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MDNR Report
Michigan Conservation Officers had a good week last week, helping two campers from falling temperatures and a man with heart trouble who capsized his boat.
Here are the details:
Camper rescue in Dead Stream Swamp
Two campers contacted the DNR Report All Poaching Hotline requesting rescue assistance after becoming stranded Friday in Dead Stream Swamp, a wetland consisting of more than 11,000 acres located between Cadillac and Houghton Lake in Missaukee and Roscommon counties.
The campers, whose names are not being released, were dropped off at the Dead Stream Swamp by a friend on Friday with the intent to camp for four days.
Rain developed during the evening hours and later turned to snow, soaking the campers and their gear. The temperature dropped to around 20 degrees Fahrenheit, which froze one of the men's inhalers and caused him to have difficulty breathing.
The campers contacted the RAP Hotline around 5 a.m. Saturday, saying they could not self-rescue.
Dispatchers contacted local conservation officers, Sgt. Brian Olsen and CO Ben McAteer, who immediately responded to the caller’s last known cellphone location – about 1 mile west of the intersection of Higgins Lake Road and Pine Road in Lyon Township.
It took officers about an hour to hike the 1 mile into the swamp, where they found the campers soaking wet in a makeshift shelter. The officers made a fire to help warm the campers and thaw their frozen boots. CO Matt Zultak also arrived on scene to assist.
Once the campers were able to put on their boots and pack their gear, it took the group another hour to make it out of the swamp. They were met along the way by CO James Garrett, who helped navigate to a location where EMS was waiting.
The group met EMS on Higgins Lake Road, south of Pine Road. EMS evaluated and released both campers at the scene.
Man and his dogs saved from AuSable
A 59-year-old man from Caro is expected to be released from the hospital after his boat capsized along the AuSable River in Alcona County.
Accompanied by his two dogs, the man, whose name is not being released, was fishing on a 10-foot boat when he fell into the river while trying to disembark. The water was only 39 degrees Fahrenheit, and air temperature was freezing at 32 degrees.
Using his watch, the man texted 911 that he’d fallen into the river and was having difficulty breathing. The DNR later learned that the man had open-heart surgery two years ago and had recently been feeling ill.
Alcona County Central Dispatch notified local emergency responders of the situation around 2:16 p.m.
DNR Conservation Officers Jeff Panich and Casey Pullum heard the radio communication. Based on the last known GPS coordinates from the man's watch, they responded to the intersection of Snowmobile Trail LP96 and the Shore to Shore Horse Trail at 3:12 p.m.
Panich and Pullum began walking the horse trail along the river and quickly located footprints in the snow. A short distance ahead, they saw a dog on the trail. Beyond the dog, they located the missing man, who was standing with blood covering his legs and feet. He was missing some clothes.
Panich immediately notified dispatch of the man’s location and requested assistance. After Panich approached the man, he said, “Help me,” and collapsed onto the conservation officer.
While the COs were waiting for medical assistance to arrive, the man became unresponsive. Panich and Pullum quickly pulled him out of the woods to a nearby river access parking lot, 4001 Bridge Landing, located off Federal Route 4001.
EMS and deputies quickly arrived and helped load the man into the ambulance, which transferred him to MyMichigan Medical Center Tawas.
Both dogs were secured and will be returned to the man when he is released from the hospital. The boat has not been recovered.
Alcona County Sheriff’s Department, Alcona County EMS and Curran Fire Department also assisted.
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DNR Report
Saugatuck Brewing Company is reaffirming its commitment to supporting conservation and habitat restoration efforts across the state by once again partnering with the Michigan DNR.
Set to launch in April 2025, the Lake Street Light x Lake Sturgeon Program is a collaboration between SBC and the DNR designed to raise awareness and support the conservation of Michigan’s lake sturgeon population. A portion of proceeds from every Lake Street Light sold will be donated to DNR efforts aimed at restoring the lake sturgeon’s habitat and boosting its population.
The new light lager, Lake Street Light, is a crisp, refreshing brew with only 96 calories and 4% ABV, inspired by the beauty of Michigan’s lakes and waterways.
"Lake Street Light is more than just a beer—it's a nod to Michigan's wild heart,” said Sara Van Splinter, Director of Marketing at Saugatuck Brewing Company. “These shores, our 'Lake Street,' are home to countless species, and we’re proud to help protect one of them: the lake sturgeon, living fossils that have swum since the time of dinosaurs. This partnership with the Michigan DNR allows us to give back to the waters we love while sharing the story of these remarkable creatures."
