Don’t Overlook these Nontraditional Species when Fishing
NRC changes coming in ’25
By Victor Skinner Contributing Writer
Autumn, Winter Egg Take Almost Complete
The egg take from salmon and trout is all but complete by the DNR. S ee Page 6
Steep Price to Pay in Ohio Whitetail Case
A man who plead guilty to illegally harvesting a trophy buck must pay more than 35,000 in restitution plus fines and jail time
S ee Page 7
Muskegon, Mich. — Changeover is coming to the Michigan Natural Resources Commission this new year, but what that means for fish and wildlife management remains to be seen.
“There will be some new faces on the commission, for sure,” said NRC Chairman Tom Baird.
Both Baird and Commissioner David Cozad were appointed to the seven-member commission by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2021 and both of their terms wrapped up at the end of 2024.
“Dave has applied for reappointment, and I told the governor I’m not seeking reappointment,” Baird said. Cozad declined to comment about his plans when contacted by Michigan Outdoor News
“Unfortunately, I can’t discuss that topic at this time as decisions have not yet been made,” Cozad wrote in a text
Wolf survival not linked to status
Lone wolves more likely to die by human hand than pack members
By Beckie Gaskill Contributing Writer
Ashland, Wis. — Researchers have found that humans account for 67% of wolf mortality, with poaching the dominant cause of wolf mortality despite the fact that wolves in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota have been mostly under some level of federal protection. At this year’s Great Lakes Wolf Symposium at Northland
(See Wolves Page 9)
NORTHERN EXPOSURE. Northern pike are one of the top predatory game fish that ice anglers target, but there are lots of other species that too many anglers overlook. For a peek at fishing for some nontraditional species through the ice, check out some hard-core tips from hard-water angler Joe Shead’s story on Page 19.
Murder conviction, coyote lawsuit highlight ’24 news
By Bill Parker Editor
Lake Orion, Mich. — There certainly were plenty of eye-opening headlines in Michigan Outdoor News last year.
From more research and legal battles over the gray wolf, and the conviction of the man responsible for killing a hunter in 2018, to a lawsuit against the Natural Resources Commission over coyote hunting, there was no shortage of big news.
Following are some of the biggest stories in MON during 2024.
January
• The state of Michigan planned to purchase 10,000 acres in the Keweenaw Peninsula of the 32,541 acres the Nature Conservancy bought at the end of 2022.
• Under a settlement approved by a federal District court, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must draft a new recovery plan for gray wolves listed under the Endangered Species Act.
• Through all 12 month of 2023 and several different hunting seasons there was a total of just 10
(See Review Page 25)
Stock photo
Opinion
Outdoor Observations
THE PROPOSED HUNTING AND FISHING license fee increase package never really saw any serious light of day in the Michigan legislature.
HB 6229, which would have significantly raised license fees to hunt and fish in Michigan for the first time in 10 years, was referred to and passed out of the House Committee on Natural Resources, Environment, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation (6-1). But it died on the House floor without a vote.
Bill Parker Editor
That bill, along with a couple hundred others that already had been approved by the Senate, never received action in the dysfunctional Michigan House of Representatives. House Speaker Joe Tate adjourned the lame duck session early on Dec. 19 after 55 Republican lawmakers and one Democrat refused to return to session leaving the House short of the quorum needed for a vote.
“It is with great disappointment that I share the news that the hunting and fishing license fee bill did not make it out of the House yesterday and therefore will not be passed into law during lame duck,” DNR Fisheries Division Chief Randy Claramunt wrote in a memo to members of Lake Huron Citizens Fisheries Advisory Committee.
“As we had to wait until lame duck to introduce the license package, it resulted in an intense couple of months of trying to find a pathway for the bill with little movement in the House for weeks, opposing ideas in the Senate, and opposition from the minority even in the face of extremely strong stakeholder and partner support,” Claremunt said.
The entire process, from finding sponsors for the legislation to educating freshmen legislators on the importance of game and fish management, will have to begin again when Republicans take control of the House in January after two years of Democratic control.
WE’RE EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE ARE NOW accepting nominations for the 2025 Michigan Outdoor News Person of the Year award. The staff at MON needs your help to find a quality individual to recognize with the prestigious award.
We’re not looking for someone who gets paid to perform a job. Rather, we’re looking for a volunteer who goes above and beyond his or her designated tasks to support and enhance our natural resources.
Send us your nominations with a brief explanation (100 words or fewer) on why your nominee deserves recognition.
Our staff will review the nominations and select this year’s recipient, who will receive a beautiful plaque and a write-up about their contributions to the conservation of our natural resources in an upcoming edition of MON.
Nominations for the award, given over the past 11 years by the publication, will be accepted through the end of February. Email nominations to Michigan Outdoor News Editor Bill Parker at bpoutdoors@aol.com.
LAST CALL FOR BEST BUCK PHOTOS!
Time is running out to enter the 25th annual Michigan Outdoor News Best Buck photo contest presented by Federal. The entry deadline is January 6.
Upload your picture to www.outdoornews.com/bestbuck or mail it to Michigan Outdoor News, Best Buck Contest, PO Box 199, Lake Orion, MI, 48361-0199.
Michigan Outdoor News welcomes unsolicited fishing and hunting photographs. Enclose a selfaddressed, stamped envelope for return of photograph to: Michigan Outdoor News, P.O. Box 199, Lake Orion, MI 48361-0199 E-mail: bpoutdoors@aol.com Website: www.outdoornews.com/michigan
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Commentary
Birding: Good for the economy, and a year-round endeavor
By Craig Springer USFWS Office of Conservation Investment
Some years back, I put up nest boxes in my woodlot for cavity-nesting birds. White-breasted nuthatches readily took to the boxes for raising broods, and for roosting.
As our planet makes its autumnal tilt, a whole host of songbirds and raptors head south for warmer climes. But the woods are not vacant. The nuthatches live here year-round, sharing the pinyons with mountain chickadee and juniper titmouse.
You can hear a fuzzy chicka-dee-dee or the chirpy and serried whickity-whickty-whickity that arcs through the air like sparks off hot steel. A lot of sound comes out of a little titmouse. The nasally yank-yank of a white-breasted
nuthatch lacks musical quality, and even when it sings close by, it sounds as though it is far away.
Winter birds are a benison – a reward unto themselves. All birds offer a connection to nature that comes to us both active and passive, on birding safaris, while waterfowl hunting, as we trail a bird dog after pheasants, or when we glance at a bird feeder out the living room window.
“Birds are accessible – nearly always with us no matter where we are – town or country,” said Matt Hogan, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s mountain-prairie regional director. “A connection to nature is demonstrably good for body, mind, and soul, and birding is one way there.”
A robust number of birders exist in the United States. An
addendum to the 2022 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation reveals that a great number of people take part in birding, be it at home or beyond their residence. They spend in the aggregate quite a large sum of money.
USFWS economist Erin Carver waded deeply into demographic and economic data collected for the survey. She ferreted out telling details about birders and their expenditures.
The data will be of interest to those in industry, tourism, wildlife managers, researchers, and planners.
Here’s a snapshot of what you will find in Birding in the United States: A Demographic and Economic Analysis: • Nearly 96 million people
(See Commentary Page 8)
Letters to the Editor
Support for reader who says he saw a wild wolverine
This letter is in response to the reader story in the Dec. 6 edition of Michigan Outdoor News. So… the same DNR that claims there are no wolverines in Michigan once claimed there were no mountain lions in Michigan, either. Remember those days? That was despite
Attention Readers
numerous public reports for decades. People were often ridiculed and embarrassed for reporting them, too. That same DNR claimed there were no wolves in southern Michigan, either, but a coyote hunter accidentally killed one recently in Calhoun County.
It’s that kind of close-minded, denial-dogma that makes a lot of people distrust the DNR.
The DNR is supposedly composed of “experts” who think they know more than what the public actually can see with their own eyes. I sympathize with Mr. Garcia’s sighting
Mixed Bag
NRTF BoaRd RecommeNds $41.7 millioN iN
PRojecTs To BoosT ou TdooR RecReaTioN
Lansing — The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Board recommended last month that the Michigan Legislature approve 68 recreation development projects and 17 land acquisitions totaling $41.7 million be funded in 2025.
The board this year considered a total of 122 applications seeking over $53.4 million in funding. In a competitive process, all eligible applications were evaluated based on scoring criteria approved by the Trust Fund board.
The panel recommends funding to state and local agencies for development projects and land acquisitions aimed at furthering access to public outdoor recreation.
This year, the board recommended $22.5 million for development project grants and $19.3 million for acquisition grants.
“From fantastic land purchases like a $4.2 million property that will connect additional Michigamme Highlands habitats to Craig Lake State Park in Marquette County to a $400,000 project to develop the Nakwema Trails in Charlevoix County, these grant recommendations by the board will make significant improvements to outdoor recreation across our state,” Michigan Department of Natural Resources Director Scott Bowen said.
A list of the final recommendations made by the Trust Fund board is available at Michigan.gov/MNRTF.
P uBlic commeNT PeRiod oPeNs oN PRoPosal To desigNaTe H aBiTaT FoR FouR mussel sPecies
Washington — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to designate critical habitat for four species of endangered freshwater mussels. Habitat for the rayed bean, sheepnose, snuffbox and spectaclecase mussels can be found in 17 states in the central and eastern United States. FWS is proposing to designate a total of 3,974 river miles of occupied habitat, where many of the units for each individual species overlap. This proposal opens a 60-day public comment period.
All four mussel species were listed as endangered in 2012 under the Endangered Species Act, which means they are in danger of extinction.
Michigan is home to the rayed bean and snuffbox mussels.
The proposal to designate critical habitat is open for comment and will appear in the Federal Register through February 11. Information on how to submit comments can be found on regulations.gov by searching docket number FWS-R3-ES-2024-0144.
BideN oFFicially makes Bald eagle
THe NaTioNal BiRd
Washington (AP) — The bald eagle, a symbol of the power and strength of the United States for more than 240 years, earned an overdue honor on Tuesday, Dec. 24: It officially became the country’s national bird.
President Joe Biden signed legislation that amends the United States Code to correct what had long gone unnoticed and designate the bald eagle as the national bird.
The bald eagle has appeared on the Great Seal of the United States, since 1782.
Congress that same year designated the bald eagle as the national emblem, and its image appears in a host of places, ranging from documents and the presidential flag to military insignia and U.S. currency, according to USA.gov.
But it had never been officially designated to be what many had just assumed it was – the national bird.
The bald eagle is indigenous to North America.
love sTaTe PaRks aNd TR ails? a PPly FoR
WoRkgRouP aNd commiTTee vacaNcies
Lansing — If you are a fan of Michigan state parks and trails and have always wanted to add your voice to the discussion that shapes them, consider applying by Jan. 15 for vacancies on two key advisory bodies that work with the DNR.
The DNR is accepting applications for an opening on the Snowmobile Advisory Workgroup, which consists of seven volunteers each serving four-year terms.
The DNR also is accepting applications for openings on the Michigan State Parks Advisory Committee, which consists of 12 volunteers, each serving up to four-year terms.
To apply for the snowmobile advisory board contact Jessica Roehrs at 517-331-3790. To apply for the Michigan State Parks Advisory Committee contact Barbara Graves at 517-284-6136.
WiscoNsiN goveRNoR Picks NeW dNR leadeR Madison — Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers announced recently that Dr. Karen Hyun has accepted his invitation to serve as the next secretary of the Wisconsin DNR. The secretary position is the equivalent of Michigan’s DNR director.
Evers said Hyun has experience working on natural resources, stewardship, and conservation issues. She has served as the chief of staff of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) since 2021.
She also has more than a decade of experience in policy and environmental work including a stint as deputy assistant secretary for fish, wildlife, and parks at the Department of the Interior in 2015.
Three bucks with two bullets?
By Richard P. Smith
Contributing Writer
Marquette, Mich. — Kyle Sickelsteel from Howard City had a terrific firearms deer season in Michigan. He ended up with three adult bucks in Montcalm County after firing just two bullets out of his 6.5 Creedmore.
Two of the whitetails were of trophy proportions.
The pair of bucks he got with one bullet on Thanksgiving morning had their antlers locked. The largest of those deer had nontypical 12-point antlers with a drop tine. That’s the one he shot. The smaller 7-pointer that the 12 locked antlers with was already dead.
Sickelsteel guessed that the bigger buck broke the seven’s neck and had been trying to dislodge himself from the carcass for days.
Although taking on the locked bucks was the highlight of Kyle’s almost 20 years of deer hunting, his 2024 season got off to a terrific start, too.
On the morning of November 15 Sickelsteel shot one of his best bucks up until that time, a trophy 14-pointer. He shot it from the same blind that he got the locked bucks from. The 12-pointer he got on Thanksgiving had larger antlers than his opening day buck.
“Shooting the 12-point was kind of a mercy thing, in my opinion,” Sickelsteel said. “I was by myself and I wasn’t going to try to wrangle those deer to separate them. Figured I would get hurt.”
At the time Sickelsteel shot the 12, he wasn’t sure the second buck was dead. They were about 160 yards away when he took the shot.
Sickelsteel surmised that he 12-point had been unable to eat anything during the days it was tangled with the dead buck, but it was able to drink water. He said the whitetail’s stomach was filled with water.
“I have a mile walk to the swamp where I hunt on private property,” Sickelsteel explained.
“I hunt from an old blind near a pond that has been there forever that my great grandfather hunted from. The blind is on a hill that is about 15 feet higher than the surrounding terrain. There’s a lot of tall canary grass and autumn olive brush in the area.
“I got in the blind before daylight on Thanksgiving morning and the deer were acting strange. I could hear them snorting out in the canary grass before daylight. I didn’t think they were blowing at me. I thought they were alarmed by something else.
“After it got light enough to see, there was a doe 20 feet from the blind in the canary grass and she started acting weird. Even though the wind was in my favor, she snorts and runs out in the grass. Then I saw another deer 160 yards away with its head down. I thought it was a doe at first, but then it lifted its head and I saw a lot of white from antlers.”
Sickelsteel first thought was that the buck’s rack was stuck in the grass. After looking at the deer with binoculars, however, he eventually was able to determine the buck was attached to another whitetail. When the standing deer moved to an opening in the brush, Sickelsteel dropped the deer with a 143-grain bullet from his rifle at 8:30 a.m.
He estimated the 7-pointer was 3½ years old and the 12-point was 4 or 5 years old.
Sickelsteel and his friends were unable to separate the racks. He believes the fact that they were unable to separate the bucks after they were dead confirms that it
would have been impossible to do so when the 12-pointer was still alive.
Sickelsteel suspects the bucks hit their antlers together so hard that they temporarily spread enough to allow them to become entangled when they sprang back to their normal positions. He plans on having a European mount done of the locked bucks.
It was 10:30 a.m. on November 15 when Sickelsteel shot the 14-pointer.
“There was a lot of action that morning,” Sickelsteel said. “I watched that big buck for a while before I was able to get a shot. He was chasing a doe that must have been in heat.”
