Christmas Pheasant

The Whip is on a roll. My buddy has been hunting almost every day now that his retirement is settling in and a move to the country has given him the opportunity. Of course life is complicated and Mike has had some ups and downs recently namely having to give up a hunting dog. A dog lover at heart and a hunting dog fanatic it was hard for Mike to let go his next in line birder.

As is common with bird hunting enthusiasts having an older dog and a younger dog gives them a sense of security in the present and the future for chasing game birds. The old one hunts smarter but tires easily then the young one takes over and hopefully has learned something from the older dog to help it find birds. Mike has even had three dogs to help him choose the next best one. This time the duo didn't work out as the younger dog tried to prove dominance and many fights ensued. I even helped out by watching the older dog while the owner was on vacation but the dog prints in the new Fort Street concrete are evidence these dogs are tightly wired.

So on the day he said goodbye to the young project Mike went deer hunting on his property and bagged the biggest doe of this hunting career. It's only fitting after going through a lot of anguish on what to do with the dogs he could enjoy life a little bit. However this is a little overboard. On the first trip out with the old dog and feeling melancholy about not having the other by his side he had some more luck.

Shortly into the hunt the older German Short Hair put up a rooster a little too far away but the bird stayed in the field. After working the rest of the property and putting up some hens the dog locked up near where the bird had landed. Everything worked out and the shot was true. This rooster's tail has 27 bars along it's length. A trophy in anybody's book especially on your own piece of paradise. Merry Christmas Mike.

Get Outdoors Downriver

DRIWR Boasts New Icon

When bicyclists, walkers and joggers visit the Refuge Gateway in Trenton, they will pass a towering new steel wildlife sculpture that depicts the ecological recovery and biodiversity of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge (IWR).

As part of DTE Energy’s commitment to the environment and sustainability, DTE employees first erected a 12-foot wildlife sculpture at the entrance of its River Rouge Power Plant. Based on the overwhelming positive feedback on that project, DTE Energy employees approached staff of the Detroit River IWR to see if they might be interested in a similar wildlife sculpture at the Refuge Gateway in Trenton. Refuge staff jumped at the opportunity and immediately began working with DTE employees to design a four-sided, 16-foot piece of art that will welcome thousands of projected annual visitors to North America’s only international wildlife refuge.

Whether entering the Refuge on a greenway trail to enjoy the new Visitor Center, fishing off a 775-foot pier (soon to come), boarding the Great Lakes school ship, kayaking in the marsh, bird watching from observation decks, or hiking in Michigan’s only “Wetland of International Importance,” visitors will be able to see the wildlife sculpture. It might best be described as a Christmas tree-shaped sculpture made of three-eighth-inch-thick steel. Upon closer look, you will see lake sturgeon and walleye at the bottom, cattails, turtles, dragonflies, woodpeckers and blue heron as you move up the symbolic food web, and bald eagles as top predators at the pinnacle.

The Detroit River IWR incorporates 5,800 acres along 48 miles of the Detroit River and

Western Lake Erie. The Refuge focuses on conserving, protecting, and restoring habitat for 29

species of waterfowl, 23 species of raptors, 31 species of shorebirds, over 100 species of fish,

and over 300 species of birds. It is the first international refuge in North America and one of the

few urban ones. Unique habitats being managed for conservation include islands, coastal

wetlands, marshes, shoals, and waterfront lands. The Western Lake Erie Watersheds Priority

Natural Area is the institutional mechanism for Canadian federal, provincial, and local partners

to cooperatively work with U.S. partners on the International Wildlife Refuge.

Get Outdoors Downriver.

 

 

Squirrel Meet Hawk

During the fall avian migration we see many different birds at our bird feeder. Most are small and only stay a while. Herc on the other hand has taken a liking to our bird feeder and not for the seed. I've never seen a hawk chase smaller birds around on foot but he does. I think it's a young hungry hawk just trying to get by. Much to our surprise the local bird feeder raider came by for a visit, hopefully at the wrong time.




You never know what you'll see in the outdoors.

Get Outdoors Downriver.

Deer hunters: Expect delays

Along with the Antler Point Restrictions now in place for much of the upper state the powers that be have come up with another way to help hunters lose interest in going deer hunting.

Firearm deer hunters heading up north this season are reminded that northbound I-75 remains detoured to northbound I-675 in Saginaw County, with two lanes open. Traffic delays are expected and motorists are advised to allow extra time. Southbound I-75 motorists will have three lanes open in that area.

Overall, MDOT is reconstructing 4 miles of I-75, as well as replacing bearing pads on the Zilwaukee Bridge, in Saginaw County, during the 2013 construction season.

There also is ongoing construction on the southbound I-675 ramp to southbound I-75. This work requires traffic shifts in both directions on I-75. MDOT expects the work to be completed by late November.

MDOT also is reminding drivers and hunters to play it safe on the roads during firearm deer season. Deer are on the run this time of year, particularly between the hours of sunset and sunrise. Drivers should watch for hunters who may be walking along the side of the road.

ALTERNATE ROUTES:

Choosing an alternate route may require driving additional miles, but could save you time overall by avoiding expected delays on I-75. Motorists heading up north from the Metro Detroit and Flint areas should consider taking one of the following routes:

• To areas north of Grayling: Take westbound I-69 to northbound US-127, then northbound I-75. Additional distance traveled: approximately 50 miles.
• To areas south of Grayling: Take eastbound I-69 to northbound M-15, then westbound M-25 to northbound I-75. Additional distance traveled: approximately10 miles. 

