New Upper Peninsula antlerless deer hunting regulations for archers

Changes involving antlerless deer hunting for archers will be in effect during the 2015-2016 hunting season in the Upper Peninsula, after a recent decision by the Michigan Natural Resources Commission.

Earlier this summer, the NRC decided to eliminate the option to harvest antlerless deer during the archery seasons for hunters using deer or deer combo licenses in the U.P.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has since received reports of some confusion over the regulations. The DNR has produced a Frequently Asked Questions page to help explain the changes. Read more

Hunting

Sportsmen’s Alliance to Defend Bobcats, Trappers in Calif.

On Wednesday morning, Aug. 5, the California Fish and Game Commission will decide whether to implement a statewide or partial ban on bobcat trapping. Regulations are being promulgated as a result of the signing of the Bobcat Protection Act of 2013, a bill composed of watered-down legislation originally proposed by Democratic Assemblyman Richard Bloom of Santa Monica.

When Gov. Jerry Brown signed the bill back in 2013, he encouraged the legislature to work with the Department of Fish and Wildlife to secure funding to take inventory of the state’s bobcat population for future management decisions. Neither the legislature nor the Department has made an attempt to fulfill the request.

Both ban options are riddled with flawed logic – a clear indication of the commission’s lack of interest in conducting new studies, as suggested by Brown, that would help the state formulate a scientific management strategy that fits the current bobcat population’s needs.

“The consideration of a partial or outright ban on bobcat trapping is entirely inappropriate and unwarranted,” said Josh Brones, Coordinator of Government Affairs for western operations for the Sportsman’s Alliance. “Either option is inconsistent with the intent and mandate of the legislature, the intent of the governor, the availability of technology to ensure compliance with the law, and the value of science to inform the commission’s responsibility to conserve our natural resources and provide recreational opportunities for all Californians.” Read more

Wildlife

DNR confirms third deer positive for CWD; hunter participation is critical this fall

Today, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced that a third free-ranging deer in Meridian Township (Ingham County) has tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD). The deer was a 5-year-old doe. All three CWD-positive deer detected thus far have been discovered within a mile of one another.

“As we stated with the second positive deer, this news is not surprising,” said Dr. Steve Schmitt, DNR wildlife veterinarian. “The good news is that all three deer came from the same small area.” Genetic analyses carried out by Michigan State University’s Molecular Ecology Laboratory indicate that all three positive animals were related as part of an extended family. Previous research has shown that CWD often is transmitted within family groups because of their close contact.

Hunters are critical to helping the DNR understand the prevalence and geographic distribution of the disease.

“We have focused our efforts thus far in the area around the first case,” Schmitt continued. ”We need individuals who have always hunted in Ingham County and surrounding counties to keep hunting. The DNR can’t fight this disease without their support. Hunters need to have their deer checked and tested so we can determine if this disease is established over a broad area or just persisting in a local pocket.”   Read more

Hunting, Wildlife

August brings new trawl survey to Lake Erie

The Department of Natural Resources will conduct a trawl survey in Lake Erie near Monroe, Michigan, beginning Monday, Aug. 10, and continuing through Friday, Aug. 14.

DNR employee throwing buoy during trawl survey“This survey is a new component of the DNR’s annual efforts to assess the fish community in Lake Erie,” said Todd Wills, Lake Huron-Lake Erie area research manager for the DNR. “The data from this survey will be used to describe the status of prey fish populations, assess the abundance of juvenile walleye and yellow perch in Michigan waters, and continue our monitoring efforts for invasive species.”

A trawl, which looks like a large, mesh sock, will be towed on the lake bottom behind the research vessel (R/V) Channel Cat, which has a home port at the Lake St. Clair Fisheries Research Station in Harrison Township, Michigan. A number of sites will be sampled in Michigan waters, from the mouth of the Detroit River to the Turtle Island area along the Michigan-Ohio border. The trawl is towed for five to 10 minutes at each site and then hauled on board the vessel. The catch is then sorted, identified and measured.  Read more

Fishing

New Michigan elk education program for 9th- through 12th-grade educators

The Department of Natural Resources invites educators looking for a fun way to integrate Michigan’s unique flora and fauna into their curriculum, while still meeting the required educational standards, to explore some of the DNR’s free educational opportunities.

