Press Releases From The DNR, Links and Forums.

DNRE Asks for Help From Public to Detect Presence of Wolves in the Lower Peninsula. The Department of Natural Resources and Environment today announced it will conduct a survey in the northern Lower Peninsula Feb. 16 through March 12 to detect the presence of gray wolves in this area of the state. Survey teams will be searching areas where the public reports observing a wolf or wolf tracks during the survey period.  Priority will be placed on the most recent reports and reports with potential wolf evidence. “The purpose of the survey is to both verify the presence of wolves where we have previously confirmed animals and to detect new occurrences in other areas,” said DNRE Wildlife Biologist Jennifer Kleitch. “Given the low probability of observing a wolf or tracks in the Lower Peninsula it’s helpful to have as many eyes looking as possible. That’s why public reports are important.” The DNRE is asking the public to report wolf sightings that occur during the survey period to the Gaylord Operations Service Center at 989-732-3541, ext. 5901. Observation reports can also be submitted online year-round at www.michigan.gov/wolves. The Web site also contains identification information for wolves. “It’s imperative that observations are reported in a timely manner so we can work with fresh evidence. If the public finds what appear to be wolf tracks, they should preserve the physical evidence and disturb it as little as possible or take a photo of the tracks with a ruler,” Kleitch said.  “If someone has a photo or video of a wolf in the Lower Peninsula, we’re interested in that as well.” Wolves began naturally returning to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula via Canada and Wisconsin in the early 1990s. Since that time populations have increased and continue to expand their range.  Evidence of range expansion into the Lower Peninsula came when a gray wolf was accidentally killed in Presque Isle County in 2004.  More recently, the DNRE verified two wolf observations in 2009 in the northern Lower
Peninsula as a result of a video and trail camera photo taken by Michigan citizens. The DNRE is partnering in this survey effort with USDA Wildlife Services, the Little Traverse and Grand Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, and Central Michigan University

Sturgeon Spearing Season Ends Quickly on Black Lake.  It took just 30 minutes into the second day of the season for anglers
to harvest the five sturgeon quota from Black Lake, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment said.
Spear fishermen took four fish during the first six-hour day of fishing. This year, the DNRE worked with Sturgeon for Tomorrow to change the registration procedure, allowing open access to spearing instead of issuing a limited number of permits. DNRE personnel registered 255 anglers for Saturday’s opener and 169 on Sunday.
Successful anglers were required to register their fish immediately with the DNRE. The season was closed - and anglers still on the ice were notified - when the fifth fish was taken Sunday morning. The sturgeon taken ranged from 28 pounds to a 104-pound, 75-inch specimen. Four of the fish had previously been captured by DNRE and Michigan State University netting crews and marked with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags. “The season worked out very well,” said DNRE fisheries biologist
Tim Cwalinski. “We were able to allow a lot more participation and still protect the sturgeon population. We received nothing but positive comments from the public and we appreciate the efforts of Sturgeon for Tomorrow.”

DNRE Announces Pure Michigan Hunt Drawing Winners.  A Kalamazoo County seventh grader was among three winners of the
Department of Natural Resources and Environment’s first Pure Michigan Hunt drawing.   
Luke Haynes, a 14-year-old who attends Vicksburg Middle School, said he was “so excited I can’t even explain it,” when he heard he was chosen from among the 12,693 applicants. An already accomplished deer and turkey hunter, Haynes said he was especially looking forward to hunting for elk in Michigan this season.
So are the other two winners, 63-year-old Mario Chiesa, a lawyer from Dearborn and 59-year-old Joseph Serafinski of Macomb. Both men have hunted elk in the past in the West, they said, but both said they were excited to have the opportunity to hunt elk in Michigan. The Pure Michigan Hunt winners were selected by random drawing for the opportunity to participate in every limited-access hunt available in the state - elk, bear, spring and fall wild turkey and antlerless deer. They will be allowed to hunt in any hunt area open in the 2010 season until their tags are filled. In addition, those chosen in the drawing will have the first pick of a hunting zone in a managed waterfowl area reserved hunt.
Applications for the Pure Michigan Hunt costs $4 and individuals can buy as many as they like. Serafinski bought 21. Chiesa bought five. And Haynes, he bought one.
In all, there were 33,758 Pure Michigan Hunt applications sold for the first drawing, raising more than $135,000 for the DNRE’s Game and Fish Protection Fund. In addition to the right to buy licenses for all the state’s restricted hunts, the winners received “Nuge Java” brand coffee from The Evelyn Bay Coffee Company; archery hunting equipment from Ten Point Crossbows, Horton Manufacturing and Darton Bows; and vests and callers from National Wildlife Turkey Federation.
“We are thrilled with the interest the hunting community has shown in this new opportunity,” said DNRE Wildlife Division Chief Russ Mason. “We believe this is a hunt of lifetime and we still need to do more to get the word out to all Michigan hunters.”
Applications for the 2011 Pure Michigan Hunt go on sale beginning March 1. Anyone who is 12 years old or older may participate, as long as their hunting privileges have not been suspended by the courts. Success in the Pure Michigan Hunt drawing does not affect any preference points for bear licenses or weighted chances at elk tags. In addition, hunters who are not eligible for an elk license because of past success are eligible for an elk tag in the Pure Michigan Hunt drawing. For more information,
visit the website at www.michigan.gov/puremichiganhunt.