TRAFFIC IMPACT:

• Southbound I-75 is shifted with all lanes open.
• Northbound I-75 remains shifted with traffic detoured to northbound I-675.
• Southbound I-675 remains closed just south of M-13/Jefferson Avenue (Exit 2) to accommodate ramp work. Exit 2 to downtown Saginaw remains open. 
• Southbound I-675 commercial vehicle traffic is detoured via northbound M-13, eastbound M-81, southbound Towerline Road, and westbound M-46. Passenger traffic is rerouted to southbound M-13, then eastbound M-46.  
• The M-81 ramps to I-75 are closed with traffic rerouted east to Towerline Road, then south to westbound M-46. The southbound I-75 ramp to M-81 remains open. 
• The M-13 ramps to I-75 remain closed. Commercial vehicles are detoured via southbound M-13, eastbound M-81, southbound Towerline Road, and westbound M-46. Passenger traffic is rerouted to southbound M-13, then to eastbound M-46. 
• The southbound I-675 on ramps at M-58 (State Street), Second Street, Sixth Street, and Veterans Memorial Park remain closed. 
• The existing detours will remain in effect at Adams Street. 

Thanks Richie Rich.

Get Outdoors Downriver.

Pointe MouilleeYouth Duck Hunt

Bring your young hunter to one of Michigan’s Managed Waterfowl Hunt Areas (MWHAs) in November for a memorable hunting experience. Parties with at least one youth will be given priority in the draw.

• Nov. 10 – Pointe Mouillee State Game Area (a.m. hunt) in Rockwood

Pointe Mouillee will host their youth hunts in the morning only. Drawings for morning hunts will occur at 5:30 a.m. Youth priority drawings are available for hunting parties with at least one youth and up to two adults (maximum party size is four). All youth participating in these priority hunts must be properly licensed to hunt. Youth hunters 9 years old and younger must be accompanied by a qualified Mentored Youth Hunting Program mentor. 

This is always a big affair at Pointe Mouillee. State wildlife biologist supervisor for the DNR Joe Robison makes it a special day for the youth hunters. His passion is known far and wide and earned him a spot on the Michigan Out of Doors show a while back showing want is done for the youth hunters. Every effort is made to make this a most enjoyable experience for the youths. 

Here's a short video of the duck hunting opportunities at the refuge.



Get Outdoors Downriver.

Google Camping

In these times of short money going on vacation or just a quick getaway can mean going the camping route. Which park to use, private or public. Well now the state of Michigans will provide camp views much like Googles street scenes. No more excuses to yurt it up.

http://www.midnr.com/Publications/pdfs/communications/glenbrook_yurt_360/glenbrook_yurt_360/interior.htm

Beginning Nov. 3, state park campers who make reservations on the new, improved central reservation system (CRS) website, administered by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), can view one or more photos of each campsite prior to making their reservations.

"With the existing reservation system website, customers read descriptive text about the campsite to determine if it's sunny, shady, flat or elevated," said Christa Sturtevant-Good, DNR central reservation system liaison. "While text descriptions will remain, altered slightly to an easier-to-read format, campers can also look at between one to three photos of every site, and then visually decide if that campsite has all the features they're looking for."

The photos will be shown as smaller thumbnail images which, when clicked on, open to a larger size in a new window.

"In this way, viewers can see the site up close," said Anna Sylvester, DNR Parks and Recreation field operations chief for northern Michigan. "Often campers wonder where the fire pit or electrical box is located on the site, but they can't tell this just by reading text. These features are shown in most photos, allowing campers to determine if the location of campsite elements will meet their camping needs."

The addition of campsite and lodging photos is a customer-driven enhancement made available through the new CRS provider, Camis USA, Inc., which has a call center in Ann Arbor, Mich., and servers in Southfield, Mich. The new reservation system becomes active in early November, with important transitions taking place as the activation approaches.

During the transition phase to the new CRS, customers can continue to make reservations through Oct. 30 using the call center. The phone number, 1-800-44-PARKS, will remain unchanged. Reservations through the website, www.midnrreservations.com, will be possible until Oct. 22 at 8 p.m., when the website will taken down to begin the transition process to the new website. The address will not change.

Important transition dates include:

• Oct. 22-31: Website reservations cannot be made. The call center will remain active through Oct. 30, taking reservations for dates through Oct. 31, 2013.
  
• Oct. 25: The new reservation website goes live. Although reservations cannot yet be made on the website, customer profiles can be created and viewers can navigate the site to create familiarity.
  
• Oct. 31: Reservations cannot be made. State parks can register walk-ins on a first-come, first-served basis.
  
• Nov. 1: The new CRS system, both the website and the call center, opens to state park lodging, which typically has a one-year reservation window (camper cabins, mini-cabins, rustic cabins, yurts and modern lodges). Reservations for these facilities can now be made for dates after Oct. 31, 2013. From Nov. 1-2, campsites and slips are not reservable. During this time, campsites and slips are available at the facility on a first-come, first-served basis.
  
• Nov. 3: The system opens to facilities with a six-month reservation window. These include campsites at state parks and select state forest campgrounds and harbor slips.

Harvest or Hunter's Moon

After last weeks spectacular showing of the International Space Station, 3 views in 3 days and each lasting over a minute, tonight's moon should be equally impressive. The main reason these viewings are so rare is that the view times coincided with clear skys, something that normally doesn't happen especially 3 nights in a row for the ISS.

The forcast for tonight is clear sky so the view of the moon should be impressive. I'm going to try my hand at digiscoping the event to see if I can get a decent pic of the moon. The you can use it to see the man in the moon.

Right in the middle of the moon are the eyes, nose and mouth.The dark spots on the upper right give the illusion of curly hair. If you're out at dusk give the moon a look and maybe you'll see him in the Harvest/Hunter's moon. It just depends on if your crops are dry enough or your quarrie is plentiful.

Get Outdoors Downriver.

