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MDNR Report
Michigan DNR Hunting ad Fishing App
The new Michigan DNR hunting and fishing app is now available for download to Apple and Android devices.
Introduced in July after months of development and testing, the free Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app offers a convenient way for hunters, anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts to:
- Buy hunting and fishing licenses and trail permits.
- Report deer or fish harvests.
- Look up regulations and download guides and digests.
- Find their license history, including point and chance balances.
- Check out maps with multiple layers, showing features such as shooting ranges and boat launches.
- Get timely notifications from the DNR.
“I like the app; it’s easy to use and has everything right there,” said Mike Koziara, owner of MQT Adventures and Guide Service, which provides guided fishing and other outdoor excursions in the Upper Peninsula.
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MDNR Report
Fish hatchery infrastructure and maintenance and fisheries survey vessel modernization efforts will benefit from Michigan’s budget recently approved for fiscal year 2023. The budget includes $30 million for fish hatchery infrastructure improvements and $4 million to replace an outdated Great Lakes survey vessel – all of which are critical to better supporting and understanding Michigan’s world-class fisheries.
For more than 120 years, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has operated fish hatcheries to produce fish for stocking lakes and streams across Michigan. Today, there are six hatchery facilities – in Alanson, Beulah, Harrietta, Manistique, Marquette and Mattawan – vital to managing and maintaining the state’s fisheries. At 20 years old, Oden State Fish Hatchery is the newest facility, with the others ranging from 40 to over 50 years old. Though staff has done its best to keep operations running and fish thriving, the aging facilities have developed a large backlog of critical infrastructure maintenance needs.
With the $30 million investment in hatcheries, the DNR will upgrade production water supplies, replace roofs, upgrade outdated electrical distribution systems, repair and replace deteriorating asphalt, upgrade water aeration systems, replace outdated backup power generators and provide biosecurity enhancements that better protect fish health.
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MDNR report
Edward Trout, 29, of Cedar Springs, confessed to Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers that he illegally shot and abandoned multiple deer in Northeast Kent County.
Since late January, eight tipsters have contacted the DNR’s Report All Poaching hotline, reporting gunfire at night and deer carcasses located on or near properties in Nelson and Spencer townships.
Trout originally faced three charges in connection to the deer; since failing to appear for his original court date on June 3, he accumulated two additional charges for illegally taking snapping turtles.
Today in Kent County’s 63rd District Court, Trout pleaded not guilty to a five-count misdemeanor, including the charges of:
- Two counts of hunting and fishing without a license (up to $250 in fines, per count).
- Taking game from a vehicle (up to $500 in fines).
- Taking, possessing deer out of season ($1,000 per deer).
- Using illegal fishing devices (up to $1,000 in fines).
Trout’s hunting and fishing privileges have been suspended until he is scheduled to reappear in court on July 19. He faces jail time, reimbursement to the state for illegally taken wildlife, court costs and losing his hunting and fishing privileges. Officers seized Trout’s firearm, crossbow, homemade spear and additional evidence.
“We’re grateful for the concerned community members who reported the many dead, gunshot deer that were discovered throughout these communities, which helped officers identify a suspect,” said Chief Dave Shaw, DNR Law Enforcement Division. “The suspect has continued to display repetitive, unethical behavior while stealing public trust resources and allowing them to go to waste.”
In January, Conservation Officers Casey Varriale and Justin Ulberg began investigating the tips, often locating deer that appeared to have been shot from near the roadway.
By Feb. 13, officers investigated 13 deer that had been shot and abandoned in the two townships.
After hearing several news stories about the poaching, a concerned community member anonymously contacted the Report All Poaching hotline on Feb. 14. The tipster reported local rumors of Trout driving around over two to three nights, shooting deer from his vehicle.
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MDNR Report
Michigan Muskie Angler
If you're fishing for muskellunge this year, the Michigan DNR wants to hear from you.
The DNR is asking people who fish for muskie to help with its ongoing efforts to investigate these fish by reporting through the DNR's online muskellunge angler survey.
Since 2014, this survey has gathered information about muskie angler demographics and catch data, such as length of fish caught, angler effort, body of water fished and methods used. Fisheries managers have used this data to recommend fishing regulation changes to the Michigan Natural Resources Commission, evaluate the muskellunge stocking program and understand more about self-sustaining populations.
View the current survey and past survey data.
Whether their trip resulted in a catch or not, anglers can offer valuable information about their fishing experience. People may fill out one survey per person, per trip and are encouraged to complete a survey for each muskellunge fishing trip they make.
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MDNR Report
Lloyd Tanner with Michigan state-record flathead catfish
While fishing with cut bait recently in Berrien County, Mich., an angler from Hobart, Indiana, caught a new state-record fish: a flathead catfish weighing in at 53.35 pounds and measuring 48 inches!
Lloyd Tanner was fishing the St. Joe River, a tributary of Lake Michigan, in the early-morning hours of Sunday, May 29, when he reeled in the record-breaker.
This fish beats the previous state-record flathead catfish – 52 pounds, 46.02 inches long – caught in 2014 by Dale Blakley, of Niles, out of Barron Lake in Cass County.
Tanner's fish was verified by Jay Wesley, Lake Michigan Basin coordinator with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.