If House Bill 5334 is passed into law, Michigan hunters and anglers could purchase individual lifetime licenses for hunting and fishing several different types of species. The proposed lifetime licenses include firearm deer, archery deer, small game, restricted fishing, and all-species fishing. Individual lifetime license fees range from $220 to $285. An all-encompassing lifetime license for small game, firearm and archery deer, all-species fishing, bear, waterfowl, and resident fur harvester would sell for $1,025.

The bill was introduced at the beginning of the year by Representative Richard LeBlanc, D-Westland. At the time of introduction, there was no known opposition or support from outdoor groups. LeBlanc said the bill was inspired by the conversations he had with hunters who possessed lifetime licenses purchased in the short time frame that Michigan offered them (in 1989 and 1990).

Many hunters liked the lifetime licenses and would like to purchase one if it was an option, but Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) officials and the Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC) worry they would negatively impact federal conservation funding and also complicate wildlife management efforts.

Legislative Affairs Manager for MUCC Kent Wood said the group hasn’t yet decided on an official position on LeBlanc’s legislation. In theory, MUCC is supportive of multi-year, comprehensive licenses, but federal funding uncertainties hinder their support.

In an interview with Outdoor News, DNR Wildlife Chief Russ Mason said the licenses would increase revenue for the DNR in the short term, but “there are issues with obtaining federal (funding) match in the out years.”

But DNR Chief Budget Officer Sharon Schafer counters that notion, saying that federal funding wouldn’t be affected by the legislation. The 3,135 hunters and anglers who purchased a lifetime license when it was available in 1989 are counted each year toward the total number of Michigan license buyers whose revenue generated is matched by federal funds.

Schafer said the problem lies in insufficient amounts of revenue generated from the sale of these licenses. A child who obtains a lifetime all-encompassing license in his/her youth would contribute a total of $1,025 for decades of hunting and fishing licenses. “You have to spread it out over their lifetime,” Schafer said.

For example, say an 18 year old buys an all encompassing license and he uses it for the next 50 years. He will end up having paid only $20.50 per year to hunt any game he likes with any weapon, fish any species and so on. He comes out on top, while wildlife management funds end up depleted.

“Lifetime licenses sound like a good idea, but they have negative financial consequences and management consequences, especially for highly sought-after species,” Wildlife Chief Mason said.

When new regulations are developed, for example, if bears become listed as threatened or endangered, “a lifetime license holder would come up and say ‘When I bought this, I could hunt bear wherever I wanted, every year,’” Mason said.

Rep. LeBlanc admits lifetime licenses could have funding implications, but that not enough hunters or anglers would buy a lifetime license to negatively impact the DNR’s budget.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Lifetime Hunting and Fishing Licenses Up for Consideration in Michigan

Four Vanderbilt, Mich., residents been arrested in connection with the illegal killing of a bull elk in Otsego County on April 20, the Department of Natural Resources announced today.

Joshua Tillman, 19, Alex Webber, 17, Eric Webber, 20, and Joseph Moore, 20, have been arrested and charged with illegally killing an elk and using an artificial light while in possession of a firearm.

Department of Natural Resources conservation officers also seized firearms and recovered the head of a bull elk when they arrested the suspects.

“The Department of Natural Resources’ Law Enforcement Division would like to thank the public for its assistance in providing information that ultimately led to the break in this investigation,” said DNR conservation officer Mark DePew. “Without the public’s help, this case might not have been solved.”

All four suspects face fines of up to $2,500, restitution of up to $1,500, loss of the firearm used in the incident, and loss of hunting privileges for up to three years.

DNR officers continue to investigate the illegal killing of a cow elk that occurred on or around March 14 near M-33, just south of Rouse Road in Montmorency County. Officers believe the March incident is not connected to the April case.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call the DNR’s Law Enforcement Division at the Gaylord Operations Center, 989-732-3541, or the 24-hour Report All Poaching Line at 800-292-7800. Information can be left anonymously, and monetary rewards are often offered for information that leads to the arrest of violators.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Four Northern Michigan Men Arrested in Elk Poaching Incident

The Northwest Michigan Chapter of the Quality Deer Management Association, in partnership with Leelanau Whitetails, has proposed new antler point restrictions (APR) for the following 12 counties: Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Lake, Manistee, Missaukee, Mason, Osceola and Wexford.

