartridges,” said Paul Lemke, General Manager for RUAG Ammotec USA. “ECOSTRIKE delivers the accuracy and terminal ballistics that hunters can rely on, while simultaneously raising the bar for the overall performance of lead-free hunting ammunition.”

ECOSTRIKE features a lead-free, copper bullet design for quality penetration and high weight retention. The polymer tip assists with bullet expansion and decreases drag, while its boat tail bullet design increases its ballistic coefficient and maximizes wind resistance. The ECOSTRIKE projectile is engineered with a cavity to guarantee optimal expansion, even at low velocities. Its proprietary plating also increases barrel life.

Norma ECOSTRIKE is available in the following configurations:

cid:1D0A01BD-CD48-4C6E-89D0-CA11E1071143@fritz.box

    • 300 Win Mag 150gr ECOSTRIKE
    • 300 WSM 150gr ECOSTRIKE
    • 30-06 150gr ECOSTRIKE
    • 308 WIN 150gr ECOSTRIKE
    • 7mm 140gr ECOSTRIKE
Ammunition

Senate Passes Natural Resources Management Act, Recognizing Sportsmen’s Access Priorities

Washington, DC – The Senate approved the Natural Resources Management Act (S. 47), which contains many longstanding priorities advocated by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), on a bipartisan vote of 92 – 8.

Introduced by Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee Chair and Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC) Member Senator Lisa Murkowski (AK) along with Senator Maria Cantwell (WA), this comprehensive package of legislation includes numerous provisions that will improve access for sportsmen and women and will provide resources for habitat conservation programs. Following introduction in January, nearly 50 organizations submitted a support letter urging Senate Leadership to consider S. 47. Some of the priority sporting provisions in this bill include:

  • Authorizing the transportation of archery equipment through National Park Service (NPS) Units.
  • Directing Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) lands to be open for hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting unless specifically closed.
  • Directing the NPS, BLM, USFS, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to annually identify lands where sporting related activities are permitted, but where access is currently unavailable or restricted.
  • Permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund with 3% or $15 million of annual appropriations made available for the purpose of securing additional access for hunting, fishing, recreational shooting, and other outdoor related activities.

“The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation applauds the Senate Leadership for bringing this important legislation for sportsmen and women to the floor for a vote,” said CSF President Jeff Crane. “This is common sense legislation that is the result of years of negotiations with Congressional champions to get to this point, and CSF will work with the House of Representatives to pass this legislation and get it signed into law.” Read more

Fishing, Hunting

Trump Urged to Halt Offshore Wind Turbines Along Atlantic Coast

Washington, DC – In a letter submitted to President Donald Trump on Thursday, February 7, 2019, Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) Executive Director Jim Donofrio requested an immediate halt on all work on proposed industrial wind farms along the Atlantic Coast. The request was prompted in response to the issuance of 6 commercial offshore wind leases by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) since 2016 along the Atlantic Coast. BOEM is the federal agency under the Department of Interior that oversees offshore renewal energy development in federal waters. Donofrio called for work being conducted under this permits to be halted citing a failure of the agency to fully investigate and assess the impacts that offshore wind energy generation facilities will have on valuable commercial and recreational fisheries.

In his letter, Donofrio articulated the fishing community’s concerns with the pace at which the leases have been issued and the lack of a comprehensive ecological evaluation on the potential impacts that offshore wind development may have on fish stocks. While the idea that adding new structure in the form of wind turbines to the ocean, particularly in areas where the bottom is comprised of fine sand, will attract fish and create new fishing opportunities for anglers, one cannot over-look the literature coming out of countries that have aggressively developed their coast lines with wind turbines. Studies from Denmark and other European countries find that fish stocks display measurable behavioral and migratory responses in presences of noise (vibrations created by the massive blades) and electromagnetic fields (EMF) produced by the turbines and the miles of underwater cables required to transmit the electricity generated to shore.

