Michigan’s Flat River youth small game hunt

Saturday, Jan. 17, 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Belding Sportsman’s Club, Montcalm County

Do you know a youth hunter interested in learning more about small game hunting? Now is their chance! Hunters ages 16 and younger are invited to a free small game hunt at the Belding Sportsman’s Club, located at 10651 Youngman Road in Greenville.

Breakfast will be served at 7:30 a.m., and the hunt will begin shortly after daylight. Lunch will be served at 11 a.m., with a prize raffle at 12:30 p.m.

Preregistration is required by Jan. 16. To RSVP, call the Department of Natural Resources Flat River Field Office at 616-794-2658.

Participants must bring their base license or mentored youth license, hunter orange garments, and a firearm and ammunition. Hunting guides may be provided to hunters depending on availability.

This event is hosted in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Belding Sportsman’s Club, Michigan Squirrel Dog Association and National Deer Association.

Hunting

Judge Rejects Attempt by Extremists to Halt Montana Wolf Hunt

Bottom Line: Ruling declines preliminary injunction to halt Montana wolf hunt but the lawsuit concerning data-collection methods will continue.

The Details: The 1st Judicial District Court of Montana rejected an attempt by animal-rights groups to stop the state’s 2025-26 wolf harvest. On December 19, the court ruled that the plaintiffs did not show the state’s method of estimating its wolf population would cause irreparable injury to the population.

Why Activists are Howling

Sportsmen’s Alliance Supports Critical Reforms to Endangered Species Act
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Bottom Line: The Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation file comments supporting proposed ESA regulatory amendments to remove the “blanket rule” and improve delisting transparency for threatened species.

The Details: The Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation submitted comments to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service on proposed amendments to regulations for administering various provisions of the Endangered Species Act. SAF supports the agencies’ willingness to revise regulations to better serve imperiled species and Americans.

Why the ‘Blanket Rule’ is Bad
Animal Rights, Hunting, Wildlife

Time is running out to apply for the Pure Michigan Hunt

Dec. 31 is the last day to get your hands on Pure Michigan Hunt applications before the January drawing! Don’t miss your shot at the hunt of a lifetime. You could take home:

  • Hunting equipment worth thousands.
  • Licenses for elk, bear, antlerless deer, and spring and fall turkey.
  • First pick at a managed waterfowl area for a reserved hunt.

Each $5 Pure Michigan Hunt application helps fund Michigan’s wildlife habitat restoration and management.

Apply for Pure MI Hunt ?

Hunting

What is Accountability?

By Glen Wunderlich, retired management executive…

By now you may have learned about the corruption (read stealing) in Minnesota’s government and all the finger pointing from its governor, Walz and other heads of state management.

In a previous lifetime in the world of management, as an executive in a management firm, I taught that the inescapable reality of accountability is that top level leaders are responsible for the actions of those below them.  That means that no matter how one may try to dodge how certain procedures are carried out, responsibility goes down the ladder, while accountability always goes up.

The Principle of Accountability is the unwavering commitment to take full ownership of one’s role, actions, decisions, and their consequences—without deflection, delay, or excuses. It means accepting responsibility before being questioned. Accountability is about trustworthiness, transparency, and the discipline to deliver results regardless of circumstances. It is the foundation of credibility in leadership.

So when Mr. Walz says he invites investigation, he cannot blame others for his lack of leadership and credibility; he has already failed to be proactive in correcting the thievery.  He simply has not taken full ownership of the theft from American taxpayers.

Had he been head of any sports team, he would be fired.  No dancing would exempt him from the results of his team.  Why should politics be any different.  The answer:  It shouldn’t be.  That’s because in management, leaders are judged by only one thing:  results.  And, when under one’s watch some 9 thousand million dollars are stolen, the results speak for themselves.

General

Early Ice Techniques

Each year, as the open-water fishing season winds down, ice-fishing fanatics eagerly await the lakes to freeze. No matter what date it’s finally safe to go, Wisconsin guides Jesse Quale of Green Water Walleyes Guide Service and Captain Troy Peterson of Mr. Bluegill Guide Service will be there immediately, as they both agree that early-season ice is generally the best ice fishing of the year.
Why Go Early?
The early bird gets the worm in many instances, and both guides say that can be the case for ice fishing. While it can be good all winter, both say there is something unique about early ice.