This proposal seeks to require that all antlered deer harvested in the area have at least three antler points on one side. The statewide requirement that hunters taking two bucks must ensure at least one of those bucks has four or more antler points on one side would remain in place. The proposed regulations would be consistent with the current restriction in Deer Management Unit (DMU) 045, which is Leelanau County. The restriction will be considered for implementation starting with the 2013 deer season. Antlerless deer regulations within the proposed area would continue to be determined by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

The DNR supports the voluntary implementation of APR on private land. Under guidelines adopted by the Natural Resources Commission (NRC), mandatory regulations proposed by sponsoring organizations will only be implemented where a clear majority of 66 percent support among hunters in the proposed area is documented. Support will be determined by a DNR survey mailed to a sample of hunters who indicated on the 2011 DNR deer harvest survey that they hunted deer in one of the 12 counties. Surveys will be mailed starting in August.

“This proposal is our first since the moratorium has been lifted,” said DNR deer biologist Ashley Hippler. “We are looking forward to seeing how the majority of northwestern Michigan deer hunters feel about antler point restrictions.”

The Northwest Michigan Chapter of the QDMA will host meetings in each county to answer questions and provide explanation. The next meeting is scheduled for May 17 at 7 p.m. in Kalkaska at the Kaliseum, located at 1900 Fairground Road. More than 70 people attended the first meeting, held April 26 at the Benzie Central High School. Additional meetings will be announced as they are scheduled.

Landowners in one of the 12 proposed counties who would like to offer input about the proposal may email their comments to DNR-wildlife@michigan.gov.

Payment by the Northwest Michigan Chapter of the QDMA will offset survey costs incurred by this proposal.

The NRC had placed a moratorium on accepting APR proposals in 2006, to allow the DNR to assess experiences with initial guidelines, which were implemented in 1999. The NRC assembled a stakeholder workgroup late in 2010 to provide recommendations regarding revisions to the process. The DNR is now evaluating proposals based on recommendations from this workgroup and other modifications to increase efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The NRC retains full authority over decisions to implement APR and other harvest regulations, but the proposal review process provides valuable information to inform those decisions.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Michigan Organization to Host Meeting on Proposed Deer Antler Point Restrictions May 17

The Department of Natural Resources reminds hunters to apply for their Michigan elk and bear hunting licenses now through June 1. Hunters may apply online at www.michigan.gov/huntdrawings or at any retail license agent.

There are 200 elk licenses available for the 2012 hunting season, divided evenly between hunts in August/September and December. The August/September hunt is designed to target elk outside the primary elk range before these elk move for the breeding season. The December hunt will occur in the core elk range and also allows additional harvest outside the core area.

Only Michigan residents are eligible to apply for an elk license. This includes qualified military personnel and full-time students attending a Michigan college or university who reside in the state during the school year.

A total of 7,991 bear licenses are available, about 32 percent fewer than in 2011. License quotas have been reduced in response to new survey data which indicate the state’s bear populations have declined. Lower license quotas should stabilize populations in upcoming years.

If bear licenses remain after the drawing, one leftover license (per person) may be obtained on a first-come, first-served basis in July until the quota is met in each hunt period. There is no guarantee that leftover licenses will be available for any hunt unit or hunt period.

All commercial hunting guides utilizing state-managed lands in 2012 must receive written authorization. Guides are required to meet the conditions of the written authorization. If you are a guide who utilizes state-managed lands, please visit the DNR website at www.michigan.gov/statelandpermission for more information.

Hunters are also encouraged to apply for the 2012 Pure Michigan Hunt to increase their odds of getting a bear and elk license. Three lucky winners will receive a hunt package that includes a bear and elk license. Applying for the Pure Michigan Hunt will not affect the hunter’s preference points or weighted chances. Hunters can apply as many times as they like at www.michigan.gov/puremichiganhunt.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Michigan Elk and Bear License Application Period Now Open

Each spring as hibernating bears leave their winter dens and resume daily activity, wildlife officials in northern Michigan receive many calls about bears hanging around and even destroying man-made food sources such as birdfeeders, trash cans and grills. This year has been no exception, according to the Department of Natural Resources.

“At this time of year, bears are on the move and are looking for food,” said DNR bear specialist Adam Bump. “They are hungry after spending months hibernating, and will often resort to finding food in unnatural places, such as residential backyards.”