Applying these findings to the lease areas proposed for development off of Atlantic coast the US, there is the very real threat that once installed, offshore wind farms may disrupt north/south and inshore/offshore migrations of important fish stocks such as striped bass, bluefish and pelagics. It is also unknown how the inshore/offshore movements of demersal species such as summer flounder will be impacted. It would be extremely unfortunate to build these facilities in hast only to find out that EMF from the transmission cables disrupts the seasonal movements of summer flounder into Mid-Atlantic bays and estuaries. RFA finds that associated risks far outweigh the benefits of offshore wind and demands that development be halted so that all potential impacts can be fully vetted.

“The companies that are pursuing these projects have no legal obligation or regard for American commercial or recreational fishermen who have been on these grounds earning a living for decades,” explained Jim Donofrio. “Our jobs and our fisheries must come first.”
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Fishing

Bear X Introduces All-New Saga 405 to Crossbow Lineup

EVANSVILLE, IN – Bear Archery announced Monday the launch of an all-new crossbow to the 2019 Bear X lineup. The Saga 405 is a high-performance crossbow built for top-of-the-line speed, extreme accuracy, and maximum versatility at a price that is attractive to well-seasoned hunters and novices alike.

Offering aggressive, lethal power and blistering speeds of 405 fps, the Saga 405 is the fastest model to date in the Bear X crossbow line. Measuring 14” wide cocked, the Saga 405 weighs in at only 7.8 lbs. and is available at a retail price of $349.99.
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Archery

Michigan DNR conservation officers rescue stranded snowmobilers

Four snowmobilers were rescued Saturday night from the ice of the Big Iron River by a pair of conservation officers who risked their own safety to find the riders and bring them back to waiting emergency crews.

The ordeal began at about 6:30 p.m. EST Saturday, when Negaunee Regional Dispatch broadcast a report of snowmobilers being separated from their larger group. They were now stranded on the river, south of White Pine.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officers Jenni Hanson and Zach Painter – who typically patrol Gogebic County – had been working earlier in the day near Bergland with U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement Officer Josh Lopac.

The three officers were working to police careless snowmobiling Saturday in Ontonagon County.

“We work together a lot,” Painter said. “There’s a lot of land in this part of the Upper Peninsula that’s part of the Ottawa National Forest.”

That same day, Painter had responded to a personal injury accident, involving a snowmobiler who struck a tree and had to be airlifted to a Wisconsin hospital. Hanson had been assisting with a women’s snowmobile clinic in Bergland. She was on her way home when the call came in. Read more

General

NWTF Launches Sweepstakes with GoWild to Help Tackle Hunter Recruitment

EDGEFIELD, S.C. — GoWild has partnered with the National Wild Turkey Federation to promote hunter recruitment with a sweepstakes valued at over $4,500.

One winner will receive an all-expense-paid turkey hunting trip for two to Wisconsin, where they will enjoy the full experience of chasing that morning thunder! The great team from Wolf Pack Adventures will guide the adventure.

“Few things are more exciting than hearing morning gobbles roll through the hills” said Brad Luttrell, Co-Founder and CEO of GoWild. “This sweepstakes and experience brings a chance to support the great conservation work done by the NWTF, and to take some personal responsibility for the future of hunting.”

By taking the NWTF & GoWild 2019 pledge, community members are committing to take someone hunting or fishing who has never gone before. The sweepstakes is open to any NWTF member — new or old. Sign up for a chance to win the Turkey Hunting Sweepstakes on the GoWild app (available on iTunes or Google Play). Entry is easy and free for members. Newcomers are encouraged to sign up and take the pledge with a friend.

Details & How to Enter for a Chance to Win*

  • All-expense-paid trip to Wisconsin for two (2) to hunt turkeys with the Wolf Pack Adventures guides on May 18-19, 2019.
  • Guide fees, hunting licenses, and ammunition provided.
  • Lodging and meals are included.
  • Take advantage of Wisconsin’s great Walleye fishing when you arrive! Fishing licenses will also be included.
  • To enter, download the GoWild app and create your account. Then, open the app and find the details by searching “NWTF.”

*Terms and Conditions may apply. See complete details on GoWild. Read more

Hunting
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