A Meal Fit for the King

If you find yourself hungry without money or are just tired or the same old noodleroni head for a swamp for a fine meal. That's what Chase told the Explorers Club recently before taking the group to the nearest water. Earlier in spring the cattail pollen was collected and acts like a flour to cook with, if you can collect enough. There's also wild rice in the area but the stands are few and far between now so we got a sample of wild rice from Minnesota which still has Native Americans that collect and sell it. Chase then displayed a main entree of the meal, crawfish.

While the water was warming the group tried hatchet tossing. It's not as easy as it looks at least for the girls. There was also a primitive hut to explore.

 Chase brought in some cattail stalks and peeled the root ends for a veggie side dish and combined with the crawdads, lemon and butter it was a meal fit for a king.

 Get Outdoors Downriver.





Don't APR Me ASAP.

There's a movement a foot to enact a law to force every hunter in Southern Michigan to only harvest a deer with at least 4 antler points on one side. The laws have already been changed for most of the Northern Lower Peninsula to only harvest a deer with at least 3 antler points on one side. I've posted earlier about my hunting party's success over the years and 3points on one side would've caused us to only harvest 1 deer in over 25 years. We're not expert hunters in the least but to get the 15-20 bucks over these years someone had to be spending time in the field. Like most hunters we don't own large tracts of land or live close to where we hunt so it's hard to scout out the older deer. With the advent of the trail cam we saw what kind of deer that are in the area within a week of opening day of deer gun season.

The deer are there and if you hunt hard enough and long enough you could have an opportunity to harvest such a buck. When your available time to hunt is compressed into a weekend and part of a week, if you're lucky, the chances of seeing a brute like this are very low. So don't Antler Point Restrict me and if you agree let the DNR and the LPDMI what you think. The group LPDMI is behind this push for large racks, which every hunter loves to see, but the loss of the harvesting experience far outweighs the chance for a few hunters to harvest large racks. The group is paying $14k to "survey" 1000 hunters to get their opinion on the restrictions. Years ago the state voted on keeping all hunting and fishing laws in the hands of the DNR and using sound science to make new laws. This survey is an end around to get a change in law without science being involved. A survey of opinion is just opinion, the opinion of 1000 to govern the other 700K hunters.

Many of the recent law changes have come about using these same surveys of opinion and because of the survey rules manipulation of the laws are favoring certain factions of outdoor enthusiasts. Lets keep these decisions based in science and not in opinion of a chosen few.

Get Outdoors Downriver.

Check Out a Fish

A fishing rod and tackle box lending program has been started at the Wyandotte and Riverview libraries. This is thanks to the Wayne County Community College retiree Dennis O'Connell and the people from Gander Mt., Flambeau Outdoors, and Eagle Claw along with the Downriver Walleye Federation. Each community library card holder can check out a fishing rod and a small tackle box for either fishing a pond or shallow lake or a fishing pier in Wyandotte on the Detroit River. Riverview library is located right on a pond in Patriot's Park and is suited for kids of all ages especially beginning fisher people.

The banks gently roll down to the water and there is some shallow water near the edge. Don't be surprised if you see a mossy backed turtle begging for scraps. Wyandotte's Bacon Memorial Library has rods and reels better suited for river fishing on the pier. They have both regular and river specific tackle boxes depending on what type of fishing you want to participate in. The regular tackle boxes have hooks, lures, bobbers and plastic jig bodies to use at any good fishing spot. The pier fishing tackle boxes are geared toward keeping your line still fishing from the pier and include only spreaders, sinkers and plastic jig bodies. It's highly recommended to bring some bait for this fishing and there's a list of local bait shops by the rod carousel.

Please support these shops because they all donate to the Kid's Fishing Derby and without their support the derbies wouldn't be the same. Make sure and tell them about the lending program and where and how you'll be fishing and they most probably will give you advise if you ask for it. If you do fish off of the pier don't do any overhead casting to keep the outing safe.

Get Outdoors Downriver.

Hunt for Free

It's true, with the help from the good folks from Meijer.  For the fifth consecutive year, Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer Meijer is providing young hunters across its five-state footprint with free youth hunting licenses. Meijer shoppers can redeem their print coupon or mPerks digital coupon for a youth hunting license in-store from Sept. 13-14.

It's suggested that an adult be with the jr. hunter for purchase but an adult must accompany the jr. hunter during the hunt. The following restrictions apply to youth hunters who participate in any firearm deer season:

• Youth under 14 years of age may hunt with archery and crossbow equipment on 
public or private lands or with a firearm on private or Commercial Forest 
lands only.
• A public-land antlerless deer license is required to hunt antlerless deer on 
Commercial Forest land.
• All hunters under age 17 must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or an adult 
designated by their parent or guardian; additional qualifications apply with the 
apprentice or mentored youth licenses.
• All hunters participating in firearm seasons must wear hunter orange.

Get Outdoors Downriver.

Peddlerama

As a benefit for the nonprofit organization Top of Michigan Trails Council, this two-day event will feature a Saturday "Paddlerama" where paddlers will participate in a series of events, including: sprints, stand-up paddle boarding (SUP) jousts, SUP yoga, demos, races, and water safety programs on Mullett Lake in Aloha State Park. Following the day on Mullett Lake, paddlers and the public are invited to enjoy a craft beer festival Saturday evening featuring some of the tastiest beers, local eateries, and bands from across Michigan. Sunday will challenge paddlers with a 13-mile paddle from Aloha State Park through the inland waterway to the beach at Cheboygan State Park, including a paddle-through and photo opportunity at the Cheboygan Locks.

This should be a great time. The location has flashed me back to 1973. After the end of my first year at Michigan's Toughest University, Harold Carter and I decided it would be wonderful to ride 10 speeds from Houghton to Hazel Park, his hometown. There were many ups and downs in the 600 mile trip and Aloha State Park was definitely an up. We had a great nights sleep after a long day previous. In the week long trip a night's sleep was a rare indulgence that separated 80 to 100 mile days on a bike.