Bird seed is especially attractive to bears because it is a high-energy food and relatively easy to find. Once birdfeeders are discovered, bears will keep coming back until the seed is gone or the feeders have been removed.

“The majority of complaints we receive about nuisance bears this time of year involve a food source. The easiest thing people can do to avoid creating a problem is to temporarily take in their birdfeeders and store other attractants, like grills, trash cans and pet food, in a garage or storage shed,” Bump said. “Once the woods green up, bears tend to move on to find more natural sources of food, as long as they haven’t become habituated to the bird seed or garbage cans.”

Bears can become habituated to man-made food sources, which can create an unsafe situation for the bear, and a nuisance situation for landowners if they have a bear continuously visiting their yard during the day and repeatedly destroying private property in search of food.

DNR Wildlife Division staff members are unable to respond directly to each nuisance bear complaint, and instead ask that landowners do their part to help reduce potential food sources in their yards first before calling for further assistance. The trapping of nuisance bears is only authorized by DNR wildlife officials in cases of significant property damage or threats to human safety.

Anyone experiencing problems with nuisance bears (who has taken the appropriate action to remove food sources for a period of two to three weeks but has not seen results) should contact the nearest DNR office and speak with a wildlife biologist or technician for further assistance.

For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/bear.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Michigan DNR: Help Prevent Nuisance Bear Problems

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is seeking information about two separate illegal elk shootings in Otsego and Montmorency counties.

A bull elk was killed near Sturgeon Valley Road and Pickerel Lake Road in Otsego County sometime during the week of April 19.

A pregnant cow elk was shot on or about March 14, near M-33 just south of Rouse Road in Montmorency County.

Parts were removed from at least one of the animals during the poaching incidents.

Conservation officers at the Gaylord Operation Center are seeking any information that would assist with the investigation.  “If anyone saw anything or has any information, we’d like to hear from them,” Lt. Jim Gorno said.

Anyone with information regarding the incident, please call the DNR Law Division at the Gaylord Operations Center at 989-732-3541 or the 24-hour Report All Poaching Line at 800-292-7800. Information can be left anonymously, and monetary rewards are often offered for information that leads to the arrest of violators.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Michigan DNR Seeks Information on Illegally Killed Elk

In this video clip, Glenn Beck interviews Ted Nugent regarding the “illegal hunting” charges he recently plead guilty to in Alaska. Nugent goes on to discuss run-ins he’s had with other government agencies in the past few weeks, including the controversy surrounding Michigan’s new feral swine law.

You can read more about the Michigan invasive swine law Nugent mentions here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnwbSN1l3SQ

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Ted Nugent Explains Guilty Plea for Illegal Bear Hunting in Alaska

Efforts by Michigan officials to cull 13,500 mute swans by 2030 have begun. State employees have already killed some mute swans and are allowing residents with a free permit to take their own swans.

Officials claim that an increase in mute swans is displacing native swans and other species, destroying wetlands and intimidating boaters. They have even been documented as the culprits of two human deaths on the East Coast.

The orange-billed mute swan is not native to North America. Its descendents were brought here by Europeans for their beauty in the 1800s and the swans subsequently escaped into the wild. Defenders of the bird are calling for more research before the beginning of the culling program.

Researchers will be testing the toxicology of swans to determine if swan meat is safe to eat. Mute swans are bottom-feeders which means they could potentially ingest pesticides and heavy metals that accumulate at the bottom of lakes. Read the full report below to find out ongoing research, more on mute swan background and debate from both sides of the story.

Original press release issued by Great Lakes Echo on April 23, 2012:

By: Erica Hamling

Michigan officials are asking residents to help shoot and kill 13,500 mute swans.

But before hunters and fearful lakefront property owners grab their rifles, defenders of the birds are asking for more research to spare the lives of these lake dwellers.

One issue is whether there could be confusion with the swans that are native to Michigan.

“It makes no sense that these swans can’t coexist. The mutes have been here so long and people like feeding and watching them,” said Karen Stamper, a Walled Lake resident and mute swan advocate. “We have more water in our state than most other places in the world.”

Efforts to achieve the state’s long-term goal of killing the birds by 2030 have begun. State employees have killed some and they are letting residents know that with a permit, they can do the same.

All the Great Lakes states report problems with an increase in mute swans that displace native swans and other species, destroy wetlands and even intimidate boaters. Wisconsin and Ohio have killed mute swans in recent years; Michigan has the most ambitious plan yet to kill mute swans.

