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(Provided by Michigan DNR)
Michigan releases its small game hunting outlook.Small game hunting season begins Sept. 1 with the opening of the early Canada goose season and teal seasons and continues until rabbit and hare season ends March 31. Michigan DNR wildlife biologists across the state say hunters should find conditions similar to last year. Hunters are reminded that due to changes in licensing, all licensed hunters may pursue small game.
Rabbits
Season: Cottontail rabbits and varying (or snowshoe) hare can be hunted from Sept. 15-March 31 Hunter with dog statewide. The daily bag limit is five in combination with a possession limit of 10.
Outlook: Roughly 56,000 hunters reported pursuing rabbits in 2011 (the most recently completed harvest survey) and about 12,000 hunted hares. Cottontail populations are good throughout their range over much of the state. Concentrate on thick cover, such as briar patches and brush piles, often near agricultural fields. Snowshoe hare populations are down from historic levels. Look for early-successional forests (such as aspen stands) and low-lying conifer swamps with blow-downs and brush piles in the northern two-thirds of the state.
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Mark ZonaArea anglers will have a chance to enjoy breakfast with four of the nation’s top bass fishing celebrities Aug. 22.
Kevin VanDam, Greg Hackney, Davy Hite and Mark Zona will appear that morning at the St. Joseph County Fairgrounds in Centerville, Mich. during a pancake breakfast to benefit the United Way.
All four anglers will be available between 8:30 and 10 a.m. for personal photographs and autographs. Admission is $5 per person and includes the pancake breakfast.
Zona and his wife Karin are Honorary Chairmen of the St. Joseph County United Way campaign.
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The Michigan DNR has found a third free-ranging deer in Meridian Township (Ingham County) has tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD). The deer was a 5-year-old doe. All three CWD-positive deer detected thus far have been discovered within a mile of one another.
"As we stated with the second positive deer this news is not surprising," said Dr. Steve Schmitt, DNR wildlife veterinarian. "The good news is that all three deer came from the same small area.î Genetic analyses carried out by Michigan State University's Molecular Ecology Laboratory indicate that all three positive animals were related as part of an extended family. Previous research has shown that CWD often is transmitted within family groups because of their close contact.
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(Provided by Michigan DNR)
The Michigan DNR has confirmed a second free-ranging deer in Meridian Township (Ingham County) has tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD), a fatal neurological disease that affects white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk and moose.
This second case is a 2-year-old male found less than a mile from the initial positive female deer, confirmed this past May. Genetic testing is being conducted to see if the two deer are related.
"Finding this second positive deer is disappointing, however, not unexpected," said DNR Wildlife Division Chief Russ Mason. "We will continue with our aggressive surveillance throughout the summer and fall. With the assistance of hunters, we hope to determine the distribution of this disease."
To date, 304 deer have been tested in the Core CWD Area. Only two have tested positive for CWD.
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(Provided by Michigan DNR)
Michigan Fish Stocking
More than 20 million fish stocked this spring means lots of angler opportunities.
The Michigan DNR announced the final totals from its spring fish-stocking efforts. DNR fisheries staff stocked a total of 20,099,988 fish that weighed more than 325 tons and consisted of nine different species and one hybrid.
To complete this task, staff took more than 370 stocking trips to 732 stocking sites, traveling more than 100,000 miles over the course of 2,556 hours using 17 specialized stocking trucks.
"It was another outstanding spring stocking season that will bring significant benefits and fishing opportunities to Michigan," said Ed Eisch, DNR fish production manager. "Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our staff, fish were reared and delivered to stocking sites in excellent condition. The numbers produced and stocked were right on target for almost all areas."