Lake sturgeon are critical to Michigan’s aquatic ecosystems, but their population has declined due to habitat loss, pollution, and overfishing. The program’s proceeds will directly support the DNR’s sturgeon conservation projects.
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MDNR Report
If you plan to take part in Michigan’s spring turkey season (April 19 through June 7) and you still need to take a hunter safety class, sign up soon. These classes are commonly offered ahead of the spring turkey season or in the fall before the start of firearm deer season.
To purchase a hunting license in Michigan, anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1960, is required to successfully complete an approved hunter safety education course.
“We don’t want to see people wait until the week before they want to hunt to try locating a hunter safety class, at which point classes often are full,” said Lt. Tom Wanless, recreational safety, education and enforcement supervisor with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
There are four options for completing hunter safety education in Michigan, all of which require at least four hours of in-person instruction:
- Traditional classroom-based course.
- Online course followed by an in-person field day.
- Interactive online course (with animations and videos that put students in virtual real-life scenarios) followed by an in-person field day.
- Take-home study course followed by an in-person field day.
Wanless said the DNR-managed hunter safety education program helps the next generation of hunters learn how to safely, responsibly enjoy hunting and understand the importance of wildlife management and conservation.
“These classes build confidence and teach lifelong skills, such as firearm safety, wildlife and habitat management, and how to use a map and compass, to an average of 15,000 students every year,” Wanless said.
Once you successfully complete the hunter education course and receive your certificate, it is valid for life.
Learn more about the program and register for a class at Michigan.gov/HunterEducation.
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MDNR Report
For the first time in more than 100 years, cougar cubs have been discovered living in the Michigan wild.
State biologists on Wednesday confirmed the existence of two cougar cubs on private land in Ontonagon County in the western Upper Peninsula. The spotted cubs, believed to be 7 to 9 weeks old, were verified from photographic evidence of the cubs taken March 6 by a local resident.
This is the first time cougar cubs have been verified since the big cats were hunted out of existence in Michigan in the early 1900s, said Brian Roell, large carnivore specialist for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Roell, a wildlife biologist for 26 years, led the team that verified the cubs.
“It’s pretty exciting, considering this could be the first known cougar reproduction in modern times in the western Great Lakes states,” said Roell, referring to Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. “It really shows that we have a unique place in Michigan where someone has a chance to see a wolf, a moose and a cougar in the wild. It’s something that should be celebrated, that we have the habitat to support an elusive animal like this.”
The cubs were spotted and photographed without their mother. Cougar cubs are highly dependent on their mothers, often staying with them for the first two years of life.
Although cougars are native to Michigan, most of them now appear to be transient animals, dispersing into Michigan from Western states. The DNR has verified 132 adult cougar reports, Roell said, but DNA testing has confirmed only male cougars to date.
The cubs have not been spotted since March 6. “Those young cougars are very vulnerable right now,” Roell said. “We don’t know where they are or if they’re even alive. Mother Nature can be very cruel.”
Sightings can be logged in the DNR’s Eyes in the Field reporting system. Roell said cougars are on the list of endangered mammals in Michigan, meaning it’s illegal to hunt or harass them, which includes trying to locate their den. It’s also illegal to trespass on private property, he noted.
For the latest information on cougars, including the DNR’s cougar sightings photo page, visit Michigan.gov/Cougar.
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MDNR Report
Washtenaw is now the 15th Michigan county where chronic wasting disease has been identified in the wild deer population, according to the Michigan DNR. An adult buck found acting ill in Salem Township recently tested positive for CWD.
The Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, which works with the DNR to identify CWD in Michigan’s wild deer herd, confirmed the CWD finding. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory, in Ames, Iowa, also confirmed the test result.
CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects white-tailed deer, elk and moose. The disease is chronic, slow developing, and spreads slowly across the landscape. To date, CWD has also been detected in wild deer in the following Michigan counties: Clinton, Dickinson, Eaton, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella, Jackson, Kent, Mecosta, Midland, Montcalm and Ogemaw.
Prior to focused CWD surveillance in Washtenaw County, voluntary sampling between 2016 and 2019 resulted in 824 deer tested. In 2021 and 2022, focused CWD surveillance efforts were conducted to gather additional samples, and 875 more deer were tested. While this is the first positive in Washtenaw County, 39 deer in neighboring Jackson County have tested positive for CWD, through combined DNR collections and direct hunter submissions to the MSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.