We made it the first night to Marquette and spent the night at a friends house. It's surprising how sore you can get just peddling a bike but sore we were in many places. The next night was spent in our 2 man tent in a roadside stop in the middle of the Seney Straights. The straights are a stretch of road for 30 miles as strait as an arrow with very little on either side of the road save this stopping area. The next day dawned overcast and was a sign of things to come. It soon started to rain and rain and rain. The cold temps and cold rain were welcome to our sore muscles, but not for long. Five hours of peddling in the rain found us in McMillan cold, wet and arguing with each other about whose idea this was and how stupid the other guy was. The Cobblestone Bar was an oasis in the myriad of emotions and pain from our situation. A boilermaker or two got me back on track and motivated to push on. We found out that Engadine has a laundromat and we could dry off and get warm. The 40 miles at breakneck speed got us to downtown Engadine, two buildings one of which was the much sought after laundromat. Things were looking up and the rain had even slowed to just a drizzle. A sign on the front door said "Closed for Father's Day". When the twitching and swearing subsided we both talked it thru about how we were in the middle of a long trip and needed to maintain our pace and could probably make the bridge that night. Our plastic bag rain gear was now reducing the wind chill and helping to retain body heat so press on we did. We were soon in Naubinway and they had a laundromat!

Same sign, same message. As we were looking in the window at the beautiful dryers a voice shouted out to us. Looking around the source of the voice couldn't be readily seen but there he was waving at us from the steps of his church. Across the parking lot was the pastor asking if we wanted to use the laundromat. This was as close to a sign from heaven that I've ever witnessed. We were allowed to use the facilities for free and got an invitation for supper. Later after a sing-along session an offer was made to sleep on the floor of the living room with no mosquitoes or cold wind. That was the best nights sleep we had on the trip and was a perfect end of the most tumultuous day.

The next day found us at a gas station just before the Mackinac Bridge. Harold's gear box was becoming very hard to peddle and with no tools we asked to borrow some. After the hospitality from the previous night this was a sharp slap in the face. We had to rent the tools for between $10-$20. This would leave us with just enough money for the toll to get across the Mackinac Bridge and a can of noodle-roni, our staple food source. So rent we did and soon were in the bridge pick up truck heading to Mackinaw City. 

After many inquiries in town as to cashing a check we were directed to the sheriff's office for advice. The sheriff heard our story and just shook his head. Why would anyone ride a bike for 600 miles and not have cash instead of a check book? Instead of explaining the economics of the end of the college year finances I just asked if he would cash my check personally. You could cut the tension in the air with a knife but in the end he wanted us out of town more than he didn't want to cash the check. With hand on holster he explained what would happen if the check bounced. With more money in checking than was needed we confidently made our way to Aloha for that nights sleep.

The rest of the trip was much more subdued if 100 mile days on a bike could be considered that. If you ever travel M-33 between Fairview and Atlanta check out the hills. The northern most largest one had a car struggling to get over the top as we approached. At the top of that hill we could see another in the distance looking just as big but there was nothing to stop us now.

As a side note I didn't own the bike just borrowed it with a $100 check as collateral. When we returned the bike the day after the trip my bike renter had  just cashed the check thinking the bike wouldn't be returned. Thank God for snail mail, with a phone call and stop payment the touchy situation with the sheriff was avoided.

Get Outdoors Downriver.

Wyandotte Leather

This isn't a baseball post. Nor a noir article. Just another step in the journey to try and get my granddaughter interested and good at shooting a bow. Back in December she was introduced to archery at Oakwoods Metropark. Chase had set up a target with prizes hanging on it. Stella was one of the first ones to shoot and said she wanted the bag of jerky nailed to the board.

Sure enough she was the first to arrow anything and had her interest sparked in the sport.

Santa was asked to help with a bow and came thru xmas morn. Well she had a bow anyway. It didn't really shoot well so i tried to set it up for more accuracy. While searching for accessories I came upon a website offering many archery products from Wyandotte Leather. What a coincidence I thought but little did I know about this hidden gem in Wyandotte. Crossing the tracks on Northline in Wyandotte I've seen the white building with the big stenciled letters Wyandotte Leather.

The business has been in the same spot for over 50 years. Jerry Kaufman is the owner taking over from his father Gay who was a Chemist at Wyandotte Chemicals back in the 50's. He was able to combine work and pleasure to create a business that has lasted till now. Jerry's dedicated seamstress Taryn sews all the different products and can do so while carrying on a conversation.

Taryn and her namesake Taryn Asher from Fox 2 both got their names because of the fact their mothers adored Tyrone Powers of movie fame. This was verified when Taryn's mother called Fox 2's Taryn and ask her about how she got her name. Sure enough Tyrone had a big affect on both mothers.

Jerry's operation is very diverse covering any type of leather accessory for bow hunting.

The quality is very high and the accessories come in different colors and even camo. Stella got an arm guard.

Thanks Jerry. Keep up the good work. As we were leaving Jerry asked Stella if she was interested in hunting. Stella said definately not. Then she was asked about shooting fish... maybe. Pointe Mouillee here we come!

Get Outdoors Downriver.

Try Camping for $20.

