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MDNR Report
A Macomb County man with a history of Michigan DNR violations will spend 30-180 days in jail after being found guilty of two license violations.
Derek Dermyer, 37, of Washington Township, was sentenced March 10 in St. Clair County’s 72nd District Court for fishing without a license and fishing while licenses were revoked.
The penalty was increased to a habitual offender, due to Dermyer’s previous DNR violations within the past five years, which include:
- Possessing an overlimit of perch.
- Taking deer without a license.
- Failure to possess an unused kill tag while deer hunting.
- Possessing/transporting deer without an attached/validated kill tag.
- Failure to attach a validated (deer) kill tag.
“Habitual offenders are not only stealing resources, but they also create a bad name for the law-abiding majority of hunters and anglers,” said Chief Brandon Kieft, DNR Law Enforcement Division. “The DNR appreciates the support from the St. Clair County court system in recognizing Mr. Dermyer’s repeated history of DNR offenses.”
In December, a Michigan DNR conservation officer contacted Dermyer while he was ice fishing on Lake St. Clair. Dermyer was unable to present a valid fishing license due to his fishing (and hunting) license being revoked until Jan. 1.
Dermyer received two citations — fishing without a license and fishing while ineligible for licenses — which were submitted to the St. Clair County prosecutor.
The DNR offered a plea deal to drop one of the charges, which Dermyer declined. He advanced to court in February, where a jury found him guilty of both charges.
Dermyer’s sentence included the following additional penalties:
- $2,980 in court costs and fines.
- $20 reimbursement to the State of Michigan for conservation fees.
- Revoked fishing license for an additional seven years.
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By Louie Stout
If you like fishing for bluegill and bass – and who doesn’t – you might want to put Donnell Lake on your to-do list.
Michigan biologists conducted a survey there two springs ago to get a handle on the fish population since private lake groups are wanting to increase their walleye stockings.
Biologist Matt Diana said trap nets and electro-fishing tactics were used and turned up some good-sized bluegill and lots of bass.
“We didn’t see a lot 9-inch bluegill but we saw a lot of 8 inchers,” he said. “We didn’t see a great number of bluegills, but definitely great sizes.”
He went on to say that a key element to a good-sized bluegill population is a good bass population, and Donnell had that as well.
“We saw lots of bass, but not many sizeable fish,” he said. “The lake lacks good habitat, but property owners are moving toward improving that. It should help improve fishing over time.”
There was no shortage of big pike, either. Although they weren’t targeted, “some massive pike” were captured in the nets.
The survey didn’t turn up many crappies and perch numbers were low. Aside from the gamefish, the lake has a lot of turtles.
“Our nets were packed with turtles,” he noted.
The survey was done in May, 2024.
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By Louie Stout
Are you into cold plunges that would benefit the Edwardsburg, Mich. police, firefighters and EMTs?
Pondering a new boat purchase?
Starboard Choice Marine is hosting an open house on both days next weekend and offering attractive interest rates.
From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, you can take a dive into Pleasant Lake during the Leprechaun Leap to help raise money for Edwardsburg First Responders. If you’re not feeling like getting your tushy wet in the cold lake, stop by the Starboard Choice Marine where boat deals, food and refreshments will be available Friday and Saturday.
The timing is good for a boat deal. Circle Federal Credit Union, one of the sponsors of the Leprechaun Leap, will be offering a 5.50 percent interest rate on boats during the Open House.
“Those are the lowest interest rates we’ve seen in a number of years,” said Andy Peterson at Starboard Choice.
The dealership is located at 68502 Dailey Road in Edwardsburg and positioned on the shores of Pleasant Lake. To sign up for the Leprechaun Leap, visit the store’s website at www.stbcm.com or call the marina, 269 414 4351.
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MDNR Report
The Michigan DNR is expanding its eHarvest digital tagging system to include most species that require a kill tag, offering a modern and convenient alternative to traditional paper tags for hunters across the state.