After watching the buck chase the doe in and out of the brush a number of times, Sickelsteel eventually got an opportunity for a shot when the whitetail was on the edge of the pond. He dropped it in its tracks. Sickelsteel guesses the 14-point was 4½ years old. Its antlers had an 18 ½-inch spread.
The Wisconsin DNR secretary post has been vacant for more than a year after former DNR Secretary Adam Payne announced his resignation in late October 2023. For a more complete story, visit www. outdoornews.com/wisconsin.
Kyle Sickelsteel was all smiles after he shot a 12-point buck on Thanksgiving morning that was locked up and dragging around a dead 7-point buck. Contributed photos
Karen Hyun
Christmas trees for habitat?
DNR says there are solid options
DNR Report
Lansing — Each year, Michiganders purchase millions of live Christmas trees. When the holidays are over though, many people wonder if there are beneficial uses for their trees rather than sending them to a landfill. The answer is yes. There are many ways that your old Christmas trees can keep on giving as habitat, but it’s important to think carefully about the best way to do so.
Christmas trees for fish?
People often ask the Michigan Department of Natural Resources whether their Christmas trees would make good habitat for fish.
This is a great question, as many of Michigan’s lakes once had woody habitat, such as a fallen tree, every 5 to 50 feet!. This woody habitat is important for fish, turtles, frogs, herons and other animals, because it provides refuge from predators and opportunities to bask in the sun, reduces wave energy that erodes shorelines and encourages growth of aquatic plants. Harder-wood trees with an open branch structure provide high-quality habitat.
However, Christmas trees are classified as softwoods, and are typically species such as balsam fir, Douglas fir, Fraser fir, noble fir, Scotch pine, Virginia pine and white pine. These softwoods break down relatively quickly in aquatic environments. The dense branches on Christmas trees that are perfect for holding ornaments are often too dense for many fish to use as habitat. Additionally, pesticides applied to Christmas trees, leftover decorations and anchors used to sink trees may introduce unwanted materials into our waters. So, if you’re thinking about sinking that tree in your favorite lake for fish habitat, you may want to consider an alternative.
Suggested uses
What is the best use for that Christmas tree? Here are some options:
• Create a brush pile on your property to provide habitat. Wildlife may use it for nesting or as a food source. Just make sure that the tree is pesticide-free and that you’ve removed all of the ornaments and other decorations.
• Cut the tree into small pieces or mulch it to use in garden pots or landscaping, which will return nutrients to the soil. Depending on the type of gardening you’re doing and the type of tree you have, you may need to confirm that the tree is pesticide-free and that it won’t negatively affect soil composition for whatever you’re growing.
• Give the tree to a friend who has chickens or goats. Chickens can roost on trees and goats love to chew on them. Again, make sure the tree is pesticide-free before allowing animals to use it.
• Recycle your tree through your municipality. Many cities and towns collect trees or have designated drop-off locations.
• Cools down to 39˚ in 20 minutes
• Made from commercial SIP panels
– two coated aluminum sheets enclose the continuous superinsulating foam panel
• Hunt when you want – without the worry of waiting for processing or losing your harvest to fly larvae contamination
• Comes complete with all cooling components
• Don’t panic – no ice needed
• Aged meat is more tender meat
• Greater air circulation for more precise aging
• Hangs up to 5 deer or 1,000 pounds of meat
• 5 stainless steel meat hooks
• Includes exterior thermometer to check interior temperature
• Requires only 110 volts and pulls only 5.9 amps, so it runs on a small generator (not included)
• Includes floor drain for easy sanitary clean up
• Components are shipped preassembled in a box for fast and easy assembly (approximately 2 hours)
• Measures 48”W x 45”D x 90”H
• Weighs approximately 250 lbs
• Hauls with ease in your pickup (no additional trailer necessary)
• Multiple uses after deer season
• 2 NEW door latches with locks
• Made from Commercial SIP panels
• Half the Weight, Twice the Strength
• 3 Times the Insulation Value
• No Condensation Inside Blind
• Aluminum Skin Inside &
Fall, winter egg collection efforts wrapping up
Final take of rainbow trout eggs will be done in mid-January
DNR Report
Lansing — Every year, the Department of Natural Resources stocks fish in Michigan waters to provide angling opportunities and maintain healthy ecosystems.
Where do these stocked fish come from?
It all starts with collecting fish eggs, and the DNR has been working this fall gathering the necessary eggs to produce fish for stocking. Fall egg collections have been completed for wild Chinook and coho salmon and for captive broodstocks of brown, brook, and lake trout. Rainbow trout egg collection will soon begin.
Chinook salmon eggs were collected in October at the Little Manistee River Weir. Eggs and milt (sperm) are gathered from
fish during the annual salmon run. At the weir, salmon swim up a fish ladder and into holding ponds. From there, fish are brought into the facility, where eggs and milt are collected and the eggs are fertilized.
“We experienced a solid run of wild
Chinook salmon this year,” said Aaron Switzer, fish production program manager.
“The run at the Little Manistee was healthy enough to provide all of Michigan’s egg needs. We were also able to provide eggs to Indiana and Illinois state-owned fish hatcheries. Once hatched, reared, and stocked all of these Chinook salmon contribute to the Lake Michigan salmon fishery.”
Coho salmon eggs were collected at the Platte River State Fish Hatchery Weir in October
“We collected nearly 6.5 million coho salmon eggs at the Platte River weir by the time the egg collection wrapped up. This includes approximately 3 million for Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. All four states work together cooperatively each year to ensure Lake Michigan continues to receive Pacific salmon to supplement the fishery,” Switzer said.
Not all egg collections are of wild fish, however. Captive broodstocks, fish kept at
a hatchery to produce eggs and milt, will provide many of the eggs that will later become stocked fish: 378,000 brook trout eggs, 448,000 lake trout eggs, 2.6 million brown trout eggs, and 1.5 million rainbow trout eggs. An additional 422,000 splake eggs (brook trout and lake trout hybrid) will also be collected from captive broodstock to support Michigan’s fisheries management objectives.
At Oden State Fish Hatchery, egg collections for brown trout occurred through mid-October. Rainbow trout egg collections at Oden began in December and will continue until mid-January.
These captive egg collections will occur every one to two weeks over the season. Captive broodstock egg collections for brook and lake trout at Marquette State Fish Hatchery have already been completed.
To learn more about Michigan’s state fish hatcheries or to plan a trip to see behind the scenes, visit Michigan.gov/Hatcheries.
Ohio poacher sentence: jail time, $39K-plus in restitution
Largest restitution for whitetail in state’s history
DNR, Staff Report
Wilmington, Ohio —
Christopher J. Alexander, 28, of Wilmington, was sentenced Dec. 11 in Clinton County Common Pleas Court for unlawfully shooting a trophy white-tailed deer buck in November 2023, according to the Ohio DNR Division of Wildlife.
Alexander in October pleaded guilty to 14 charges related to the taking of the trophy buck. The charges stem from the poaching of a would-be world-class typical whitetail on Nov. 9, 2023.
Alexander had claimed that he killed the 18-point buck on land owned by his sister when in fact the kill came on property that he did not have permission to hunt, according to ODNR investigators. He also pleaded guilty to illegally taking a second antlered buck during the 2023 season.
Published reports indicate that investigators were aided in piecing the case together by text messages and social media posts.
Christopher J. Alexander pleaded guilty to 14 charges related to the taking of this 18-point trophy buck in Ohio. He recently was sentenced to pay over $35,000 in restitution plus fines, community service, and six months in jail. DNR photo
Alexander was sentenced to pay the maximum restitution for the 18-point trophy buck, $35,071.73. This was the largest restitution value for a single white-tailed deer in Ohio’s history.
Restitution increased to $39,696.73 when $4,625 was added for a second unlawfully taken buck during the 2023 hunting season.
Alexander was also sentenced to complete five years of community control and serve six months at STAR Community Justice Center, a locked down community based correctional facility. He received a 10-year hunting license revocation and forfeited all property seized as evidence, including the trophy deer’s antlers. Finally, he was ordered to pay $1,000 in fines, $1,000 to the Turn In a Poacher (TIP) program, $2,000 in restitution to media outlets, and all court costs.
The Ohio Division of Wildlife conducted an investigation into Alexander’s taking of the trophy buck after receiving information alleging that the deer was taken unlawfully.
In all, he was convicted of: ille-
gal taking or possession of deer (two counts), hunting without a license, hunting without a deer permit, selling illegally taken or possessed deer antlers, spotlighting, hunting without permission (four counts), tampering with evidence, theft, misdemeanor theft, and falsification.
Three accomplices connected to the case were also sentenced.
Corey P. Haunert, 29, of Hillsboro, was charged for attempted tampering with evidence, aiding a wildlife offender in taking or possessing deer (three counts), hunting without permission, and falsification.
He was ordered to pay $1,000 in fines and restitution, serve 90 days
in jail, suspended, and complete 200 hours of community service, His hunting license was revoked for three years and he forfeited a tree stand and crossbow.
Kristina M. Alexander, 37, of Blanchester, was charged for obstructing official business and aiding a wildlife offender. She was ordered to pay $1,000 in fines and restitution, serve 60 days in jail, suspended, and complete one year of monitored time supervision.
Zachary R. Haunert, 31, of Lebanon, was charged for aiding a wildlife offender. He was ordered to pay $500 in fines and restitution, serve 60 days in jail, suspended, and complete one year of monitored time supervision.
Novi hosts huge fishing show Jan. 9-12
ShowSpan release
Novi, Mich. — Hundreds of new fishing boats, the largest ice fishing display in the state, and a star-studded lineup of seminars by some of the best anglers in the world combine to make the 42nd annual Ultimate Fishing Show–Detroit the largest and best pure fishing show in the country.
The show motors into town Jan. 9-12, at Suburban Collection Showplace, 46100 Grand River Avenue in Novi. The show is a four-day event dedicated entirely to Michigan fishing and draws more than 35,000 anglers.
“We’re going to fill the 300,000-square-foot Suburban Collection Showplace from wall to wall with boats, ice fishing gear,
open-water fishing gear, outfitters and guides, seminar stages, fishing features, demonstrations and more,” says Show Manager Ben Nielsen.
Four-time Bassmaster Classic Champion and seven-time B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year, Kalamazoo native Kevin VanDam will share some of his personal tactics and techniques with patrons at the Ultimate Fishing Show–Detroit on Thursday only. Mark Zona, host of Zona’s Awesome Fishing Show, and recently retired Bassmasters show host, will present seminars on Friday and Saturday. Bass fishing experts and seminar speakers Joe Thomas, Capt. Wayne Carpenter, and Jim Vitaro also will provide tips and entertainment.
The walleye side of the semi-
nar lineup is equally impressive a nd includes Michigan natives Mark Martin, a member of the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame, TV show host Mark Romanack –Fishing 411, and Captain Lance Valentine, founder of Walleye 101 and The Fishing Education Center. Other seminar speakers include Jim Bedford (river fishing), Roger Hinchcliff (steelhead), Captain Jake Romanack (co-host of Fishing 411) among others.
Show hours: Thursday, 1 to 8; Friday, 12 to 8; Saturday, 10 to 8; Sunday, 10 to 5. Admission: $12 adults, $5 children 6 to 14, free for children 5 and under. On-site parking is $10.
For more information, visit www.UltimateFishingShow.com or call 800-447-2860.
Coho salmon eggs were collected at the Platte River State Fish Hatchery Weir from Oct. 15 to Nov. 1. DNR photo
Curious anglers ask: Are carp good to eat?
There are five species of invasive carp now entrenched in the Upper Midwest, though only the common carp and grass carp (an Asian carp) are found in Michigan. The odd thing is why they are here.
The common carp, the most widespread species, was imported from Europe (where they’d been established after being imported from Asia) because they were highly regarded as a foodfish. The other four species were imported from Asia as a cheap, biological control for aquatic weeds, algae, and snails in aquaculture ponds.
Ironically, the taste of common carp, the one brought here for its great edibility, is far inferior as a food fish compared to silver, bighead, black, and grass carp. I’ve prepared some of these species and have eaten all of them.
Some (like my first experiment with common carp) were disappointing. Still, I’ve eaten some carp preparations that were quite good, though none of them will ever replace perch, walleye, or salmon in my kitchen.
The one thing all five of these species have in common, instantly noted by anyone who decides they’d like to fry one up for dinner, is they are bony. Very bony. Amazingly bony! In addition to the bones most fish have that are attached to their spine, the carp’s meat is filled with what are called intramuscular bones.
Using the same cuts a fish cleaning expert would use to produce boneless fillets from most fish won’t result in boneless carp fillets. The meat in each fillet is crammed with intramuscular bones the length of the fillet. I’m sure someone has counted them. I haven’t, but the first time I tried a fried carp, the message I got from my tongue, cheeks, gums and other mouthparts convinced me the fillet was made up of equal parts meat and bones. The meat part tasted OK; the bones part stopped me from taking another bite.
Why was I even trying to eat a carp? I was in college. It was the spring of the year when the carp were spawning in the shallows. I was an accomplished bow-fisherman. I was running out of money and I was looking for cheap, good-to-eat protein. I was half right, they were cheap. Since then, I’ve learned other methods that can be applied to all five species of carp and can produce more than a mouth full of I-bones.
Canning
Actually, if you are a starving college student or for some other reason you would like to put carp on your menu, try pressure-canning them. Salmon, sardines, mackerel and other fish are commercially canned – bones and all. By the time the recommended 100 minutes at 10 psi cooking time is over, the bones are as soft as the meat. The taste is similar to
GREAT LAKES LOG BOOK
By Mike Schoonveld
canned tuna and can be used in any tuna recipe.
Score-fried I made two mistakes when trying to cook carp when I was in college. I should have scored the fillets prior to frying them. “Scored” means making a series of cuts across the fillet about 3⁄ 8 -inch apart and about three-quarters of the way through the fillet. The other mistake I used was pan-frying instead of deep frying the carp. The hot oil will penetrate
If you can’t beat ’em, eat ’em, right? The author believes that recipes like these fish tacos and fish cakes could help control invasive carp by turning them into delicious dishes. Illinois DNR photo
into the score-cuts and make the intramuscular bones as crisp as the seasoned coating on the exterior of the fish. If
you like crispy fish, you’ll like deep-fried, scored carp.
To me, common carp tastes similar to catfish; the other
four species of carp taste more like gamefish.
Pickling
Herring is the most popular, commercially available, pickled fish – usually served as a snack or appetizer. Pickled fish will brighten the flavor of most fresh salads. There are dozens of recipes available for pickling fish, each one imparting a slightly different taste to the end product but for each, the premise remains the same. The acidic vinegar in the pickling liquid reacts with the calcium in the bones in the fish softening or dissolving them completely. Snack away with no worry of getting a mouth full of bones. Wildlife Forever’s Citizen Carp Control program (https://citizencarpcontrol. org/) has a carp fishing/ eating contest ongoing called the Catch, Kiss, & Cook Challenge. If you participate, this website features several unique carp recipes.
https://choosecopi.com/
Pheasant release program still gaining support
Elvis, my number one bird hunting partner, went on point in the tall grass, maybe 25 yards ahead of me.
