The Department of Natural Resources reminds anglers that a new license season begins Sunday, April 1. Anglers have a choice of a variety of licenses and prices are unchanged from 2011. Fishing license options include:

• 24-hour license (good for all species).

• 72-hour license (good for all species).

• Season-long restricted license (good for all species except trout, salmon, lake sturgeon, lake herring, amphibians, reptiles or crustaceans).

• Season-long, all-species license (good for all species). An additional (free) lake sturgeon tag is required of anglers who fish for or target lake sturgeon.

Fishing license dollars fund a variety of activities, including fish management work on Michigan’s waters, habitat rehabilitation and protection, fish stocking, information distribution, education and outreach efforts to anglers and the public, and much more. Fisheries Division does not receive any general funds and depends on angler dollars, through license sales and federal excise tax dollars for fishing tackle, to manage Michigan’s fisheries. Buying a fishing license even if you do not plan to fish can make a big difference to the future health of Michigan’s prized freshwaters.

There are three simple ways to purchase a fishing license in Michigan:

* Visit your local license retailer or DNR Operations Service Center and make a purchase in person.

* Use the E-License system to buy a license online 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Just visit www.mdnr-elicense.com to get started.

* Visit the Mobile Fish website on your smartphone (www.mi.gov/fish) to buy a 24-hour all-species fishing license. All you need is your driver’s license number and a credit or debit card.

For more information on fishing in Michigan, visit www.michigan.gov/fishing.

From the DNR

Southwest Lower Peninsula

Inland lake fishing for bluegills and crappie is starting to pick-up. Carp have already been spotted in shallow waters.

New Buffalo:  Is producing some limit catches of coho and steelhead. Dowagiac River:  Has good steelhead fishing.

St. Joseph:  Anglers were catching steelhead and catfish from the piers.

St. Joseph River:  Steelhead fishing has been good especially near the Berrien Springs Dam. Sucker fishing was also good.

Silver Lake:  In Branch County is starting to produce a fair number of bluegill.

Union Lake:  In Branch County was giving up some 10 inch perch. Those fishing along the east end of the lake caught redears.

Kalamazoo River:  Still has good steelhead fishing however the run will be winding down soon.

Grand River at Grand Rapids:  Is producing steelhead and catfish.

Grand River at Lansing:  The occasional steelhead has been caught over at Moore’s Park Dam and at the point where the Grand meets the Red Cedar. Anglers are using spawn, spinners or crank baits. Good colors to try are chartreuse and fire-tiger. Catfish are hitting on dead minnows, stink baits, crawlers and small bluegills.

Lake Interstate: Is producing some nice bluegills in deeper water. Try a wax worm under a slip bobber. The lake is south of Lansing towards Potterville. Jackson:  Boats are taking to the inland lakes for panfish.

Lake Ovid: A few boat anglers are getting out but catch rates were still slow in part due to the cold water temperatures.

Muskegon River: Has good steelhead fishing.

Stream insect monitoring event

Trout Unlimited National, Michigan Trout Unlimited, and the Schrems West Michigan Trout Unlimited Chapter will be holding a Stream Insect Monitoring Event on Saturday, April 7, 2012 from 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. at the Algoma Township Hall, 10531 Algoma Avenue in Rockford. Volunteers will be assigned to a monitoring group with a team leader.  Each group will collect and identify insects from different stream sites. You don’t need any experience with stream insects to participate and all ages are welcome.

Why monitor insects in our streams? In many cases we think bugs are a nuisance, but bugs in a stream can be very useful. Stream insects are a good measure of water quality. Unlike fish, stream insects cannot move around much so they are less able to escape the effects of sediment and other pollutants that diminish water quality. Stream insects can also be easily identified.

What will you need to participate? Please RSVP to Nichol De Mol at 231-557-6362 or ndemol@tu.org if you would like to attend. Please bring waders if you have them and dress for the weather conditions. Lunch will be provided for all volunteers.