DNRE Enters Agreement With Quality Deer Management Association. The Department of Natural Resources and Environment has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Quality Deer Management Association and its Michigan chapters and branches establishing a framework for cooperation on mutually beneficial projects and activities that maintain and enhance the state’s natural resources.
The MOU states that the parties will cooperate and execute agreed upon projects and research efforts regarding habitat, education and management following the guidelines of the soon-to-be-released Michigan Strategic Deer Management Plan.
“We are pleased to enter into this agreement with the Quality Deer Management Association,” said DNRE Deer and Elk Program Leader Brent Rudolph. “We look forward to this partnership, and partnerships with other conservation organizations that will prove beneficial to Michigan’s resources and its deer hunters.”
The MOU is the first in what DNRE Wildlife Division Chief Russ Mason hopes will be a series of agreements with conservation groups on deer and other wildlife management matters. Similar agreements are in development with the United Sportsman’s Alliance, the Mid-Michigan Sportsman’s Alliance and the Michigan Hunters Alliance.
“These agreements represent a clear recognition that the DNRE shares the same core values as many conservation groups,” Mason said. “Rather than consider these groups as stakeholders, we think of them as partners. Any organization that wants to enter into an agreement with us that will enhance wildlife management in Michigan is welcome to contact us.”

2009 Was a Banner Year for Big Fish in Michigan. Five new state record fish - highlighted by a world record brown trout
- were among 1,433 fish entered in the Department of Natural Resources and Environment’s Master Angler Program in 2009.
State records were also broken for pumpkinseed (twice), redear sunfish and Great Lakes muskellunge.
A 41.45-pound brown trout, caught by Thomas Healy of Rockford on the Manistee River on Sept. 9, has been certified as a world record by the International Game Fish Association.
Overall anglers entered 503 fish in the catch-and-keep category and 930 fish in the catch-and-release category, up from 430 and 871, respectively, in 2008. The Master Angler Program recognizes anglers who catch fish that weigh more (catch and keep) or measure longer (catch and release) than established standards. “Fishing was excellent in 2009 as evidenced by the large number of
quality fish entered into our Master Angler Program,” said DNRE Fisheries Divisions Chief Kelley Smith. “This only reaffirms what
we’ve long known - there’s world-class fishing in Michigan.”  For complete lists of Master Angler fish submitted in 2009, visit the
DNRE Web site at www.michigan.gov/dnrfishing, and click on Angler Information. Anglers who think they may have a record fish may contact Barbara Dilts in the DNRE Fisheries Division at 517-373-2966

