Christmas Presents for Hunters

This year saw an explosion of electronic gear that was used in our hunt camp. Well not an explosion but just a trailcam brought in by an addicted deer hunter. Jeff has the fever so to speak. He hunts public land in southeast Michigan to explain his passion. Come hunting season his facebook posts are mostly about deer hunting. So a week before the opener Jeff and my son Justin went up to place their treestands and scout around. Jeff put a trailcam near his treestand and left it their until his return the day before the opener.

He kept mumbling about crab claws well into the night and even during sleep. We don't know where the buck went because the memory ran out on the trailcam and he wasn't seen again. There were reports of a similar deer about a mile away but no one knows for sure. With the advent of all these electric devices a good gift for back-up battery energy would be a special stove.

From trailcams, to ipods, to gps's, to smart phones they all need power and at times the batteries fail. If you're a long way from camp and you need to get connected, to reply to something on facebook, this stove could be a life saver.



It also boils water as a plus so you can have tea with your text. If you don't have a gps you can use your smartphone as one with this app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.crittermap.backcountrynavigator.license&hl=en. Many other outdoor apps are available so the stove will come in handy more often.

One of the constant battles you take up when you decide to become a hunter is dealing with the cold. The worst feeling of all is to have cold feet. With this device you can get your feet warm anytime and be able to turn it on and off with a remote.

If you received some odd gifts for Christmas and don't wish to regift consider returning the items for cash and get one of these aids to being outdoors. They're not cheap but if you can't use your $700 phone or feel your feet they become bargains.

Get Outdoors Downriver.

Christmas Jerky

You may have read about the mammoth spotted near Flatrock in a past article. The second part of Chase's program about early inhabitants of the area led us to the range again this time with bow and arrow in hand. The ancients relied on the atlatl probably until they decimated the mastodons in the area or some cataclismic event killed the beasts off. Evolution brought on the advent of the bow and arrow, high technology for the times. So off to the range we go again, this time the target is a large deer but it has many items adhered to it for added incentive to hit the target. Everyone got a chance to archer some treats from Chase.

Stella hit her target, a bag full of jerky. Nice shot Stella, hopefully Santa will come thru with a bow of your own.

The retired outdoor writer from the Toledo Blade wrote on his blog about  a tradition he has for the winter solstice. Steve likes to build a bon fire on the night of the solstice and just imagine what it would be like without all of the comforts of home. No house, no funace, no phones, no car and so on and so on. What better way to spend a new winters evening, plus you could catch a glimpse of someone flying thru the sky.

Get Outdoors Downriver.

2012 Deer Hunting

This year was typical for deer hunting for our group as far as hunters and participation goes. It was a Thursday opener so not everyone could make it opening day but by the end of camp we had 10 hunters in our 1 room cabin.

This is a bare bones hunting camp but with all the comforts of home.

The weather on opening day was perfect, frost on the ground no wind and high anticipation. The xmas morning feelings were due to a trail cam pic taken a week earlier from a nephew that has the deer hunting fever bad.

This was a first for the camp, not the sight of a big deer but the trail cam. It had many pics of the big brute and also many pics of does and other animals. So the memory got filled in 2 days but surely the deer was still around. Alas no one spotted the big deer or many deer for that matter. After opening day the hunter man hours per day slipped below 10 and watching deer and deer hunting videos became the main interest in camp. Thanks Jeff for bringing the 46 inch view finder and sorry about your trail cam. Damn slob hunters.

We did see more deer coming home this year on vehicles than in years past but it seemed there were more atv's than deer coming home.

Get Outdoors Downriver.

Mammoth Found Outside of Flatrock.

Archaeologists recently found one of the behemoths outside of Paris and the scientific community was abuzz. Now one was spotted just west of Flatrock in the Oakwoods Nature Center. It was speared 6 or 7 times to subdue it before we ran out of time and Chase finally put it down. The cardboard looked to be in good shape so maybe it can be used next year for atatl practice.

We take a lot of things for granted in our industrialized civilization and besides water we must have food to survive. If you're hungry you can go to a super market or any fast food chain. It was quite different a few millenia ago. Invention helped humans develope and survive in the harsh real world. The atlatl was one of those inventions allowing hunters to throw their spears farther and with more force. This allowed them to bring down a beast as large as the present day elephant. Now we have high powered rifles for deer.