CLICK TO READ MORE //

Fishing

Wildlife Caught on Camera

From the Boone and Crockett Club

Elk Hijinks on the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch

In northwest Montana, the Club’s Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch (TRMR) provides habitat for ungulates like mule deer, whitetails, moose, pronghorn, and the ever-endearing Rocky Mountain elk. And yes, the ranch is open to the public for hunting.

Enrolled in Montana’s Block Management program, the TRMR sits in hunting district 441. Over-the-counter elk tags can be used during archery season for bulls and cows. Rifle season requires a special permit. You do need permission to hunt the ranch prior to your hunt, and the details are available by clicking this link for BMA #77. Hunters typically harvest 8-12 elk from the ranch each year.

In the fall, the TRMR will typically hold around 300 elk, but the elk like it here year-round. They will branch off in June to drop their calves, then bunch up into herds of 30-100 in the summer months. They consistently move from mountain (sub-alpine) levels to prairie flatlands throughout warm/dry and cold/snowy weather cycles.

Alongside these elk herds, the TRMR hosts educational youth camps at the Rasmuson Wildlife Center throughout the summer. The ranch is the perfect base camp for Scout expeditions and hunter education classes. Scattered throughout the ranch are dozens of trail cameras set in key locations, which take thousands of shots every year. This is just a small sampling of what the elk are up to throughout the year.

 

Wildlife

Hundreds of seasonal park worker positions available in Michigan

Join our dynamic team of 1,300 summer park workers and spend your season in Michigan state parks, boating facilities and other outdoor spaces!

You’ll play a vital role in park operations, directly contributing to the visitor experience by welcoming guests, registering campers and ensuring the upkeep of our facilities through essential tasks like cleaning and grounds maintenance.

Beyond earning a starting hourly rate of $15.50, you’ll connect with nature, meet incredible people and gain valuable skills in customer service, teamwork and outdoor recreation.

Apply now! It takes less than five minutes to complete the online interest form.

Express interest now ?

To learn about other short-term, part-time and full-time job opportunities, visit Michigan.gov/DNRJobs.

General

Mystery Solved: Elusive Cougar Cubs Documented Again in Michigan

Nine months after two cougar kittens were documented in the Upper Peninsula, a new trail camera photo indicates the elusive animals are still alive and living with their mother.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources verified the Dec. 6 photo of an adult cougar being followed by two kittens down a snowy trail in central Ontonagon County. The last time the kittens were documented – in early March – they were only about two months old and their mother was nowhere in sight, raising concerns about the kittens’ survival.

But the newly verified photo shows an adult cougar with two juvenile cougars that appear to be about a year old, according to Brian Roell, the DNR’s large carnivore specialist.

Michigan is home to very few cougars and genetic testing has confirmed the existence of only adult males. The new photo suggests one of the first instances of cougar reproduction to take place outside the cougars’ core area in the Western states.

“This is a historic confirmation for Michigan since it is the first time in over 100 years that verified cougar reproduction has occurred east of the Mississippi River and possible even east of the Missouri River,” Roell said.

A private landowner sent the trail camera photo of the cougars to the DNR on Sunday, Dec. 14. Roell verified the site of the photo Monday and the DNR’s cougar team confirmed the photo Tuesday by enhancing the nighttime image to verify the existence of the three cougars. The sex of the kittens is unknown. Read more

Wildlife

POF-USA Announces Limited Edition Goldberg Rogue Rifle

Phoenix, Ariz. – Patriot Ordnance Factory Inc. (POF-USA), a premier provider and manufacturer of the finest AR-type rifles in the world, has announced the release of a limited production Goldberg “Jack Hammer” Rogue .308 rifle, a special edition based on professional athlete and firearms enthusiast Bill Goldberg’s personal Rogue rifle.

This special edition rifle features exclusive black and burnt bronze Cerakote artwork by CGC Cerakote and includes a certificate of authenticity autographed by Bill Goldberg. The Goldberg Rogue is offered in a 13.75-inch pinned-and-welded configuration and is part of a limited production run of 100.

The Goldberg Rogue is built on POF-USA’s lightweight Rogue platform, originally developed to create one of the lightest .308 semi-automatic rifles on the market without relying on excessive lightening cuts. The result is a sub-6-pound .308 rifle that combines portability with patented POF-USA engineering.

Key features of the Limited-Edition Jack Hammer Goldberg Rogue include: Read more

Firearms
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