DNRE Basic Archery Instructor Courses Scheduled Around the State
The Department of Natural Resources and Environment is offering free basic archery instructor (BAI) courses for teachers at the following dates and locations:
Feb. 13, Mar. 20, Apr. 17, May 15. Location: Hartland Middle School at Ore Creek, Livingston County
Time: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Contact: Robert Jellison, 248-877-5883
Feb. 27, Mar. 6, Apr. 17, May 8 Location: Waverly Middle School, Eaton County
Time: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Contact: Michelle DeBrabander, 517-321-7240 x 2224
Mar. 13, May 15. Location: Eisenhower School, Genesee County
Time: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Contact: Mike Maienbrook, 810-760-5262
Jan. 28, Feb. 11, Mar. 4, Apr. 1, May 13, Jun. 3 Location: Gaylord Family Fellowship, Otsego County
Time: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Contact: Mark Copeland, 989-705-1339
Feb 13, Mar 20, Apr10, May 6, June 5 Location: Rockford North Middle School, Kent County
Time: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Contact: Jeff DeRegnaucourt, 616-977-7750
Mar. 13, Apr. 10, May 15 Location: Portage Central Middle School, Kalamazoo County
Time: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Contact: John Dunlop, 269-323-5665
Feb. 6, Mar. 13, Apr. 24, May 24 Location: Escanaba Civic Center, Delta County
Time: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Contact: Erick and Karen Kestila, 906-786-0957
Each eight-hour session is for physical education teachers who wish to join the DNRE’s Archery in the Schools program.
Archery in the Schools introduces international-style target archery to students in 4th through 12th grade physical education classes. The in-school curriculum’s core content covers archery history, safety, technique, equipment, mental concentration and self-improvement. To date, more than 360 schools across Michigan have implemented the program.
“Target archery is a safe sport, in which students of all skill levels can be successful regardless of age, size or physical ability,” said Mary Emmons, coordinator for the Archery in the Schools program. “Incorporating archery as a school sport choice in the physical education curriculum creates an opportunity to engage students who otherwise may not participate in traditional athletics, and it is an individual sport they can enjoy throughout their lifetime.”
For more information on Archery in the Schools, contact Mary Emmons at 517-241-9477 or by email at emmonsm@michigan.gov. Information also is available online at www.michigan.gov/dnrarchery.
The DNRE also is offering archery equipment grants to schools, both public and private, that enroll in the Archery in the Schools program.

Trout Streams Reclassified into New Restricted Gear Category
The Department of Natural Resources has reclassified trout streams with differing gear restrictions into a single “gear restricted”
category.
The new category - the major first change in the DNR’s stream classification system that was adopted a decade ago - will allow for
more flexible fishing regulations on the streams that have been classified as Type 5, 6 and 7 streams in the past. No immediate regulation changes have been proposed for specific streams.
“Combining the Type 5, 6 and 7 streams into one category simplifies our regulatory framework and creates flexibility for protecting trout populations while allowing diverse fishing opportunities,” explained DNR Fisheries Division Chief Kelley Smith. “With this change, we’re ready to work with trout anglers to review appropriate regulations for specific streams.”
State law allows up to 212 miles of gear-restricted streams statewide.
Anglers who wish to comment on appropriate regulations or to nominate additional waters for the Gear Restricted Category can forward their comments online to dnr-gearrestricted@michigan.gov through Feb. 12.
The DNR’s Coldwater Regulations Steering Committee will review all comments and make proposals available for public comment before making any regulations changes. DNRE recommendations are expected to be sent to the DNRE director this fall for implementation on April 1, 2011

DNR, USFWS Offer Reward for Information on Poached Bald Eagle in Otsego County
The Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are offering a monetary reward for information leading to the arrest of a suspect who poached a bald eagle in Otsego County near Johannesburg, likely in the period of Dec. 20-22.
DNR conservation officers in Gaylord were alerted to the eagle poaching by an area resident who discovered the bird dead near Brown Road. A preliminary examination by DNR veterinarians showed the cause of death to be a possible gunshot wound.
Anyone with information regarding this case can call the DNR’s Report All Poaching hotline at 800-292-7800 or DNR Law Enforcement at the Gaylord Operations Service Center at 989-732-3541. Information can be left anonymously. Information leading to an arrest and conviction is eligible for a cash reward funded by the Game and Fish Protection Fund, along with the reward from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Poaching a bald eagle is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a fine up to $1,000, plus court costs, along with a $1,500 restitution payment to the state.
Bald eagles, the national emblem, are one of two species of eagles found in the United States. Bald eagles first received Federal and State protection in Michigan in 1940 and 1954, respectively. They continue to be protected by the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Federal Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. Under these laws, a person may not kill, harass, disturb or otherwise harm bald eagles.