The art of using an atlatl is difficult to come by as you can see. The atlatl becomes an extension of the users arm allowing more force to be applied. The point when you let go is very important and hard to estimate. Some are better than others and Brendan picked it up fairly easy. After the explorers had a few turns the parents tried it and Brendan's mom was able to put a killing shot on the big beast. Dad boasted that he could cook a bronto burger of the kill that even Fred Flintstone would enjoy. A good time was had by all, except for the mastodon.

If you're interested in experiencing the atlatl throw look up: http://www.michiganatlatl.org/
or visit the Oakwoods Nature Center and ask for Chase.

Get Outdoors Downriver.

What's a Snood?

There were many questions that Mrs. Kopera's class had and I tried to answer them all. A snood though? This was last spring when I visited Mrs. Kopera's class at Allendale School in Melvindale.

I was there to do a turkey hunting demo. The students were really interested in turkeys and why would that be. Mrs. Kopera was selected as a teacher of the year from the National Wild Turkey Federation for her work in using the turkey as a focus of 3rd grade education. You may have seen the article about her accomplishment in the News Herald last year as I did. This led me to volunteer to do a demo on turkey hunting and as luck would have it use my experience last season with "A Hot Blond" to explain some turkey genetics.



I showed the students how I use a pop up blind when I get to a spot or locate a gobbler by using calls.

A blind is essential for hunting turkeys since they can spot movent like no other game animal. This was proven to me while hunting with my cousin Jojo who usually talks while we're hunting and uses his hands to do so. I've read where a human can see the second hand moving on a clock fairly easy while a turkey can see the minute hand moving just as easily. Another aid in tricking these birds are decoys.

Calling to the toms can bring them close but the right decoy can bring them into shotgun range which for me is about 35 yards. Sometimes it's hard to judge the range in the wild so the closer the better. This year the range was right, the gun shot straght and I got a tom. I almost didn't shoot him because at first it looked like he had a small beard.

As you can see this is a very light colored beard, blond as I would call it. One of the reasons for this could be a genetic disorder due to overcrowding, which was being covered in class. I also showed a picture of a smoke phase turkey which has a lot of white colorings. Because they don't blend in well to their suroundings they usually are the first ones to be caught by a predator. If there is overcrowding then their genes can be passed on because of safety in numbers.

It was a great time with all the students getting hands on time with the beards and my calls, right Kyle. With help from Ray's Prime Meats in Taylor all that wanted a taste of wild turkey sausage got it.

I left a turkey tail fan, a beard and wings for Mrs. Kopera to use as a teaching aid.

 However, I couldn't leave a snood. They're not very eye appealing.

Get Outdoors Downriver.



Hunt MI

The Michigan DNR is offering to help any deer hunters in Michigan find a spot to hunt and answer questions about deer hunting. For the info go to  www.michigan.gov/mihunt , here you'll find topo maps of any area in the state. Another great place to look for info is at :http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTIxMTA3LjExODUxMzAxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDEyMTEwNy4xMTg1MTMwMSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MjQyMDU5JmVtYWlsaWQ9cHRha21AbHljb3MuY29tJnVzZXJpZD1wdGFrbUBseWNvcy5jb20mZmw9JmV4dHJhPU11bHRpdmFyaWF0ZUlkPSYmJg==&&&106&&&http://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/MIDNR/2012/11/07/file_attachments/173817/Deer%2BHunting%2BStatus%2B%2BProspects%2B2012.pdf. This covers everything from hunting regulations to the deer forcasts in your area.

Deer hunters and others interested in deer hunting in Michigan are invited to join the Department of Natural Resources at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13, for “DNR Live: Deer” -- a one-hour online forum designed to answer questions from the public about the state’s deer population, hunting seasons and regulations.


The video event will stream live on the DNR’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/midnr. A Facebook account is not required to access the page and watch the livestream event.

The online forum’s panel of DNR experts will include the Wildlife Division’s deer and elk program leader Brent Rudolph and wildlife veterinarian Steve Schmitt, along with Law Enforcement Division Assistant Chief Dean Molnar.

The public is invited to post questions in advance on the DNR’s Facebook page, send via Twitter to @MichiganDNR using the hashtag #DNRlive, or email to dnr-facebook@michigan.gov, no later than 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 12.

