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Published: 18 February 2026

MDNR Report

Gladwin is now the 18th Michigan county where chronic wasting disease has been identified in the wild deer population, according to the Michigan DNR.

A hunter-harvested deer from Clement Township recently tested positive for the disease.

The Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory confirmed the CWD finding. The sample was also sent for a secondary confirmation to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, where results are pending but anticipated to confirm CWD infection.

CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects white-tailed deer, elk and moose. To date, the disease has also been detected in the following Michigan counties: Allegan, Clinton, Dickinson, Eaton, Genesee, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella, Jackson, Kent, Mecosta, Midland, Montcalm, Ogemaw and Washtenaw.

A chronic, slow-developing disease that spreads slowly across the landscape, CWD has been detected in Midland County to the south of Gladwin and in Ogemaw County to the north. Gladwin County was under focused CWD surveillance in 2021, as part of the DNR’s rotational approach to surveillance.

“The detection of chronic wasting disease in Gladwin County is consistent with the slow, incremental spread we have observed across Michigan,” said Brent Rudolph, DNR deer, elk and moose management specialist. “New positive results can be alarming for nearby communities and frustrating as the total count continues to grow, but these detections are critical to our understanding of the scope of chronic wasting disease in our state. We greatly appreciate hunters’ continued persistence in submitting samples for testing.”

The public is encouraged to report sick deer at Michigan.gov/EyesInTheField. Deer that appear emaciated, lethargic, disoriented, lame or unresponsive are good candidates for CWD testing, though these symptoms are characteristic of deer affected by other maladies or injuries as well.

Proper disposal of deer carcasses is critical to prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease. Deer carcasses and parts should go directly to a landfill or be disposed of through regular bagged trash pickup. Studies show that CWD can survive on the landscape for years, contributing to the spread of disease. Deer harvested from known CWD areas should never be disposed of on the landscape.

For more information on chronic wasting disease, visit Michigan.gov/CWD.

Details

Published: 11 February 2026

MDNR Report

This year’s sturgeon season on Black Lake (in Cheboygan and Presque Isle counties) ended at 8:48 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 7. The season, which included spearing and hook-and-line fishing, was scheduled to run Feb. 7-11, or until the harvest limit of six lake sturgeon had been reached – but just 48 minutes turned out to be enough time.

The Michigan DNR set the harvest limit for the season at six fish, though anglers were allocated a season quota of seven sturgeon by agreement with tribal governments. This limit was placed to accommodate the expected number of anglers and anticipate the possibility of near simultaneous harvest of more than one fish, as occurred in 2025.

There were 679 registered anglers this year. The harvested sturgeon ranged in size from 52.9 inches to 67.2 inches long and weighed 40.4 pounds to 79.4 pounds.

• The first fish was a 61.5-inch male that weighed 50 pounds.
• Fish number two was a 64.1-inch female that weighed 78.4 pounds.
• Fish three was a 52.9-inch male that weighed 46.6 pounds.
• Fish four was a 67.2-inch female that weighed 79.4 pounds.
• he fifth fish was a 58.1-inch sturgeon that weighed 40.4 pounds.
• The sixth fish was a 62.5-inch female that weighed 58.4 pounds.

Only one of the harvested fish had not been captured before by Michigan State University and the DNR during spring spawning runs in the Black River or during past surveys of Black Lake. The sex of the fifth fish, which was not previously tagged, will be determined using DNA from fin clips collected when the fish was registered.  

Participating anglers were notified of the season closure in a variety of ways, including text alerts and ice shanty visits from DNR personnel. All methods were used to indicate the season’s end within minutes of the final fish being harvested. DNR law enforcement officials and other DNR personnel were embedded in the on-ice fishing communities and were able to quickly and safely report harvested fish, as well as to quickly contact all lake sturgeon anglers on the ice to close the season.

Details

Published: 26 January 2026

By AILEEN KEMME, MDNR

Jutting out into Lake Superior is the Keweenaw Peninsula, home to Michigan’s Copper Country.

This is where the earliest known metalworking in North America originated, with objects crafted by Indigenous peoples from Keweenaw copper becoming so prized that they have been discovered in archaeological sites throughout North America.

European settlers also established mining operations in the same region and made Michigan into the world’s leading copper producer by the early 20th century.

While virtually all the mining operations in the area have shuttered since then, the mines are not empty. The Keweenaw region is home to seven of Michigan’s nine bat species, with many of the bats calling the abandoned mines home.

Three of the Keweenaw’s bat species migrate south for the winter, with some, like the hoary bat, traveling as far as Central America before returning to their spring and summertime breeding grounds in North America.

The remaining four species spend their winters hibernating deep within caves and abandoned mine shafts throughout the region. Approximately 90% of Michigan’s hibernating bats overwinter in the Upper Peninsula, with these hibernation sites — called hibernacula — housing anywhere from a few individuals to tens of thousands.

While their erratic flight patterns and nocturnal behavior cause some people to fear them, bats play a vital role in Michigan’s ecosystem and economy.

A single bat can consume thousands of insects in one night, including disease-carrying mosquitoes and crop-damaging pests.

By naturally controlling insect populations, bats reduce the need for pesticides, with some studies estimating they save U.S. farmers more than $3 billion per year.

But Michigan’s ecologically and economically important bat populations are facing serious challenges, including habitat loss and becoming infected with white-nose syndrome.

White-nose syndrome, a deadly fungal disease, has eliminated roughly 90% of the state’s bats. Primarily affecting them while hibernating, the disease causes infected bats to awaken prematurely and rapidly deplete their fat reserves before they ultimately starve to death.

Entire colonies can be lost within a few years because the fungus spreads from cave to cave and from bat to bat through social grooming and close contact.

In response to the rapid decline of Michigan’s bat population, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community organized a collaborative research effort known as the Bat Blitz in 2024.

Made possible through federal funding from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the goal of the Bat Blitz was simple: to build skills for bat conservation entities by training together and sharing expertise across state, federal and tribal agencies.

Over the course of three nights, biologists from the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community’s Natural Resource Department were joined by partners from the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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