New Walleye Regulations for Mullett Lake and Associated Rivers Approved
New regulations to address a low population of adult walleye in Mullett Lake in Cheboygan County were approved at Thursday’s Michigan Natural Resources Commission meeting in Lansing.
The regulations, approved by Department of Natural Resources Director Rebecca Humphries, are the result of a collaborative resolution reached by the DNR and the five Tribes in the 1836 Treaty-ceded territory of Michigan. The new regulations will allow  for harvest of walleyes to continue on the lake in 2010 by state-licensed recreational anglers.
The new regulations take effect for the 2010 fishing season on April 1. The regulations were developed in collaboration with many of the recreational fishing groups in the area, as well as the Indian River Chamber of Commerce. Changes to the regulations include a change in bag limit and season length for walleye for state-licensed recreational anglers. The regulations cover Mullett Lake proper, the Cheboygan River from Mullett Lake downstream to the Cheboygan Dam, and the Black River from Alverno Dam downstream to its confluence with the Cheboygan River.
In those areas, the bag limit for the harvest of walleye by state-licensed recreational anglers will be three walleye per day. The
walleye season for state-licensed recreational anglers on Mullett Lake will be May 15 to March 15.
The State and Tribes have agreed to work together to develop a multi-faceted approach to monitoring and enhancing the walleye population over next five years, through the 2014 fishing season.
The plan includes a collaborative assessment and monitoring program by both the state and the Tribes that encompasses continued creel surveys for the 2010 fishing season, a joint assessment of the entire chain of lakes, and longer term the potential to develop a joint fish stocking effort.
“These changes will protect the adult walleye population in the lake, while offering state-licensed recreational anglers the opportunity to continue harvesting walleye,” said DNR Fisheries Chief Kelley Smith. “Both the State and the Tribes are concerned with the walleye population in the lake, and our plan is to address it together.”

Ontonagon County Wolf Poaching Case Reward Increased to $7,000
The reward being offered in an Ontonagon County wolf poaching case has been increased from $6,500 to $7,000, thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, Department of Natural Resources officials announced
today. The DNR and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service are seeking information related to a recent wolf poaching case in Ontonagon County, occurring some time between Nov.12-16, 2009. The wolf's radio collar was found in the Stony Creek Area of Ontonagon County, east of the old White Pine Mine location.
“We are pleased to accept this donation, which hopefully will help us obtain the information necessary to prosecute and close this case,” said DNR Lt. Tim Robson. “Anyone who would like to contribute to law enforcement rewards can do so by earmarking a donation to the DNR’s Gift Account for a specific reward, such as wolf or eagle poaching or illegal hunting and fishing investigations.”
DNR Gift Account donations can be made in person at any DNR Operations Service Center or Field Office or by mailing a check, made out to the State of Michigan, with the specific intent of the donation marked in the check’s memo field.
The $7,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the conviction of the person, or persons, responsible for the killing of the wolf. In addition to the $500 offered by an anonymous donor, the DNR's Report All Poaching (RAP) program has donated $500 toward the reward, while the USFWS has offered $5,000 and an additional $1,000 is provided by Defenders of Wildlife, an organization dedicated to protecting endangered species. Gray wolves were recently re-listed by the federal government as an endangered species.
Anyone with information pertaining to this case is asked to call the DNR’s RAP line at 800-292-7800, the USFWS at 989-686-4578, or contact a local DNR conservation officer. Information can be provided anonymously. An online form to report poaching violations is available on the DNR’s Web site at www.michigan.gov/dnr under the Law Enforcement menu.

DNR Seeks Help Finding Lower Peninsula Denned Bears
The Department of Natural Resources is once again seeking help from hunters and trappers through the winter who encounter denned black bears while in the field in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. In the Northern Lower Peninsula, this effort is part of an ongoing DNR program to annually radio-collar a sample of female bears.  Bears are also becoming more common in the Southern Lower Peninsula and biologists are interested in learning more about their movements and habitat associations.
“Information gathered from bears will assist biologists in managing the black bear population,” said DNR wildlife biologist Mark Boersen. Currently, three female bears are being monitored from the air and ground in the Northern Lower Peninsula through the use of radio tracking equipment.
After locating a denned bear, DNR biologists will determine if the animal is a good candidate for radio-collaring.  Bears that are selected will be sedated by a biologist and fitted with a radio-tracking collar and ear tags.  Hair samples will be taken for DNA analysis and a small non-functional tooth will be collected to determine the bear’s age. Upon completion of the short procedure, biologists will carefully return the bear to its den where it will spend the remainder of the winter months.
People who encounter bear dens are asked to record the location, with a GPS unit if possible, and contact Mark Boersen at the DNR Roscommon Operations Center at 989-275-5151 for bears in the Northern Lower Peninsula; or Dwayne Etter at 517-373-9358, ext. 256, for bears in the southern Lower Peninsula.  The public is reminded that it is illegal to disturb a bear den or disturb, harm, or molest a bear in its den.