If your research comes thru you could bag a buck of a lifetime.

Get Outdoors Downriver.

Nightmare Gone but Donated.

As reported in the Indystar. A 47-year-old Brownsburg man was charged Monday with a felony and three misdemeanors in a poaching case involving a local whitetail buck so large and elusive that local hunters had nicknamed the deer "Nightmare."

According to a probable cause affidavit filed in the case, just after 5 a.m. Oct. 2, Tom Miller was asleep in his Fishback Road residence near Eagle Creek Park when he was jolted awake by the sound of a rifle shot.

Miller got up, hopped into his vehicle and followed a pickup to a nearby parking lot. The driver, later identified as Don Ward, told Miller he was looking for deer on his property but didn't shoot one.

Miller called Hendricks County Sheriff's Deputy Jesse Fulwider, who had permission to hunt on Miller's land and had been pursuing the giant buck there for years. Fulwider had given the 10-point buck, which weighed close to 300 pounds, the nickname Nightmare.

Fulwider found the buck's carcass on Miller's property and called Department of Natural Resources conservation officer Jeff Wells, who lives nearby.

Wells said in the affidavit he knew Ward well because he had "received previous complaints about being involved in unlawful taking of deer."

Wells confronted Ward at his home. At first, Ward denied shooting the buck, but Wells said in his affidavit that Ward later confessed after saying, "If I admit I killed it, can I keep the rack?"

Ward told The Indianapolis Star earlier this month he was so taken by the size of the deer that he couldn't stop himself from shooting it.

Wells said the meat from Nightmare was donated to a Hendricks County man who had signed up for a program to receive venison from fresh roadkills or poaching cases. The antlers are being held as evidence.

Ward is charged with criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, a Class D felony, unlawful taking of a wild animal, a Class B misdemeanor, and hunting without the consent of a landowner and hunting from a public highway, both Class C misdemeanors.

If convicted on the felony count alone, Ward could be ordered to pay up to a $10,000 fine and could be sentenced to up to three years in prison.

Get Outdoors Downriver

Sandy Blows

Frankenstorm Sandy has allowed most outdoorspeople to have a break. The pounding wind has kept just about everyone indoors. The wind beating against the house sounded like thunder and it just went on all night. Coming in to work this morning I had slush formed on the sides of my windshield where the wiper blades stop. So much for Indian summer and now a chance to take a break from all of the outdoor action.

The Lindberg Flash reports good perch catches north of Grassy Island. When pressed about how far north he would just say anywhere south of the Ambassador Bridge.

Fr. Walleye, Capt. Nick and Muskrat Adventures all report good catches of walleye in the Trenton channel. Some adjustments in shanks and leaders may help the bite but the fish have been very receptive.

Or jig with a Bondy bait for one of those. After this brief resprit there will be so many choices along with pheasant hunting, turkey hunting, deer hunting...

Get Outdoors Downriver.

New State Record Muskie

Species: Great Lakes Muskellunge. Weight: 58.00 lbs. Length: 59 inches. Caught in Lake Bellaire, Antrim County on October 13, 2012 @ 10:30am. Method: Still-fishing with a minnow. Angler: Joseph Seeberger of Portage Mich. Verified by: Patrick Hanchin, Charlevoix Research Station

These guys were out fishing for smallmouth and hooked into this thing. It took Joe 2 hours to reel it in as he was using 8 lb. line for smallmouth, but faced an even bigger hurdle when it came time to land the fish. It took three adults, two nets, two life jackets, and a dock line to get the behemoth into the boat. Once the fish tired, two bass-size nets were used, one at the head and one at the tail, in an attempt to scoop the fish into the boat. “But both nets busted as soon as Chuck and I tried to lift the fish up,” said Orbeck. By this time, another fishing buddy, Derek Barnes, had hopped aboard Seeberger’s boat in an attempt to help land the fish. Now with no usable nets, two life jackets were tied together in an effort to make a cradle. “But they were too buoyant and we couldn’t get them below the surface enough,” Seeberger said. Finally, one of the boat’s dock lines was lassoed around the fish’s head, slid to its middle, and tightened down. With one man grabbing the head, one grasping the tail, and a third pulling up on the line, the fish was brought safely into the boat at 10:30 a.m.

