Lake Erie Walleye Assessment Scheduled for October

The Department of Natural Resources will conduct its annual walleye assessment in the west basin of Lake Erie near Monroe, Michigan, beginning Oct. 8 and continuing through Oct. 12.

“This year marks the 40th anniversary of a survey that is the cornerstone of the DNR’s annual efforts to assess the walleye fishery in Lake Erie,” said Todd Wills, DNR Fisheries’ Lake Huron-Lake Erie area research manager. “The data from this survey are essential for the DNR and its partner agencies to estimate walleye abundance throughout the west and central basins of Lake Erie. These estimates help determine the daily possession limits for anglers who fish for walleye in Michigan waters.”

The fall walleye assessment will be completed by DNR fisheries staff aboard the research vessel Channel Cat, which is celebrating its 50th year in service and has a home port at the Lake St. Clair Fisheries Research Station in Harrison Township. Gill nets are fished near Stoney Point and Luna Pier and are marked with a large, orange staff buoy on each end with a number of small, round floats in between. The 1,300-foot-long nets are suspended in the water column, fished overnight, and hauled aboard the R/V Channel Cat where the catch is sorted, identified and measured. A sample of the dorsal fin spine is taken from captured walleye to determine their age.

The DNR reminds anglers and boaters to avoid navigating in between the staff buoys to prevent entanglement in the nets and to give the R/V Channel Cat room to maneuver while it is actively lifting and setting the gear, which is indicated by displaying a double-cone day shape from a mast on its roof. Read more

Fishing

NWTF, NRCS Sign Historic Agreement to Impact 350,000 Acres

EDGEFIELD, S.C. — The National Wild Turkey Federation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service have signed an agreement for cooperative staffing to sustain and improve forest ecosystems on as much as 350,000 acres of private land across 24 states over the next five years.

The two organizations have a mutual interest in conservation and the sustainable use of land, water, wildlife and other resources across the country and have worked together for more than 15 years.

“We have long partnered with the NRCS on conservation projects and are thrilled to have a five-year plan in place to realize additional conservation successes,” NWTF CEO Becky Humphries said. “Putting conservation dollars to work on the ground is critical, and our commitment to this agreement shows the NWTF and NRCS are ready to help lead the way with conservation partnerships.” Read more

Wildlife

Attracting Birds to Your Yard Naturally

MONTPELIER, Vt – Vermonters love to see birds around their home, and putting out bird feeders is a popular way to attract our feathered friends to back yards. Vermont is among the top states in the country for people who report feeding and watching birds near their home.

However, birds aren’t the only wildlife attracted by birdseed. Vermont’s abundant bear population is increasingly coming into conflict with people as they raid people’s bird feeders, often leading the bear to continue to seek food sources in residential areas. As a result, the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department urges Vermonters to hold off on putting bird feeders out until snow is well-established. With plenty of seeds and berries on the landscape, birds have enough native foods to tide them over until bears are hibernating.

“Nature provides birds with ample natural food options, from flowers to seeds to fruits and insects,” says John Buck, Vermont Fish & Wildlife’s migratory bird biologist. “Vermonters can plant a variety of native plants and provide other resources that will naturally attract birds from spring through fall. These natural food sources are healthy for birds and provide bird-lovers with a safe alternative to putting out bird feeders. Providing natural food sources also helps prevent a concentration of birds in one place around a feeder, reducing the likelihood of disease transmission and unnatural predation rates.”

As Vermonters put their gardens and yards to bed this fall, Buck has several recommendations for fall plantings, as well as seeds to procure for the spring, that will safely encourage birds in backyards: Read more

Wildlife

Join the First eBird October Big Day this Saturday!

ing the first October Big Day, on October 6, to find and record all the birds you see through eBird. You don’t need to be a bird expert or participate all day long; even birding 30 minutes in your backyard counts. The October Big Day runs from midnight to midnight in your local time zone, and you can report birds from anywhere in the world on eBird, a worldwide bird checklist program used by hundreds of thousands of birders.

On May 5, during the Global Big Day, more than 28,000 people ventured outside in 170 countries, finding 6,899 species, two-thirds of all the world’s bird species in one day, a new world record for birding! With that in mind, a fall event was conceived and the October Big Day was planned.