I got there directly, stomped around in the grass for about 10 yards, then went back and tapped him on the head – that’s how I release him from a point – but he didn’t want to move. I gave him a little tug on the collar and coaxed him forward, he moved to about where I had been, and pointed again.
This went on for about 10 minutes, point, stomp, release, move, point, stomp and release until the rooster finally flushed about 50 yards in front of us. A cagey old rooster who knew the game, right? Unlikely. I was at Rose Lake Wildlife Area, one of the 14 sites in the state’s pheasant release program.
It was the second bird we’d flushed that morning. The first came up several hundred yards earlier. Elvis was standing on the two track near some headhigh grass, frozen like a statue in a classic pose – one paw lilted, tail up high like a flagpole – and I wished for a minute I was holding a Nikon instead of a Remington so I could shoot a photo. It was magazine cover stuff. Instead, I took a couple of steps into the grass and shot the pheasant, which exploded from the vegetation with a loud caw,
BOTH SIDES
By Bob Gwizdz
caw, caw, boldly proclaiming it was a rooster.
Some folks are not on board with the pheasant release program because they think the birds don’t compare to wild birds, but these birds behaved as though they were born on an Iowa set-aside. I know there are times when you practically have to boot them in the butt to get them to fly, but thinking about it for a moment, I’ve had the same experience with wild pheasants, too.
I was discussing this with one of the Department of Wildlife Division staffers at the area recently, and he remarked that they had two different vendors releasing pheasants at Rose Lake and maybe some of them were reared in larger flight pens while others were raised in small enclosures and weren’t as ready to take to the wing.
Photo Contest
Makes sense.
A huge proponent of the release program since its inception in 2019, I have argued that anyone who doesn’t like it doesn’t have to participate.
The only fly in the ointment is the $25 license required of all pheasant hunters on state land in southern Michigan; the guys who are hunting state game areas that aren’t in the program are paying for a benefit they’re not receiving, (Though one DNR biologist said he’s heard some of those guys praise the program because it’s thinned out the crowds at the non-release areas.)
And some guys complain that released birds are maybe genetically inferior to the wild birds, but, think about it: All the pheasants in America are descendants of farm-raised stock.
But the future of the program is far from guaranteed as
Letters
(From Page 3)
and believe he saw a wolverine despite what others claim.
Rick Casey Paw Paw
Proposed license fee increase would really hit seniors
The proposed huge fee increase for senior licenses would be beyond the means
two bills pertaining to it are languishing in the Legislature. The bill re-authorizing the release program and the DNR license fee bill (which proposes to raise the cost of the license from $25 to $38) appear to have no traction and Capitol insiders tell me they don’t expect to see much accomplished as this session creeps to a close.
Adam Bump, the game bird specialist at the DNR, says most of what he’s heard from hunters is that the release program is a winner. Participating hunters have suggestions – they want more birds released and more release areas – and those who don’t hunt the release areas want more habitat work done on the other areas.
But habitat improvements will bear precious little fruit. Remember the Michigan Pheasant Restoration Initiative?
Begun about a decade ago, the MPRI was designed to improve pheasant habitat across much
of many seniors who are on fixed incomes and can barely afford the current license fees to begin with.
It’s a shame that the seniors would get a double whammy.
The increase in license fees and decrease in the discount percentage is a huge increase for senior licenses.
It’s not fair to seniors who have paid their fair share for their whole life and then sock it to them when they can least afford it.
Don Roach Port Huron
of southern Michigan, and the staff at Rose Lake jumped in with both feet. The habitat there is as pretty as any this side of South Dakota, an excellent amalgam of grasslands, croplands, and wintering cover developed with a “build it and they will come” mindset. Well, they built it. But the pheasants didn’t come. The question is where are they going to come from? There weren’t enough wild birds on the landscape to move into the habitat. So the staffers at Rose Lake recommended it for the release program because it has the habitat, but it doesn’t have the birds.
Personally, were I running the DNR, I would propose a two-tier license system. Leave it at $25 for the guys who don’t hunt on release areas and dedicate that money to habitat work at state game areas. And raise the fee for those who hunt the release areas to $100 so they can have more areas and more birds.
A fee of $100 for a seasonlong membership at a pheasant hunting preserve is a bargain by any measure. And the guys who are paying $25 will find out how little they can actually get done for that.
But back to the hunting. It took me another 45 minutes to get my second bird and on my way out, I ran into a couple of guys I know who had one bird each. We talked about the program. I raised the question of paying $100.
“Make it $200,” one said. He knows what we all should know: You get what you pay for.
Bring back the lifetime licenses
I think we should again consider “lifetime” licenses. Maybe $500 each and $300 for seniors 60 and over. They could include two chances in the elk hunt lottery every year as a come on or a “thank you”. Set up a separate account for these licenses and use the funds only for capital improvements.
Peter Treboldi Troy
age 16 and older are birders in the United States.
• The average age of birders is 49 years, with the majority age 65 and older.
• Ninety-one million people watch birds around their homed.
• Participation in birding between men and women is nearly equal.
• Twenty-four percent of birders fish; a separate 8% of birders hunt; and 6% of birders both fish and hunt.
• Male birders are more likely to also fish and hunt.
• African American birders tend to fish and hunt more than other races.
• Birders spent $107.6 billion on trips and equipment, with cameras, nest boxes, bird food, and more accounting for $12.6 billion of that total.
“No doubt about it, birding is important to the American people,” said Hogan, himself an avid birder and bird hunter. “Watching birds lightens your heart – it lifts your soul like friendly smiles
and pleasantries exchanged between strangers. The positive influence of birding on the American economy and jobs is hefty, encouraging – and appreciated. Birding and wildlife-related pursuits also have immeasurable aesthetic and intrinsic value.”
Just what is the value of watching a nuthatch walking head-first down a tree trunk, defying gravity, looking more like a horsefly than a bird? The slate-blue and white bird will take pause, give you a sideways quizzical glance over its spiky beak and be off. But it’s not going far.
To read Birding in the United States: An Economic and Demographic Analysis: (https://partnerwithapayer.org/wp-content/ uploads/2024/11/Birding-in-the-United-StatesA-Demographic-and-Economic-Analysis. pdf). For more information on the survey and other addenda: (https://partnerwithapayer. org/2022-national-survey/).
The survey and its addenda are funded by a Multistate Conservation Grant, dollars first derived from Pittman-Robertson and DingellJohnson acts, and federal excise taxes paid by manufacturers of
Steve Schmitt, left, and Chuck Riley (a couple of retired DNR staffers), show off pheasants they shot at Rose Lake Wildlife Area during a recent pheasant hunt. Photo by Bob Gwizdz
College in Ashland, Wis., Alejandra Perez, a graduate student at Michigan State University’s Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, presented her work on how wolves in the Great Lakes Region are doing and how researchers evaluate changes in wolf survival and mortality over the years. Perez found approximately a 75% survival rate of collared wolves throughout the region, with no marked difference between the years wolves were federally protected on the Endangered Species List (ESL) and years they were not.
Minnesota did see lower wolf survival rates than Wisconsin and Michigan.
The differences in survival she found had more to do with whether a wolf was a resident of a pack or was a dispersing animal, or “floater.” She found no substantial connection as to whether wolves were under federal listing or harvest season had taken place.
Perez said that between Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, the Great Lakes Region “distinct population” has an estimated 4,600 wolves. While wolves are currently on the federal ESL, since 2012 they have bounced back and forth – either on the list or off – with federal appeals court decisions landing them back on the ESL each time they have been federally delisted. For several years now, wolf populations in each
Commission
(From Page 1)
message.
On Dec. 10, Whitmer appointed Highland resident James LaPorte to replace Commissioner Robin Michigizhigookwe Clark, who served on the NRC as the first Anishinaabe woman until her recent resignation over conflicts with her roles at the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.
LaPorte’s appointments is still “subject to the advice and consent of the Senate,” according to a statement from the governor. He’s “president of Luna Entertainment” and “holds a Bachelors of Arts with a concentration in business administration and economics from Augsburg College and a Master of Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas,” according to Whitmer’s office.
“LaPorte is appointed to represent Independents for a term commencing December 10, 2024, and expiring December 31, 2027.”
No more than four of the seven commissioners can be from a single political party. Among current commissioners, Baird, Cozad, and Mark “David” Anthony are appointed to represent Democrats, while LaPorte and David Nyberg represent Independents. Commissioner John Walters represents Republicans, and Commissioner Pete Eardley was appointed without mention of a specific party affiliation.
Baird, of Elk Rapids, has a long history of involvement with a wide variety of outdoor and conservation organizations, from Anglers of the Au Sable, to Trout Unlimited, to Michigan United Conservation Clubs. Cozad, of Bay City, holds degrees in aquatic biology and heads an environmental consulting firm that specializes in aquatic ecosystem restoration. He’s also an avid bird hunter, angler, and outdoor enthusiast.
Anthony came to the commission recommended by Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan, with connections to the Hannahville Indian Community. He previously served as a state representative from Escanaba for six years in the 1990s. Eardley,
of the three Great Lakes states have easily surpassed recovery goals set by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, but lawsuits filed by wolf protectionist groups following each delisting has dogged the USFWS. As such, Perez expects the status of Great Lakes Region wolves to continue fluctuating for the next few years.
Her research looked at wolf survival in the region, particularly related to federal delisting status, harvest regulations, and “residency,” with residency referring to whether the wolf is a pack, or a dispersing wolf. Perez looked at whether there was a federal delisting for at least half of each year and also whether there was harvest in each state during years of delisting. With this in mind, her study considered 2012-14, as well as 2021 as years when Great Lakes wolves were federally delisted. There were roughly four months in 2011 and 2020, however, where wolves were not on the ESL.
Perez’s research consisted of 1,172 wolfyears of data from 607 wolves. There were 211 mortalities from the pool of wolves over the course of her study, with 67 of those mortalities from illegal kills and 39 from legal kills. Twenty-seven wolves were killed in vehicle collisions. There were nine other human-caused mortalities. Another 22 wolves died due to intraspecific strife, or one wolf killing another wolf, the leading cause of non-human mortalities in the study. Perez also looked at residency status. Her team looked at 580 wolves over 966 wolf-
of Grand Rapids, operates Oak Heart Lodge, a philanthropic fly-fishing lodge for disabled veterans. He’s a lifelong outdoorsman who “enjoys hunting and fishing while supporting several conservation groups focused on improving waterways while preserving farmland and wilderness,” his NRC biography reads. Nyberg is from Gladstone, where he grew up in his family’s fishing lure business. He earned a law degree that he’s leveraged as a legislative affairs manager for MUCC, in work with Trout Unlimited, and as a spokesman for Gov. Rick Snyder.
As Snyder’s director of the Governor’s Northern Michigan Office in Marquette and deputy legal counsel, Nyberg worked on state-tribal affairs and natural resources policy. Walters, of Gaylord, works in the residential building materials industry and is an avid fly fisherman.
“John loves to fly fish all year for trout, which is what invigorated his passionate involvement in conservation,” according to his NRC bio.
“He has served as state chairman of Michigan Trout Unlimited and president of the Headwaters Chapter of Trout Unlimited.”
Walters has also served as a board member for Anglers of the Au Sable, Pigeon River Country State Forest Advisory Council and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’sn Rural Development Fund Board.
“My opinion is this NRC we’ve had the last few years was one of the best NRC’s we’ve had,” said Mike Thorman, legislative liaison for hound hunters. “This group was a listening group.”
“We certainly haven’t gotten everything we wanted from them,” Thorman said, “but we’ve had a great relationship with the current NRC.”
For groups like the Michigan Bear Hunters Association, Michigan Hunting Dog Federation and Upper Peninsula Bear Houndsmen that Thorman often represents at the NRC, “it’s a wait-and-see issue,” Thorman said.
“I hope (the new appointments) are actually hunters,” he
years – 70% of those wolves were a resident of a pack the full year. Another 6% were not pack members for a full year. That left 24% that were residents for part of the year, but then dispersed, or started as dispersers but then became pack members. When splitting populations up this way, her study showed “nonresident” survival to be significantly lower than pack member survival. On average, there was a 71% survival rate for residents. For nonresidents, only 52% of dispersers survived year-to-year. This may play a part in Minnesota’s wolf mortality being higher, Perez said. With more dense populations of wolves there, this may mean there are more dispersers.
Survival across years did not change with federal listing status. Nor was there any considerable change attributed to years with a harvest season. In terms of cumulative incidents, Perez found that 67% of all wolf mortality was human-caused, with 32% of the being attributable to poaching.
She found no correlation between federal protection and instances of poaching. Poaching, however, did increase starting around Nov. 19 of her study years, which somewhat correlated with the opening day of deer firearms seasons in the three states, which also coincided with higher hunter use of the landscape in general.
She found that immature wolves were at higher risk of illegal kills. There was no effect seen regarding sex or residency status, however. When there was a harvest season, Perez said, nonresident wolves experienced higher mortality rates than wolves who were pack members. When
said. “Over the years we’ve been able to successfully work with the NRC and the department, and we don’t anticipate anything different.
“We always work to protect the resource, and hopefully our relationship with the new NRC members will be similar to the past,” Thorman said.
Baird said he turns 74 in January and his decision not to seek reappointment stems from a desire to spend more time with his wife and family, and to make room for the next generation of conservation leaders.
“If I took another four-year term, then I’ll be 78” at the end, he said. “We have enough 78-year-olds running the country, so we don’t need another one.”
“It’s time for boomers to step aside and let the next generation step up,” Bair said, though he acknowledged that the current system, with daytime meetings that conflict with work and family obligations, “makes it pretty difficult for the younger
Work done by a team of Michigan collegiate researchers indicates that federal listing status has less to do with human-caused wolf mortality than does the traveling (increased exposure) done by lone wolves or dispersing wolves.
it came to vehicle strikes, males were at slightly less risk of mortality. Perez said it was unclear why this was so.
Among natural causes, intraspecific strife was the leading cause of mortality, with 10% of all wolf mortalities attributable to wolf-on-wolf conflict. When looking at combined causes, she saw no real difference based on harvest, age or sex, only that lone wolves were at a higher risk for mortality from all combined harvest.
generation to get involved.”
“I feel pretty strongly it’s time for those middle generations to step up,” he said. “We need new blood.”
“We have an always evolving list of hot topics coming up, among them are deer regulations and deer herd control in the Lower Peninsula,” Baird said. “There’s the continuation of the steelhead piece, a focus on beaver management on trout streams, a request to increase bear quotas in the U.P., and there’s a possibility the question of sandhill crane hunting will be raised again.”
Mark Pieniozek hoists a pair of cold-weather walleyes caught
Ice can be a hazard when fishing open water in Saginaw Bay in January. Sometimes ice shows up between trips to the landing. Photos by gnatoutdoors.com
Fishing Saginaw Bay - with and without ice
By Mike Gnatkowski
Contributing Writer
I’m not sure if I ever fished open water for walleyes in January. I know I fished in Lake Erie several times in late December. I fished the Saginaw River in December but don’t remember fishing Saginaw Bay in January. There’s a first time for everything, I guess.