As soon as the crew got the boat out of the water, a county sheriff was waved down, who incidentally measured the monstrous muskie with a crime scene tape. Once the fish was brought to shore, Seeberger drove for an hour in search of a scale. He finally found an industrial-sized certified scale at the Ellsworth Farmer’s Exchange. The fished weighed in at exactly 58 pounds, and measured 59 inches long, with a 29-inch girth.







Get Outdoors Downriver.

Watch Out and Be Careful

You never know what wild animals are going to do. Try as you might to harvest a deer, go up north, tromp thru the woods or sit on a prime spot, it's hard to do for the average person. Most times just to see a deer is a big deal, not so in Wyandotte recently.

As seen from the USS Friendship this 4-6 point buck was looking for a new home. After a quick flyby of the McDonalds carry out window his freedom was achieved.

Soon he was roaming the streets of Wyandotte and ended up on 22nd near Eureka. The police escorted him to the tracks and left him to his own devices. It's exciting to see wildlife anywhere unless you're traveling in a vehicle or jogging. If you're hunting this is when you need to be careful. Always make sure you know what you're hunting and what you're shooting at. Recently there was a tragic accident when a coyote hunter shot another person that was scouting for deer. The excitement of seeing your quarry can cause you to see things that aren't really there.
  This brings me to a report from Utah that states an avid goat hunter recently dressed up as a goat and was seen trying to invade a tribe of goats in the mountains. The hikers that spotted the "goat" were at first startled and then became very concerned after they could discern that in fact the "goat" was a person.

 Coty Creighton, 33, spotted the goat man Sunday during his hike. He said he came across the herd, but noticed something odd about one goat that was trailing behind the rest.


"I thought maybe it was injured," Creighton said Friday. "It just looked odd."

He said he pulled out binoculars to get a closer look at the herd about 200 yards away and was shocked. The man appeared to be acting like a goat while wearing the crudely made costume, which had fake horns and a cloth mask with cut-out eye holes.
The Utah DNR has contacted the goat actor and the two have come to an agreement that the charade will not happen again. SNL however is trying to contact the man/goat/boy.

Get Outdoors Downriver.

Bring It On

Finally some cool temperatures are cooling the local waters and fishing is heating up. There were many reports already of perch limits coming from the lower river but I was skeptical. It seemed there were more skunks that limits. Now the water temps are in the 60s and the fish are gearing up for the long winter. The usual spots are producing from the Nicholson docks to Grassy Island, right across from Portofino, Mamajuda, and down to Celeron Island. The hardest part is finding the shiners and you need to call all the bait shops to find out who has them. Get the numbers from the bait shop link.

Typically I just use a spreader. If the fish aren’t hitting well you can switch to the Lindberg flashes method of a small spoon suspended on a bobber or a perch jigging spoon. Jerry Hinton the perch Champion from the DWF uses a special set up that can induce some bites. With this he can detect the lightest bites.

Another consideration is where your're fishing and what regulations you need to consider. If you fish with minnows make sure to keep your reciept to prove they are VHS free. If you have a Canadian license you'll need to buy minnows in Canada and this entails many regulations that I don't wish to get into. To get around the minnow issue you can try a perch jig. Slab Grabbers are good for this.

No minnows needed with these things but you still need to call in and tell the Queen you're fishing in Canada.

Get Outdoors Downriver.

Extreme Fishing Challenge? Oh Robson, Oh Robson, Why Doest Thou Forsake Detroit?

I wrote last year about Robson Green from England doing a show on fishing around Zug Island. Well I was finally able to track down most of the show on a youtube feed. I couldn't get it from the tv show's channel because I was in a different country. Copyright infringement on a show about Zug? Yeah, well you'll see. I'm not sure of the chronological order of the segments but we'll do the Detroit/Rouge rivers first.

The waterwolf segment wasn't bad and shows how good the muskie fishing has become on Lake St. Clair. The Detroit River contest, however, leaves much to be desired. I guess we all live in the stench and toxic waste of the local steel mills. Like I mention in my original blog about this fishing endeavor the world thinks Detroit is an easy target to make fun of but this gets a little weird. Hear this Robson, hooks are no match for bullets so forgetaboutit.

Well at least a Michigander got some pay back for the Fisherman nonsense. These next 2 vids are ok and actually the Great Lakes show is done at minute mark 1.40 of video 2.

Stonker!