Why October 6? Because the northern reaches of the world are in the midst of fall migration, and spring is rejuvenating the Southern Hemisphere. No matter where you are, we’re confident you can find some great birds and share them with the world on eBird. Let’s see what we can find together on the first October Big Day! Read more

Wildlife

Thompson/Center Arms Fall Promotion

Thompson/Center Arms™ Launches Fall Promotion on Popular Hunting Rifles

Save on T/C® Compass®, T/C IMPACT!™, and T/CR22™ rifles through December 31, 2018

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Thompson/Center Arms today announced the launch of its “Hunt For Savings” rebate program,offering a $50 rebate with the purchase of a new T/C Compass or a $25 rebate with the purchase of a new T/C IMPACT!muzzleloader from October 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018. This offer is also valid in Canada, and will also include a $50 rebate on new Thompson/Center T/CR22 rifles. Rebates submitted from Canadian customers will be issued via check in Canadian dollar amounts. Read more

Firearms

Textron Off Road Introduces 2019 Prowler Pro Models

AUGUSTA, GA — Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announces the addition of three new vehicles to its Textron Off Road Prowler™ Pro lineup. The new, six-passenger Prowler Pro Crew XT brings quiet power and performance to the multi-passenger market, while the new three- and six-passenger Ranch editions offer premium accessories and a custom Atomic Copper color for a more customized look.

“We continue to develop state-of-the-art Textron Off Road vehicles that meet a wide variety of enthusiasts’ needs,” said John Collins, Vice President, Consumer for Textron Specialized Vehicles. “The new Prowler Pro XT Crew builds off of the innovative Prowler Pro platform and continues the legacy Textron has instilled in all of its highly engineered brands.”

Similar to its three-seat counterpart, the Prowler Pro Crew XT offers quiet gas power and unmatched reliability, with the addition of a second row of seating. The vehicle is powered by a whisper-quiet, 50-horsepower, 812cc EFI engine offering plenty of power to not only haul six people, but also additional cargo or game. To complement the engine, vibration-reducing mounts and bushings were used, and a tuned exhaust utilizes a rubber isolator with the muffler to lessen exhaust noise. Read more

General

SIG SAUER M400 TREAD Rifle

Newington, N.H. – Today, SIG SAUER, Inc. introduced the M400 TREAD, a premium entry-level rifle, accompanied by a full-line of TREAD branded accessories that gives the consumer the freedom to grow.

“SIG SAUER has created a premium rifle, at a moderate price point, that is packed with innovation and flexibility, and does not sacrifice the quality that our consumers demand from SIG,” began Tom Taylor, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President SIG SAUER, Inc. “The base model of the TREAD is loaded with features that would be considered costly upgrades from our competitors base model. At this price point, most rifles are equipped with a barrel mounted sight post that blocks your field of view when using optics. Right out of the box, the TREAD features a factory-installed, aluminum, free floating M-LOK™ handguard for improved accuracy, and can be easily removed with two hex screws to change out to the TREAD accessory option.”

The M400 TREAD is an optics ready, aluminum frame rifle. TREAD features a 16” stainless steel barrel with a free-floating M-LOK handguard, a single-stage polished/hard-coat trigger, ambidextrous controls, a Magpul™ SL-K 6 position telescoping stock, a mid-length gas system, and is available in 5.56 NATO. Read more

Firearms

California Governor Vetoes Anti-Hunting Proposal

California Gov. Edmund G. (Jerry) Brown Jr. vetoed a bill that would have prevented hunters from possessing and in some cases importing the named African species in the bill, including parts and products, lawfully harvested in Africa.

“Safari Club International recognizes California Governor Jerry Brown for vetoing Senate Bill 1487, legislation that would prohibit the people of California from importing and possessing a several species legally hunted in countries in Africa,” said SCI President Paul Babaz. “SCI also applauds the sportsmen and women who voiced their opposition to Governor Brown. Without your phone calls and support, this misguided piece of legislation might have been signed into law. SCI also thanks the California Coalition for spearheading the months-long effort to stop this anti-hunting bill.”

The bill targeted elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos and an additional six species – some of which are neither listed on the Endangered Species Act’s endangered/threatened lists or CITES Appendices I or II.

The authors of the bill relied on emotion rather than science to craft anti-hunting restrictions, which were neither necessary nor remotely beneficial for the species identified in SB 1487.

