Temporary removal of bird feeders can slow spread of HPAI

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April 20, 2022

Media contacts
Questions about wild birds: Ed Golder (DNR), 517-284-5815
Questions about poultry or domestic birds: Jennifer Holton (MDARD), 517-284-5724

Temporary removal of bird feeders can help reduce potential spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza
As Michigan continues to respond to detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza – commonly referred to as “bird flu” – some residents are asking questions about how best to keep themselves, their poultry flocks and wild bird populations safe. This is of greater interest now, as popular passerines (including many songbird species) make the spring migration back to Michigan and seek out food sources such as backyard bird feeders.

With HPAI confirmed in wild birds and domestic flocks in several counties throughout Michigan, wildlife and animal health experts in the state’s departments of Natural Resources and Agriculture and Rural Development have been fielding increased calls about the HPAI virus. Follow the current status of HPAI in Michigan counties at Michigan.gov/BirdFlu. Read more

Wildlife

Vintage Hunting Gallery – April 2022 Edition

Presented by Leupold

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Stylish Stalkers

There was a time when hunters would don a tie and tuck in their shirt to chase big game—and they would look darn good doing it. For that reason, we sifted through the archives to find some of the best-dressed hunters from the good old days. If you like this slideshow, more of these timeless photos can be found in our Vintage Hunting Album, which makes a great gift or book to keep up at the cabin.

Want to see the score charts too?

It’s easy. First you’ll need to register on B&C’s web site for subscriber exclusives. It’s FREE and takes less than a minute to complete. If you already have an account, simply log in to gain access.

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1 of 10 — Alaska 1903

When you’re from the United Kingdom and you come to Alaska to hunt moose, it’s only proper to bring your best tweed jacket, tie, and pipe. Because once you kill an Alaska-Yukon moose with a spread of nearly 68 inches, you have to look presentable for the photo. Read more

Hunting

Enjoy the songs and sights of spring bird migration at Michigan GEMS

DNR banner American woodcock in forest

The flicker of a golden-winged warbler and the peent of an American woodcock usher in the signature start of springtime in Michigan. To enjoy the return of migratory birds, grab your binoculars and explore one of our Grouse Enhanced Management Sites (GEMS).

GEMS are areas of publicly accessible land managed for wildlife habitat and wildlife recreation. Each area provides abundant food and shelter for a variety of wildlife, including migratory birds. While these areas are primarily used for upland game bird hunting in the fall, they provide excellent birding and wildlife recreation opportunities year-round.  Each area is complete with walking trails, parking areas, site information and maps. The trails, accessible to people of varying physical abilities, are the perfect location for new birders or hikers to explore.

To learn more about Michigan’s bird species and to plan your birding trip, visit Michigan.gov/Birding.

Are you brand-new to birding? Check out Audubon’s How to Start Birding webpage. You’ll find everything you need to get started, including necessary equipment, places to go birding, safety tips, how to identify different birds and more.

Explore GEMS ?

Wildlife

Michigan DNR to Talk Elk, April 27 in Gaylord

April 20, 2022

Elk are a remarkable Michigan story. Today’s thriving herd dates back to 1918, from seven elk brought from the western United States to Wolverine, in Cheboygan County, to help restore a population decimated in the late 1800s by unregulated harvest and lack of quality habitat. Successfully managing that population to provide excellent viewing and hunting opportunities while sustaining long-term herd health takes a lot of planning and partnership.

As the Michigan Department of Natural Resources works to update the state’s elk management plan, last revised in 2012, input from the public – hunters, wildlife watchers and others with an interest in wildlife conservation – is a critical part of the process.

Open the current elk plan ?

The DNR will host a public meeting from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday April 27, at BJ’s Restaurant and Catering, 990 N. Center Ave., in Gaylord. DNR wildlife staff will give a brief presentation on the elk management planning process and then open a discussion on elk-related topics.

