Foraging in the Spring Woods, Fields and Backyards

Photo shows a smiling Lisa Rose near a woods.

Thursday, April 21, at 6:30 p.m. – It’s the final program in the “Get Outdoors!” Dart Bank Speaker Series for adults. Herbalist Lisa Rose, author of Midwest Foraging: 115 Wild and Flavorful Edibles from Burdock to Wild Peach, shares her knowledge of local plants that can be used for food and herbal medicine. She’ll also discuss how to forage safely, from accurately identifying plants to properly preparing them before eating.

There is no charge for this 90-minute program! Just register by Wednesday, April 20 – telephone 517-335-2796 or send e-mail to cindy@michiganhistory.org.

General

First eaglet hatches at Platte River State Fish Hatchery

GW:  I love this technology…unimagined only a few decades ago.

Eagle and eaglet in nest at Platte River State Fish Hatchery

One of two eaglets has hatched at the eagle’s nest on the grounds of the Platte River State Fish Hatchery. It hatched in the early hours today, April 19.

Viewers may want to glue themselves to the Carbon TV Eagle Cam. The second eaglet hopefully will hatch at any moment, as pips (small holes pecked into the shell of an egg from a parent eagle’s beak) are now present on the egg in the nest on the grounds of the hatchery.

Viewers can watch the action unfold live in real time on CarbonTV.com. Read more

Wildlife

Leupold Custom Dial System Online Ordering

BEAVERTON, Ore. — Leupold & Stevens, Inc., raised the bar on making fast, accurate shots with the introduction of the Custom Dial System® (CDS®). Now it’s even easier to obtain a custom calibrated dial with the launch of an online ordering system.

Shooters and hunters now have the choice of calling Leupold® directly to provide their ballistic data, or using the fast, easy online system to order their custom engraved dials.

CDS makes accurate, long-range shots as easy as turning a dial. Once a hunter or shooter has the range, a quick turn of the dial to matching number is all that’s needed to make a precise, confident shot. Read more

Optics

Knight & Hale Floods Its YouTube Channel With Content For Turkey Hunters


YouTube Channel With Content For Turkey Hunters
Knight & Hale’s YouTube Channel features calling how-to videos, hunting tips and setup secrets for diehard turkey hunters.Birmingham, AL – Knight & Hale® Game Calls, a legendary call maker known for its dedication to creating calls that produce the most life-like wildlife sounds, has created a YouTube channel devoted to providing diehard hunters with real-world tips and tactics, in addition to a multitude of how-to videos for mastering each call in the Knight & Hale lineup. And for spring, it’s all about talking turkey.

As a turkey hunter, one of the most difficult challenges we face on nearly every setup is self-doubt. Am I close enough to that gobbling tom, or should I get closer? Am I calling too much, or am I not calling enough? What call should I be using in this situation? Does my calling sound right? What are my calls actually saying to other turkeys? Read more

Hunting

DNR arrests suspects in northern Lower Peninsula veneer log thefts

Investigation continues into thefts in Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties

Contact: Lt. James Gorno at 989-732-3541 or John Pepin, 906-226-1352

Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers are continuing to investigate the theft of sugar maple logs from public state-managed lands in three northern Lower Peninsula counties.

Three males in their mid-20s, one each from – Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties – have been arrested and charged with 1-year misdemeanors or 5-year felonies for removal of forest products. Names are being withheld pending arraignments.

The arrest warrants were issued by prosecutors in Cheboygan and Charlevoix counties. Officers expect moreOne of the felled maple trees cut down with the bottom section removed. charges to be authorized as the investigation moves forward.

Late last year, conservation officers began receiving public complaints about large sugar maple trees being cut on state forestland. Only the thickest part of the trees – the lowest 8-12 feet – was taken most often.

In many cases, there were several valuable saw logs left on the site to rot in the woods. More than 100 logs were allegedly stolen.

“This is a clear case of thieves stealing what belongs to all of Michigan’s citizens,” said Sgt. Greg Drogowski of the Gaylord District office. “An analogy to the wasted timber left in the woods is that of a poacher illegally killing a deer and taking only the back straps (tenderloins).” Read more

Poachers

Milestone Date/Beretta Opens New TN Facilities

From Jim Shepherd

Two hundred forty one years ago, Dr. Joseph Warren called for an express rider named Paul Revere to travel from Boston to Lexington, Massachusetts to warn fellow revolutionaries Samuel Adams and John Hancock that British troops were marching to Lexington to arrest them.

The timely delivery of essential information determined the future of our nation. History repeated itself again as last-second information thwarted Benedict Arnold’s planned surrender of colonial forces at West Point, New York.