NRC Modifies Furbearer Regulations
The Natural Resources Commission modified bobcat hunting and trapping seasons for the Upper Peninsula at a recent meeting in Lansing in an attempt to preserve recreational opportunity, but reduce harvest.
Trapping season has been set for Dec. 1 - Feb. 1. Hunting season is Jan. 1 - March 1.
The NRC also voted to reopen coyote hunting in the northern Lower Peninsula during the Nov. 15-30 firearm deer season. The season was closed in 2005 when the presence of wolves was documented in the Lower Peninsula.
In addition, the NRC made several adjustments to regulations concerning the use of dry-land body-gripping traps to make them more selective, allowed the use of open-water snares for beaver trapping, and increased the allowable size of colony traps designed for taking muskrats. The specifics of these changes are available on the DNR Web site, at www.michigan.gov/dnr.Contact Adam Bump 517 373-1263 or Mary Dettloff 517 335-3014

DNR Announces Furbearer Registration Hours for Wakefield Field Office
Wildlife personnel will be available to register furbearers from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. CST on Nov. 30, Dec. 14, Dec. 28, Jan. 28, Feb. 8 and
Feb. 22. The office is located at 1405 US-2 East in Wakefield.
Anyone taking a bobcat, river otter, fisher or marten must bring the animal to a designated furbearer check station for examination. DNR staff will attach an official seal to the pelt of each inspected animal. It is preferable to have the animals unfrozen for registration and skinned if possible, although whole carcasses also are accepted.
For bobcats and marten, either the skull or canine tooth will be collected for registration, while only the skull is needed for fisher and the entire carcass and pelt are required for incidental catches. No parts are collected for otter. The registration and collection of parts allows DNR staff to determine the sex, age and physical condition of each animal.
Trappers and furbearer hunters must register their own take and cannot register for others. Complete details on furbearer registration and the location of other registration stations can be found in the 2009 Michigan Hunting and Trapping Guide, which is available online at www.michigan.gov/dnr, at authorized license agents or DNR Operations Service Centers. For more information about furbearer registration in Wakefield, contact Johnson at (906) 353-6651.

DNR Announces Furbearer Registration Hours for Stephenson Office
The office is located at W5420 River Road, next to the Michigan State Police post in Stephenson.
Furbearer registration hours will be from 4-6:30 p.m. CST on Dec. 17, 2009, and on Feb. 11 and May 5, 2010. A special Saturday registration session will be held from 8-11 a.m. on March 6, 2010. Anyone taking a bobcat, river otter, fisher or marten must bring the animal to a designated furbearer check station for examination. DNR staff will attach an official seal to the pelt of each inspected animal. "It is preferable to skin the animal prior to sealing, but unfrozen, whole carcasses also are acceptable," said DNR western Upper Peninsula wildlife supervisor Bob Doepker. "Trappers and furbearer hunters also should be aware that they must register their own take and cannot register for others." Depending on the furbearer species, the skull or canine tooth will be
collected by DNR staff to determine the sex, age and physical condition of the specimen. Complete details on furbearer registration and the location and hours of other registration stations can be found in the 2009 Michigan Hunting and Trapping Guide, which is available online at www.michigan.gov/dnr, at authorized license agents or DNR Operations Service Centers. For more information about furbearer registration and deer check stations in the western Upper Peninsula, contact Bob Doepker at (906) 228-6561.  

DNR Reminds Anglers 2007 Inland Consent Decree Provides for Certain Activities by Tribal Members
   The Department of Natural Resources reminds the public that certain fishing opportunities for tribal members under the 1836 Treaty of Washington are different than those allowed for state-licensed recreational anglers under Michigan law, and that these activities may be observed this spring.
  As established under the 2007 Inland Consent Decree, Tribal members may use spears or conventional fishing tackle to take walleye and steelhead in some waters of Michigan covered by the 1836 Treaty of Washington during periods when these waters are closed to fishing for State-licensed recreational anglers.
  A map of the portion of Michigan covered by the 1836 Treaty of Washington can be found by following this link to the DNR Web site: http://michigan.gov/documents/dnr/treaty_1836_boundary-STATEWIDE_220728_7.pdf
  “We appreciate anglers’ concerns when they see something unusual occurring, but we ask people not to interfere with Tribal members who are exercising their rights under the 2007 Inland Consent Decree,” said Nick Popoff, the DNR Fisheries Division’s tribal coordinator. “If you think a violation is in progress, you can call the DNR’s Report All Poaching line (800-292-7800) and report it.”
  The area ceded under the 1836 Treaty of Washington includes the eastern half of the Upper Peninsula and the northern Lower Peninsula. For information on the 2007 Inland Consent Decree, check the DNR Web site at www.michigan.gov/dnr.
Contact Nick Popoff 231 547-2914 or Mary Dettloff 517-335-3014