Beginning with the 2026 license year, hunters harvesting deer, turkey, bear, bobcat, otter, fisher and marten will have the option to tag harvested animals digitally through the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish mobile app. The digital tagging expansion follows successful pilot programs for turkey eHarvest tagging in 2024 and 2025 and represents another step in Michigan’s effort to modernize hunting services and improve customer convenience.
Hunters should ensure they have the most recent version of the app to take advantage of the new eHarvest tags. The DNR recommends going to the app store on their device and searching for Michigan DNR Hunt Fish – if the app store indicates “get” or “install,” they will need to download the new version.
Digital eHarvest tags are optional. Traditional paper tags will continue to be available through eLicense and at retail agents for hunters who prefer them.
Kill tags purchased through the app will be digital eHarvest tags, and those purchased via eLicense or at a retail agent will be traditional paper tags.
“Expanding the eHarvest system improves hunter convenience, increases efficiency and reduces administrative costs while allowing us to direct more resources toward wildlife conservation and habitat management,” said Tom Weston, DNR chief technology officer.
Key benefits of digital eHarvest tags
Among the benefits digital eHarvest tags offer hunters, they are:
- Simple to use. No tagging of the animal is required as long as the licensed hunter is in possession of the animal, which includes when the animal is transferred directly to a processor or taxidermist or stored at the hunter’s primary residence. Hunters only need to create a physical tag when they are not in possession of a harvested animal. When the animal leaves the licensed hunter’s possession, a durable tag with the license number clearly written should be attached to it.
- Bear, bobcat, fisher, marten and otter are still required to be sealed at a DNR office.
- Immediate for validation. Digital tag validation is immediately recorded and timestamped on the user’s device. Cellular service is not required at the time of validation.
- Instant and convenient. Digital eHarvest tags are available 24 hours a day through the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish mobile app.
- Cost-effective. Reduced printing and distribution costs help keep more funding available for conservation programs.
- Dependable for enforcement. Immediate validation requirements remain in place, ensuring continued compliance and data accuracy.
By expanding eHarvest tagging, Michigan joins a growing number of states adopting digital tagging systems to improve convenience and data accuracy while maintaining strong enforcement standards.
Digital tag options will be available beginning March 1 through the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish mobile app. Additional information is available on the DNR eHarvest tags webpage, which can be found at Michigan.gov/DNRHuntFishApp.
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MDNR Report
A new coyote hunting and trapping season designed to address interspecies conflict and overabundance of the animals in Michigan will run for more than seven months starting today.
The statewide coyote management season, approved earlier this year by the Natural Resources Commission, is open March 2 through Oct. 14.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Coyote hunting is allowed on private and public lands, with some restrictions.
- Coyote trapping is prohibited on public lands and commercial forest lands open to general public hunting during the management season.
- The take of coyotes is prohibited in state parks and recreation areas from April 1 to Sept. 14.
- Current hunting and trapping methods are allowed, except nonlethal cable restraints, which are prohibited.
- Coyote hunting with dogs is prohibited April 16 to July 7.
- All other applicable hunting and trapping season regulations must be followed, including trap-check requirements.
License requirements
- A base license is required.
- A fur harvester license is required for all trappers and nonresident hunters.
- Resident hunters are only required to possess a base license.
- For all trappers or nonresident hunters who want to participate in March or April: A 2025 base license is valid through March 31, 2026. Anyone who plans to purchase a 2025 fur harvester license in March or April 2026 must purchase their 2025 base license PRIOR to Feb. 28, 2026.
Carcass use and disposal
- Coyote carcasses may be used or must be properly disposed of.
- Carcasses must be buried completely or wrapped and disposed of in a landfill.
- Private landowners may compost carcasses on their own land, as allowed by local authorities.
For questions or definitions regarding the coyote management season, contact the Natural Resources Commission at NRC@Michigan.gov.