If you’re unable to attend the meeting, there are two options to share your feedback through April 30:

Questions about the meeting? Contact Chad Stewart at 517-282-4810.

Note to news editors: An accompanying photo (with caption) is available for download. Photo credit: Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

  • Elk in Michigan forest: The DNR will host a public meeting April 27 in Gaylord, Michigan, to share information about updating the state’s elk management plan.
Hunting, Wildlife

Whoa, Boaters! Slow Down on the Recent E15 News

Try to find the small, square orange label on this pump warning consumers that the fuel labeled “regular unleaded” is prohibited for use in boats and other power equipment. (Credit: National Marine Manufacturers Association)

It may not be as good as you think

SPRINGFIELD, Va., April 18, 2022 – There’s been a lot of pain at the pump lately with gas prices. The Biden administration’s April 12 move to give a waiver from the Clean Air Act to allow the sale of gasoline containing 15% ethanol (E15) during the summer months is intended to lower costs and stretch the nation’s fuel supply. However, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) says the unintended consequence of the waiver could inadvertently put a harmful fuel prohibited for use in recreational vessels into your boat’s gas tank.

BoatUS notes recreational vessels are never compatible with E15 (15% ethanol). It is not permitted by federal law to use E15 fuel in boats (as well as motorcycles, off-road vehicles and power equipment), voids the engine warranty, and it has been proven to cause damage to marine engines. It also causes engines to run hotter and contains less energy than E10. Recreational vessel engines may only use gasoline containing no more than 10% ethanol (E10). Read more

Fishing

Hatsan’s Customizable Competition PCP Rifle

Bentonville, AR (April 19th, 2022) – HatsanUSA® is proud to introduce a new competition PCP air rifle. The Hatsan Factor RC is an all-new platform designed with competition and customization in mind. Available in .177, .22, and .25 calibers, it can be fine-tuned and tailored to various competitions and shooting styles. Among its many features is the ability to accept commercially available pistol grips and buttstocks made for modern sporting rifles and a reversible cocking lever for ambidextrous operation.

You’ll find that the ergonomic pistol grip is covered in a soft, durable rubber and is textured to provide maximum grip and control. The 5-position telescoping buttstock also features an elevation adjustable cheek rest that can be moved in 5mm increments up to 40mm tall, or it can be removed for low-profile optics. Hatsan’s famous fully adjustable Quattro Trigger now includes a trigger pad that can be moved vertically and rotated left or right for maximum precision and comfort.

The Factor RC’s power output is also highly adjustable, featuring an externally adjustable pressure regulator with its own output pressure gauge. A power level knob controls the amount of air transferred into the barrel. On the opposite side, a hammer preload adjuster helps fine-tune power output and cocking effort and features a removable 580cc carbon fiber air tank. The Factor RC is also equipped with a Foster-style quick-disconnect fill inlet. In place of the normal fill nozzle, an extended QD is included. An integrated color-coded manometer allows the system pressure to be easily monitored at a glance. Read more

Firearms

Speer Ammunition Adds New 30 Super Carry to Its Gold Dot Product Line

LEWISTON, Idaho –– Speer Ammunition announces the addition of the new 30 Super Carry cartridge to its Gold Dot Personal Protection product family. Hailed as one of the biggest handgun cartridge introductions in decades, the new Gold Dot 30 Super Carry from Speer continues to bolster the ammunition options for this new platform. Check with your local ammo store for availability.

The Gold Dot 30 Super Carry has the power of a 9mm Luger with more magazine capacity. The combination of performance and smaller-diameter sized .313-inch diameter projectile allow the Federal Ammunition engineered cartridge to deliver 9mm Luger muzzle velocity, with terminal performance that far exceeds that of 380 Auto. Read more

Ammunition

Remington Opens Sporting Clays Course, Hosts Inaugural Spring League

Lonoke, Arkansas –– Remington Ammunition is excited to announce the opening of the Remington Gun Club to the public. Complete with a brand-new 13 station sporting clays course, the inaugural spring sporting clays league is now underway.

