Fawn Predation by Austin Delano

You would be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t agree with this point…Coyotes are plentiful and their numbers are up almost everywhere. Their boom in population east of the Mississippi in the last 40 years is very impressive. With everyone seeing more coyotes when they are outdoors, they catch the blame for a lot of issues facing small game, especially whitetail fawn recruitment. Like it or not the song dogs are here to stay. You can kill as many as possible on your piece of property and definitely “help the cause” when it comes to protecting fawns, but there will always be coyotes around. The argument has been made that you need a few around to keep the other small predators in check and there is some good research that supports this claim. However no one likes the idea of coyotes managing their deer herd for them.  While coyotes may not have a major impact on the overall deer population of a given county or state, they can definitely effect small pockets and that might be your property.  Let’s look at a few things that can be done to increase fawn survival rates. Read more

Hunting, Wildlife

DNR welcomes home 31 employees following northwest U.S.

After spending nearly three weeks in the northwestern United States, the Department of Natural Resources welcomed home 31 employees trained as firefighters who had been diligently working to suppress the wildfires that burned in Oregon, California, Washington and Idaho.

Under an interagency agreement, the DNR sent a hand crew comprised of 20 DNR employees to Medford, Oregon. The crew was assigned as an initial attack force tasked with suppressing a 20-acre fire burning in rugged terrain. Another 11 carried out essential fire-line leadership positions assigned to numerous wildfires.Michigan DNR firefighting crew

“Fighting wildfires is an arduous and dangerous job,” said Paul Kollmeyer, manager of the DNR Forest Resources Division’s Resource Protection section. “We’re pleased to report that all DNR employees dispatched to other states have returned home safely. The skills our staff gained during the time out west will be instrumental during suppression efforts back home in Michigan.”

The DNR will continue to provide assistance to national fire efforts when conditions are critical. Nationally, there are eight large, uncontained fires currently burning in northern California and Oregon.

When sent on out-of-state assignments, the DNR is fully reimbursed for all costs associated with the support. Read more

General, Wildlife

MURPH THE PROTECTOR PART 1

“Murph: The Protector” is a documentary that tells the true story of Navy Lt. Michael Murphy, who joined the Navy Seals and fought overseas in Operation Enduring Freedom. Family members, friends and other people who knew “Murph” tell the story of the man who, due to his bravery in combat, would go on to win the Congressional Medal of Honor.  Details here…

General, Self Defense

ALPS OutdoorZ Introduces Gun Cases

New Haven, MO – ALPS OutdoorZ continues to add versatile hunter-friendly gear to their product lines for 2014 with the addition of soft-sided gun cases.  There are three models of cases available and they all use durable 600D polyester outer fabric and heavy duty #10 zippers.  The Maverick and Saratoga cases are available in models for both rifles and shotguns.  The Refuge is designed for shotguns only and will protect your gun from the elements and will keep it afloat.  Read more

Firearms, Hunting

Brook trout populations on two Upper Peninsula lakes

The Department of Natural Resources today announced plans to conduct lake reclamations in October to restore the trout fisheries of Bullhead and Dillingham lakes in Luce County, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

A lake reclamation consists of restoring a lake system and its aquatic life to a more natural state through science-based efforts.Bullhead Lake is a five acre lake stocked annually with brook trout since 1993. This lake is located more than 25 miles north of Newberry via M-123 and County Roads 407 and 416. Its fishery provides diversity to anglers in this area.

Dillingham Lake is a 16-acre lake stocked with brook trout since 1950. It is located more than 9 miles north of McMillan via county roads 415 and 455. This lake has yielded many quality brook trout over the years and has become a very popular destination for anglers seeking larger fish.

Both lakes currently have undesirable stunted yellow perch populations, which are detrimental because they out-compete brook trout for the same forage resources. Unless these perch are removed, future brook trout management in these lakes will not be successful. Netting to remove the perch is not a viable option because this process would only remove a sub-portion of the population. Read more

Fishing

Leupold Celebrates All-American Craftsmanship with a Gift for You

BEAVERTON, Ore. – Leupold, America’s Optics Authority®, is celebrating American craftsmanship with an All-American promotion for customers.

From September 1 to October 15, 2014, Leupold will send a Limited Edition, American-made Carhartt jacket, featuring the Leupold medallion embroidered on the chest, to everyone who buys an American-made VX®-3, VX-3L™ or VX-6 riflescope.

This distinctive jacket will only be produced during this promotion and will not be available for sale anywhere. Once the promotion ends, this collector’s item will be gone. Read more

Firearms, Hunting

New Grouse Enhanced Management Systems give hunters a gem of an opportunity

GW:  Seems these are reasonable approaches to enhancing hunting opportunities.  Hats off, once again!

It isn’t every day that you would find Governor Rick Snyder and Department of Natural Resources Director Keith Creagh working shoulder-to-shoulder in the vast state forest lands of the Upper Peninsula, shovels in hand, planting nannyberry shrubs and crabapple trees.Creagh and Snyder plant trees at GEMS trail

But on a hot, sunny day in mid-August, that’s exactly what two dozen citizen volunteers and a handful of DNR staff witnessed at the end of a two-track trail just south of Gwinn in Marquette County, where, thanks to the collaborative efforts of all parties mentioned above, a diamond in the rough has gradually become a brilliant gem.

The GEMS – or Grouse Enhanced Management Systems – are a new DNR initiative designed to bring attention to Michigan’s outstanding upland bird hunting opportunities through the creation of a series of walk-in access hunting trails intensively managed for improved ruffed grouse and woodcock hunting.

DNR Wildlife Division development of the GEMS hinged largely upon the support of the Ruffed Grouse Society and increased revenue from the state’s new license fee package. Read more

Hunting, Wildlife

Archangel Introduces AAMINI Stock for Ruger Mini 14/30

PHOENIX, ARIZONA -The new Archangel® AAMINI stock introduces a nearly indestructible, ergonomic, adjustable stock to the Ruger® rifleman. ARCHANGEL’S® proprietary formula of carbon fiber, glass fill and polymer creates a stock that is tough as nails and is guaranteed for life. Precision fit inlet and ridged construction improves accuracy without need for complicated and expensive glass-bedding. The AAMINI allows shooters to find their comfort zone in every firing position. With a fully click-adjustable cheek weld and length of pull allowing a perfect fit to the shooter for superior comfort and control, the AAMINI boasts it’s a game changer with the best ergonomics available for the MINI-14/30 platform. The ambidextrous gooseneck stock with palm swell and effective upper hand-guard that shields the barrel sets it apart from the competition. Read more

Firearms, Hunting, Self Defense

Savage Arms Expands Line of Suppressor-Ready Rimfire Rifles

Savage® Arms continues to offer a broad lineup of suppressor-ready rifles for shooters and hunters who want to reduce firearm noise at the range or in the field. Savage expands its line of suppressor-ready rimfire firearms with three new rifles: Model 93 FV-SR in 22 WMR, Model 93R17 FV-SR in 17 HMR, and Model 64 FV-SR in 22 LR. These new models give hunters and plinkers accurate rifle platforms ready to accept after-market suppressors with ease. Read more

Firearms, Hunting
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