Sportsmen’s Alliance Presents Oral Arguments in Wolf Case

On Oct. 18, attorneys for the Sportsmen’s Alliance, the federal government and the state of Michigan presented oral arguments in their appeal of the ongoing Great Lakes wolf case. Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota were joined by other states in support of the appeal.

In December 2011, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed wolves from the list of endangered and threatened species, restoring management oversight of the species to Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Unhappy with that delisting, and the subsequent possibility for a wolf hunt, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) sued. The HSUS lawsuit sought to return wolves to Endangered Species Act protections.

Despite overwhelming evidence that wolves are not only recovered, but thriving, in the Western Great Lakes region, in Dec. 2014, a Washington, D.C.-based, U.S. District Court Judge ruled that until the apex predators were deemed recovered throughout their entire historic range – which means from New York City to San Francisco – they could not be delisted. The Sportsmen’s Alliance and the federal and state governments appealed this ruling.

“Under the lower court’s ruling, it doesn’t matter that wolf numbers in the Great Lakes states are two or three times higher than the recovery goals adopted by the federal government in the 1990s. The ruling by the lower court means that until wolves are found in Chicago, Seattle and New York, wolves cannot be managed appropriately by state wildlife experts in the Great Lakes states,” said Evan Heusinkveld, president and CEO of Sportsmen’s Alliance. “The ruling makes absolutely no sense, is legally and factually incorrect, and spells disaster for the future of the Endangered Species Act, wildlife and our entire ecosystem, which is why we’re appealing it.” Read more

Animal Rights, Wildlife

DNA testing conducted on cougars killed in the Upper Peninsula


Genetic testing on tissue samples from two cougars poached in the Upper Peninsula shows the two animals likely came from a population found generally in South Dakota, Wyoming and northwest Nebraska.”This genetic research lines up with what we’ve presumed previously, that cougars found in the Upper Peninsula are males dispersing from this population east of the Rocky Mountains,” said Kevin Swanson, a Michigan Department of Natural Resources wildlife management specialist with the agency’s Bear and Wolf Program. “These males dispersed from the main population are looking to establish new territories.”

Since 2008, the DNR has confirmed 35 cougar reports in the Upper Peninsula, but so far there remains noThe cougar shown was poached in Schoolcraft County in 2013. This is one of two male cougars the Michigan DNR sampled tissue from for genetic analysis. conclusive evidence of a breeding population. No reports have been confirmed from Lower Michigan.

Cougars are an endangered species in Michigan protected by law. Read more

Wildlife

Lyman Auto-Advance Target System


The new Lyman Auto-Advance Target System is a revolutionary design, offering shooters the ability to change targets at up to 200 yards with the press of a button! No more walking downrange to replace targets, or waiting for cease-fires! The Auto-Advance Target System is battery operated, so there is no need for wires and power outlets, plus it disassembles easily for transportation back and forth to the range. The Auto-Advance Target System has steel protection plates that are rated for use with all rimfire calibers. The Auto-Advance Target System comes with a roll of standard bullseye targets. Additional 50 foot target rolls are available with bullseye, animal and silhouette designs. Read more
Firearms

First 2016 Michigan elk season a success


The Michigan Department of Natural Resources yesterday announced that Michigan’s first elk hunt of 2016, which ended Oct. 3, had a hunter success rate of 85 percent. One hundred state hunters had 12 days to fill their elk license, with 30 any-elk and 70 antlerless-only licenses issued.”It’s hard to believe the first hunt period is in the books,” said DNR wildlife biologist Jennifer Kleitch. “Overall, we had good weather to hunt, no notable law issues and good success. The last few days were the wettest, which slowed efforts just a bit.”

The first hunt period of the elk season is staggered and open for a total of 12 days, from Aug. 30-Sept. 2, Sept. 16-19 and Sept. 30-Oct. 3. This early hunt period is open only in areas outside the core elk range, helping to control the distribution or locations of elk. The management goal for elk hunting is to control the number of elk and their locations and also the herd composition, or the male-to-female ratios. Hunt period 1 targets elk outside the location where the DNR wants the majority of the population to be. Read more

Hunting

Michigan: Pheasant Hunting Season Kicks Off


With the opening of pheasant hunting season last week, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources reminds hunters that there are a growing number of opportunities to take part in this treasured Michigan tradition.Pheasant hunting season is Oct. 10-31 in the Upper Peninsula in Menominee County and portions of Iron, Marquette, Dickinson and Delta counties; Oct. 20-Nov. 14 in the Lower Peninsula and Dec. 1-Jan. 1, 2017, in selected areas of Zone 3 in the southern Lower Peninsula. The bag limit is two male pheasants daily, with four in possession. A base license is required to hunt pheasants.

“A few years ago, Outdoor Life magazine rated Michigan’s Thumb in the top 10 places in the country to go pheasant hunting, which points to the fact that pheasant hunting is still alive and well in our state,” said Al Stewart, DNR upland game bird specialist. “The DNR and our partners are making progress toward creating more quality pheasant hunting opportunities with the Michigan Pheasant Restoration Initiative, a collaborative effort to revitalize Michigan pheasants.”

