Jack pine harvest in Brighton will provide seeds statewide


closeup view of Kirtland’s warbler in jack pine branches

The Kirtland’s warbler is one species that benefits from Michigan’s healthy jack pine forests.

About 33 acres of overgrown jack pine trees in Livingston County, Michigan, are being harvested to provide seeds for planting new trees across the state.

The trees are at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Tree Improvement Center near Brighton. The seed orchard is about 35 years old and the trees are too large to efficiently pick cones from, said Jason Hartman, silviculturist with the DNR’s Forest Resources Division. Silviculture is the branch of forestry that focuses on the establishment, growth, composition, health and quality of forests to meet diverse needs and values.

“There are some jack pine trees that we planted years ago for seed collection, and they’re overgrown,” Hartman said. “We couldn’t keep them pruned low enough where we could pick pine cones from the ground.”

Jack pine cones need heat to open. In natural conditions, that heat would come from a forest fire or sunlight. The DNR will pick pine cones from the cut trees and then heat them in kilns to release the seeds. The seeds will be used to plant seedlings and regenerate jack pine forests across the state. Timber from these felled trees also is being utilized by a local logger.

The DNR is looking for volunteers to help pick cones from the felled trees. Those interested in helping out should contact Jason Hartman at hartmanj@michigan.gov.

Hartman said the DNR plans to replant the blocks of harvested pines on a staggered schedule so that the future seed orchard will contain trees of differing ages.

The Tree Improvement Center site was used as a state forest tree nursery starting in 1957; it was designated as the Tree Improvement Center in 1985. Its priority purpose is to grow cones and extract seeds, and the jack pines that currently are being harvested were planted specifically to provide a steady supply of seeds.

A small part of the Tree Improvement Center property may be leased for a seedling nursery operation, which will utilize the seeds produced from adjacent orchards to grow seedlings that are planted throughout Michigan. The majority of the grounds will continue to be managed for cone and seed production by the DNR.

The DNR plants about 3 million jack pine seedlings across the state each year. Jack pines grow in dry, sandy soils and provide habitat for a variety of animals including the endangered Kirtland’s warbler, the spruce grouse, snowshoe hares and white-tailed deer. Read more

Wildlife

Vanguard Endeavor RS IV 5-20×50


New Riflescope Delivers Versatility, Innovation, Durability, Accuracy and Exceptional ValueWhitmore Lake, MI — To the benefit of hunters and shooters worldwide who are looking for quality and excellent value, Vanguard Outdoors introduces another NEW Endeavor RS IV riflescope. The Vanguard Endeavor RS IV 5-20×50 Riflescope offers precision and accuracy for the long-range target or varmint enthusiast. Endeavor RS IV delivers an impressive 4X Zoom factor with a lower scale 5X magnification for those closer applications, as well as an impressive 20X magnification for shot placement on longer distance targets. The 50MM Objective Lens delivers superb resolution, high performance and the capability to execute even in extreme low light. Read more
Optics

MI fisheries survey work paints clearer picture of Oakland County’s Paint Creek

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources recently concluded a mark and recapture fisheries survey on Paint Creek in Oakland County to better understand the waterbody’s brown trout population.

Get an inside look at the survey work in this brief video.

The DNR manages a portion of Paint Creek, downstream from Lake Orion, as a high-quality brown trout stream – as evidenced by its inclusion in the department’s Trout Trails online application. Read more

Fishing

Nosler 6.5 Creedmoor Hunting Ammunition

Bend, Ore. –– Nosler®, Inc. is currently shipping 6.5 Creedmoor ammunition specifically designed for big game hunting in the following configurations to major stores and online retailers.
Trophy Grade™ Long Range 129gr AccuBond® Long Range at 2850 fps

Ballistic Tip® Ammunition 120gr Ballistic Tip® at 2900 fps *New for 2017
Ballistic Tip® Ammunition 140gr Ballistic Tip® at 2650 fps
E-Tip® Ammunition 120gr E-Tip® at 2850 fps *New for 2017 Read more

Ammunition

It’s Here: 2017 Pheasant Hunting Forecast

St. Paul, MN –Pheasants Forever has released its 2017 Pheasant Hunting Forecast, the most comprehensive upland hunting planner in the nation. While record snowfalls and a severe drought in 2017 contributed to significant bird population decreases in parts of the Midwest, expanses of the West and Great Plains show exciting signs for the season ahead. Future pheasant hunting prospects will rely heavily on the quantity and quality of grassland habitat available, stressing the importance of the 2018 Farm Bill and the resolve of upland hunters to advocate and contribute to the work of habitat conservation.