The Department of Natural Resources and The North Face are teaming up to offer Camping 101 at Michigan state parks to educate first-time campers on the basics of camping. The Camping 101 experience includes a two-night stay with all the gear, guides and good times included for just $20. It begins with a First-Timers Welcome Kit filled with details on what to pack, what to expect and what to wear. Then, when visitors check in at their campsite, park staff members will walk them through the process of setting up camp and settling in for a great Michigan adventure. As part of their Camping 101 stay, visitors will receive a prime camping location, tent, tarp, flashlight, lantern, camp stove and four hot dog/marshmallow cookers. All equipment is provided courtesy of The North Face and must be returned at the end of the camping trip. You will also need a Recreation Passport to get access to state parks, recreation areas, state forest campgrounds, non-motorized state trailhead parking and state boat launches. You also will be able to access Passport Perks shopping discounts, visit www.michigan.gov/passportperks to view them. The closest parks are Pinckney Recreation Area (Washtenaw County): 734-426-4913 (Sunday-Thursday nights only) and Sterling State Park (Monroe County): 734-289-2715. Each park has it's own activity go to the DNR website to see the calendar of events for each. To make a reservation online, visit www.midnrreservations.com, or call 1-800-447-2757. Get Outdoors Downriver.

First and Last License

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources reminds hunters to purchase their fall turkey applications by the deadline of Aug. 1.



Hunters can apply online at www.michigan.gov/huntdrawings, at any authorized license agent or at a DNR Customer Service Center. A nonrefundable $4 fee is charged at the time of application. Hunters may purchase only one application. All applicants are reminded to keep their application receipt in case they need it when checking drawing success later.


Drawing results may be checked online at www.michigan.gov/huntdrawings beginning Aug. 15.


For more information on the application process or turkey hunting, check the 2013 Fall Turkey Hunting Digest. All hunting digests can be found online at www.michigan.gov/dnrdigests, at local DNR Customer Service Centers or at license agents.


Also Wolf hunting licenses go on sale for the first time starting Aug. 3, reminds the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.


Beginning Saturday, Aug. 3 at noon EDT until Oct. 31, or until the license quota is met, 1,200 licenses will be available for purchase . Please remember that a spot in line before noon on Aug. 3 does not guarantee a license.se purchases are first-come, first-served. Wolf licenses cost $100 for Michigan residents and $500 for nonresidents.

Correction XXXXX Correction XXXXX Correction XXXXX Correction

The Department of Natural Resources today announced that it has postponed the sale of wolf hunting licenses – originally scheduled to begin Aug. 3 – until Sept. 28 to ensure that license-sales technology is able to handle the expected high demand.


"We anticipate that there will be a lot of people trying to buy a very limited number of licenses in a short time frame," said Adam Bump, DNR bear and fur bearer specialist. "This is a first-come, first-served purchase, unlike other limited-license hunts that require an application and drawing process, so it presents a new challenge for our retail sales system. We want to make sure the system is equipped for the high volume so sales go smoothly and everyone has an equal chance to get a wolf license."

Does anyone know how to use the super fast bidding software on Ebay and would that work here?

Bump said that, in addition to ensuring that technology is up to speed, the DNR is working to put adequate Saturday staffing in place to make the license-buying process as fair and efficient as possible.


A total of 1,200 wolf licenses will be available for purchase beginning Sept. 28 at noon EDT (11 a.m. CDT) until Oct. 31, or until the license quota is met. Wolf licenses cost $100 for residents and $500 for nonresidents.


Get Outdoors Downriver.

Think Cool Thoughts

Looking thru my photos I discovered some pics that I had forgot about. These are from early spring when the maple sap was just starting to run and Chase from Oakwood Nature Center did a program on how to make maple syrup and how the techniques have changed over the years.

Ahhh, think snow and the 90 degrees with 100% humidity can become bearable. Don't think about how much labor it takes to drill tap holes in a thousand trees. The taps look simple but are specialized sap collectors.

Then getting the sap to a boiling pot takes more effort to not consider. Of course now sappers use a system of tubing to collect the ambrosia. Think cool sweet liquid. To make syrup though it takes a boiling pot.

As long as you don't get too close to the fire you can stay cool. I wish I had some more of the handouts of syrup Chase handed out. Think cool....

Get Outdoors Downriver.

Fun Fishing Derby

Bishop Park was filled with little fishermen and fisherwomen Saturday June 1st for the 26th Annual City of Wyandotte Fishing Derby.

More than 150 kids competed in two age groups. Each participant received a gift bag. Winners received medals.

Ronnie Eason, Jack Hirsch, Caleb Ave-Lallemant, Dion Steward, Emerson Miciura, Natalie Lesko, Jayda Bissell and Luke Lawrence took home top medals.

Local businesses included Al Petri & Sons, Biddle Bowl, Downriver Real Estate, McDonalds, MJR Theater, The Candy Store, Wyandotte Shores Golf Course, Domino’s Pizza, Jimmy Johns of Wyandotte, Mancinos, Wendy’s and Wyandotte Dollar Depot.

People and organizations included the Wyandotte Historical Society, Mr. and Mrs. Thiede, The Roy Helminski Memorial and the Groat Brothers Coffee Club. Prizes included bikes, gift certificates, fishing poles and tackle boxes--to name a few.

All the local bait shops (see bait shop link) donated to the cause and need your business to continue to do so. Make sure to thank them for helping out at the derby.

Get Outdoors Downriver.

Deer Hunting Abscession Explains It All

Finally there a study that sheds light on the reason the hunters from our camp up north don't get the big deer. The usual take is a few sightings and every 4 to 5 years 1 in 10 will get a spike. My 7 pointer is the only multi-point deer in 25 years of hunting there.

As reported by Dr. Dave Samuel a bacterial disease called intracranial abscessation is killing our older mature bucks. The buck deer fight to determine a pecking order in the herd. When the rut is on, bucks fight and
even though those fights look bad, it’s pretty unusual for bucks to actually kill each other. One gives up and high tails it out of the county. Now a study done by Gabrial Karns, a graduate student from North Carolina State University, and Dr. Mark Conners, manager and wildlife biologist at Chesapeake Farms on the eastern shore of Maryland, shows that some fights involving mature bucks do lead to a slow death.