Michigan also has the largest mute swan population in North America with 15,500, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

The mute swan is non-native to North America and is increasing in population 9 percent to 10 percent each year, which is causing some big problems, according to Barbara Avers, a waterfowl and wetlands specialist from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

They were brought to the U.S. from Europe in the 1800s for their beauty. Some escaped captivity, establishing populations in several states. Michigan’s population began with one pair in Charlevoix County in 1919, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

One of the biggest problems: Mute swans’ aggression toward humans is increasingly dangerous for people in boats and on shore, Avers said.

“They are considered the most aggressive waterfowl species in the world,” Avers said. “So as we see an increase in the species, we are also seeing an increase in reports about mute swan attacks.”

Although most of the hostile behavior directed at people is bluffing, mute swans can inflict cuts, bruises, sprains and bone fractures. In at least two cases on the East Coast, mute swan attacks resulted in human deaths, according to David Marks, a wildlife disease biologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Mute swans keep one of Michigan’s native swan species, the trumpeter swan, from breeding. Both favor similar habitats for breeding and the mute swan begins nesting three weeks earlier than the trumpeter, defending the entire area. The trumpeter swan is on the state’s threatened species list.

“People often say to us that the swans they see aren’t causing any problems,” Avers said.

But some of the problems go below the surface.

Mute swans eat underwater plants. They uproot them, eating far less than what they grab. That destroys the habitat for native species, especially the fish.

“If you have a large flock of mute swans feeding on this bed of vegetation you can imagine that in a pretty short time, they can do quite a bit of damage,” Avers said.

There isn’t a hunting season, but the state allows citizens to register for free permits to shoot mute swans. Such permits first became available in 2006, but with the recent goal of killing thousands of mute swans, the state is re-publicizing their availability.

Permits are also available to destroy their nests, a less efficient method of reducing the mute swan population, Marks said.

With a permit, people can remove nests and destroy mute swan eggs. Although this slows population growth, it does not stop the adult mute swans from continuing to mate.

Stamper, along with other mute swan advocates, dispute the reasons cited for killing 90 percent of the state’s mute swans.

The aggressiveness is just instinct, Stamper said. Humans act the same way when protecting their young.

“I have pictures of a red wing black bird chasing a goose that went too close to its nest,” Stamper said in a letter to a local government agency. “I have a goose going after a swan that was too close to its babies. It’s nature. The same thing happens when a hawk or crow takes a baby from a blue jay, starling, or wren. It does not matter how large or small the animal, they will go after anything that tries to harm their baby.”

She worries that lakefront owners may not distinguish one type of swan from another. Native swans could get killed during the attempt to destroy mute swans.

“If they think there is a swan out there and it shows any kind of aggression or they can’t get their jet ski out, they aren’t going to care if it’s a trumpeter or a mute,” Stamper said. “If it’s in the way, they are going to kill it.”

The most significant difference between mute swans and native swan species is that adult mute swans have orange bills and native swans have black bills. Mute swans also have a black knob on the top of their bill and native swans do not, according to the state’s website.

Although mute swan population control first began in 1960, Stamper started a petition to stop the killing in February 2011. She has received 2,000 signatures and the attention of the state.

“We realize they are a very beautiful species, they are very conspicuous, people come into contact with them a lot and love viewing them,” Avers said.

But eliminating the mute swan is for the greater good of all other things living in Michigan, she said.

Stamper doesn’t believe there has been sufficient research done in Michigan to support that position.

More Michigan-based research is coming.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services recently received funding to look into some unanswered toxicology questions about the species in Michigan, according to Marks.

The mute swans that have been killed yield useful information, Marks said.

Researchers will be testing for toxics and contaminants to see whether mute swan meat is safe to eat.

“They are not typically a species people eat but we do get asked that question,” Marks said. “If you want to manage your mute swans you can work with the DNR to get a permit and people always want to know, ‘can we eat the meat?’ and nobody here knows how it tastes yet.”

Because mute swans typically feed off the bottom of a lake, which is where pesticides and heavy metals tend to accumulate, Marks feels more research is necessary before humans consume the meat.

Some of the mute swans that have been killed are tested for influenza, Newcastle disease and parasites that cause swimmer’s itch to see if mute swans play a role in transferring these illnesses.