The bill would have discouraged Californians from legally hunting outside the U.S. and participating in the community-based conservation efforts that are succeeding in Africa. Read more

Hunting

RMEF to Host Revamped 2019 Elk Camp and Mountain Festival

MISSOULA, Mont.—Mark your calendar! The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is excited to announce plans for its all-new Elk Camp and Mountain Festival to take place July 11-14, 2019, in Park City, Utah.

“This is a revolutionary approach to our historic national convention and one that charts a new course in scope and execution,” said Philip Barrett, Chairman of the RMEF Board of Directors. “Elk Camp will feature a wide range of interactive, family-friendly activities designed to celebrate our conservation mission, volunteers and partnerships, and appeal to everyone from our members to the general public. It will be a destination event that builds excitement and anticipation for the hunting season and reinforces the mantra that Hunting Is Conservation.”

2019 RMEF Elk Camp and Mountain Festival anchor activities:

  • Mountain Festival & Wild Harvest Festival
    • Interactive partner displays featuring shooting, spotting, mapping and more
    • Wild Harvest activations including field prep, processing and preparation of wild game
    • Hunting seminars and podcasts from industry leaders
  • Total Archery Challenge™
    • Multi-day competition with 100+ 3D targets to test marksmanship of archery skills
    • Future champions course for youth/novice archers
  • Elk Country Film Festival & Concert
    • World class music and entertainment in a festival atmosphere
    • Premiere of RMEF Films and independent productions
  • World Elk Calling Championships & Creation of Elk Country Hall of Fame
    • Awards banquet & induction ceremony
    • Expansion of current format to include regional qualifiers
    • Demonstrations, hunt seminars, vendor displays Read more
Hunting, Wildlife

Michigan Trespass Laws

By Glen Wunderlich

Some recent questions from a reader have prompted a bit of clarification relative to Michigan’s trespass laws.  Not much can get landowners’ blood to boil more than having uninvited strangers violate their boundaries after having invested sizeable sums of money to not only purchase or lease land, but to improve it with sweat equity and to nurture all forms of flora and fauna.   What follows is not intended to be all-inclusive legal advice; for that, you may want to contact an attorney.

Michigan law defines trespassing when a person enters the property of another’s, when either forbidden to do so or remaining on the property after the landowner, occupant or the agent of the owner or occupant has told the person to leave.  People are no longer required to possess written permission to be on another’s land, but it may prove useful to prevent unnecessary confrontations.

Under the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act 451 of 1994, 322 Sec. 73102, the following apply.

(1) Except as provided in subsection (4), a person shall not enter or remain upon the property of another person, other than farm property or a wooded area connected to farm property, to engage in any recreational activity or trapping on that property without the consent of the owner or his or her lessee or agent, if either of the following circumstances exists:

(a) The property is fenced or enclosed and is maintained in such a manner as to exclude intruders.

(b) The property is posted in a conspicuous manner against entry. The minimum letter height on the posting signs shall be 1 inch. Each posting sign shall be not less than 50 square inches, and the signs shall be spaced to enable a person to observe not less than 1 sign at any point of entry upon the property. 

 (2) Except as provided in subsection (4), a person shall not enter or remain upon farm property or a wooded area connected to farm property for any recreational activity or trapping without the consent of the owner or his or her lessee or agent, whether or not the farm property or wooded area connected to farm property is fenced, enclosed, or posted.

The law does not require any specific language for posted signs that prohibit entry, but displaying a conspicuous warning is the basis of a criminal trespassing charge, because a person who unwittingly wanders onto the land of another is not doing anything wrong. 

The factual basis for a criminal trespassing charge under this specific provision does not require a request to leave the premises nor does it not apply to a person who is in the process of attempting, by the most direct route, to contact the owner or his or her lessee or agent to request consent.

A person other than a person possessing a firearm may, unless previously prohibited in writing or orally by the property owner, enter on foot upon the property of another person for the sole purpose of retrieving a hunting dog. The person shall not remain on the property beyond the reasonable time necessary to retrieve the dog.

Michigan DNR conservation officers are peace officers, and except as otherwise provided by law, are vested with all the powers, privileges, prerogatives, and immunities conferred upon peace officers by the general laws of this state and can be telephoned anytime at 800-292-7800 for such matters related to enforcement on any of the above issues.

Hunting
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