Two years ago, we were having another one of our wimpy winters, so I posted on Facebook and asked if anyone was still fishing Saginaw Bay and would be willing to take me fishing. Friend Captain Mark Pieniozek quickly answered and said he had been out recently and would gladly take me. We launched at the ramp at Linwood
Beach Campground, which is right by the rental property Pieniozek has for his Reel Fish’n customers. Fortunately, others had launched before us, broken the skim ice that was forming, and created a path for us to get to Saginaw Bay.
Trolling is a proven method for cold-water walleyes. Elongated stickbaits work well when pulled behind in-line planer boards. The key is to go slow, between 1.0 and 1.5 mph, to induce a slow wobble out of the lures. Depending on how deep you want them to go, the lures are let out from 25 to 100 feet behind the boards. You can add weight ahead of the lure to get them even deeper.
The Bay only had a slight chop, which was perfect for
from Outdoor News
fishing. Once we got the lines out, we did a zigzag troll in 17 to 18 feet of water. We didn’t get any action for quite a while, but eventually, one of the boards pulled back ever so slightly, and I gingerly reeled in an 18-inch walleye that had latched onto the stickbait. It was exactly what I wanted. I wanted fish to eat, and the fillets from the walleye would fit perfectly into the frying pan.
With the water temperature just above freezing, the walleyes were sluggish, but another pass through the area produced another ’eye. They weren’t showing any preference regarding color. There are days when walleyes will show a preference for a particular color or action, but this wasn’t one of them.
We picked away at them, and eventually I had my eight-fish Saginaw Bay
Easy Chinese Duck Stir Fry
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Jeff Benda is the founder of Wild Game & Fish Media where he works with businesses in the hunting, fishing, and shooting industries. With 25 years of past experience in the restaurant industry, he is now a full-time wild game and fish recipe developer and food blogger living in Fargo, North Dakota. His goal is to celebrate local fish and wild game and provide achievable, bright recipes designed to build confidence for new cooks and inspire everyone to elevate their cooking. Follow him on Instagram: @wildgameandfish and online at www.wildgameandfish.com
DIRECTIONS
1. On a cutting board, use a sharp knife to slice the duck breast against the grain into 1⁄4-inch-thick slices. Run your fingers across the thin slices and remove any shot BBs remaining in the meat.
2. In a mixing bowl, add the sliced duck, water, cornstarch, sesame oil, oyster sauce, and black pepper. Rub the marinade ingredients into the duck with your hands until the duck has absorbed all the liquid. Set aside for 10 minutes.
limit. The biggest might have been 3 pounds. It was just what the doctor ordered!
We started pulling lines, and I announced, “There’s a fish on here!” The next line produced the same results. And the next. And the next. All the remaining lines had walleyes on them.
Things had sure changed since we left the launch, though. A change in wind direction had pushed sheets of ice back into the boat ramp. Several other anglers who had worked to get their boats out were still waiting at the ramp for us. Sharp ice can damage boat hulls and transducers and impede getting your boat out. Fortunately, the group worked in unison with boat hooks and feet to push the sheets of ice
(See Saginaw Page 23)
In this recipe by Jeff Benda, a quick meal comes together by combining duck breast, veggies, and a comforting stir fry sauce. And who doesn’t love the flavors of Chinese takeout? What makes this a great Chinese duck stir fry recipe is that it has got lean duck breast and veggies, is healthier and cheaper than takeout, and is ready in less than 30 minutes. Does simple family weeknight dinner get any better?
Benda shared that this duck stir fry recipe is for those of you who were even slightly successful in your waterfowl pursuits in the fall, since you only need one pound of duck meat. That translates to two mallard sized ducks or four small teal.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE DUCK
1 lb. boneless, skinless duck breasts (from 2 mallard size ducks or 4 teal)
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
½ teaspoon black pepper
FOR THE STIR FRY
½ cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
3. Meanwhile, prepare the duck stir fry sauce mixture. In a small bowl, add the chicken broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar. Stir everything together until well-combined and set aside.
4. Place a wok or large fr ying pan on a stovetop over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil, then add all of the duck in a single layer. Sear the duck for 1 minute on the first side, flip the slices over, then cook for another 1 minute. Turn off the heat, remove the duck from the pan, and set aside.
5. Without washing the wok, turn on the heat to medium. Add another 1 tablespoon of oil, along with the onion and garlic. Sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
6. Add the bell pepper and celery,
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 large yellow onion, cut into wedges
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced at an angle
½ teaspoon black pepper
1½ teaspoons cornstarch (mixed into 2 tablespoons water to form a slurry)
along with 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper. Fry for another 1 minute, stirring constantly.
7. Pour in the stir fr y sauce mixture. Use a spatula to stir the sauce around the sides of the pan to deglaze, and let it come to a simmer.
8. Add cornstarch and water slurry and drizzle the mixture into the sauce while stirring constantly. Allow the sauce to simmer for about 30 seconds until thick. Toss in the duck and its juices. Fry for about 1 minute until the duck is coated in the sauce and the sauce has thickened.
9. Ser ve with cooked rice or noodles.
Recipe and photo by Jeff Benda
in Saginaw Bay. Photo by gnatoutdoors.com
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FROM NORTH/SOUTH: US-131 to I-94 East to Exit 80 (Sprinkle Rd.) follow the roundabout to head north onto Sprinkle, turn left onto BL-94, turn right onto Lake Street.
FREAKS UNDER THE ICE! FREAKS UNDER THE ICE!
Targeting nontraditional species through the hard water
By Joe Shead Contributing Writer
They are the seemingly odd types you might have ignored in high school. They’re a little different. Under-appreciated. A bit “off” by conventional standards? But that’s OK for those anglers who pursue something other than walleyes and crappies under the ice. True, these “freaks” may be considered the ugly ducklings of the fish world, but they will out-fight any walleye, and some of them can hold their own in the frying pan.
A growing contingent of ice anglers pursue these other fish: sturgeon, catfish, eelpout, ciscoes, etc.
Darren Troseth, owner of 3 Rivers Fishing Adventures in Jordan, Minn., makes his living chasing these nontraditionals.
What’s the appeal of fishing for sturgeon? Sheer size and fighting power. Troseth lays claim to the state record catchand-release lake sturgeon -- a 78-inch behemoth with an estimated weight of 120 pounds that he pulled through the ice. He guides winter sturgeon fishing trips on the St. Croix River for anglers after a real trophy.
“The Stillwater/Bayport area is a large, deep basin full of silt,” Troseth said. “Over the winter, it attracts fish in that area that are looking for meals in mud. They cruise around. They’re like deer or cattle grazing around.”
Troseth said he’s not necessarily looking for any depth changes or structure. The mud is the key because it holds food for foraging fish.
“The diet studies have shown that sturgeon diets consist of worms, bug larvae, crustaceans, stuff like that,” he said.
So Troseth sets up over a silty bottom and waits out his prey. He does use Livescope, but he has mixed feelings about it.
“I don’t think it necessarily helps us catch any more fish; it just helps make the process a little more entertaining,” he said. “You can see them come in. But there’s also a theory that sturgeon might be sensitive to sonar.” He said some sturgeon anglers he knows won’t use it because they think it spooks fish.
Troseth uses industrial-strength tackle when pursuing the largest species in the state. He uses a 40-inch XX heavy rod paired with a spinning reel or baitcasting reel spooled with 40-poundtest braid, although he said sturgeon aren’t line-shy, so you could go with heavier line. He gobs shiners and nightcrawlers onto a treble hook below
a series of glow beads and a 1⁄2 -ounce sinker. He bounces the bait on the bottom on occasion to stir up a cloud and disperse scent, but he said in the silty conditions, you have to be careful your bait doesn’t sink into the muck. Because sturgeon bite lightly, he prefers to use a bobber.
“They suck it in and spit it out,” he said. “Very rarely will they take it and move away. When that bobber starts to go up and down, we set the hook.”
Another consideration when chasing such large fish is the size of your ice hole. A girthy sturgeon won’t fit through an 8-inch hole. Troseth has tried making three 8-inch holes in a triangle with success, but now prefers to overlap two 10-inch holes.
Troseth likens sturgeon fishing to hunting. “It takes a lot of patience,” he said. “It’s not exactly the most exciting type of fishing. It’s a very unique experience you don’t get to do in a lot of places.”
Michigan’s catch-and-immediate-release sturgeon season on select waters ends March 15. There is a catch-and-keep season, with firm limits, on Black and Otsego lakes. Check the Fishing Digest for details.
Although he doesn’t guide for them – yet – Troseth also enjoys chasing channel catfish under the ice. He said channel cats remain active in winter, while flatheads go mostly dormant.
“If you want to have a better chance of catching cats through the ice, you want to find a place where there’s a concentration of fish,” he said. “I look for any areas that provide a little bit of current but is near a deep hole.”
Cats will huddle up in the hole, he said. At times during the day, they’ll become more aggressive and move away from the school and move shallow.
Electronics are key to finding schools of catfish under the ice, but Troseth said once you find them, you can be in a for a lot of action. He has experienced 100-fish days through the ice, although that’s the exception, not the rule.
Troseth uses a walleye setup to tempt catfish, which average 20 to 25 inches, but sometimes reach 10 to 15 pounds. He uses a jigging spoon or a jig with a half a fathead, cut sucker, or chicken liver.
Pay attention to your electronics to help you lure in fish and
then convince them to bite.
“The jigging motion will get their attention, but you have to keep it still to get them to bite,” Troseth said. “Sometimes they do bite really light, so we’re using bobbers or spring bobbers to detect that bite.”
Of course, not every water body has catfish. Often, they are associated with river systems, and that means current. Troseth warns anglers to be extra cautious in areas with current flow, because ice may be much thinner there.
“I think they’re a blast,” Troseth said of channel cats. “It’s a good chance to have a lot of fun and get a meal or two.”
Eelpout (or burbot, lawyer, or whatever you want to call them) have gained a sort of counter-culture following in recent years.
Billy Smith, owner of Northern MN Backwater Adventures & Guide Service in Bemidji, Minn., recalls seeing eelpout scattered over the ice as
at an eelpout, which are considered a delicacy when boiled and served in drawn butter. Plus, the best eelpout fishing occurs just as the walleye season closes, so chasing these oddities is a great way to keep your ice-fishing season going.
Smith said eelpout feed heavily on crayfish, so he begins his search for eelpout by looking for their prey.
“If you find some rock piles with some sand mixed in, usually that’s a good thing,” he said.
He looks for shallow flats adjacent to deep holes. He often begins his search in 30 to 40 feet of water, but has caught them as shallow as 3 feet and as deep as 60. It depends on the lake.
Eelpout have poor vision and the best fishing is at night. Smith uses a lake trout ice rod and a spinning reel with 10-pound braid. He uses a 1-ounce glow jig with rattles and loads it with minnows. He pounds this presentation on the bottom, then raises it.
Underrated as table fare, burbot (eelpout) frequent the same haunts as winter walleyes.
With their long, thick tails, eelpout won’t come in easily. And they’ll spin like trout on steroids, so Smith always uses a swivel to prevent line twist.
“The hardest part is to get them out of the hole because they alligator-roll,” he said. “They are pretty difficult to land. I grab them behind the gills.”
He noted you can also lip-grab these slippery, writhing fish as you would a bass as well. Late winter is prime ‘pout time.
“When walleye season shuts down, it’s just in time to start gearing up for eelpout,” Smith said. “The last weekend in February is when they really start popping off.”
the snow receded when he was younger, left behind by anglers who considered them trash. But that mentality has changed, and Smith thinks eelpout numbers have improved because of it.
“People are appreciating them for what they’re worth,” he said. “They’re not a garbage fish. They’re a delicacy. They are the hardest-fighting fish, pound for pound, because they have so much tail.”
Now, Smith has clients coming from as far away as Texas and Montana for a crack
“You’re trying to make as much noise and dust down there as you can,” he said.
Smith said the fish are so tight to bottom that they can be hard to see on your electronics, but they will move up when you lift your lure off bottom.
He said eelpout clobber the lure and usually surprise you when they hit. Often, they travel in schools, and it’s not uncommon to catch several fish in an evening.
Eelpout spawn in late winter, under the ice. Once the fish start to spawn, he said the fishing flips to a day bite. Numerous eelpout ball up in a spawning frenzy you can actually see down your hole if the water is clear enough and shallow enough. It makes for some memorable fishing.
Smith said eelpout are underappreciated. They clean up dead fish on a lake bottom and eat invasive rusty crayfish. But currently there is no bag limit for them, and Smith said that needs to change.
“They should be treated like any other fish to protect them,” he said.
These species may not win any beauty contests, but looks don’t matter to the folks who chase our underwater freaks. Give them a try this winter.
At right: guide Billy Smith never lets eelpout go to waste. He targets them just as walleye season is drawing to a close.
Rob Drieslein photo
Troseth’s sturgeon rig.
Photo courtesy of Darren Troseth
Darren Troseth uses industrialstrength tackle when guiding anglers for winter sturgeon.
Photos courtesy of Darren Troseth
Andy Roberts with a hefty channel cat taken through some Midwest hard water. Contributed Photo
DISTRICT 1
Conservation Officer (CO) Anna Viau and Corporal (Cpl.) Brett DeLonge taught a class at the fall Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) workshop in Big Bay. The COs taught a self-confidence class that teaches basic self-defense techniques and provides some tips to help women feel more confident when recreating in the outdoors alone or in small groups.
COs Jeremy Sergey, Ethen Mapes, John Kamps, Peter Shambaugh, Sgt. Marc Pomroy and Cpl. Douglas Hermanson taught at a hunter safety field day at the Baraga Customer Service Center. There were 18 students who participated in the class.
DISTRICT 2
COs Brandon Maki and Andrea Dani hosted two hunter safety field days in Alger County. The COs were assisted by local volunteers and a Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division technician. Live fire of pellet guns was provided by U.P. Whitetails Association of Alger County.
CO Mike Olesen was working a nighttime shining patrol in Chippewa County when he observed a vehicle parked along the side of a road near some secluded agricultural fields. CO Olesen pulled up to the vehicle and contacted the operator and passenger. It was determined that they were not hunting but CO Olesen observed two open alcohol containers in the vehicle. CO Olesen ran the operator of the vehicle through standardized field sobriety tests (SFSTs) and cited both the operator and passenger for possession of open intoxicants in a motor vehicle.
DISTRICT 3
CO Chad Baldwin attended a career day at
Cuffs & Collars
Field reports from Michigan DNR Conservation Officers
Central Lake Schools and spoke with students ranging from Pre-K to sixth grade. CO Baldwin had his patrol truck and side-by-side on display for the students to look at and ask questions about. The students were able to get hands-on experience with a variety of equipment that COs carry daily and depart the presentation with a good understanding of what a CO’s career entails.
