(Provided by Michigan DNR)
With Michigans rich tradition of fall hunting getting under way, Michigans Conservation Officers offer their top 10 tips for a safe outdoor experience.
Hunting in Michigan is a time-honored activity, rich in tradition, when families and friends come together to enjoy our great outdoors, said Lt. Andrew Turner, who leads the DNR's Recreation, Safety and Enforcement Section for the Law Enforcement Division. Making your hunt a safe and responsible experience is key to having an enjoyable and memorable time. By following these safety tips, hunters can help us all have a good season.
(Provided by Michigan DNR)
Osprey Like Football Too!Michigan residents aren't the only ones enjoying football this fall. It turns out that osprey in northern Michigan like football, too football lights, that is.
Marion High School sits just outside of town, overlooking agricultural fields and Middle Branch River, which with its many feeder streams winds its way through the Osceola County countryside. A large mill pond near town holds a nice supply of fish.
The osprey will drop fish right on the football field, laughed Beth Robb, the Marion High School principal.
In the past three years the Michigan DNR has received increased reports of grass carp being captured in Lake Erie by commercial fishermen. These fishermen have also reported seeing more of this species, as well as specimens of varying age and size indicating there may be a naturally reproducing population in the lake. This assumption has been confirmed by a recently released U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) report.
USGS has determined grass carp, a species of Asian carp, are naturally reproducing within the Lake Erie basin. Grass carp do not present the same ecological risk to Michigans waters as bighead carp or silver carp, although they are a species of concern because they feed on aquatic plants and can significantly alter habitat required by native fish. Grass carp have occasionally been found in Michigan waters since the late 1970s.
(Provided by Michigan DNR)
As hunters go into the field in southern Michigan this season, they should be aware that they may see some construction activity in the woods and should use caution.
Enbridge is currently constructing segments of the Line 6B pipeline in Michigan. This work will continue during both small and big game hunting seasons. The Line 6B pipeline runs from Griffith, Ind., to Marysville, Mich., and crosses 11 counties in Michigan: Berrien, Calhoun, Cass, Ingham, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, St. Clair and St. Joseph.
Goose hunters anxious to begin hunting at the Muskegon County Wastewater Facility Managed Waterfowl Hunt Area will have to be patient for a little while longer. Muskegon County Wastewater and DNR Wildlife staff members are working to prepare the fields for waterfowl hunting.
A combination of rainy weather and equipment breakdowns has delayed hay cutting and crop harvest in many of the fields. After Muskegon County Wastewater staff members and contractors harvest the crops, the fields provide space for hunters and waste grain for local and migrating waterfowl use.