All in all not bad from a tv show based over 3000 miles away in another country. The smallmouth tournament was held just a few miles from the blight of Detroit and the noise and pollution of the steel mills portrayed. The Detroit River is pristine compared to the way it was when I was younger and the Rouge River is now capable of producing bonny sheapshead. Thanks to the Friends of the Rouge( http://www.therouge.org/)
and The Friends of the Detroit River(http://www.detroitriver.org/) for helping to make things happen.

Get Outdoors downriver.

The Hawks Are Coming

This weekend is Hawkfest at Lake erie Metro Park. Show up any time to try and spot a kettle. A kettle of hawk is a large circle of 10 to 40 birds soaring on updrafts and generally making their way south. Much easier than going the direct route. If the timing is right there should be many kettles spotted along with other single nomad hawks.
Check out the schedule of activities.

You can purchase Hawkfeast breakfast tickets in advance for $3.50 or pay $5 at the door. There will be many birdwatchers there along with many vendors plying their wares. There's no charge to take in many of the events, only the park permit is needed. If you can't make it to Lake Erie Metro just look up in the sky this weekend and try to spot a kettle.

Get Outdoors Downriver.

Schools In, Gateway Starting to Take Shape

The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge Gateway in Trenton is really looking good. After moving 40,000 cubic yards of dirt, restoring 16 acres of wetlands and planting hundreds of trees the place is starting to look like a refuge for wildlife. Quite a contrast from the industrial days of yore.
The first step was to divert storm water into the large pond they have. That's the first thing you see driving by or parked at the locked gates. This storm water would just go directly into the Detroit River but now gets a primary treatment from the holding pond and some of the plants in the wetland.
Now the area is back to a semi-restored state the way it was before the War of 1812. So it's on to the more aggressive plans. Starting next summer the plan is to build a fishing pier in the river paralleling the existing shore of the old Solutia property. There will be a long dock or boardwalk from the western shore of Humbug Bay to the fishing pier. Along the way will be a dock for the research vessel that will be used to teach students about the river and it's ever changing ecology. The fishing pier will be the best place to fish from shore for walleye in North America hands down.
The plan is to have the pier finished by the fall of 2013. That's a lot of work to do and some funding hurdles need to be passed but if the pier gets built the plan is to have the site open from dawn to dusk. That will be a great day for the refuge and the entire area.

However, in order to achieve this much help is needed and that's where the schools are in. Many schools in the area are requiring their seniors to complete some hours of community service. This is a perfect opportunity to get credit for those hours and help the refuge become a jewel of Downriver.
There are currently 2 crews working in the refuge. One is the Youth Conservation Crew, this is made up of volunteers that are installing boundary signs and will be working on creating parking lots for the fisher people and other guests. You must be 15 to 18 years of age to vounteer for this group.
The other crew is in collaboration with The Greening of Detroit. The Greening Crew is comprised of individuals who have passed a landscape certification program headed by The Greening of Detroit. This crew handles stabilizing the shoreline, planting large trees and maintaining other plantings through out the refuge, especially during this hot, dry summer. I'll get some testimonials from this crew to show what you could expect on working at the refuge.

Get Outdoors Downriver.

Just Ducky, Almost

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says that the Michigan Waterfowl Legacy (MWL) and the “Year of the Duck” celebration will kick off with five waterfowl and wetland events around the state on Saturday, Sept. 8.

For waterfowlers, other hunters and anyone that enjoys the great outdoors, the MWL creates a call to action to honor yesterday, engage today and build for tomorrow. This partnership between various government agencies and non-government conservation organizations, waterfowl hunters and the public aims to improve waterfowl populations and wetland habitat; increase waterfowl hunting participation and promote the value of waterfowl hunting; and engage citizens to take positive action to preserve the state's waterfowl and wetlands legacy.

The MWL coalition plans to build a community of increasingly engaged hunters and non-hunters who enjoy and actively support waterfowl and wetlands conservation.
“The Michigan Waterfowl Legacy is a 10-year, cooperative partnership to restore, conserve and celebrate Michigan’s waterfowl, wetlands and waterfowl hunting community,” said Barbara Avers, DNR waterfowl and wetland specialist and member of the MWL steering committee. “We are excited that so many important partners are working together for the future of waterfowl and wetlands.”