The bacterial disease known as intracranial abscessation (basically a bad infection) affects the brain, deteriorates the skull and leads to the death of some older bucks.

These researchers found the disease in 35 percent of the older bucks they autopsied that died a natural death. That doesn’t mean that the disease killed all of those bucks, it just means that 35 percent had the infection. No one can be sure what killed them. It's highly probable that the older bucks are infecting one another when they fight during the rut.   With this new knowledge everyone in camp can feel better about themselves. We can't help it that we hunt in an area with an epidemic amount of deer with this disease. I just hope it doesn't cause the number of hunt hours to plummet. Plus with the new Lower Peninsula Deer Management Initiative (LPDMI) that has proposed a four-point APR for all of Zone 3 in southern Michigan things could get worse throughout the state.

 Atta Boy to the researchers working at Chesapeake Farms — a great cooperative effort that might just lead to lowering the mortality caused by this nasty disease.

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Fish For Free Before The Price Goes Up

Just a reminder that all Michigan residents and non-residents can fish without a license this Saturday, June 8 and Sunday, June 9. Please note all other fishing regulations still apply.

Do you still need a muskie tag?

Saturday and Sunday make up the Summer Free Fishing Weekend, an annual effort to promote Michigan’s numerous fishing opportunities. While many individuals and families will head out to fish for free on their own, there are also numerous organized events scheduled throughout the state to celebrate the weekend as well.

Don't know where to go? Try the DNR's family fishing page. http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10364-299046--,00.html

You could even make money fishing!

As if on cue along comes Michigan's first significant increase in hunting and fishing license fees since 1997, passed by the House on Wednesday, a move that has the blessing of outdoor groups.


Legislation approved 77-32 by the Republican-led chamber would raise about $20 million more for wildlife, fisheries and habitat programs, a 40 percent boost. The fee hikes, which legislators recently built into the next state budget at the request of Gov. Rick Snyder, would begin in March 2014.

Michigan has 227 different types of hunting and fishing license fees. The bill headed to the GOP-controlled Senate would leave the state with approximately 40, according to a House Fiscal Agency analysis.

For the average fisher or hunter the fees will be lower. Great news in these financially challenged times.

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Last Chance

Last chance to purchase 2013 bear and elk hunting applications

The Department of Natural Resources reminds hunters that the application period to purchase a bear or elk hunting application ends June 1.

Hunters can apply online at www.michigan.gov/huntdrawings, at any authorized license agent or at a DNR Customer Service Center. A nonrefundable $4 fee is charged at the time of application. Hunters may purchase only one application for each species.

Drawing results may be checked online at www.michigan.gov/huntdrawings beginning June 24 for both species.

For more information on the application process and hunting of bear or elk, check the 2013 Michigan Bear Hunting Digest, the 2013 Michigan Elk Hunting Digest, or online at www.michigan.gov/hunting. All hunting digests can be found online at www.michigan.gov/dnrdigests, at local DNR Customer Service Centers, or at a license agent.
Want another chance at a bear and elk license? Hunters can increase their odds by applying for the Pure Michigan Hunt. Applications are $4 and can be purchased at any license agent or online at www.mdnr-elicense.com. Applicants can buy as many applications as they want. Three lucky winners will win prize packages that include elk (Michigan residents only), bear and turkey licenses; first pick at a managed waterfowl hunt area; plus firearms, crossbows and much more – worth more than $4,200! For additional information, visit www.michigan.gov/puremichiganhunt or check out this short Pure Michigan Hunt video.


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Time to Remember

Thank you to the families that lost loved ones and the people that served. The price of freedom is very high and hard to comprehend to those whom haven't contributed. If you make it to a cemetery this weekend try to count the flags flown at grave sites. Only then can you come to realize how many paid a price for our freedom. If you agree thank a vet, they'll appreciate it.

This is also the start of traditional summer activities, bbqs, swimming pools and bon fires. The action also picks up at the Metro Parks. Experience how the Native Americans and first explorers lived in and around this area at Oakwoods Nature Center. You can even get a ride in a large canoe that they once used. At Lake Erie Metro Park take a "Park Wander" with one of the guides. Take a walk on the elevated boardwalk thru their wetlands, always something different in there.

Peruse the summer newsletter to find an activity that'll suit you.
http://issuu.com/hcmetroparks/docs/hcma_2013_summer_newsletter

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Native Invasives?

Walleye guide and the voice of Walleye 101, Lance Vallentine recently posted a pic of a client that caught a Chinook salmon in the Detroit River. This sounds very rare but with Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania planting salmon it's not too farfetched.

Therehave recently been reports of bears in close quarters with humans. One in Muskegon, http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2013/05/black_bear_in_muskegon_identif.html

One in Southern California at a pool party.



So far these encounters have been fine, hopefully we won't get invaded by these.



Well wait I take that back, that is of course if they have a taste for cormorants.

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Comment on Sugar Island and Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge info.

Comment period on draft compatibility determination for additional public use of sugar island unit, Detroit river international wildlife refuge

GROSSE ILE, MICHIGAN – A 14-day public comment period on a draft Compatibility Determination for additional public use of Sugar Island Unit, Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge (Refuge), begins May 2nd and runs through Wednesday, May 15, 2013. This draft Compatibility Determination is being issued to ensure that additional public use of Sugar Island is compatible with the Refuge’s purpose and mission. If any use is determined to be “incompatible”, it will not be allowed on Sugar Island. The Compatibility Determination will be available for public review and comment at the Refuge office located at 9311 Groh Rd., Grosse Ile, MI 48138 for the 14-day period identified above.

The public is invited to provide written comments to Steve Dushane, Assistant Refuge Manager of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge (9311 Groh Rd., Grosse Ile, MI 48138; steve_dushane@fws.gov) by 5 PM on Wednesday, May 15, 2013.

