Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC) provides this update on the “Feral Swine” saga here in Michigan. This, after the March 2014 ruling by the Marquette Circuit Court which overturned the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Invasive Species Order (ISO) which declared wild hogs to be an invasive species. Who knew? Who knew that a face […]
March 21, 2014
Comments Off on It Won’t Be Long Now – Really
As we walk through the still snow-covered and frost-permeated north woods, it somehow seems hard to believe that we’ll soon be hearing the sounds of a changing season. Chief among these sounds is the one produced by the“King of the Game Birds” who, unlike so many of his feathered cousins, endured this long and difficult […]
March 2, 2014
Comments Off on The Economics of Birding
by Kay Charter – Twenty years ago, the state of Texas released a birding trail map for the center section of the Gulf Coast. The map was the first of its kind in the country, and the first of what would eventually be fifteen regional maps that would encompass every part of the state. That […]
February 23, 2014
Comments Off on State of the State – 2013 Michigan Forest Health Report
The 2013 Forest Health Report for the state of Michigan has been released. In simpler times this would have merely been viewed as an annual trip to the timber doctor – but not today. As we have now come to expect, much of the document is dedicated to the discussion of the growing threat to […]
February 11, 2014
Comments Off on Best Foods for Wintering Birds
by Kay Charter – During most years, birds that overwinter in our area are largely able to survive without our assistance, especially if the habitats in which they live are healthy. Birds like woodpeckers, chickadees and nuthatches have survived for many millennia without human help. But significant snowfall during the current winter without any thawing […]
January 28, 2014
Comments Off on Good News for Conservation Programs – U.S. Farm Bill Nears Agreement
January 28, 2014 Report Courtesy of Ducks Unlimited (DU) WASHINGTON – Jan. 27, 2014 – After three long years of compromise, the four primary Agriculture Committee negotiators announced the final farm bill agreement today, and it enhances and strengthens vital polices for wildlife, sportsmen and women and all citizens. The 2014 Farm Bill includes the […]
January 9, 2014
Comments Off on Kirtland’s Warbler – Back from the Brink
by Kay Charter By the time the Kirtland’s warbler was listed under the Endangered Species Act, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service was already hard at work to save the bird. Brood parasitism (when birds drop their eggs in the nests of other birds, often leading to starvation for host nestlings) by brown-headed cowbirds […]
December 6, 2013
Comments Off on The Changing Demographic of Hunters
Although it remains well short of a seismic shift, there are increasing signs that the traditional makeup of the hunting community is changing. For those who have seen past national survey data for hunters and anglers, you know that the biggest bubble on the participation curve has always been represented by 40+ year-old white males. […]
November 27, 2013
Comments Off on Giving Thanks, Again – Michigan Wild Turkey Restoration
Although not a new story, the restoration of wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) in this state and nation is an incredible conservation success story and one that is worth retelling. This, especially as we prepare to celebrate its historical significance by dining on its domestic counterpart, Meleagris Butterballis. We must confess, we borrowed the “Butterball” reference […]
November 26, 2013
Comments Off on Petition Drive Proposed For Scientific Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act
In an effort to reverse the national trend toward ballot initiative-driven wildlife management, the Citizens for Professional Wildlife Management (CPWM) coalition is proposing to launch a campaign of its own. As described in the press release which follows, the Michigan Board of Canvassers is being asked to approve petition language which, if successful, would place […]
April 3, 2014
Comments Off on New Bill Could Undo Protections From Exotic Swine