The funding Congress is expected to approve this week for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grant program — at a moment when America’s wildlife crisis is accelerating — underscores exactly why Congress needs to pass mandatory funding for state, territorial, and Tribal wildlife conservation. The legislation reduces the funding available in FY24 for essential state and Tribal wildlife conservation funding by more than $1.4 million below what Congress approved for the current fiscal year. Read more
Updated guidelines for co-management of fishery resources in parts of Michigan’s Great Lakes are now in effect for the next 24 years. The new Great Lakes Fishing Decree was approved Aug. 24, 2023, by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan. In the months since the decree’s signing, the State of Michigan and tribal governments have been preparing to implement the provisions of the document.
This decree is necessary because five tribes – the Bay Mills Indian Community, the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, and the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians – reserved fishing rights in the 1836 Treaty of Washington. Those rights were affirmed by federal courts more than four decades ago, resulting in the need for a co-management framework that allows for sharing of the fishery resource. This decree is the third since 1985, and each one has included a fishery management structure that dictates who can fish where, when and how, and what can be brought home or sold. Read more
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources will host a public meeting Thursday, March 14, to solicit feedback on the proposed removal of the Devoe Lake Dam, located in the Rifle River Recreation Area in Ogemaw County.
The meeting will run 7 to 8 p.m. at the Rose Township Hall, 3380 Lupton Road in Lupton. DNR staff will provide an overview of the proposed project, followed by an opportunity for people to ask questions and provide comments.
As part of a departmental effort to evaluate DNR-managed infrastructure and create sustainable resources for current and future generations, it’s been determined that the Devoe Lake Dam is no longer serving a useful purpose. Read more
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced today that fall-run Chinook salmon fry released for the first time from its Fall Creek Fish Hatchery in Siskiyou County are presumed to have succumbed to gas bubble disease in the Klamath River.
On Monday, Feb. 26, CDFW released approximately 830,000 fall-run Chinook salmon fry into Fall Creek, a tributary of the Klamath River above Iron Gate Dam. The fish were hatched at CDFW’s new, $35 million, state-of-the-art Fall Creek Fish Hatchery, which represents California’s long-term commitment to supporting and restoring both Chinook and coho salmon runs on an undammed Klamath River.
The salmon fry experienced a large mortality based on monitoring data downstream. Indications are the cause of mortality is gas bubble disease that likely occurred as the fry migrated though the Iron Gate Dam tunnel, old infrastructure that is targeted for removal along with the Iron Gate Dam itself later this year. Gas bubble disease results from environmental or physical trauma often associated with severe pressure change. Read more
BELLEVUE, WA – Attorneys representing the Second Amendment Foundation and its partners have filed a motion for summary judgment with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York seeking a final resolution to its lawsuit challenging New York state and municipal laws prohibiting private citizens from possessing and using stun guns and tasers. The case is Calce v. City of New York.
“Given New York’s history of wanting to keep its peaceable citizens defenseless, it comes as no surprise they would remain an outlier in having a ban which prohibits people from owning electronic arms,” said SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut. “The Second Amendment ensures our ability to possess and carry bearable arms, including those that were not in existence at the time of the Founding, yet lawmakers in New York believe they somehow have the ability to ignore that guarantee. Prior to Bruen, other courts have found these bans to be incompatible with the Constitution, and we believe this case should not yield a different result.”
Joining SAF in the lawsuit are the Firearms Policy Coalition Inc. Each of the five individual plaintiffs in this case – Nunzio Calce, Allen Chan, Shaya Greenfield, Raymond Pezzoli and Amanda Kennedy – are represented by attorney David Jensen of Beacon, N.Y.
As noted in the brief, “Electronic stun guns are no more exempt from the Second Amendment’s protections simply because they were unknown to the First Congress than electronic communications are exempt from the First Amendment or electronic imaging devices are exempt from the Fourth Amendment.”
“The brief filed today demonstrates that stun guns and tasers are protected by the Second Amendment and we demand a permanent injunction against the enforcement of the ban,” said SAF Founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “This case was filed in March 2021, and it’s past time for the court to once and for all declare this law unconstitutional.” Read more
GW: Wow. What a burden on entrepreneurs! And, here go the costs, which, as always, are certainly to be passed onto consumers.
Beginning , sport fishing guides operating in Michigan will need an inland guide license to take clients on guided trips on inland lakes, rivers or streams. The license is required for anyone guiding on any water except the Great Lakes, Great Lakes connecting waters and bodies of water with a surface area of less than 5 acres.
