A Belly Full of Bluegills

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Published: 12 July 2016

By Louie Stout

Biologists encountered this 13-inch bullheadl that had 18 bluegill in its stomach.

Biologists encountered this 13-inch bullheadl that had 18 bluegill in its stomach.

You won’t find a better example of how fish are opportunistic feeders than this.

The photo supplied with this story is living proof. That 13-inch bullhead catfish was captured in a net by Indiana fisheries biologist Tom Bacula while surveying Loomis Lake near Valparaiso.

Biologists were assessing fish populations on Loomis as they do every year on various lakes. The bullhead catfish pictured was discovered in a net along with dozens of other fish.

Capturing bullheads is not that unusual. But this one was.

“The fish’s stomach was bulging and twitching,” said Bacula. “It was the fattest and most unusual bullhead I had ever seen. I wanted to see what was in there.”

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DNR Expands Chronic Wasting Disease Core Area and Management Zone

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Published: 05 July 2016

(Provided by MDNR)

DNR Expands Chronic Wasting Disease Core Area and Management Zone

DNR Expands Chronic Wasting Disease Core Area and Management Zone - WDNR Photo

The Michigan Natural Resources Commission expanded the Core Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Area to include 17 townships. This area, which will continue to be referred to as Deer Management Unit (DMU) 333, now will consist of Lansing, Meridian, Williamstown, Delhi, Alaiedon and Wheatfield townships in Ingham County; DeWitt, Bath, Watertown, Eagle, Westphalia, Riley, Olive and Victor townships in Clinton County; Woodhull Township in Shiawassee County, and Oneida and Delta townships in Eaton County.

The CWD Management Zone also has expanded; it now will include the remainder of Clinton, Eaton, Ingham and Shiawassee counties, as well as all of Ionia County. The expanded Management Zone will be referred to as DMU 419.

"With the detection of CWD-positive deer in the southern part of Clinton County, we need to better understand the magnitude of the disease in those areas," said Chad Stewart, Department of Natural Resources deer specialist. "Expanding our surveillance to include those areas is key at this point, and we need help from landowners and hunters within the expanded zone to help us with this effort."

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