Only steps away from Remington’s historic ammunition factory in Lonoke, Arkansas, Big Green has recently expanded the Gun Club with a new 13-station sporting clays course and has begun construction on an additional 12-station north course as well.

Established in 1978, but closed by previous Remington company ownership, Big Green’s new owners have re-opened the gates of the club to again welcome both novice and competitive shooters from across the country. A longtime destination for trap and skeet shooters, the club has added the state’s only sporting clays course open to the public. The new addition was made possible with the support of the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation and the MidwayUSA Foundation.

In addition to the re-opening of the Gun Club, Remington is hosting their first spring Sporting Clays League. With two divisions- 17 and younger and 18 and older- the league opened on April 6th and will continue through May 22nd. This six week, 300 target league has weekly ammo winners, and added cash prizes. Read more

Ammunition

Trulock Federal Heavyweight TSS #9 Choke with Federal Heavyweight TSS #9 Shotshell

GW: No doubt that this load and choke combine for an awesome pattern; however, Michigan (and, maybe other states) does not permit anything smaller than #6 shot.

Whigham, GA – For the absolute tightest patterns, use Trulock® Federal Heavyweight TSS # 9 choke combined with the Federal® Heavyweight TSS 9 shotshell. The Trulock® Federal® Heavyweight TSS # 9 choke is made from high strength, heat treated 17/4 stainless steel with a black oxide finish. This choke has been optimized using hundreds of rounds of Federal Heavyweight TSS # 9 shell to give nominally 400 pellets in a 10 inch circle at 40 yards.

Trulock® Federal Heavyweight TSS #9 Choke and Federal Heavyweight TSS #9 Shotshell 10 inch pattern at 40 yards

Trulock® strongly recommends turkey hunters pattern their gun to make sure they know how the point of impact and the point of aim compare. These patterns are so tight you can miss the bird unless you KNOW where the gun impacts on the target. There are many things that can go wrong in a turkey hunt, but the combination of Trulock® chokes with these loads means that down range shot performance won’t be one of those problems.

Trulock® Choke Tubes goal is to make high-quality, close tolerance turkey choke tubes at reasonable prices. All Trulock® Chokes are backed with a 60-day satisfaction guarantee and a lifetime warranty. Check out TrulockChokes.Com for choke recommendations with lead or steel shot, for a variety of game. Contact us at TrulockChokes.Com, or if you want to talk to a real live person and get the absolute best in customer service, then reach out at 800-293-9402. At Trulock® Chokes, customer service is not just a name; it is something the company is dedicated to giving. Read more

Ammunition, Hunting

New study of Saginaw Bay walleye movement and reproduction starts soon

A new study begins this month on Saginaw Bay, using acoustic transmitters that will be implanted in walleye to help researchers with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Michigan State University and several partner agencies obtain data about where the fish spawn.

Fish in such telemetry projects have acoustic transmitters affixed to them. Each transmitter then beeps a fish-specific code every few minutes. Acoustic receivers deployed in Lake Huron decode the tag beeps and log when fish tags are detected. The network of acoustic receivers in Saginaw Bay includes receivers in the mouths of rivers to listen for tagged fish moving to spawning grounds and receivers in Saginaw Bay to determine where walleye may be spawning.

Having a better understanding of relative sources of natural reproduction for walleye will help fishery managers determine which rivers and reefs to protect and, when needed, where to invest in actions that enhance and improve fish habitat.

Volunteer charter boat operations are assisting in the study by collecting the walleye hook and line in May while the fish from all spawning sources are mixed post-spawn, but before any leave the bay. Then when the fish return for spawning next spring, their locations will be logged in the receivers. There are at least 15 rivers and five offshore reefs that are likely sources of walleye spawning. Read more

Fishing
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