The Refuge incorporates more than 5,800 acres along 48 miles of the lower Detroit River and western Lake Erie. The Refuge focuses on conserving, protecting, and restoring habitat for a broad range of native fish and wildlife and their habitats. It is the first international refuge in North America and one of a few urban ones in the nation. Unique habitats being managed within the Refuge includes islands and shoals, coastal wetlands, wet prairie, and forest.

For more information, contact Assistant Refuge Manager, Steve Dushane (734-692-7604).

Also:
Partners and friends of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge are invited to celebrate this past year’s accomplishments at an annual benefit dinner on Saturday, May 18th, at 6:00 p.m. at the historic Edsel and Eleanor Ford House located in Grosse Pointe Shores. The benefit dinner will:


Celebrate major refuge accomplishments highlighted in the 2012 Annual Report (e.g., control of Phragmites on over 300 acres of Refuge wetlands, completion of $1.5 million in cleanup and restoration work at the Refuge Gateway, logging over 18,000 volunteer hours in support of the refuge; www.fws.gov/refuge/detroit_river/in_the_community/annual_reports.html);

Honor Ford Motor Company, Friends of the Detroit River, and Dorothy McLeer as the 2013 John D. Dingell Friends of the Refuge Award honorees in the business, nonprofit, and citizen categories, respectively; and

Make a major announcement about the next step in the cleanup and restoration of a former brownfield site into the Refuge Gateway for public use.

Individual tickets and sponsorships are available through the International Wildlife Refuge Alliance at: www.iwralliance.org or 734. 692.7671.­­ Proceeds from the annual benefit dinner and auction will go to support the ongoing restoration work, environmental education, and outreach activities of the Refuge that benefit our region’s quality of life. Please join Congressman John Dingell and U.S. and Canadian partners at the Ford House to show your support for building North America’s only International Wildlife Refuge.

The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge incorporates 5,800 acres along 48 miles of the Detroit River and western Lake Erie. The Refuge focuses on conserving, protecting, and restoring habitat for 29 species of waterfowl, 23 species of raptors, 31 species of shorebirds, over 100 species of fish, and over 300 species of birds. It is the first international refuge in North America and one of the few urban ones. Unique habitats being managed for conservation include islands, coastal wetlands, marshes, shoals, and waterfront lands. The Western Lake Erie Watersheds Priority Natural Area is the institutional mechanism for Canadian federal, provincial, and local partners to cooperatively work with U.S. partners on the International Wildlife Refuge.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is, working with others, to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.

The International Wildlife Refuge Alliance is the Refuge’s friends group and a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization. The Alliance’s mission is to support the first international wildlife refuge in North America by working through partnerships to protect, conserve, and manage the Refuge’s wildlife and habitats, and to create exceptional conservation, recreational, and educational experiences to develop the next generation of conservation stewards.

Contact: Joann Van Aken, Executive Director, International Wildlife Refuge Alliance (iwr_alliance@yahoo.com; 734.692. 7671), or John Hartig, Refuge Manager, Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge (john_hartig@fws.gov; 734-692.7608)

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Turkey Tribulations

The good news is that I got my bird. The other news is that I had to go thru many changes in emotions and tactics to do so. The ups and downs of hunting turkeys in Michigan. Opening day was clear but windy, 7 to 15 miles per hour winds. This cuts down on your calling range and demands you stake your decoys. Staking is putting a stick long enough to impede the decoy from moving too far to either side on each side. So even in a strong wind the decoy moves but doesn't spin around on it's pivot point to look like a top. Birds were gobbling when I set up and for an hour after sunup. Unfortunately that was it and all 5 toms I saw within eye shot over 2 days never gobbled.

Now for the tribulations. Monday afternoon around 3 I looked over my shoulder to see a tom zooming in to my decoy set up. No gobble just a stealthy drive by to teach my jake decoy who's boss. Not having any shooting windows on that side of the blind I had to open the sliding door to get a shot. The door opened easily and unbenownst to tom. As I lined up the shot I noticed iron sights. The kind that are on a slug barrel not the normal shot barrel for bird shot. I quickly calculated the difference in aim point with the different sights and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. As I looked at the gun I could see the shell wasn't all the way into the chamber. A little force didn't help the situation and I was forced to eject the shell and the succeeding shell of the same type. My third shell was different and one I considered a long shot, size 4 shot shell. The shell did go all the way in and I focused on the tom heading well out of the decoys and looking over his shoulder trying to figure out what all the noise was coming out of the blind. I aimed right for the waddles and pulled the trigger. Not a feather was touched and the bird ascended into flight across the field only to land at the hedgerow and run into the woods.

This was the low point of my hunt with many negative thoughts and feelings rushing over me. Not seeing anything for the rest of the night I headed in a little early to find a way to see where the gun was shooting. I found a large piece of cardboard and measured out 20 yards. My shot was 4" low and 4" to the right so I would use this as my adjustment for any further action.

The next morning found me in the same blind with the same decoy set up. The sunrise gobbles were very distant today but the woods was full of hens. A dozen hens searched the river bottoms for food when a single hen came thru giving a roundup call. Another 10 hens came out of the surrounding woods to join the group and they all headed off to the west. Mid morning a puffed up tom suddenly appeared 70 yards out and he was with 2 hens. I tried every conceivable call I have in my repertoire but got no response from the tom. The hens naturally ignored my calling and probably became suspicious and they all left to the west.

About noon I decided to switch spots to an area I heard gobbling in the morning. The blind is on the other side of a creek and just before the creek there is a rise in the terrain. As I topped the rise I spotted a tom in full strut accompanied by hens. I dropped down to my knees and set up decoys, back off about 20 yards and started box calling. No response, so I tried crawling to the top of the rise to get a shot but the hens detected me and were on the other side of the creek being followed by the tom.

