- Details
(MDNR report)
For those who don't have a fishing boat, may not have the correct fishing gear, don't know how to fish, are new to an area, or are just looking for a day of fun, the Michigan DNR suggests considering a charter fishing trip. Charter fishing businesses are located throughout the state and offer a great way to experience Michigan's world-class fisheries.
Licensed fishing charters make a full or half-day of fishing easy and enjoyable, as they provide the boat and all the equipment, plus the knowledge needed for a day on the water. Fishing charters are for anyone, children or adult, from the first-time angler to those who are experienced. Charter businesses in Michigan help anglers of all experience levels enjoy memorable experiences - whether its reeling in a fish for the first time or trying ones hand at catching a new species.
- Details
(MDNR Report)
Anyone who receives compensation for processing wild game must now be registered with the Michigan DNR.
The new requirement was brought forward as part of a larger set of deer management regulations related to hunting licenses, chronic wasting disease response measures, urban conflict and other issues. The commercial game processor registration requirement is effective immediately.
This free permit is to determine how many game processors are in the state of Michigan and where they are located, said Casey Reitz, DNR wildlife permit specialist.
- Details
(Provided by MDNR)
Lake Michigan along Michigan’s coast offers a variety of fishing opportunities.
However, not every location around the lake provides good fishing for all species at all times of the year.
Listed below is a map and chart that shows all of the Michigan ports and the time of year when you find the best time to fish for various species of fish near each port.
Roadmap to Fishing Lake Michigan
- Details
(Provided by MDNR)
The Michigan DNR invites Michigan residents to contribute to conservation efforts by reporting their fish and wildlife observations with the new Eyes in the Field application.
Available at www.michigan.gov/eyesinthefield, the application replaces 15 separate observation forms the DNR had been using to gather important information about the states fish and wildlife populations.
Observation is a key part of managing Michigan's diverse natural resources, and we rely on the public as additional eyes in the field to help in our monitoring efforts, said Tom Weston, the DNRs chief technology officer. This new application is a one-stop shop where citizen scientists can report what they observe while spending time outdoors.
Eyes in the Field includes forms for reporting observations of diseased wildlife, tagged fish, mammals such as cougars and feral swine, fish such as sturgeon, birds such as wild turkeys, and reptiles and amphibians such as eastern massasauga rattlesnakes. Additional observation forms will be added in the future.
The application is mobile-friendly, so it will work well on any device smartphone, tablet or desktop computer and is compliant with federal Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility guidelines.
To report their data, users select an observation location point on a map and submit other details, including habitat type and appearance of the animal, depending on the type of observation. Observers also can submit photos, videos and audio files through the application.
It's important to note that Eyes in the Field does not replace the DNRs Report All Poaching (RAP) hotline (800-292-7800). The RAP hotline now accepting text messages, which may include photos, in addition to telephone calls is a toll-free, 24-hour, seven-days-a-week number that enables the public to report violations of fish and game laws, as well as other natural resource-related laws. The DNR also offers a web-based RAP form, www.secure1.state.mi.us/rap/, which is available via a link from Eyes in the Field.
- Details
By BOB GWIZDZ, MDNR
Michigan’s Rare Massasauga Rattlers are Prominent in Cass County
If any creatures ever needed better public relations, it would be snakes.
They have been vilified since the earliest of Bible tales, and their overall reputation hasn't improved markedly since.
But there are plenty of people who have more respect for snakes especially those species not well-regarded.
In fact, Michigan has become an important laboratory for the study and preservation of one of them, the eastern massasauga rattlesnake, the only venomous viper that inhabits the state.
Massasauga rattlesnakes were listed as a federally threatened species under the Endangered Species Act in 2016 and are thereby protected animals.