From the DNR

Unseasonably warm weather may have Michigan’s black bears and recently born cubs out roaming earlier than usual. Great-horned owl chicks are already hatched and will be out of the nest before long. Spring is the season for wildlife to give birth. The Department of Natural Resources reminds Michigan residents to resist the instinct to try to help baby animals that may appear to be abandoned because in nearly every case a parent is nearby and the baby animal is not abandoned.

“The truth is, the animal doesn’t need help. For example, even if a fawn appears to be abandoned, its mother is almost always nearby,” said DNR wildlife ecologist Sherry MacKinnon. “We appreciate the good intentions of those who want to help, but the animals are better off left alone than removed from the wild.”

MacKinnon said it’s not uncommon for does to leave their young unattended for up to eight hours at a time; an anti-predator strategy that minimizes scent left around the newborn animals. “The same holds true for rabbits, ground-dwelling birds and other wildlife,” she said. “Even avian parents will continue to care for hatchlings that have fallen from a nest.”

The DNR advises that:

*Many baby animals will die if removed from their natural environment, and some have diseases or parasites that can be passed on to humans or pets.

*Some “rescued” animals that do survive become habituated to people and are unable to revert back to life in the wild. It is illegal to possess a wild deer or any other wild animals in Michigan, and every day a deer spends with humans makes it that much less likely to be able to survive in the wild.

*Eventually, habituated animals pose additional problems as they mature and develop adult animal behaviors. Habituated deer, especially bucks, can become aggressive as they mature, and raccoons are well-known for this, too.

“If you come across a deer or other animal that you are certain has been orphaned early in the year—for example, if a doe is dead nearby—please call your local DNR office. They can refer you to a licensed rehabilitator,” said MacKinnon. “Licensed rehabilitators are trained to handle wild animals and know how to release them so that they can survive in the wild.” Michigan licensed rehabilitators are also listed on the DNR website at http://www.michigandnr.com/dlr/.

The LOLA Ice Fishing Derby has been canceled this year due to warmer weather. According to organizer Pam Bradfield, they will are planning a spring event. Post photo by L. Allen.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources reminds everyone the annual Winter Free Fishing Weekend is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 18 and Sunday, Feb. 19. On that weekend, everyone can fish without a license, though all other fishing regulations still apply.

Michigan has been celebrating Winter Free Fishing Weekend annually since 1994 as a way to promote awareness of the state’s vast aquatic resources. With more than 3,000 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, 36,000 miles of rivers and 11,000 inland lakes, Michigan and fishing are a natural match.”Michigan offers some of the finest freshwater fishing in the world, including during the winter months,” said DNR Director Rodney Stokes. “Fishing is an inexpensive activity anyone can pursue, as an individual or as a family. We encourage you to get out this February and experience it for yourself, for free!”To encourage involvement in Free Fishing Weekends, organized activities are being scheduled in communities across the state. These activities are coordinated by a variety of organizations including: constituent groups, schools, local and state parks, businesses and others.

Find an event occurring in your community. Visit the newly revamped website www.michigan.gov/freefishing for all things related to this unique weekend; including where you can find help on event planning and promotion and where you can identify events in your area or register an official event. 