CO Kyle Cherry responded, along with the MSP and Otsego County emergency med ical services (EMS), to a report of a man who was undergoing an unknown medical event at a residence in Otsego County. According to the man’s wife, he was not making sense and was carrying a firearm.
CO Cherry assisted the responding MSP trooper in securing the scene and subject so that EMS could successfully transport the man to the hospital for further evalua tion and treatment.
Sgt. Michael Mshar assisted at the Foundation of Hope hunt for disabled individuals. He instructed the participants and their mentors on the safe practices of firearms hunting and other outdoors-related activities.
COs Matt Theunick and Tim Rosochacki responded to a medical call in Tuscarora Township. A person had both hands caught and pinched in a treadmill. The COs, along with the Tuscarora Township Police and Tuscarora Fire Department were able to free the subject’s hands.
CO Alex Bourgeois was patrolling the Thunder Bay River at night when he observed a large group of people fishing.
Viewing Mars in 2025
Top times to see the Red Planet this year
If you want to get a good look at the planet Mars, dress warm and head outside after dark this month with binoculars or a telescope. The “red planet” will be high in the sky and visible on clear nights during all of January, 2025.
But don’t look for Mars on the night of Jan. 13 when it will be “occulted” or covered up by the full moon. These lunar occultations occur when the moon passes in front of a star or planet during its orbital motion around the Earth, obstructing that object from our view.
Mars is the only planet whose surface we can see directly with a telescope because there are no cloud layers to obscure vision. As a bonus for stargazers, Mars will be at opposition on Jan. 16. This means the planet will be opposite the Sun with Earth in between, and it will appear brighter and larger than usual.
This figure shows the approximate location of Mars in the mid-January night sky in relation to the stars Castor and Pollux.
From the constellation Orion, look to the upper left (east) and find the twin stars Castor and Pollux. They’re part of the constellation Gemini. Mars will be close to, and almost in a straight line below, these two stars during the nights of Jan. 15-18, 2025.
The website wikipedia.org points out that, due to their elliptical orbits, Earth and Mars can vary from as close as 34 million to as far as 64 million miles apart. The last closest approach of Mars was on July 27, 2018 when it appeared much larger than it will on Jan. 16, 2025.
But don’t let this stop you. January is still the best time to see the “red planet” in 2025!
COs Kevin Bunce and Angela Greenway taught the legal portion of hunter education at the Legends Ranch of Bitely. In attendance were over 60 individuals.
DISTRICT 5
COs Josh Russell, Dan Robinson, and Jeff Goss recently checked a bait pile in Gladwin County. In the process, they encountered a hunter sitting over the bait. After speaking with the hunter, it was determined that there had been several deer taken over the bait pile. The hunter did not have his licenses on him and did not have his hunting stand properly labeled. A citation for the illegal bait was issued and further investigation is being conducted into the circumstances of the deer that have been shot.
DISTRICT 6
Report of the Week
District 7
CO Tyler Cole was working a busy location near a dam on the Paw Paw River. While checking fishing licenses and gear, CO Cole observed a subject fighting a fish. While watching and in plain view of the angler, it was observed that the fish was foul-hooked in the back. The angler proceeded to net the fish and to CO Cole’s surprise, put the fish on a stringer. The angler who CO Cole was talking to at the time commented, “Does he really not see you right now?” Upon noticing the CO standing right next to him, the angler lowered his head and stated, “How long have you been here?” At this time, the angler became aggravated and proceeded to throw his fishing pole into the rapids of the dam and began to walk away. CO Cole instructed the subject to not leave the area and to collect his remaining fishing gear if he was leaving. CO Cole issued citations for retain foul-hooked fish and littering.
CO Bourgeois conducted a routine check on the group and found that several of the anglers were using large treble hooks. CO Bourgeois issued tickets to the anglers for using treble hooks greater than 3 8 -inch on a designated trout stream.
CO Jon Sklba came upon two separate grass fires along I-75 south of Indian River while heading to the district office in Gaylord. CO Sklba was able to extinguish both fires prior to any fire officials arriving on scene.
DISTRICT 4
CO Timothy Barboza had been contacted by another CO downstate regarding an individual in CO Barboza’s county who had a warrant for possessing game while their hunting license was revoked. CO Barboza was familiar with the individual, who has a lifetime hunting revocation. CO Barboza located the suspect coming out of the field with a licensed hunter, CO Barboza contacted the suspect and interviewed him in reference to being in the field and hunting. The suspect stated he had taken a hunter out that morning; after looking up the hunter the suspect had taken out, CO Barboza learned the hunter was a mentored youth hunter. Mentored youth hunters must be accompanied by a valid hunter with tags for that specific game. A report was submitted to the Newaygo County Prosecutor’s Office for review.
lodged, the attorney general called and dismissed the case, and the individual was released from jail. Total time spent in jail was approximately 22 minutes. Sgt. Rich Nickols stopped by a deer processor to check for a deer associated with a complaint. Instead, he located a deer with a license on it that had been purchased just two hours prior. Sgt. Nickols interviewed the owner of the license who stated he shot the deer in Indiana. The subject provided his Indiana deer license and a transportation tag that was not validated. Follow-up will be done with the Indiana DNR for possible charges there in addition to the charge for the illegal importation of a cervid.
DISTRICT 9
CO Jacob Robinson was patrolling in Montcalm County when he witnessed a subject “slow rolling” in an ORV while small game hunting. The CO contacted the subject and found the subject to be in possession of an uncased and loaded firearm in an ORV. The CO educated the subject as to why firearm safety is essential for the safety of himself and others. A citation was issued for possession of an uncased and loaded firearm in a motor vehicle.
COs Jacob Robinson and Marissa Sturtevant were patrolling in Montcalm County when they heard a car accident called out over Montcalm Central Dispatch on the edge of the Flat River SGA. The COs were the first on scene of the car crash and triaged the scene helping multiple victims until EMS, the MSP, and local fire departments arrived on scene.
COs Michael Lator and Adam Schiller received a RAP complaint in Gratiot County about an individual who may have taken several deer in the middle of the night, possibly with a firearm. The COs contacted the suspect and his wife at their residence and observed a corn pile in the backyard with a spotlight overlooking the bait. The individual immediately began lying to the COs and changed his story several times before eventually admitting that he shot two deer, a 7-point buck and a doe. The suspect admitted to shooting the deer in the middle of the night with a crossbow. Further questioning by the COs discovered that the individual had also taken the deer over the bait pile in his yard while utilizing the spotlight. The individual also did not have deer licenses, used his wife’s license to tag one deer, and failed to tag the second deer entirely. Charges are pending at the prosecutor’s office for numerous violations.
COs Paul Lyden, Christopher Kravitsky, and Kyle Romzek were patrolling the Lexington Harbor for possible snagging activity. During their patrol, they observed two subjects fishing and watched as they snagged several fish. The COs contacted the subjects as they walked back to their vehicles and issued citations for the illegal fishing activity.
DISTRICT 7
CO Tyler Cole observed two subjects fishing within a closed section of the river while patrolling the Black River during the fall salmon run. Contact was made with the subjects who were found to be fishing without licenses and using a homemade snagging device consisting of a long metal pole and a treble hook with weight permanently attached. Tickets were issued for using an illegal fishing method, fishing in a closed stream, and fishing without a license.
CO Matt Page observed an individual show up to a shallow creek and immediately cast and snag a salmon on his first attempt. CO Page observed the foul-hooked fish thrown into the weeds before the subject cast three more times attempting to snag on all three casts. Finally, the individual snagged into a second salmon and again retained the foul-hooked fish. CO Page contacted the angler who stated he was “just tight lining.” Both fish were seized, and a ticket was issued for retaining foul-hooked fish.
DISTRICT 8
CO Marc Mankowski reunited with an individual who walked away from a compliance check a few days prior to give back his driver’s license and fishing license. CO Mankowski told the angler to meet him at the sheriff’s office, which he did, and was given his belongings but was arrested for a felony warrant. Soon after he was
While responding to a complaint and checking waterfowl hunters, CO Dan Walzak encountered three subjects who were in possession of a bird. After checking their licenses and gear, the CO turned to the subject of the bird. All three subjects thought that the bird was a teal until CO Walzak pointed out that it was missing a couple of features that a teal would have –specifically a flat bill and the speculum in the wing. In the end, the bird was identified as a grebe, and a citation was issued for the taking of a non-game species.
CO Joseph Deppen responded to a complaint about a subject hunting over large piles of corn on state land. CO Deppen arrived at the location and found a subject with a crossbow in a ground blind. CO Deppen noticed five piles of corn approximately 30 feet from the ground blind. The suspect denied knowing there were five piles of corn near his blind. The suspect was cited for hunting deer over bait. COs Joseph Deppen and Kris Kiel followed up with a potential illegal deer investigation. The COs arrived at the suspect’s house and during the interview, the suspect admitted to taking a 10-point buck over bait and without a license. The rack was seized from a local taxidermist and the meat was donated to a local family. Multiple charges are pending.
CO Robert Watson responded to complaints of trespass and individuals driving a Chevy Tahoe throughout the property to cut firewood. CO Watson responded and followed an obvious motor vehicle trail back to the suspect’s residence. A bait pile containing carrots and sugar beets was visible from the victim’s property. CO Watson contacted the suspect who admitted to cutting firewood on the neighboring property, but stated she thought they had permission to do so. The suspect stated the carrots and beets were purchased for canning and human consumption, but she then realized the carrots were too rubbery to eat and the beets were not rutabagas as originally thought, so she threw them in a pile in the backyard so they wouldn’t rot and stink up her garbage can. A citation was issued for feeding wildlife and a warning was given for the trespass.
CO Zackary Cardinal was patrolling Lapeer SGA around dusk for waterfowl hunters. CO Cardinal noticed a truck in a parking lot that is near a common waterfowl hunting spot. CO Cardinal waited by the hunter’s truck until the last minute of legal shooting light. At 6:35 p.m., one minute after legal light, three shots were fired off, then three more shots at 6:51 and a follow up of two more shots at some low flying Canada geese at 6:55 p.m. (21 minutes past legal shooting hours). The hunters then packed up in the dark and made their way to the parking lot where CO Cardinal greeted them and investigated. Enforcement action was taken for hunting waterfowl after prescribed waterfowl hours…
CO Mike Drexler followed up on an anonymous tip of a deer feeder behind a residence outside of Ann Arbor. CO Drexler contacted the subject that placed the feeder behind the residence, who stated there were some nice bucks in the area and he was just photographing them. CO Drexler located corn, a grain/mineral block as well as a stump covered in molasses. The subject was cited for bait/feed deer.
Sgt. Shane Webster noted a vehicle parked in a likely hunting location near the end of hours and set up nearby to check the hunter when they returned. Shortly after, Sgt. Webster contacted the hunter exiting the field. The subject ashamedly admitted he did not have deer hunting licenses for this season. A ticket was issued for hunting without a license.
Star-gazing with Bob Drieslein
Diagram by Bob Drieslein
Castor Pollux
Rain, warm temperatures not good for ice conditions Fishing Report
SOUTHEASTERN LP
Lake St. Clair
There was no safe ice on Lake St. Clair. Shore ice had started to form, but warm temperatures and rain combined to melt that little bit of ice. There was a couple inches of snow on the ground but it too melted with the warming trend. The late antlerless deer season should be good. Deer numbers are high in southeast Michigan. Predator hunting has been good but hunting pressure has been light.
Lakeside Fishing Shops, (586) 777-7003.
Lake Orion
A couple of the smaller, shallow lakes in Bald Mountain Recreation Area had up to 4 inches of ice, but it was deteriorating quickly late last week due to warm temperatures and rain. Hunting pressure has been light, despite the late antlerless seasons that are open in the area.
Lakes Village Stop/Mobile Gas Station, (248) 693-4565.
Waterford Area
There was up to 4 inches of ice on Big Lake and a couple local ponds. Anglers were using extreme caution but getting out in the shallows and catching panfish and northern pike. There was about an inch of snow on the ground. Warm weather and rain was in the forecast.
The Bait Shop (248) 599-7788
Monroe Area
A couple boats were still getting out in the open water on Lake Erie and catching good numbers of walleyes. Access has been iffy. Skid piers have been removed and skim ice is making access to the lake difficult.
Domka Outdoors, (734) 244-5240.
SOUTHWESTERN LP
St. Joseph Area
Steelhead fishing remains pretty good in the St. Joe River. There was no safe ice on inland lakes in St. Joseph County. The late antlerless deer season will be good in some areas, poor in others that were hit hard by EHD. Most hunters in the area are opting out of the late antlerless season.
Silver Beach Fishing, (269) 338-3182.
Hastings Area
Ice was forming on inland lakes in Barry County but a burst of warm temperatures and rain took most of it out. Anglers are hoping for colder temperatures to stiffen the lakes back up. There was a little snow on the ground, but the rain took care of that. Predator hunting is just heating up and the late antlerless season has been good in pockets. Some areas were hit pretty hard by EHD.
Al and Pete’s Sport Shop, (269) 945-4417.
Grand Rapids Area
Steelhead fishing has been decent in the Grand River with spinners, spawn, wax worms, flies, and beads all taking fish. Inland lakes are not frozen and with warm temps and rain in the forecast, the outlook for an early ice season was bleak. There was a few inches of snow on the ground but it wasn’t expected to hold up well to the warming temperatures.
Al & Bob’s Sports, (616) 245-9156.
CENTRAL LP
Saginaw Bay Area
There was no safe ice on Saginaw Bay but shore ice was forming. With warm weather and rain in the forecast the shore ice was expected to deteriorate. The late antlerless deer season should be good. Predator hunting has been good.
Linwood Party and Sporting Goods, (989) 697-3825.
Franks Great Outdoors, (989) 697-5341.
Weidman Area
Ice was forming on inland lakes in Isabella County but a wave of warm weather and rain was expected to
wreak havoc on that ice. Anglers are hoping for a cold spell after the rain moves through so the lakes will stiffen up again. Predator hunting has been fair.
Schafer’s Bait & Sporting Goods, (989) 644-3501.
Ludington Area
Steelhead have moved into the Pere Marquette River and anglers are dialing in. What little ice there was on inland lakes wasn’t expected to hold up very well to a forecast of rain and warm temperatures. Hunting pressure has been light.
Captain Chuck’s Fishing, Hunting and Archery, (231) 843-4458.
THE THUMB
Caseville Area
There was no safe ice on Lake Huron, and it didn’t look like any would form soon with warm temperatures and rain in the forecast. Anglers are catching lake trout in the open water off the Caseville breakwall. The late antlerless season should be good. Coyote hunting has been good, too.
Walsh Gun & Tackle, (989) 856-4465.
Port Huron
Fishing has been slow in the St. Clair River. There was no safe ice, but enough to keep anglers from fishing the open water. A few walleyes and steelhead have been caught off the boardwalk in Port Huron. There was a couple inches of snow but warm weather and rain was in the forecast.
A few Atlantic salmon and steelhead have been caught in the open water in the harbors at Lexington and Port Sanilac.