Crawling in mud takes a lot out of you so I packed up and made my way to the blind. Set up the dekes and climbed in and after allowing the area to settle in I did some calling. No responses back but within a half hour 2 hens with a tom in tow appeared across the small field I was in. The hens didn't like my decoys and headed back into the woods to the awaiting tom. That was it for the next 5 hours, no responses, no sightings and negative feelings setting in.

Just before 6 o'clock some sort of switch was turned on and about 20 deer moved from the woods across the field I was in, across the field and into the woods behind me. Some of the deer didn't like my decoy set up and ran across the opening.
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Soon after the deer were done turkeys started to follow. First 2 hens ignoring my set up, then a young tom with about a 6" beard came thru trying not to make eye contact with the decoys. All these birds were just out of range for me even with the right barrel. Next up was a nice tom and he puffed up when he saw my set up. He walked right in displaying to the hens in my grouping. He was well within range and I waited to see if he would attack my jake decoy. Suddenly something just didn't seem right to him and he deflated and started to walk off so I lined up the sights with the allotted deviation and fired. The gun fired but the turkey was trying to leave the area a little quicker. The second shot somehow connected and the bird went down.

Overlooking the poor shooting the hunt was fairly typical of the ups and downs of hunting turkeys in Michigan. Hopefully the birds will start to respond to calls shortly and I can call in some birds for my sons and cousin.

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Boating season is Upon Us

The Coast Guard has recently become aware of counterfeits of U.S. Coast Guard approved portable fire extinguishers manufactured by Amerex Corporation and Buckeye Fire Equipment. Both companies are major producers of genuine approved fire extinguishing equipment and serve a worldwide market. These counterfeit extinguishers present a significant safety hazard. Their capability to extinguish a fire is unproven; they may be charged with a powdery substance that is not a fire extinguishing agent, the pressure cylinder is not DOT approved, and the pressure gauge may not function or give false readings. The dry-chemical counterfeit extinguishers are size B-II and may be identified by several distinguishing features: Counterfeit units may have duplicate serial numbers. Genuine approved extinguishers will have a unique serial number for each extinguisher.

For counterfeit Amerex extinguishers, the serial № V-654690 has been reported. There may be other serial numbers used on the counterfeits. For counterfeit Buckeye extinguishers, the serial № K-094927 with a red handle and serial № YMU76222 with a black handle have been reported.

• The labels on counterfeit extinguishers may be simply printed. Labels on genuine approved extinguishers will include a security imprint / texture behind the UL LISTED logo, classification, testing and approval data. Genuine Amerex Corporation extinguishers will have a pattern of scored "circles," and genuine Buckeye Fire Equipment extinguishers will have the letter "S" scored into the label.

• The bottoms of the counterfeits have a rounded curved in lip as shown on the right side of the image on the right. The bottom of a genuine Amerex extinguisher is shown on the left side of the image. Genuine Buckeye extinguishers will have a date stamped on the bottom. Inspections and Compliance Directorate Genuine Counterfeit The counterfeit extinguishers have been reported to have black or red plastic handles. Genuine approved dry-chemical B-II extinguishers typically have handles that are constructed of silver-colored aluminum (although there are some with plastic handles). Pressure gauges on the counterfeit units may be the wrong color. The gauges on genuine approved Buckeye dry-chemical extinguishers will have a red background. Counterfeit extinguishers may have welded seams on the sides of the cylinders. The Coast Guard believes that counterfeit production is not limited to Amerex

Be careful out there and...

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35 incher in the Walleye Capital of the World, For Now

This has been an unbelievable year for walleye fishing in the Detroit River. Due to the weather it's been a later run compared to recent years but the fish are worth the wait. Big fish, that are maybe sticking around longer waiting for the water temp to be right before dropping their eggs. This one came into Dip Net in Ecorse it measured 15+ pounds and more impressive was 35.5" long. This was probably the biggest reported but there are so many that a bigger fish could have been caught and the old river rat just isn't saying anything.


  My son Justin caught his personal best and the largest in family history. This one measured 30.5 inches and weighed 10.6 pounds  

And my best for the year, a 28.5 inch male. Any of these fish would be fish of a lifetime if caught in other waters. Here in the Walleye Capital of the World they're caught on a regular basis in spring.

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Insider's Look at Point Mouille

Got to go thru the gates and ride on the refuge's dikes. What a nice experience and what a place to visit. This was back on March 23rd with much of the area still under ice. Still early for many spieces of birds but there were thousands already there. The first stop was for  trumpeter swan.


The bird was acting nervous with our presence, leaving a mound in the bullrushes and swimming back and forth in front of us. We left this spot, which wasn't very far from the Siegler road parking area, and headed to the banana dike area on Lake Erie. The Army Corp of Engineers was working on filling in a section of the dike. We stopped a little farther on and got a pick of the eagle's nest.



We also got a glimpse of some other wildlife. There were a few muskrats around, but no beaver.

It was a great day on the refuge especially so that we could drive and not have to walk like a couple of others that didn't know about the outing. I got to spend the day with my brother-in law, the professional fisherman, and my dentist Brian Hartwell along with many members of the Detroit Audobon Society.

Thanks to Joe Robison for leading us around and Zack and Chuck. Joe gave us some info on the refuge in regard to funding the projects there. The place has really changed in the past 10 years due to their efforts and money from various sources. Joe emphasized they need support from all of us and the best way is to but a refuge permit, which goes right to them, or buy a small game license. Even if you don't hunt buying the license opens the vast amount of Pittman-Robertson money that's building up quickly due to the run on guns and ammo. A $15 small game license purchase brings $45 of RP money to the state. Please buy one even if you won't use it. Stay tuned for info on the next ride on the dikes.

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