You might make the argument that it was “military intelligence” rather than news, but the founding fathers took these lessons to heart and a “free press” became one of the essentials of liberty. In the media technology contemporaneous to that time, Paul Revere might be seen as the equivalent of the “breaking news” alert we receive on today’s smart devices.

Today, it’s almost the reverse of the colonial problem. Rather than too-little information, we’re inundated with semi-filtered information. I refer to it as semi-filtered because journalism has devolved to the point that information isn’t delivered in its straight from the source form, it’s “interpreted”.

And anything that’s subject to interpretation is subject to being shaded “to fit the narrative.”

A journalism instructor once told me there are two two colors in journalism: black and white. Anything else, she said, “was a synonym for a lie.”

That’s why you want a translator not an interpreter in a serious negotiation- or a reporting situation.

There’s not much translation needed for the latest gun industry news from Tennessee these days: the Volunteer state is obviously open for new gun business.

Beretta U.S.A.’s new Gallatin, Tennessee facility (top) is a 156,000 square feet of space that reflects the cooperation of the 500-year old Italian company, the city of Gallatin and the State of Tennessee. During the festivities last Friday, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and other state leaders joined the Beretta family to officially open the facilities. Photo courtesy of Beretta U.S.A. with permission.

It’s even more open now that Beretta U.S.A. has officially opened their new Gallatin, Tennessee facilities. Read more

Firearms

Legacy Sports Archangel Rifle


Available in .223 Rem and .308 Win. 20 or 24 inch heavy barrel, the new Howa Archangel Rifle features a state of the art precision stock loaded with features for the modern shooter. Designed for comfort, control and superior weapon retention each Archangel stock is constructed of high-strength carbon fiber filled polymer and features ambidextrous gooseneck-style stock with palm swell, click-adjustable cheek-riser / length-of-pull, front and rear quick detach style flush cups, secure grip storage compartment and an integrated forend flush-fit bi-pod push-button for one-hand deployment. These stocks are precisely fit and utilize aluminum pillars to aid in accuracy. A ten round magazine is also included with every rifle with spare magazines available. Read more

Firearms

Natural Resources Commission Okays Year-Round Coyote Hunting

The Natural Resources Commission unanimously approved an amendment to the Wildlife Conservation Order to allow year-round coyote hunting and allowing the use of #3 and #4 buckshot at night. Both were MUCC resolutions sponsored by the Michigan Trappers and Predator Callers Association. Special recognition is due to MTPCA president Dale Hendershot and past president John Caretti, who have testified at the NRC on behalf of their organization urging consideration and adoption of these provisions for years. MUCC also testified in support of the provisions.

The new coyote regulations expand daytime coyote hunting year round, nighttime coyote hunting with an artificial light year round, and includes the use of #3 and #4 buckshot. However, it’s important to note that the quiet period restricting the use of hounds to hunt coyotes between April 16 and July 7 is maintained, and the order did not affect coyote trapping regulations.

In recent results from the Michigan Predator-Prey Study in the Upper Peninsula, coyotes had more impact on deer than other predator species in the study area, accounting for 22% of the identifiable deer kills in the study area. However, that is one factor of many factors, including habitat, that affect deer populations. The expanded regulations aren’t expected, nor designed, to be a solution to the coyote problem or deer numbers on their own. It’s simply another tool in the toolbox that hunters can use to more effectively manage coyotes in their local areas.

Still, this is a significant expansion of hunting opportunity. The Humane Society of the United States fought against these changes, testifying at multiple NRC meetings against them and using many of the same misleading and outright untrue arguments that they use in every attack on expanded hunting opportunities, from wolves to urban and suburban deer. But sound science won the day; even they couldn’t argue that this change will negatively impact the hunted species.

And it’s always a good thing when sound science beats HSUS.

Hunting

Michigan’s Turkey Seasons Start Monday

Spring turkey season in Michigan opens Monday, April 18!  If you haven’t purchased a license yet, you still have a chance to hunt one of the many seasons in both April and May – check out the list of available licenses. Spring turkey hunting licenses are $15 and available anywhere DNR licenses are sold or online at E-License.

Don’t forget, anyone can hunt turkeys in Michigan. You can buy a Hunt 234 license over the counter at any time from now through the end of the season, which gives you 30 days of chasing turkeys in May.

Every resident and non-resident must purchase an annual base license before purchasing additional hunting licenses.

The Spring Turkey Digest has hunt units and seasons dates. For frequently asked questions, watch our 2016 spring turkey hunting regulations video. If you need further assistance, call 517-284-WILD (9453).

Hunting
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