MWL partners believe consistent and focused efforts are needed to ensure a rich future for waterfowl and wetlands in Michigan. Michigan continues to be a national leader in wetland and waterfowl conservation. However, numerous threats and issues continue to cause concern. For example, invasive species and development threaten wetland habitat; Michigan’s breeding mallard population has seen a long-term decline; there are increasing demands for food, fuel and space that threaten breeding habitat; the number of waterfowl hunters is declining; and public funding for conservation continues to decline.
Avers explained that, as government funding for conservation continues to decrease, it is becoming increasingly more important for the public to help fund efforts to conserve our wildlife.

The upcoming Year of the Duck in 2012-2013 is a great time to celebrate Michigan’s waterfowl and wetlands, as 2012 marks several significant anniversaries including 75 years of Ducks Unlimited, Michigan United Conservation Clubs and the Pittman-Robertson Act, and 25 years of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan.
“Michigan has a rich and diverse waterfowl and wetlands heritage. Whether you duck hunt every year in a Managed Waterfowl Hunt Area, sit on the back porch and watch the waterfowl migration every fall, or get your drinking water from a groundwater stream purified by a wetlands, you – as a Michigan resident – are part of this legacy,” Avers said. “Join the ranks of your fellow citizens who want to see our precious resources protected for the generations to come, and be the Michigan Waterfowl Legacy!"

The kick off in our area is the Pointe Mouillee Waterfowl Festival at the Pointe Mouillee State Game Area, 37205 Mouillee Road, Route 2, Rockwood.
For more info check out www.miwaterfowlfest.org

Take I-75 to Exit 26 (S. Huron River Dr.) and go East. Turn left onto Jefferson and head North. Turn right onto Campau Rd. and follow it back to the State Game Area. Pointe Mouillee Waterfowl Festival takes place at the Pointe Mouillee State Game Area.

Festival hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Enjoy seminars and demonstrations, or find a great deal at the Trading Post.

If you do duck hunt the Pt. Mouillee area be aware of the new shot restrictions. With the cramped quarters there it's a preventative measure even though there hasn't been injuries at Moullie. Also the Detroit River Islands covered under the International Wildlife Refuge will be allowing hunting on the islands and they will be included in the Mouillee hunt area draws.

Get Outdoors Downriver.

Wyandotte "City of Festivals"

That used to be the slogan. Back when the Yack was hoppin' every other weekend to a different ethnic celebration. Polish, Irish, German, Hungarian, you name the nationality and there was a festival for you.

Now there are only 3 and they're associated with churches. This weekend is the Mount Carmel Polish Festival filled with good food and polish beer. Check out their website for details. http://www.ourladyofmountcarmel.org/. I'll be pouring beer tonight and tomorrow and hopefully see some old classmates that are having their 40th reunion. Beer booth volunteers are still needed for Sunday.

Sunday it's on to Frankfurt for some salmon fishing and I'm hoping to be posting some pictures on my return. I'm sure Captain Dan of Stormy Chinook will come thru.

Get Outdoors Downriver it's time to polka.

To Plan or Not To Plan...

Recent weeks have brought us disturbing pictures of dead deer, killed by a devastating disease. Most of the pics have been of trophy bucks lying in water. If you think the HSUS pics of puppies and kittens looking forlornly into the camera are heartbreaking well the pics of these wasted deer is 10 times worse for hunters. The disease is EHD and is normally found in Southwest Michigan. The first occurrence and subsequent identification of EHD occurred in 1955 when several hundred white-tailed deer succumbed in both New Jersey and in Michigan. It was considered a new disease of deer and the name `epizootic hemorrhagic disease' was suggested to describe its main clinical and pathological features. Additional die-offs attributed to EHD occurred in Michigan in white-tailed deer in 1974, 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010. The 1974 die-off occurred in several counties and resulted in approximately 100 deer dying. The 2006 die-off occurred in the south western portion of the state in Allegan County and involved 50-75 animals. In 2008, the die-off occurred in the south eastern portion of the state in Oakland and Macomb counties and involved 150-200 deer. In 2009, the die-off took place in the southwestern/southcentral portion of the state in Livingston County and involved 300-450 deer. In 2010, the die-off occurred in the southwestern portion of the state in Allegan, Berrien, Cass, Ottawa, St Joseph and Van Buren Counties with an estimated mortality of 1,025 deer. In 2011, the die-off occurred in the southwestern portion of the state again in Cass and St. Joseph Counties with an estimated mortality of 300 deer.