By Ranger Steve Mueller

The 2011 Christmas Bird Count for the Grand Rapids Audobon Club took place on December 31, 2011, at 2 Mile Rd NE and Honey Creek Avenue in Kent County. 62 participants observed 66 species of birds on count day. There were 59 counters in the morning and 32 in the afternoon. Four species of owls were recorded and that is up from zero last year. No additional bird species were added during count week. Table 1 lists the birds sighted for the count circle. Total individuals sighted were 13811.
A significant sighting was a Rufous Hummingbird. I received a call regarding the hummer presence while I was in Minnesota for family Christmas. I referred the call. Allen Chartier came and banded the bird before count day so we knew we had it for count week. Fortunately several of us were able to see it on count day.
Mark your calendars now for the December 29, 2012 count.
For more info, contact Ranger Steve at odybrook@chartermi.net or 616-696-1753.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers have determined an apparent moose poaching case reported in Marquette County in October 2011 was in fact a hoax, the DNR announced.
DNR officers, with assistance from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officers, investigated the case and were able to determine that a severed moose head, left in an area by the corner of County Road CF and East Road near Helen Lake in southern Humbolt Township, came from a moose legally harvested in and imported from Canada.
During the investigation, officers learned that upon returning to Michigan, the successful hunter had brought the moose to a local Negaunee-area meat processor. The hunter retrieved the meat and antlers from the processor, but left the rest of the carcass, including the head, for proper disposal by the processor.
At some point, the head was diverted from proper disposal and used in an apparent attempt to imply a moose poaching had taken place in the Upper Peninsula. The moose head was displayed on a rock with a sign leaning against it that read “Wolf’s (sic) won’t get this one!”
“While the outcome of this case is positive, in the sense that a moose poaching did not take place, it is also disheartening that someone chose to express themselves in this manner, which resulted in a waste of public resources, through the time and expense involved in investigating and closing this case,” said DNR Lt. Timothy Robson.
While the hunter who legally harvested and imported the moose has been cleared in the case, additional information or tips regarding the hoax poaching case could lead to criminal charges. Anyone with information about this, or any natural resources violation, can call the DNR’s Report All Poaching (RAP) Line 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 800-292-7800, or contact Lt. Robson at the DNR’s Marquette office at 906-228-6561. Information can be left confidentially, and often monetary rewards are offered for information that leads to the arrest of violators.

Brennan Harkema, 11, of Cedar Springs took his first deer—a four-point buck—on Sunday, Dec. 18, on an evening hunt with his dad.  Brennan was on the ground, set up behind a downed tree, while his dad was in a tree stand watching over a swamp.
Brennan’s buck stood up about 250 yards out and came straight to him. Brennan got a shot at about 20 yards with his crossbow. It was a great night for both Brennan and his dad.
Congratulations, Brennan!

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has decided to remove wolves in the western Great Lakes region from the federal endangered species list. The decision returns management of the species to the state level.
The federal delisting rule removing wolves from the endangered species list will be published in the Federal Register Wednesday, Dec. 28, and will take effect Friday, Jan. 27, 30 days after its publication.
Returning wolves to state management will allow the Michigan Department of National Resources to more effectively manage the species under Michigan’s highly-regarded Wolf Management Plan, which was created through a roundtable process involving interested parties representing viewpoints from all sides of the wolf issue.
“This is great news for the state’s wolf population and for Michigan citizens who have been affected by this issue,” said DNR Director Rodney Stokes. “Treating wolves as an endangered species, when the population has exceeded federal recovery goals in Michigan for more than a decade, has negatively impacted public opinion in areas of Michigan where wolves are established on the landscape. I firmly believe that the more flexible management options allowed under the state’s Wolf Management Plan will help increase social acceptance of the species while maintaining a healthy, sustainable wolf population.”
Once wolves are removed from the endangered species list, the DNR will continue to recommend nonlethal methods of control first, including flashing lights, flagging and noisemakers. In addition, the DNR administers a grant program that provides some funding to livestock owners with depredation issues for improved fencing and guard animals such as llamas, donkeys and Great Pyrenees dogs.
However, in cases where nonlethal methods are not working or feasible, DNR officials will now have the ability to kill problem wolves when appropriate. Under federal Endangered Species Act protection, wolves are protected from lethal control measures except in defense of human safety.
Livestock and dog owners in Michigan will also be able to legally protect their private property from wolf depredation once wolves are removed from the endangered species list.
The Michigan Legislature passed laws in 2008 to allow livestock or dog owners, or their designated agents, to remove, capture, or, if deemed necessary, use lethal means to destroy a wolf that is “in the act of preying upon” (attempting to kill or injure) the owner’s livestock or dog(s). These state laws will go into effect on Friday, Jan. 27, 30 days after the Final Rule is published in the Federal Register.
After the wolf is taken off the federal endangered species list, the animal will remain a protected species in Michigan. There is no public hunting or trapping of wolves allowed in Michigan. The DNR and the US Fish and Wildlife Service will investigate and continue vigorous prosecution of any wolf poaching cases. Illegally killing a wolf is punishable by up to 90 days in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both, and the cost of prosecution. Reports about poaching can be made to the DNR’s Report All Poaching (RAP) Hotline, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 800-292-7800.
For more information on Michigan’s wolf population and to see the state’s Wolf Management Plan, go to www.michigan.gov/wolves.