Pheasant hunting prospects for 2017 are a mixed bag of good and bad news, offering the traveling bird hunter an expectation of remarkable wingshooting in certain states with a bit of boot leather mileage, intel, and personal grit. On the flip side, Pheasants Forever remains steadfast in its task to help restore grasslands in the Midwestern states – South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota – where a perfect storm of extreme weather conditions and the loss of Conservation Reserve Program acreage have led to significant population decreases since last September. Read more

Hunting

Proposed brook trout regulation change in Upper Peninsula


Close-up of brook trout in angler’s handsThe Michigan Department of Natural Resources is proposing an increase to the brook trout possession limit on select Upper Peninsula stream sections starting in April 2018.

The brook trout daily possession limit has been set at five (5) for the past 17 years. During that time, many requests were received from anglers wanting to keep more fish. Sparked by these requests and with interest from the Natural Resources Commission and input from the DNR’s Coldwater Regulations Steering Committee, department fisheries staff investigated social and biological aspects of increasing the brook trout possession limit from five to 10 on a subset of Upper Peninsula streams. Read more

Fishing

Wilson Combat AR Hunter Series


The New AR Hunter Series
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Now Available At Wilson Combat®
When it comes to lightweight, large bore AR perfection, the Wilson Combat HUNTER series sets the new benchmark for hard-hitting, accurate precision semi-auto shooting performance.Designed to be the lightest large bore AR’s on the market, the HUNTER series from Wilson Combat consists of three all-new models of varying weights and features chambered in high-performance precision and hunting calibers like 6.5 Creedmoor, .260 Remington, 7mm08 Remington, .308 Winchester, .338 Federal and .358 Winchester. With the majority of the major components of the HUNTER series designed and machined in our Berryville, Arkansas facility you can be assured that these new rifles have been thoroughly tested to be the best that a lightweight AR rifle can be and are guaranteed to shoot sub one-inch, three-shot groups at 100 yards. Read more
Firearms

NovX ARX 9mm Ammo

Today, NovX is introducing the most effective, lethal combination of bullet technology in more than a century. Stainless steel and copper polymer have come together to create the first 9mm Luger +P and standard pressure Engagement: Extreme Self-Defense cartridges. At 1,655 FPS there is no +P copper poly bullet that is faster. At 65gr there is none lighter. The bullet flies flatter than lead, offers less felt recoil, and creates absolutely devastating wound channels. Today the world discovers brass and lead had their chance. Welcome to the new world.

The NovX 9mm ARX® Engagement: Extreme Self-Defense cartridge is a totally new and revolutionary patent-pending class of ammunition. It combines the intellectual properties of a polycarbonate/copper ARX® bullet with the Shell Shock Technologies™ (SST) stainless steel casing and aluminum primer base, operating on the principle of Aero and Fluid Dynamics, not hydrostatic shock or mushrooming. The NovX technology is replacing old-world brass with a stronger, lighter and more consistent cartridge, creating possibly the most accurate defensive handgun ammunition on the market. Read more

Ammunition

Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s Deal Completed

New “best-of-the-best” model better serves all who love the outdoors

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s, two iconic brands and leaders in the outdoor industry, have officially joined forces with a vision to become North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. The combined company is poised to provide customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more with a strong commitment to advancing conservation initiatives. Read more

Ammunition, Archery, Cutlery, Firearms, Fishing, Hunting, Optics

75 FireDisc Cookers Headed to Florida for Hurricane Irma Relief Efforts

FireDisc customers, vendors and investors have stepped up to help donate 75 emergency FireDisc cookers for the on-going relief efforts in Florida following the widespread devastation caused by Hurricane Irma.

om the Coastal Conservation Association of Florida (CCAF), Islamorada Beer Company and the University of South Florida Police Department are receiving cookers to distribute that will help people who have been affected by the hurricane prepare meals, as well as supplying FireDisc cookers to first responders who are providing relief.

“Many people have lost their homes, jobs and many of their possessions,” said Jose Herrera, Co-Founder of the Islamorada Beer Company. “These cookers will help them provide meals for their families until they can get back on their feet. We’re focusing our efforts in the Florida Keys, which were particularly hard hit.”

“I was contacted by FireDisc after Hurricane Irma had impacted Florida. They immediately expressed interest in helping the first responders mitigate any concerns of cooking and feeding those effected by the storm due to sustained power outages and flooding throughout the Tampa Bay area.  With these generous donations, FireDisc Cookers will be an essential piece of survival equipment now and for future use within the Tampa Bay area,” said Lt. Marty King, University of South Florida Police Dept.

FireDisc Cookers is continuing their support of those affected by both Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma by donating 100% of the profits from the FireDisc Shallow 24” Short Portable Propane Cooker (Special Bundle & Special Pricing). For more information on how to help and benefit with the “Cookers for a Cause” campaign please visit their web site at https://www.firedisccookers.com/harvey-irma-relief/

For more information about “Built to Haul, Cooks it All” FireDisc Cookers visit their web site at www.firedisccookers.com

General
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