With all these deer dying there must be a plan to stop it or prevent it. No there is no plan even though many states have local deer populations that experience the disease. No baiting bans, no increase of the harvest in the area, just wait and hope the first frost comes early. The frost kills the little midges that spread the disease to the deer, problem solved.
Too bad we can't do the same thing for CWD, another debilitating cervid disease. No one is sure how the disease is transmitted but they think it's due to a prion. Prions are considered to be infectious proteins without associated nucleic acids. Okay so how do you fight prions? This is hard because they're found everywhere, on the ground and in the feces of cervids.
I wrote about this before in 2/12, the initial reaction by the state was to ban baiting in the Lower Peninsula. Increased harvesting in the surrounding area and increased testing of deer for CWD followed. Now, however, the federal funding has run out for the programs trying to deal with the disease and so has the interest.
The state has changed its "Plan" for managing chronic wasting disease. According to State Veterinarian Steven Halstead “CWD is a reportable disease, so if the disease is detected in free ranging cervids or a Michigan Privately Owned Cervid facility, we will define a surveillance zone around the positive case.” “This plan should protect Michigan’s cervid industry as well as Michigan’s free-ranging deer population while meeting our ultimate goal of safeguarding animal health.”



The principal changes to the plan are:

The plan will be implemented if a CWD-positive animal is found within 10 miles of the Michigan border, rather than 50 miles as in the original plan.

Baiting and feeding will be banned in any county within a 10-mile radius of where CWD is detected.

All Privately Owned Cervid facilities within that zone will be required to complete increased disease testing of their herds to monitor for signs of CWD.

If the disease is diagnosed in a Privately Owned Cervid facility, all facilities that have had contact (through purchases, sales or immediate contact) will undergo increased disease surveillance testing, and exposed animals will be removed from contact herds.

Once deer farms and CWD are there, the costs can become huge to inspect and monitor. One report showed that Michigan had approximately 450 deer farms and those farms paid $106,640 in inspection and regulatory program fees in 2009. Sounds good — except for the fact that state taxpayers paid $1.36 million to do that inspection and CWD monitoring work. With the loss of federal funding will the cost of inspections go up for the deer farms or will there be less inspections?

Let’s hope research will come up with a solution for this bad situation. Hopefully then we can come up with a plan.

Get Outdoors Downriver.

Blitz, Blitz, Metro Park Blitz

This is the end of summer blitz at the Huron-Clinton Metro Parks. We all pay into the parks funding so this is an opportunity to take advantage of your tax dollars at work, just like going to the DIA for free. This weekend there's a Huron River clean up at Kensington Metro, on the 18th, along with an egg hunt, a monarch butterfly egg hunt on the 19th. Kensington is on the far reaches of my reporting area so I don't cover it much. It's on the lake you see just north of I-96 on the way up north or to Lansing.

Closer to home at Oakwoods Metro the normal canoe tour is being taken over by pirates, but only on Sat. the 18th.
“Arrgh, Mateys!” Come along and take a fun look at the pirate life. Discover if you have what it takes to sail the high seas..or at least to paddle the Huron River.
Event Fee: $5 per person
Show and tell about the American Lotus at Lake Erie Metropark Marshlands Museum & Nature Center on the 18th.
There is nothing small about the American Lotus. It has large leaves, large flowers, lives in a large bed and is worth spending a large amount of time looking at it. The boardwalk in the park is phenomenal.
Event Fee: $3 per person
Also on the 18th at Oakwoods there's a Marsh Cuisine 101 class. Come see how to catch and prepare a meal straight from the marsh. You will also learn the legal methods of harvesting, Guy Fieri or Rachel Ray however won't be there. Event Fee: $8 per person
On the 24th at Lower Huron "Cruzin the Park" will begin and run thru Sunday the 26th. Many different activities are planned so check out http://www.cruzinthepark.com/information.html for more info. To heighten the experience the park offers camping on site.
And if all this isn't enough on August 31st Oakwoods will be having a Blue Moon Hike and Bonfire.
Join us for a hike and then spend time around the bonfire. We will enjoy the second full moon in the month of August, the proverbial Blue Moon. Event Fee: $5 per person


Get Outdoors Downriver.