Anderson’s Pro Bait, (810) 984-3232.
NORTHEASTERN LP
Houghton Lake Area
There was between 4 and 6 inches of ice on Houghton Lake. Anglers are walking out and catching walleyes and perch near East Bay. A lot of smaller bluegills have been caught too along with a few northern pike. There was a couple inches of snow on the ice. Rain and warm temperatures were in the forecast. Predator hunting pressure has been light.
Lyman’s on the Lake, (989) 422-3231.
Higgins Lake Area
There was no safe ice on Higgins Lake. The south end of the lake was starting to ice up, but anglers mostly were hoping for the best with warm temperatures and rain in the forecast. There was about 4 inches of snow on the ground. Hunting pressure has been light.
Sportsman’s Barn, (989) 821-9511.
Onaway Area
There was about 4 inches of clear ice on Black Lake and anglers were catching fair numbers of walleyes. With warm weather and rain in the forecast anglers are keeping their fingers crossed. Hunting pressure has been light.
Onaway Outfitters, (989) 733-2472.
NORTHWESTERN LP
East Jordan Area
There was up to 6 inches of ice on St. Claire Lake and anglers report catching panfish and northern pike. There was 5 inches on Deer Lake where anglers reported catching bluegills, walleyes, and perch. Thumb Lake also had 5 inches of ice and anglers there were catching good numbers of splake. The main basin of Lake Charlevoix remains wide open. The South Arm is iced over, but not safe for foot traffic yet. Rain and warm temperatures were in the short-term forecast. There was 6 to 8 inches of snow on the ground. Predator hunting pressure has been light.
Beck’s Bait & Tackle, (231) 222-2004, becksbaitandtackle801@gmail.com
Traverse City Area
Steelhead fishing remains good in the Boardman River. Spawn, spikes, jigs, flies, beads, and spinners all are
Report from the Dock
A forecast and summary of hunting and fishing
Ice conditions were good across most of the Upper Peninsula and on some of the smaller, shallow lakes in the northern Lower, with reports of between 4 to 8 inches of ice depending on the lake.
Unfortunately, anglers were holding their breath and hoping for the best with rain and warm temperatures in the immediate weather forecast.
Steelhead fishing has been the most consistent option with fresh fish having moved into many state rivers from the St. Joseph up to the Boardman and beyond.
An assortment of baits including spawn, wax worms, flies, beads, spinners, and crank baits all have attracted attention.
The late antlerless deer seasons in southern Michigan should be good, except in those areas hit hard by EHD.
Coyote hunting has been good, but hunting pressure has been relatively light.
attracting attention. There was up to 6 inches of ice on some of the smaller lakes in the area including Spider where anglers were catching panfish and northern pike. Unfortunately rain and warm temperatures were in the forecast so anglers were waiting it out for better weather and safe ice. There was about 6 inches of snow on the ground. Hunting pressure has been light.
WildFishing Guide Service, www.wildfishing.com
Manistee Area
The best thing going in Manistee County is steelhead fishing on the Manistee River. Anglers there report catching fish on spawn, wax worms, spinners, and flies. Hunting pressure has been light and rain was in the forecast.
Riley’s, (231) 723-3354.
Cadillac Area
There was about 4 to 6 inches of ice on Lake Mitchell and 3 to 4 on Lake Cadillac. Anglers were getting out and catching mostly crappies, sunfish, northern pike, and walleyes. Warm weather and rain was in the forecast. There was just a couple inches of snow on the ground. Predator hunting pressure has been light.
Pilgrim Village Fishing Shop, (231) 775-5412.
EASTERN UP
Pickford Area
There was 7 to 8 inches of ice on Munuscong Bay where anglers are catching good numbers of walleyes, perch, and northern pike. There was about 6 inches of snow on the ground at Pickford, more to the north, but warmer temperatures and rain was in the forecast. Hunting pressure has been light.
Wilderness Treasures, (906) 647-4002.
Curtis Area
Anglers were walking out on the ice on Manistique Lakes and catching good numbers of walleyes, pike, perch, and bluegills. Sadly, there was warm weather and rain in the forecast so conditions will likely deteriorate. Anglers there are keeping their fingers crossed. Coyote hunting has been decent, but hunting pressure has been light.
Mick’s Bait Shop, (906) 586-6040.
CENTRAL UP
Marquette Area
There was about 6 inches of ice on most inland lakes in Marquette County. Good numbers of walleyes, perch, and northern pike have been caught on Teal Lake and Lake Independence. Lake Superior remains open and anglers are catching good numbers of whitefish, coho salmon, and menominee off the breakwall. There was between 8 inches and 2 feet
of snow on the ground in Marquette County. Predator and snowshoe hare hunting have been good.
Superior Outfitters, (906) 273-0229.
Escanaba Area
There was about 6 inches of ice at the north end of Little Bay de Noc, but there was warm weather and rain in the forecast so anglers were remaining cautiously optimistic. Walleyes and perch have been caught north of Gladstone around Escanaba Harbor. There was between 7 and 8 inches of ice on inland lakes in the area and a couple inches of snow on top, but it likely will melt with the warmer weather moving in. Predator hunting has been good.
Bay View Bait & Tackle, (906) 786-1488.
WESTERN UP
L’Anse Area
Keweenaw Bay is wide open and a few boat anglers have been getting out and catching lake trout. Vermilac Lake had up to 6 inches of ice and anglers report catching good numbers of walleyes, bluegills, and northern pike. There was rain and warm temperatures in the forecast so anglers are hoping for the best. Ice is forming on Huron Bay, but last week it was not safe for foot traffic. There was about 5 inches of snow in town but up to 2 feet in some areas of the woods.
Indian Country Sports, (906) 524-6518.
Bergland Area
Anglers are walking and riding their sleds on Lake Gogebic where there was up to 6 inches of ice on the main lake. Perch and walleyes have been caught. There was a foot of snow on the ground, but there was a couple days worth of rain in the forecast.
Bear’s Nine Pines Resort, (906) 842-3361.
Keweenaw Peninsula
Anglers are walking out on most of the inland lakes in the area, but there was rain in the forecast. Panfish and pike have been caught on Bailey Lake and Rice Lake. Predator hunting has been quiet.
Northwoods Sporting Goods, (906) 482-5210.
Ontonagon Area
Anglers are fishing on most of the inland lakes in the western Upper Peninsula including Lac Vieux Desert where there was between 6 and 8 inches of ice. Anglers there are catching good numbers of bluegills and perch in four feet of water or less. Pike fishing has been good, too. There was no safe ice yet on Lake Superior but there was a foot of snow.
Grieg’s Taxidermy & Tackle, (906) 884-2770.
SUNRISE SUNSET
IMPORTANT DATES
JAN. 2-31: Urban archery season in Huron, Kent, Lapeer, Macomb, Oakland, Sanilac, St. Clair (except DMU 174), Tuscola, Washtenaw and Wayne counties.
JAN. 2-12: Extended late firearms antlerless season in Allegan, Barry, Bay, Calhoun, Clinton, Eaton, Genesee, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella, Jackson, Kent, Lapeer, Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Mecosta, Midland, Monroe, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oakland, Ottawa, Saginaw, St. Clair (excluding DMU 174), Shiawassee, Wayne and Washtenaw counties; DMU 311 (Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties); DMU 312 (Branch, Kalamazoo and St. Joseph counties); and DMU 332 (Huron, Sanilac and Tuscola counties).
JAN 9: Natural Resources Commission meets at Lansing Community College, Downtown Campus, 600 North Grand Avenue, Michigan Room, Lansing, MI 48933. FEB. 1: Spring turkey application period ends. FEB. 1: Crow hunting season opens. FEB. 13: Natural Resources Commission meets at Lansing Community College, Downtown Campus, 600 North Grand Avenue, Michigan Room, Lansing, MI 48933.
FEB. 15-16: Winter Free Fishing Weekend.
FEB. 23: Permanent ice shanties must be removed from Lake St. Clair.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Dundee Sportsmans Club: DSC, 2300
Multi-Lakes Conservation Assoc: 3860 Newton Road, Commerce Twp, MI, 48382. For more info call Pete Cesaro, (248) 3639109. Sporting clays: Thursdays 3-dusk, Saturdays 10-3 p.m., Sundays noon-dusk.
Oakland County Sportsmen’s Club: Shotgun, rifle,, and pistol shoots. 4775 Waterford Rd, Clarkston, MI, 48346. For more info call (248) 623-0444.
Post 46 Hunting & Fishing Club: 8888 Dexter Townhall Rd. Dexter. Tuesdays t rap shooting, 4 p.m.
Qua-Ke-Zik Sportsmans Club: 8731 West Riverside Dr, Saranac, MI 48881. For more info call Mark Goss, (616) 642-9800. Open trap & skeet shooting every Tuesday 5 p.m.dark and Sundays 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Rockford Sportsman Club: 11115 Northland Drive. For more info call (616) 866-4273 or visit www.rockfordsportsmansclub.com
Skeet & Trap: Mondays 5-8:30 p.m., Thursdays 5-8:30 p.m., Sundays 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
CMP, PRS22 action pistol events. Check our monthly calendar of events for dates and times.
West Walker Sportsman Club: 0-601 Leonard St. NW, Grand Rapids, MI. For more info call Patrick Murray, (616) 453-5081. Open 7 days a week all year.
SHOWS/CLINICS
JAN. 9-12: The Ultimate Fishing Show will be held at Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi. Visit showspan.com for more info.
JAN. 16-19: Grand Rapids Camper Travel and RV Show will be held at DeVos Place. Visit showspan.com for more info.
FEB. 1-8: Progressive Detroit Boat Show will be held at Huntington Place, 1 Washington Blvd. Detroit, MI 48226. Call Skylar Szymanski at (734) 261-0123 for details.
FEB. 12-16: Grand Rapids Boat Show will be held at DeVos Place. Visit showspan.com for more info.
FEB. 20-23: Outdoorama will be held at Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi. Visit showspan.com for more info.
MARCH 13-15: 33rd Annual Progressive Novi Boat Show will be held at Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi. Call (800) 932.2628 or visit www.noviboatshow.com for more info.
MARCH 13-16: Ultimate Sport Show Grand Rapids will be held at DeVos Place. Visit showspan.com for more info.
CONSERVATION CLUBS
10-2 p.m. Chesaning Area Conservation Club: 13750 Baldwin Rd., Chesaning, MI 48616. For more info call Duane Moore at (989) 8656940. Every Wednesday Trap, 6:30-10 p.m. Detroit Sportsmen’s Congress, 49800 Dequindre Road, Shelby Twp., MI. Shooting sports and archery every Saturday and Sunday, May through September. Call Tom Morang (586) 876-4370 for more info. Four Square Conservation Club & Sportsman’s Association: 6777 Cline Road, Jeddo. For more info call (810) 327-6859 or www.foursquaresportsman.com. Every Thurs. night indoor pistol shoot. Lapeer County Sportsmen’s Club: 1212 North Lake George Rd., Attica, MI. For more info call (810) 724-6579. Cowboy shooting, handgun, muzzleloading, rifle, shotgun, hunter’s education.
Livingston County Wildlife Conservation Club: Trap shoots every Tuesday 4 p.m.dusk. For more info call (810) 231-1811.
Detroit Area Steelheaders: Last Tuesday of the month, 7:30 p.m., Polish/American Hall. For more info call Bob Mitchell, (586) 524-8887.
Downriver Walleye Federation: 3rd Monday of every month, except Dec. 7:30 p.m., Westfield Center. For more info call Terry Pickard, (248) 520-0116.
Freeland Conservation Club: 1st Wednesday of every month, 7 p.m., at the club. For more info call Ken Balden, (989) 695-2641.
Grand Blanc Huntsman’s Club: 2nd Sunday of each month, 5:30 p.m., at the clubhouse. For more info call (248) 321-9503.
Huron Valley Sportfishing Club: 3rd Thursday of every month, 7:30 p.m., American Legion Post 200. For more info call Richard Montre, (734) 847-7814.
Huron Valley Steelheaders: 3rd Thursday of the month. American Legion Post #200. For more info call Carroll White, (734) 626-3112.
Metro-West Steelheaders: 1st Tuesday of every month, 7 p.m., Livonia Senior Citizens Activity Center. For more info call Henry Nabors, (248) 225-4964.
Calendar
Knights of Columbus Hall, 2573 Wilkinson, Gaylord, MI 49735. Contact Fred Webber at (989) 619-3481 for more info.
JAN. 25: Whitetails Unlimited Northern Michigan Deer Camp begins at 4 p.m. at Knights of Columbus Hall, 2573 Wilkinson, Gaylord, MI 49735. Contact Fred Webber at (989) 619-3481 for more info.
JAN. 25: Whitetails Unlimited Michigan West will hold Deer Camp beginning at 4 p.m. at The Gilmore, 5179 W. River Drive NE, Comstock Park, MI 49321. Contact Jim Kurdziel at (231) 894-1515 for more info.
FEB. 1: Whitetails Unlimited Michigan Deer Camp begins at 4 p.m. at Eagle Eye Banquet Center, 15500 Chandler Road, Bath, MI 48808. Contact Jim Kurdziel at (231) 8941515 for more info.
FEB. 5: Whitetails Unlimited Pine River Chapter Banquet begins at 5 p.m. at Pins, 1091 E. Center Street, Ithaca, MI 48847. Contact Darren Fish at (989) 388-3001 for more info.
FEB. 8: East Martin Christian School will hold a wild game dinner beginning 4 p.m. at East Martin Christian School, 516 118th Avenue, Martin, MI 49070.
FEB. 8: Whitetails Unlimited Croton Area Chapter Banquet begins at 5:30 p.m. at American Legion Post 381, 6812 S. Croton Hardy Drive, Newaygo, MI 49337. Contact Jim Kurdziel at (231) 894-1515 for more info.
Mid-Michigan United Sportsman Alliance: 2nd Tuesday of each month, 6:30 p.m., Twin Ponds Sport Shop, Stanton. For more info call Dave Bean, (989) 831-4890.
Multi-Lakes Conservation Assoc.: 3rd Wednesday of the month except November, 8 p.m., at the clubhouse. For more info call Sam Mullins, (248) 363-9109.
Post 46 Hunting & Fishing Club: 2nd Tuesday of every month, 7 p.m., at the club. For more info call John Wilde, (734) 646-6132.
Qua-Ke-Zik Sportsman’s Club: 2nd Tuesday of each month at 8731 Riverside Drive, Saranac, MI 48881. Call (616) 642-9800 or visit Quakezik.com for more information.
Wayne County Quail Forever: 4th Monday of each month, 6:30 p.m., Flat Rock Rec. Center, I-75 & Gibraltar Rd. For more info call Ed Moore, (734) 782-0329 or (734) 771-5607.
BANQUETS
JAN. 4: Whitetails Unlimited Tri-Cities Deer Camp begins at 4 p.m. at The Grand, 660 W. Hampton Road, Essexville, MI 48732. Call Jason (989) 859-9489 for more info.