Invasive nonnative species are a longstanding environmental threat. The nonnative emerald ash borer is an example of an invasive species that killed thousands of trees in Michigan beginning in 2002. More recently, the nonnative feral or wild swine’s rapidly increasing population is on the state’s radar. The feral swine hosts parasites that threaten humans, domestic livestock and wildlife.

Marks expects some results from the mute swan research will be available to the public by March of 2013.

And for the people living in Michigan, perhaps mute swan will be on the dinner table by next Thanksgiving.

Republished with permission by Great Lakes Echo.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Michigan May Open a Limited Hunting Season for Invasive Mute Swans

Senate Bill 412 is on its way to Gov. Rick Snyder’s office in Michigan for a signature. The legislation would create more northern wild turkey habitat on state, national forest and private lands. It would also fund annual turkey hunter surveys, and provide for disease testing of sick birds that are brought in voluntarily by hunters.

Disgruntled hunters maintained that turkey numbers were dropping and that funds were not being spent in the northern regions of Michigan. Hunters were dissatisfied with how the DNR managed turkeys and how it spent its funding. Now, among the aforementioned items, the bill would also require the DNR to report annual expenditures to the legislature and how money is spent for the wild turkey program.

Sen. Darwin Booher, R-Evart introduced the bill in March 2011. Once the bill is signed, it will go into effect immediately. Booher said, “We need to get a better handle on how the money is being spent. If two-thirds of it is going to wages and benefits, I should be able to show you wildlife openings all around the state, but that’s not the case.” Booher is a turkey hunter himself.

Jim Maturen is part of the Pere Marquette Chapter of the Michigan Wild Turkey Hunters Association. He fears that the decline in wild turkey populations may be due in part to bad weather, but also partially because of disease. But, Michigan Chapter President of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) Tony Snyder does not say disease is a problem in Michigan and that turkey numbers are down all across the Midwest. This bill will work to test that hypothesis by making testing mandatory and setting aside more money to do so.

There were two provisions of the original bill that were dropped to meet the requirements of the NWTF and the DNR and Michigan United Conservation Clubs. Snyder said that the NWTF opposed to original legislation because of the amount of money it would take away from habitat projects, but eventually an agreement was met that is found within the current bill.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Michigan Legislation Aims to Create More Turkey Habitat

Michigan hunters will have more elk licenses available but fewer bear licenses, as the Natural Resources Commission set regulations for the upcoming seasons at its April 5 meeting in Lansing.

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will make 200 elk licenses available, an increase of 45 from 2011.

“We have more elk than we did last year, so we can offer more hunting opportunity while working toward our population goal,” said DNR deer and elk program leader Brent Rudolph.

The NRC set two hunt periods and offered the DNR the option of a third period in January, if deemed necessary.

Elk Hunt Period 1, which is designed to target elk outside of the primary elk range, consists of three four-day hunts: Aug. 28-31, Sept. 14-17 and Sept. 28-Oct. 1. There will be 100 licenses available; 30 for any elk (which allow hunters to take bulls) and 70 antlerless-only licenses.

Elk Hunt Period 2, which focuses on the primary elk range but also offers opportunity outside the core area, is set for Dec. 8-16. There will be 100 licenses available; 30 for any elk and 70 for antlerless-only animals.

Should a third hunt period be conducted, the DNR will make a maximum of 40 licenses available.

As for bear quotas, the NRC authorized the DNR to sell 6,976 licenses for the Upper Peninsula, a decrease of 3,381 from 2011, and 1,015 licenses for the northern Lower Peninsula, a decrease of 370 from last year.

New survey data indicate the state’s bear populations are in decline and the quotas approved by the NRC should stabilize the populations in upcoming years.

“We’re pleased that we had the survey data in time to allow the NRC to make an informed decision,” said DNR bear specialist Adam Bump.

Although data will be analyzed following the bear season, it’s anticipated that license quotas will be reduced in 2013 in the northern Lower Peninsula as well, Bump said.

“We believe we can stabilize the bear population in the Upper Peninsula in two years, but it will take four years in the northern Lower Peninsula,” Bump explained.

Bear and elk applications go on sale May 1 through June 1. Applications cost $4 and are available at all license dealers or online at www.mdnr-elicense.com. Results will be posted online on June 25.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Michigan NRC Sets Regulations, Quotas for Michigan Elk, Bear Seasons