Stewart, who recently returned from attending the National Wild Pheasant meeting, explained that while pheasant populations have been in decline for a number of years, pheasants can be found in southern lower Michigan and in some areas of the Upper Peninsula. The best counties for pheasant hunting are in south-central to mid-Michigan and into the Thumb. There are some localized concentrations of birds elsewhere based on habitat availability. Stewart advises hunters to look for warm-season grasses, especially idled farm fields. Late-season hunters can have success in cattail and shrub lands adjoining picked agricultural fields. Read more

Hunting, Wildlife

Henry Repeating Arms Raises over $27,000 for Sick Indiana Boy


BAYONNE, NJ – Henry Repeating Arms of Bayonne, NJ designed and donated 33 custom Henry Golden Boys to raise funds for 3-year-old Brayden of Indiana who was born prematurely at 3 pounds, 2 ounces with a condition that left his intestines outside of his stomach. The surgery to remedy this condition led to infections and now most of Brayden’s organs need to be replaced, excluding his heart and lungs.Anthony Imperato, President of Henry Repeating Arms immediately offered the family assistance through the Guns for Great Causes branch of Henry Repeating Arms. The 33 special edition rifles were auctioned off and sold across the country to generate funds to help Brayden’s family cover the cost of the anti-rejection drugs that are required for a successful transplant operation of this severity. Read more
Firearms

Hornady Announces Limited Edition Ruger Ammunition


100 years ago, Ruger founder and firearms legend, William B. Ruger was born. In honor of the man who created one of the most iconic firearms brands in American history, Hornady has partnered with Ruger to offer commemorative ammunition in limited-edition packaging.These collector’s items include the popular 204 32 gr V-Max® load and the 480 Ruger, big-bore hunting favorite. Packaged in soft-touch, suede-like packaging with embossed foil logos and a woodcut-effect image of Mr. Ruger, these packages are sure to grace the shelves and display cases of collectors the world over. Read more
Ammunition

Poachers: Do you Feel Lucky?

By Glen Wunderlich

Most Michigan deer hunters are proud of the number of antler points on bucks they’ve taken.  Some call it bragging rights.  Hunters are well aware of what constitutes an antler point and always seem to stretch the tape to the one-inch mark to claim another one.  However, when that antlered buck is taken illegally, the “hunter” becomes a thief and when confronted by law enforcement, would rather not toot that horn.  And, as of February of this year, there’s good reason for being sheepish:   Penalties and fines have been increased substantially.

A 2015 research study by the Boone and Crockett Club found that 92.6 percent of sportsmen support higher fines for those convicted of poaching big-game animals, while 88 percent also support even higher fines for those convicted of poaching trophy-class, big-game animals.

Accordingly, Michigan’s lawmakers have passed legislation that has increased the penalty and fines for anyone caught poaching a buck. It was the first change to Michigan’s poaching law since 1990.

The new fines are based on the number of legal antler points and increase for larger racks. The restitution for illegally killing a deer remains $1,000, and jumps to $2,000 for antlered deer. In addition, poachers are now fined $500 per legal point for bucks that are between eight and 10 points, and $750 per legal point for bucks that have 11 points or more.

The word is getting out, as one cheater found out the hard way.

Josiah Killingbeck reported that an illegal deer case from 2015 was adjudicated in Lake County. The case involved a subject who had taken an 8-point buck during archery season of 2015 and purchased a kill tag for it the following day. CO Schaumburger assisted CO Killingbeck with interviewing the suspect in the Detroit area where a confession was obtained. The hunter was ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution and $435 in fines and costs. The hunter had his hunting license revoked for one year.

Here are a few more examples of clever cover-ups unraveled.

CO Brian Lasanen and CO Ethen Mapes responded to a RAP complaint of shots fired well after legal shooting hours.  As CO Lasanen and CO Mapes pulled up to the suspect’s house, they noticed four deer hanging in the barn.  CO Lasanen made contact with the suspect, and was advised his girlfriend had legally shot all four deer. CO Mapes made contact with the girlfriend and after a brief interview, it was determined she had not shot any deer this season, and her tags were at a friend’s house.  In light of the new information, CO Lasanen re-interviewed the suspect.  It was determined the suspect had shot all four deer.  The deer and the firearm used were seized.  Law enforcement action was taken.

Sgt. Joe Molnar was at a deer check station when a hunter came in to have his ten point buck checked which he had shot on opening morning. While talking with the hunter, it was determined that he shot the buck, and then purchased his hunting license. The hunter had only bought an antlerless deer license.  A citation was issued for taking a deer without a license.

One question remains for the poachers among us:  Are the rewards worth the risk?

Hunting

Monarchs in Michigan

Fall is here, and with the cooler temperatures and lessening daylight, many different species have begun to migrate. Mammals, birds and even insects make a journey away from their summer range to find a place suitable to spend the winter. One remarkable insect that makes such a journey is the monarch butterfly.

Monarchs from Michigan typically travel south to Mexico to overwinter. Four new generations of monarchs are born each year, so the generation that migrates north in the spring is not made up of the same individuals that migrate south!

Because of this tremendous journey, monarchs have need for a variety of habitats. In the early summer these butterflies lay their eggs on milkweed because that is the only plant their caterpillars will eat. Monarchs also need habitat to overwinter in, not to mention habitat where they can stop and refuel along the way. They are very active insects and require a wide variety of flowering plants to provide the food they need to survive and make their long journey.

Unfortunately, this remarkable insect has had a 90-percent decrease in its eastern population over the last 20 years. Read more

Wildlife

Michigan: Target Sturgeon on the St. Clair River


For some, catching a lake sturgeon is the thrill of a lifetime. For many…that thrill will never be experienced. But what if it could be – simply by making a trip to the St. Clair River?According to Mike Thomas, a DNR fisheries research biologist at the Lake St. Clair Fisheries Research Station, the St. Clair River is one of the only waters within the Great Lakes (and their connecting waters) where you have a very good chance of targeting and catching a lake sturgeon.

“When someone calls and indicates they’re interested in getting involved in lake sturgeon fishing, the north channel of the St. Clair River is the first place I tell them to go.” Read more

Fishing
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