JAN. 10: Whitetails Unlimited Curtis Area Chapter Banquet begins at 4 p.m. at Erickson Center for the Arts, N9224 Saw-WaQuato Street, Curtis, MI 49820. Contact Chad Ketola at (906) 586-6353 for more info.
JAN. 11: Whitetails Unlimited Hillman Area Chapter Banquet begins at 4 p.m. at Hillman Community Center, 24220 Veterans Memorial Hwy., Hillman, MI 49746. Contact Fred Webber at (989) 619-3481 for more info
JAN. 11: Whitetails Unlimited Marquette County Chapter Banquet begins at 4 p.m. at Up North Lodge, 215 S. County Road 557, Gwinn, MI 49841. Contact Mike Prokopowicz at (906) 361-4625 for more info.
JAN. 13: Whitetails Unlimited Shakey Lakes Chapter Banquet begins at 5 p.m. at Camp Shakey, W 7350 County Road G-12, Stephenson, MI 49887. Contact Mandy Kakuk at (906) 399-1872 for more info.
JAN. 20: Whitetails Unlimited Traverse City Chapter Banquet begins at 5 p.m. at Boone’s Long Lake Inn, 7208 Secor Road, Traverse City, MI 49685. Contact Jim Kurdziel at (231) 894-1515 for more info.
JAN. 24: Whitetails Unlimited Northern Michigan Deer Camp begins at 5 p.m. at
FEB. 11: Whitetails Unlimited Spring Lake
aside long enough for Pieniozek to get his boat out.
The 2022-2023 open water boating season finally came to an end.
If we have a normal winter, the Bay should be frozen by January. Linwood is a great place to start the season. Safe ice usually forms there first because Linwood is sheltered from strong north winds by Nayanquing Point. Prevailing westerly wind allows safe ice to form before many other plac-
Outdoor Market
es on the Bay. You can access the ice at the DNR launch at the end of Linwood Road or Linwood Beach Campground.
You don’t have to get out very far to catch fish on first ice on the Bay. Perch invade the shallows in search of shiner minnows that come in during the fall. You can catch plenty of yellowbellies and occasionally a walleye right in the Linwood Beach Campground Marina.
Any marina where there is slightly deeper water with moored boats is going to attract schools of perch chasing
Dennis Rau of Harrisville, shot this 8-point buck on Dec. 13 in Alcona County. The deer’s rack had an inside spread of 19 inches.
CUDDEBACK LAUNCHES “TRACKS”
Cuddeback, an industry leader in trail camera technology, announces “Tracks” cellular trail cameras. This line of trail cameras will focus on traditional cell cameras outside of the CuddeLink eco-system. Tracks is built on a new small ergonomic camera platform that maximizes the features users are looking for in a cellular trail camera. Historically, lesser cell cameras have been plagued by poor or spotty coverage and mediocre image quality. The new Tracks camera combats this issue with the integration of dual external paddle antennas for superior LTE reception in fringe areas. Tracks uses an advanced IR-cut image sensor resulting in better image quality and reliability. The camera runs on four D batteries, which provides longer battery life than cameras powered by AA batteries. Additionally, Tracks supports connectivity to all Cuddeback accessories, ranging from external battery packs and solar panels to mounting systems. A built-in user interface allows the users to easily program and make changes to settings while at the camera. Users can also remotely adjust camera settings through the web interface or via the smart phone app.
shiners. The marinas near the mouth of the Saginaw River are a good example. Use caution, especially where bubblers are being used.
Once you can get on the Bay, you don’t have to go far to find fish. Perch can be found in as little as 2 or 3 feet of water. The roaming perch schools chase shiners in the shallows for a month or so before moving deeper. You can sit and wait for the schools to come to you or drill lots of holes and try to stay with the schools.
You need to make hay when you find them. A classic, barbless jigging spoon adorned with an artificial egg, or a strip of dental dam may be all you need to pluck as many perch as you can from the school before they disappear.
First ice is usually clear ice. Try to find a patches of snow to fish on if you can or spread some of the ice from the hole around you. Keep noise to a minimum and keep your shadow off the ice.
Once you can safely get out
to 10 to 14 feet of water, you can expect to find plenty of early-ice walleyes. Weeds grow out to about 15 feet of water in the Bay now. Find open pockets in the weeds that have a hard bottom.
Setting a couple of tip-ups to alert you to the location of passing schools of both perch and walleyes while jigging can be a big help.
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Gear & Gadgets
INTRODUCING THE 127 BLEND: YOUR ULTIMATE SEASONING FOR BIG GAME AND FISH
Finally, the new Tracks series allows users to access images four different ways: smartphone app, email, text messaging, and online web interface. And Tracks can send emails & texts to up to five people, allowing users to share images with friends and family without giving them access to the account. For more information, visit Cuddeback’s website at www.cuddeback.com
In the realm of outdoor cooking, finding the perfect seasoning blend to enhance the flavors of big game and fish can elevate any culinary experience. Enter the 127 Blend, a meticulously crafted spice blend designed to complement the natural flavors of wild game and freshwater catches. With its unique combination of herbs, spices, and seasonings, the 127 Blend promises to take your outdoor cooking to new heights. Developed by seasoned outdoor enthusiasts and culinary experts, the 127 Blend is specifically formulated to bring out the rich, savory flavors of venison, turkey, trout, and more. Whether grilling, smoking, or roasting, this versatile seasoning adds depth and complexity to your favorite outdoor dishes, enhancing every bite with a burst of deliciousness. From hearty stews to tender filets, the 127 Blend is the secret ingredient that transforms ordinary meals into extraordinary feasts. Exciting news for outdoor enthusiasts and foodies alike! The makers of the 127 Blend are thrilled to announce their presence at the upcoming Deer and Turkey Classic, taking place from March 8th to 10th at Canterbury Park. Visit our booth (309) to sample the 127 Blend, learn more about its unique flavor profile, and discover exclusive tips and recipes for seasoning and cooking big game and fish. Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your outdoor cooking game with the 127 Blend – your ticket to unforgettable flavors in the great outdoors. For more information about 127 blend and other spices, visit www.heresthedeal. com
FLIPPIN LID ICE HOLE COVER
There’s now a way to leave your ice hole cover in place when setting the hook and pulling in a fish. The new Patent Pending
be used in a portable shelter by simply placing a mat down on the ice to attach to. You can find more information and a video of the cover in use at www. flippinlid.com
By Ron Spomer
Contributing Writer
Off-season for hunting doesn’t mean off-season for shooting. Great riflemen and women get, and stay, that way by shooting regularly.
Ah, but ammo is expensive. Yeah, but so is coffee and beer. Fortunately, in shooting, unlike coffee and beer drinking, there are some great substitutes.
The first is dry firing, which sounds lame, but actually works. I saw it work just yesterday when my son-inlaw was missing a milk jug at 10 yards with a handgun.
farmer or rancher or investigate the legality of plinking on public forest lands.
pray ammo dumps. Set sensible goals and strive to meet them for maximum gain in your field shooting skills.
Develop an off-season plan now for your rimfire and centerfire target practice.
I like to spot potential “prey” and engage them as quickly yet smoothly as I can without “spooking” them. Obviously this requires imagination, but play the game out as you decide if that tantalizing buck pine cone will stand long enough for you to go prone or sit against a tree or deploy your tripod – or whether it requires you shoot quickly off-hand. Scenarios like this gradually will impress upon you your honest skill level and reasonable judgment calls.
Of course you should do all of this plinking in a safe area using safe shooting set-ups.
Shooting .22 rimfire rounds is easy to set up quickly, and compared to centerfire rounds, the ammo is cheap.
I asked him to dry fire and watch where his sights were when the trigger broke. He recognized how he was pushing forward and down against the anticipated recoil. When he stopped doing that, I loaded the revolver for him (only I didn’t actually put a round in) and watched him flinch for the first couple of “shots.” Then I did slip a live round in and he nailed that jug, dead-center. Dry-firing had taught him proper shooting technique.
Aside from allowing you to
BLM grasslands in the west are perfect, but some national forests and timber company lands may be off-limits to centerfire rifle shooting outside of hunting seasons. But if the coyote, rabbit, or marmot/woodchuck seasons are open … . Shooting judiciously and not leaving targets, not even paper targets, in your wake obviously is the right thing to do. Trash target shooters littering the lands are a disgrace and a major threat to our right to shoot.
Setting up for a longer range, centerfire course requires a bit of advance work. Walk your potential route and set out targets with safe backgrounds. Small cardboard boxes are ideal because they record hits from any angle and are easy to police. Water-filled gallon jugs are fun, but require a bit more work to clean up.
A spotter/partner helps, but if you’re solo, concentrate on shooting technique so you can see your hits.
A lower scope power helps. So does positioning so your rifle recoils straight back rather than to the side. But if you can’t see immediate hits or misses, your cardboard boxes will reveal all.
Field shooting enables you to try things and discover your most stable shooting positions. Pack support for the arm plus bipod support at the forend makes for a solid platform.
As you plink, you’ll discover the value in guesstimating ranges, using a rangefinder quickly, choosing the best shooting position, getting into that position smoothly and quickly, and getting off a good shot without rushing.
Strive for one-shot “kills” every time. A few shots this way minimize ammo expense while maximizing effective training.
Finally, transition to your deer/elk rifle and repeat. It won’t require many shots. A single box of ammo can be enough to reassure you that you are ready to tackle any field shooting assignment with 100% success. Especially important will be that you’ll
Photo by Ron Spomer
forget about recoil and concentrate on sight picture and trigger control, dry firing builds familiarity with the gun. You can practice and modify your holds and build muscle memory untainted by loud blasts and recoil. All this helps immeasurably toward your development as a shooter, especially if you practice from field positions – off-hand, sitting, off your pack or bipod, etc. By the time you transition to live ammo you’ll already be smooth and consistent.
But eventually, inevitably,
you’ll need and want to shoot for real. How to do this without breaking the bank? The .22 rimfire. This most essential rifle is every shooter’s best learning and training tool (not to mention small-game getter.) Beg, borrow, or buy a .22 long rifle in the same action type as your deer rifle (and similar weight and balance if you can get it) and you’ll be cracking off those practice shots for closer to 10 cents a shot instead of $2.
With the .22 rimfire your imagination is the limit. No, you will not be clanging steel plates at 600 yards, but you can certainly try at 100, 200, and even 300 yards. More importantly, you can engage cans, pine cones, acorns, cow pies, chunks of wood and similar safe targets at indeterminate ranges as you stroll, hike, stalk (in your imagination). This is field training at its finest and most fun.
Strive for perfect, one-shot hits every time, not spray-and-
No livestock in the area, no skyline shots, no shooting on water (bullets skip like flat stones), etc. Safety first.
At some point you’ll want to, and really need to, graduate to real centerfire shooting/ ammo. This can be your deer rifle, but you can save significant ammo costs if you get and use a smaller cartridge, such as the ubiquitous .223 Remington. Bought in bulk, .223 Rem. cartridges cost as little as 45 cents each. (I know, the rifle/scope set up will cost a heap up front, but over time it amortizes out. Besides, everyone needs another small-caliber centerfire rifle.)
Get soft-point or hollow point ammo for your field plinking ammo. It breaks up and ricochets less than FMJ bullets. Then do as much as you would with a .22 plinking rifle/training, except start at 100 yards and extend to as far as you think you need. This will require vast acreage, so find yourself a cooperative
learn when not to take a shot. Missing those boxes due to sloppy field performance should prevent you from missing that trophy pronghorn, mule deer, elk or whitetail when the real hunting resumes.
Shooting .22 rimfire rounds is easy to set up quickly, and compared to centerfire rounds, the ammo is cheap.
Plinking off-hand with a centerfire rifle will show you quite quickly why this is not the best position for making a good shot on your next buck. Still, practice will improve performance.
Photo by Ron Spomer
Photo by Ron Spomer
firearms-related incidents (accidents) and no fatalities.
February
• A grass-roots effort began to raise the remaining $200,000 of a $1.56 million effort to save the Cornwall Creek Flooding.
• Eli Schaefer from Houghton captured video of a cougar killing a white-tailed deer on one of his trail cameras near Toivola in Houghton County. (The video is available at Outdoornews.com/michigan)
• DNR announced it would undertake a camera survey of the Upper Peninsula wolf population using 1,230 trail cameras strategically placed across the Upper Peninsula.
March
• The Michigan Attorney general announced that a Clinton County jury convicted Thomas Olson, 35, of Grand Blanc of second-degree murder and a weapons charge in the fatal Nov. 16, 2018 shooting of a Lansingarea hunter. The jury found Olson guilty in the slaying of Chong Moua Yang, 68, at Rose Lake State Park. He later was sentenced to 22½ to 60 years in prison.
•Natural Resources Commission voted 4-2 in favor of a proposed fur bearer regulation change that included closing the coyote hunting season April 15 to July 15 on public lands.
April
• The Michigan Trappers and Predator Callers Association and the Michigan United Conservation Clubs announced they were each suing the Michigan Natural
Resources Commission over its March decision to close coyote hunting during the whelping season, alleging the change violates Proposal G.
• The DNR announced that a large coyote shot by a hunter in southern Michigan’s Calhoun County turned out to be an 84-pound gray wolf. No charges were filed.
May
• The DNR said it had discarded more than 12,000 pounds of donated venison since last season as a result of tests that have uncovered metal fragments and chronic wasting disease.
• The DNR announced that 527,292 hunters combined to kill 347,008 whitetails in 2023.
June
• Scott Smith, of Adrian, caught a new state record white perch that weighed 2 pounds, 5.92 ounces, and was 16.25 inches long.
• The Michigan DNR announced that fisheries staff euthanize just over 31,000 Atlantic salmon that were sick with bacterial kidney disease.
• Three outstanding sportsmen, Jim Foote, Denny Geurink, and Steve Rinella were inducted into the Michigan Outdoor Hall of Fame.
• Michigan resident Suzanne Anglewicz was hired by Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever as the organization’s manager of government affairs.
July
• The NRC voted on a number of deer regulation changes including limiting the youth hunt and other special hunts to antlerless deer only.
• The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced new restrictions for bringing dogs into the U.S.
August
• According to results of the DNR’s deer hunter survey, around 30% of successful hunters failed to register their deer through the mandatory online registration program in 2023.
• The DNR announced that epizootic hemorrhagic disease had been found in St. Joseph County.
• Michigan resident Doug Hamlin, was elected to serve as the NRA’s new CEO and executive vice president.
September
• The Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation filed for a preliminary injunction in its lawsuit against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to immediately halt enforcement of a new rule restricting the importation of dogs into the U.S.
• The DNR director approved a $5 license fee for the new antlerless firearm season that will be held Jan. 2-12 in the southern Lower Peninsula.
October
• Michigan native Mark Zona was inducted into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame.
• Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger dropped out of venison collection program.
• Former DNR fisheries biologist and tournament bass angler Ron Spitler was inducted into the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame.