Great Lakes connecting waters refers to specific bodies of water in Michigan that connect the Great Lakes: the St. Marys River, the St. Clair River (beginning at the Fort Gratiot Light), Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River (beginning at the imaginary line extending due south of the Windmill Point Light, Wayne County, and ending at the imaginary east/west line drawn through the most southernly point of Celeron Island).
An inland sport fishing guide can get a license by completing the following steps:
Complete the questionnaire, which will be available . The Michigan Department of Natural Resources will review responses to verify license requirements are met. Applicants will be notified via email within five business days. If the requirements are not met, applicants will be notified that additional eligibility steps are needed.
The resident license fee is $150, and a nonresident license fee is $300. The inland sport fishing guide license is valid for three years after the date it is issued. Captains who possess a valid U.S. Coast Guard-issued captain’s license will receive a license fee waiver.
“This is a new statutory requirement for inland fishing guides, and DNR staff has been working to determine the best way to implement it for everyone’s ease of use,” said Brandon Kieft, assistant chief of the DNR Law Enforcement Division. “As with any new regulatory requirement, it will take time to adjust to it. Our main focus during the early stages of this new program is to make sure that everyone who wants to operate as an inland fishing guide is aware of the need for this license.”
License requirements
To be eligible for a sport fishing guide license, an applicant must:
Possess a valid certification in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation issued by the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association, and be able to provide a copy of the certification to the DNR upon request.
Possess a valid, lawfully obtained Michigan driver’s license issued under the Michigan vehicle code, an official state personal identification card or a DNR-issued Sportcard.
Have not been convicted of a felony or other violation listed within MCL 324.48714a(2)(c) in the last three years.
Be eligible to purchase a license for the fish species targeted while acting as a sport fishing guide.
Possess a valid state inland pilot’s license issued by the DNR or a valid captain’s license issued by the U.S. Coast Guard, if you intend to operate a watercraft while acting as a sport fishing guide.
Possess, while acting as a sport fishing guide, a basic first aid kit that includes, but is not limited to, all of the following: tourniquet, chest seals, compression gauze, CPR mask, trauma shears, sterile eyewash, mylar emergency blanket, bandages, moleskin and tweezers.
If you have questions about the DNR inland pilot’s license, contact the DNR Law Enforcement Division representative at your nearest DNR Customer Service Center.
Mandatory reporting
Beginning , 2024, all licensed inland sport fishing guides must file an electronic report of their monthly catch activity for all trips that occurred on all waters except the Great Lakes, Great Lakes connecting waters, and lakes or ponds with a surface area of less than 5 acres. Details about the reporting requirements are available on the inland fishing guides webpage. Guides who have questions regarding submitting monthly catch activity reports or how to obtain an inland sport fishing guide license can contact Kendra Kozlauskos at 231-330-2845 or DNR-Fish-Charter@Michigan.gov.
This new program is in addition to the existing requirements for the Great Lakes charter boat program. Visit the Great Lakes charter boat program webpage for more information.
Prime Archery®, a G5 company and the leader in Center Grip bows —has announced that during the month of March if you purchase a new Prime Bow, you’ll receive a free½ dozen G5 Arrows of the customer’s choice.
G5 is thrilled to venture into the premium arrow market, inviting customers to experience a new level of accuracy firsthand with their arrow system. The Mark Series and Stax Series arrows offer bowhunters unparalleled precision within a comprehensive arrow system. Partnering with one of the world’s premier arrow shaft manufacturers, G5 delivers highly durable shafts boasting an industry-leading .001 straightness across all arrow shafts. Additionally, G5 offers precision-machined arrow components crafted in our state-of-the-art US factory. Paired with Prime’s industry-leading Center Grip bows, it creates an unbeatable setup for the most dedicated bowhunter. Read more
Up to $150.00 Back on Qualifying FN Pistols This Spring
FN America, LLC is pleased to announce its newest consumer rebate offer, Spring into Savings, available March 1 through May 16, 2024. The program offers up to $150.00 cash back on 70 different models.
In a significant development for entry-level monocular users, Pulsar announces the release of the Axion XQ30 Pro thermal imaging monocular, a substantial upgrade to its well-received predecessor, the Axion XM30F.
Compact and Powerful:
The Axion XQ30 Pro stands out as the most compact model in the Pulsar product line, providing a pocket-sized solution for outdoor enthusiasts. Designed to fit perfectly into one’s hand, this thermal imaging monocular is an ideal companion for hunting and wildlife observation. The symmetrical design, coupled with the ergonomic placement of buttons on the top of the unit, ensures comfort for both left and right-handed users.
Beginning 
