Making your own snowshoes at Michigan state parks

Craig Kasmer begins with a warning: You will face challenges.

“This isn’t the easiest thing to do,” said Kasmer. “I’ll be up front about this. Some of you will have issues. Some of you will think you don’t have issues, but you do.”

So what are we talking about here? Navy SEALs training? Rebuilding a ’57 Chevy? Undergoing psychotherapy?

man holding a snowshoeNope. Kasmer, the interpreter at Hartwick Pines State Park in Grayling, Michigan, is talking about making snowshoes.

For the last eight winters, Kasmer has hosted three weekend classes (in December, January and February) on building snowshoes. The students begin with the basic materials – a wooden frame, some lengths of tubular nylon, and a set of bindings – and by the end of the weekend, they’ll have a self-made pair of snowshoes ready to be varnished and used to negotiate the winter outdoors. The workshop currently costs $175 per student, includes all necessary materials, and comes with Kasmer’s personal warranty on the product.

The class and similar others at a number of Michigan state parks are among the most popular hands-on winter activities offered by the Department of Natural Resources. This year’s classes are full, but there will be plenty of opportunities next winter. (Follow the DNR calendar to learn about classes like these and other upcoming events at Michigan state parks, historic sites and museums.) Read more

General

Michigan records safest hunting season with no fatal incidents in 2014

Older man instructing young boy holding a rifleFor the first time, Michigan recorded no fatalities during all hunting seasons in 2014, according to reports compiled by the Department of Natural Resources’ Law Enforcement Division. Ten incidents involving injuries were recorded in the state – nine in the Lower Peninsula and one in the Upper Peninsula.

“We had 10 incidents reported for 2014, which ties with last year for the fewest number of reportable hunting incidents since Michigan started tracking them in the 1940s,” said Sgt. Tom Wanless of the DNR’s Recreational Safety, Education and Enforcement Section.

“What makes 2014 the safest on record is that for the first time we had no fatalities,” Wanless added. “Michigan’s hunter education program, and the dedicated volunteer instructors who are the backbone of it, is a big reason we have been experiencing a low number of hunting incidents.”

With more than 729,000 base licenses sold in 2014, Michigan’s hunting injury/fatality rate per license is .001 percent. The base license is required to purchase any hunting license.

Of the 10 incidents reported in 2014, four involved small game hunters, two involved waterfowl hunters and four involved deer hunters. One of the deer hunting incidents occurred during the early antlerless season in September and one was in December’s late antlerless season. Two incidents were reported during the firearm deer hunting season from Nov. 15-30. One incident took place Nov. 20 in Osceola County, while the other happened Nov. 25 in Oakland County at Bald Mountain Recreation Area.

Information on the hunting incidents recorded in 2014 and so far in 2015 can be found online at www.michigan.gov/conservationofficers under Law Enforcement Reports.

Hunting

New Limb Shaker Calling Kit From Hunter’s Specialties Helps Hunters Locate And Call In Their Next Gobbler

The Limb Shaker Calling Kit contains the new Limb Shaker Friction Call and Limb Shaker Owl Hooter. The Limb Shaker Friction Pot Call has a ready to play pre-sanded glass surface and comes with a Green Mountain camo striker. It easily produces all the sounds of a hen turkey, including high-pitched yelps and cuts.

The Limb Shaker Owl Hooter is an easy-to-use call that helps hunters locate gobblers early and late in the day. The reed-style call has a realistic raspy sound with three holes in the end to funnel the sound for added volume. It allows hunters to call softly when gobblers are near or louder for birds farther away. Loud or soft, it sounds like a real owl. Read more

Hunting

NE Bald Eagles Break Nest Record in 2014

LINCOLN – A record 146 bald eagle nests were surveyed in 2014 by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and its partners, with 111 of the nests being active.

Bald eagles were on federal and state endangered species lists as late as 2007 and 2008, respectively. In less than a quarter century the species has gone from a nonexistent breeding species in the state to one that is relatively numerous, according to Joel Jorgensen, Game and Parks’ nongame bird program manager.

In the early 1980s, when federal recovery plans were written to save populations in the lower 48 states, the recovery goal for Nebraska was set at 10 breeding pairs. In 1991, Nebraska recorded its first active and successful bald eagle nest in approximately a century. In 2007, the number of nests had grown to 54 active nests. In 2014, there were 111 active nests. Read more

Wildlife

POMA to Recognize Outdoor Filmmakers During 10th Anniversary Conference

The Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) announced a new partnership with the Outdoor Film Festival and Tour earlier this year. During its annual business conference March 18-21 in Springfield, MO, POMA will showcase submissions in the Whitetail Short Film category.

“Outdoor filmmakers, whether specializing in TV or short form, will find the POMA annual business conference to be a great opportunity for learning more about the industry and for networking with other professional filmmakers,” said Tom Opre, POMA president and a 26-year veteran filmmaker. Read more

Fishing, Hunting, Wildlife

Federal Premium 3rd Degree Wows at the 39th Annual NWTF Convention and Sport Show

ANOKA, Minnesota – The recently introduced 3rd Degree™ turkey loads from Federal Premium® were on display at the 39th Annual National Wild Turkey (NWTF) Convention and Sport Show at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee this past weekend. Attendees were impressed by how the new 12-gauge turkey loads deliver lethal patterns near and far.

The new Federal Premium 3rd Degree load uses a multi-shot, three-layer payload to ensure lethal patterns whether gobblers hang up at 40-plus yards or come to the decoys on a string.

The leading section of the new Federal Premium 3rd Degree turkey loads, which accounts for 20 percent of the total pellet count, consists of No. 6 nickel-plated FLITESTOPPER® lead. These pellets release from the wad first, dispersing quickly to create a larger, more effective pattern than conventional loads for shots inside of 20 yards. The second stage of the payload is copper-plated No. 5 lead shot, which creates a dense, even pattern at moderate ranges. The final 40 percent of 3rd Degree’s three-stage payload contains No. 7 HEAVYWEIGHT® pellets. Made of high-density tungsten-iron material, they give hunters more energy than No. 5 lead shot at 40 yards and beyond. The increased pellet count delivers more hits on target at long range. Read more

Ammunition, Hunting

Tru-Fire Releases the Smoke

CARTERSVILLE, Ga. (February 19, 2015) — Tru-Fire, the world leader in the evolution of archery releases, has introduced the Smoke dual-jaw caliper release. The surprisingly affordable Smoke release incorporates the latest technology from the Tru-Fire Edge release with the reliability of the company’s tried-and-true Hurricane design to create the most dependable wrist strap-style release on the market. Read more

Archery

Late winter is time for wildlife habitat projects

Beat cabin fever and help wildlife by tackling habitat improvement projects this winter.

Late winter is the best time to pursue many wildlife habitat projects. The ground is often dry or frozen, the timing prevents conflicts with nesting wildlife in spring, and managing wooded and shrubby areas is easier to do before leaves emerge and sap flows.

Some winter habitat management suggestions follow. Read more

Wildlife

Daisy Debuts Youth Archery Line

EDGEFIELD, S.C. — Youth of all ages stopped by the Family Adventure Village, a part of the NWTF Convention and Sport Show, to try Daisy’s new youth archery products.

Generations of new hunters and recreational shooters take their first shot with Daisy BB guns. So it makes sense for Daisy Outdoor Products to introduce a youth archery line. Read more

Archery
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