New this year, for 9th- through 12th-grade educators, is the Elk University – Educating Tomorrow’s Wildlife Managers program. Elk University is a semester-style curriculum, developed to meet educational standards while touching on Michigan history, forest management, elk biology, wildlife disease and social considerations for wildlife management. Students will learn about how the DNR manages and maintains a healthy elk herd for current and future generations.

Beginning its second year, A Year in the Life of a Michigan Black Bear is available to 6th-, 7th- and 8th-grade educators. Throughout the school year, students will learn about the life cycle of the Michigan black bear and general black bear biology and behavior, as well as how the DNR manages and maintains a healthy black bear population. Over the school year, students also will get to “follow” a bear through its seasonal movements by using actual data points from a radio-collared Michigan black bear.

The deadline to sign up for the black bear education program for the 2015/16 school year has been extended through Sept. 1 to coincide with the Elk University registration deadline.

To sign up and learn more about these and other DNR wildlife education and outreach opportunities, please visit www.michigan.gov/wildlife and click on the “Education” button.

Read more

Wildlife

Smith & Wesson Contributes $1 million to Benefit the NRA Institute for Legislative Action

FAIRFAX, VA – The National Rifle Association (NRA) today announced that it has received a $1 million gift to the NRA Institute for Legislative Action from Smith & Wesson, a leader in firearm design and manufacturing and an iconic American company. Presented at the 2015 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits, this is the latest in a series of gifts from Smith & Wesson to a variety of NRA entities.

Smith & Wesson CEO James Debney said, “At Smith & Wesson we are honored to be part of an American heritage that goes back 163 years and is rooted in the fabric and the freedoms of our country. Our customers have loyally supported our products, while the NRA has loyally defended the Second Amendment. We are proud to play our part by doing all we can to support the NRA-ILA and its efforts to preserve the rights of Americans to keep and bear arms.” Read more

Firearms

Florida Father and Son Sentenced for Deer Trafficking

White-tailed deer. Photo by Tom Koerner/USFWS.

Donald W. Wainwright, Sr., 49, of Live Oak, Florida, was sentenced August 3, 2015 in U.S. District Court to 21 months in prison and a $125,000 fine for 12 charges related to violating the Lacey Act, one count of conspiracy and one count of wire fraud. His son, Donald W. Wainwright, Jr., 29, of Live Oak, Fla., was sentenced to four months of house arrest and three years of probation for eight charges related to violating the Lacey Act.

Carter Stewart, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Gregory Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, United States Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement, Chief Scott Zody, Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife, Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Georgia Department of Natural Resources announced the sentences handed down by U.S. District Chief Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Read more

Poachers, Wildlife

Michigan Charges Four for Buying and Selling of Black Bear Parts

GW:  Interesting how the Obama administration has been reluctant to investigate Planned Parenthood for selling baby parts, but we’ll pursue anyone selling wild game in any manner.

Three residents from Kent County and another from Chippewa County have been arrested on charges related to buying and selling wildlife, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources today announced. The arrests are the result of a multiyear investigation by the DNR’s Special Investigations Unit.

The complaint originated from information gathered from confidential informants who were concerned about the illegal trade in black bear parts.

“Individuals soliciting for the purchase of black bear parts creates a market for the illegal parts and provides a financial incentive for poachers to take the animals during closed seasons, in excess of established limits and by unlawful methods,” said DNR Detective Lt. Jason Haines, who heads the investigative unit. “There is a black market for black bear parts in Asia, where the parts are used for medicinal purposes.”

In all, 11 misdemeanors were charged among the three male, and one female, defendants.

Each of the charges carries a fine of up to $1,000 and 90 days in jail, plus $1,500 reimbursement for each animal illegally purchased. Read more

Wildlife
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