Winter is a beautiful time to experience Michigan’s outdoors. Whether riding a portion of Michigan’s groomed snowmobile trails or riding an off-road vehicle (ORV) to a favorite remote ice fishing hole, the Department of Natural Resources reminds riders to always exercise safety.
“With Michigan’s riding opportunities also comes inherent risks associated with motorsports,” said Gary Hagler, chief of the DNR’s Law Enforcement Division. “It is each rider’s responsibility to ensure their safety and the safety of their passengers and bystanders.”
There are several common factors with snowmobile and ORV accidents in Michigan.  The DNR urges snowmobilers and ORV operators to take simple precautions this winter season.  Excessive speed, alcohol use, inexperience, failure to wear helmets, operating on roadways and unfamiliarity with terrain are some of the most common factors involved in accidents. Many fatal accidents have one or more common factors as contributing causes.
“Operators should respect the speeds that snowmobiles and ORVs are capable of attaining, and the demands that operating over snow and ice pose,” Hagler said. “Safety education is a crucial factor in safe and responsible snowmobile and ORV operation. Safety education is required for youths and highly recommended for all others.”
Persons interested in finding a safety course, go online to www.michigan.gov/dnr and click on the “Education & Outreach” menu and then select Hunter Education & Recreational Safety Classes.  Safety training classes are offered in a classroom setting and some are available online.
The DNR does not recommend operating on the frozen surface of water; however, the DNR recognizes that it is a popular activity.  If an ice crossing is unavoidable there are several safety concerns operators need to be aware of in the event they fall into the freezing water.
Once a person is suddenly immersed in freezing water, their respiratory system will automatically and instantly have an uncontrollable inhaling gasp reflex because of the cold shock. If initially under the water, individuals will inhale water into their lungs. It is critical to get your head above the surface and first get your breathing under control which will take at least one minute. If you do not control your breathing the chances of drowning sooner are exponentially increased. Once you have your breathing under control, get to the edge of the solid ice you were at before you fell in because you know that ice held your weight at one point.  Secure your arms on top of the edge of good ice.  Use your arms to lift your body up and kick your feet hard in a swimming motion while leaning over the good ice.  Get your upper body up onto the solid ice and roll away from the open water. Using self-rescue ice spikes, which typically consist of two plastic cylinders with spikes on one end connected with a line, can greatly assist in pulling yourself out of the water onto safe ice.  Once you are out, do not stand up immediately or you will have an increased risk of falling through thin ice again. Once far enough away from the open water, begin to crawl away and eventually walk.
If you’re unable to get yourself out of the water, ensure your arms and as much of your upper body are out as far as possible. Reach out as far as you can onto the ice and do not move your arms. This will hopefully freeze your clothes to the ice and keep you from falling farther back in and increase the chances of being rescued. You will lose effective movement in roughly 10 minutes, but you can remain conscious for up to two hours. You should yell or signal for help.
Do not remove any protective gear such as a helmet or jacket. Your appropriate protective gear (riding clothes, suit and helmet) will offer some degree of floatation and provide insulating qualities. Helmets, while not marketed as a Personal Flotation Device (PFD), are partially constructed of foam liners and offer about the same amount of buoyancy as a PFD. Wearing a helmet will also help retain body heat around your brain which would otherwise be lost quicker, hastening unconsciousness, if not wearing a helmet.
There are free safety videos available online to illustrate what to expect and how to react in cold water immersion scenarios. These videos made be viewed at:  http://www.yukonman.com/cold_water.asp.