November
• Autumn Pratt set a new female archery state record with a 300-plus pound black bear. She broke her mother’s record, which had stood for 26 years.
• The DNR announced a new state forest management plan.
• The DNR said preliminary numbers for the 2024 bear hunt-
ing season showed a statewide harvest of 1,865 bears,
December
• Legislation was introduced for a significant hunting and fishing license fee increase, the first such increase in 10 years.
• The National Archery in the Schools Program announced it has introduced 23.5 million students to the sport of archery.
• State licensed deer hunters reported a harvest of 135,963 whitetails during the 16-day firearms deer season, which included 85,942 bucks and 50,021 antlerless deer. That total is down less than 1% from the reported firearms harvest in 2023
• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that it awarded the first construction contract on the $1.15 billion project, at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam on the Des Plaines River in Joliet, Ill. The project is designed to keep invasive carp out of the Great Lakes.
Left photo: Autumn Pratt set a new female archery state record with this 300-plus-pound black bear. She broke her mother’s record, which had stood for 26 years
Right photo: Suzanne Anglewicz, a Michigan native, will focus on state issues and grassroots efforts in her new position with Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. Contributed photos
Dabbling for a Meal
Trumpeterswans are such handsome, regal birds that it’s sometimes hard to remember that they’re dabblers, tipping upside down to find a meal in the same manner in which mallards and other water birds do. Tim Flatley snapped a photo of a pair of swans feeding along the bottom of a local wetland.
Charlie Huber noticed a porcupine grazing in an apple tree on his property – a bit late for fruit but maybe it was munching on branches. “The porky would only let me photograph its backside and left soon after,” Huber said.
Hunters see all kinds of sights from their deer blinds, but how about a bobcat coming up close to see what was overhead? Jim Milligan took such a photo while hunting with his grandson, Bowen. Another hunter, this one a Cooper’s hawk, engaged in weird contortions to get a better look at Darlene Herbster as she took its picture.
Backcountry wetlands are full of water birds in autumn, and Bob Hilbert caught an unlikely pair: a great egret and a female mallard, searching underwater for a meal. Byron Harrington
caught a big bear “traveling across our lawn after consuming a mess of pears at the neighbor’s property,” he noted.
Jan DeFeo was able to snap a picture of a red-tailed hawk as it gripped its prey – either a mole or vole – in the backyard of a neighbor. I like the lively imagination of Larry and Colleen Koschak: They named a downed tree in a nearby waterway “the lake monster” and named it Nessie. At one point, “some local geese were happy to go for a little ride,” they wrote.
Readers send in a number of deer photos to the Backyard page, and I usually I look for something out of the ordinary in making selections.
Cliff Price’s buck fills the bill, with its soulful gaze.
Let’s close with Rich Carlson’s photo of a little bird we may take for granted, the dark-eyed junco. They’re out there, under trees and feeders, hardy birds scrabbling around for seeds and invertebrates on even the worst winter days.
Backyard readers are great nature watchers, and there’s a lot to see, even in winter.
was walking through the woods, moving slowly, making sure not to step on a stick or twig that might snap and make a loud noise. Thankfully, it had rained earlier, so the wet leaves dampened the sounds of my footsteps. I was moving in near silence. Almost all the leaves had fallen from the trees, making it easy to see long distances within the woodland. In my hands I carried a large 500-mm lens and camera. I was on a photographic hunt for white-tailed deer.
This year, the rut started right on time, and I was eager to get out and see what I could find and perhaps capture some images of an elusive big buck. Moving through the woodland, I came upon several does, but I was searching for a big-antlered buck.
Moving along, I covered two miles before I found my first small buck. But based on my years of experience, I knew that the small bucks often follow the large ones. The big boys follow their noses through the woods, searching for does ready to breed. The big bucks are constantly on the move until they find a “hot” female nearing her peak of reproduction. The buck will follow her, waiting for her to accept him. He will often spend time feeding when she’s feeding or lying down and resting.
White-tailed deer mostly exist in the eastern half of the country. However,
they range as far southwest as Arizona and up into the Pacific Northwest and the shores of the Pacific Ocean. There are many varieties or subspecies of white-tailed deer. A subspecies can be determined by the size or shape of the body, tail, or ears. A good example of this is the Key deer, a subspecies of whitetail that lives only on Florida’s Key islands. This subspecies looks just like all other whitetails except it’s one-quarter the size of a north-country whitetail. An adult male Key deer weighs only 50 pounds. This is a clear and obvious difference, although not all subspecies are this clear-cut.
Whitetails follow Bergmann’s Rule, a biological rule that states within a species, the farther north in latitude you live, the larger you are and the easier it is for you to stay warm. The farther south you live, the smaller you are and it’s easier to shed heat and stay cool. White-tailed deer in northern states and Canada are much larger than those in southern states. The Key deer is a prime example of this biological rule.
After several miles of hiking, I located a large buck. At first, I saw the flash of his bright white antlers in the thick brush. If his antlers weren’t so bright, I might have missed him. As I approached, I caught a whiff of this rutting buck. The smell is an unmistakable sweet, pungent odor. When the bucks
are looking for females, scent glands on the male’s hind legs produce this scent. If you get close enough and the wind is in your direction, humans can detect it. Then I saw him standing in a tangle of branches and vines. His thick winter coat and tall, multi-branched antlers made him blend in well.
I waited to for him move out of the tangled vegetation and into a spot where I could capture a few images. During the next 30 minutes, I could see the female he was attending and watched her move from one thicket of vegetation to
another. She was keeping to the heavy cover to avoid the buck. Then I could hear from behind me some rustling of leaves. I turned my head to see another large buck approaching. The big buck saw the smaller buck and headed straight for him. The smaller one quickly turned and bolted. The chase lasted less than 75 feet, but it sent the message. I didn’t capture the chase, but I did snap some images of the big boy. I was thrilled. I turned and started the long hike back to my truck. Until next time …
Nature Smart Stan Tekiela
From the Backyard Val Cunningham
Darlene Herbster’s contortionist hawk.
Larry and Colleen Koschak snapped their “lake monster.”
Rich Carlson caught a hardy little junco.
Charlie Huber’s shy porky.
Jim Milligan’s closeup of a bobcat.
Bob Hilbert’s foraging waterbirds.
A well-fed bear crosses Byron Harrington’s yard.
A hawk guards its prey from Jan DiFeo.
A serene buck stares at Cliff Price.
See below to submit YOUR photos
Following a biological pattern known as Bergmann’s Rule, north-country white-tailed deer grow larger than their cousins in more southerly climates. Less surface area means they stay warmer in colder areas.
Tim Flatley’s dabbling trumpeter swans.
By Dan Durbin
Contributing Writer
Not everyone has a full section to hunt, so building a “tiny” food plot to hunt can help the common hunter fill his or her tag, or better yet, Google the nearest taxidermist.
nation feeding areas like large agricultural fields.”
So, you have your spot, what’s next?
“Once you decide on a location, always start with a soil sample,” Hart said. “It’s a step most people skip. If the soil is too acidic, it will not allow your desired plants to grow as well as they should. Fertilizing these plots is often a waste of money as the plants can’t absorb the nutrients. You can correct this by adding lime. The test result will tell you how much lime you need to put down for your desired pH ideal for your plot of choice.”
The next step isn’t easy, but grind it out.
I have lost most of my leases and approvals for hunting land because the previous spots were transferred to family, were sold, or other reasons. So, now I hunt smaller areas, often with the help of my onX Hunt phone app.
Tom Hart, a good buddy, former cop, and an Outdoor News advertising salesman, has harvested a lot of big bucks from small urban spots to larger out-of-state leases. The thing is, he doesn’t claim to be a wildlife biologist, but has done a ton of research with experts, won and failed at certain plots, so he had some advice for anyone thinking of building a modest, small, food plot.
Below he lists a few tips to help get a hunter in the game for micro food plots in and around you.
“Find your desired location,” Hart said. “Are there trees for stands and spots for blinds? Will it get enough sunlight? A plot that runs north/south generally will get enough sun. Consider prevailing winds, access and exit strategies. If your plot is successful, will you be spooking more deer coming in and out than it’s worth installing a food plot there? Ideal spots are those between bedding and desti-
“Clearing your plot is not fun,” he said. “Removal of dead grass, years of branches. I like lithium saws because they are light and avoid the hassle of gas and oil. You will have to remove brush, limbs, and other cover that might interfere with your shot. Consider the wind and trails the deer use coming into your micro plot and do it in February/March if a lack of snow permits. The earlier the better so you aren’t disturbing the land you will be hunting closer to the deer season.”
So, your dinner plate is cleared, now it’s time to get things ready for serving.
“Once cleared, I will try to scratch up the ground,” he said. “You can use hand rakes, or if accessible, an ATV/UTV with a makeshift drag, ancient farm equipment, or commercial type equipment. I like to get it worked up a little. Then just a good soil ‘scratching’ pulls up more grass, sticks, leaves, etc. Clear it off.”
Everything is ready, but there are still some steps to ensure success.
“Lime now so you can start neutralizing the soil,” Hart said. “You can buy bags of lime at the hardware store, cut them open at the top,
and apply by swinging the bags evenly in a side to side motion. Try to spread it and avoid heavy applications in some spots and none in others. It’s dirty but effective work. Mechanical spreaders can work, but a lot of times they will get clogged up.”
Once the plot starts to green up and has a few inches of growth (usually April) Hart will spray it with an herbicide to try and kill everything.
“You can use a 2-gallon hand sprayer or one mounted to an ATV,” he said. “Periodically check in a week or so as often there are areas you miss. Rarely do I get a total kill on the first try. When creating new plots, I pretty much plan on another full spraying application. The second spray application might be in June/ July. We hope that results in a complete kill of everything.”
Finishing the deal happens in the summer.
“Mid to late July I scratch it up one more time and plant,” he said. “Living close by really helps where you can watch the weather and time your planting right before a good rain. This is huge. If not, you plant and pray. I always used to freak out when weeds were in the plot. We, as hunters, often want perfect looking, magazine-cover plots. If a few weeds are in there it’s OK. The main thing is that most of the plot is your desired growth that will be attractive to deer throughout fall and we hope into the winter and once again in during the spring.”
Blowers, hedge trimmers, weed whackers, and saws all are pretty darn important to get these micro plots going. Some lithium battery options, like those from Milwaukee Tool and others, make models that only require one base powerhead, and the attachments above can be added for a reasonable price, as needed. These units are often lighter than the gas versions, which is nice for getting into the woods. They also are quieter if you use them in-season for some light trimming or blowing. Another benefit is they are equally welcome working in the yard as they are in the woods. MilwaukeeTool.com
This dandy buck was shot on a one-acre micro-plot loaded with Pennington Rackmaster Deer Greens.
Photo courtesy Tom Hart
This buck was caught moving from an agricultural field to a small half-acre food plot that had two smaller bucks and a doe feeding in it.
Photo courtesy Tom Hart
GEAR TO START YOUR OWN MINI FOOD PLOT Power tools
Redears provide trophy fishery in South Lake
By Bill Parker Editor
South Lake is one of several lakes in the Pinckney Recreation Area that provide quality fishing opportunities.
Panfish, including some trophy-sized redear sunfish, largemouth bass, and northern pike make up the lion’s share of South Lake’s recreational catch.
The 197-acre natural lake is located in the Pinckney Recreation Area in northwest Washtenaw County. It’s about three miles north of the town of Chelsea.
South Lake is a relatively oval lake. Two small lakes, Eagle and Snyder, are connected to South along the southeast shore.
South Lake has broad, shallow, marl flats along the shore leading to steep drop-offs and deeper water. There are several holes ranging from 20 feet in Eagle to the deepest spot in the center of South Lake, which bottoms out at 83 feet. It also has three sunken islands, which provide good fish habitat and good spots to fish.
Bulrush and cattails are abundant along the shoreline and shoals. According to a DNR report following the most recent survey of the fishery in South Lake, submerged aquatic vegetation ranges from sparse to moderate with a large variety of native plants.
South Lake has a deep history of fishery management. The DNR stocked rainbow trout from the early 1950s through the early 1980s, but discontinued the practice in 1985 due to poor recruitment. About 60,000 chinook salmon were planted between 1971 and 1973, but again the returns were poor.
A walleye marsh and rearing pond was established on South Lake in the 1980s and produced 15,700 fingerlings that were stocked between 1986 and 1988, but that program also was discontinued due to poor returns.
Between 1995 and 1997 state officials stocked over 46,000 redear sunfish in an effort to produce a trophy panfish fishery.
“South Lake’s healthy pumpkinseed sunfish population, together with the lake’s mainly
Lake Profile
South Lake - Washtenaw County
marl substrate, made it a prime candidate for stocking redear sunfish,” the DNR wrote in the report 10 years after the stocks.
“Redear sunfish have become established in the lake since the stocking program in the mid-1990s. They have experienced consistent reproductive success as evidenced by the broad range of age classes present in the population. Growth, while not great, has been adequate to produce significant numbers of fish in the 8- to 10-inch size range.”
Redears are still providing a trophy fishery as evidenced by a peak at the DNR’s Master Angler records. Since 2022, three redears caught in South Lake have been registered in the program. All three were over 10 inches long.
Master Angler records for South Lake also showed three largemouth bass all over 22 inches, a 45-inch longnose gar, a 14-inch crappie, two bluegills and a pumpkinseed sunfish all over 11 inches, but none of those fish were caught in the past 12 years.
The most recent survey of the fishery in South Lake produced very good numbers of bluegills and largemouth bass. The ’gills ranged up to 9 inches and 43% were 6 inches or larger, which is considered acceptable size for anglers. The bass ranged up to 20, but just 15% were over 14 inches because the survey was structured to target the smaller fish.
“The largemouth bass population was in good shape with better growth than many lakes in southern Michigan and adequate numbers of legalsized fish for anglers,” the DNR wrote in the report.
The survey also turned up good numbers of black crappies to 10 inches, hybrid sunfish to 8, pumpkinseed sunfish to 7, yellow perch to 9, and rock bass to 8.
Good numbers of pike also were collected. They ranged up to 31 inches and 40% of them were 24 inches or longer.
“Pike growth was also good and a fishable population of this popular game fish was
Fish species present:
Bluegill, black crappie, brown bullhead, black bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed sunfish, redear sunfish, rock bass, yellow bullhead, yellow perch.
For information:
DNR district office (248) 6667445, DNR website wwwmichigan.gov/dnr, North Lake Country Store (734) 562-9050, Pinckney Recreation Area (734) 426-4913.
present in the lake,” the DNR wrote.
The lake gets a fair amount of fishing pressure in the winter with anglers mostly targeting crappies and northern pike. Look for any lingering weeds
on the top edge of the dropoffs for early season northerns. Chubs, suckers, shiners and smelt fished under a tip-up will attract a good amount of attention.
You’ll also likely find panfish around those remaining weeds. Start your search around the sunken islands. If you’re targeting redears be sure to get your bait right on the bottom.
Panfish anglers report decent success when fishing in Eagle and Snyder lakes, too.
When the lake opens up, panfish move into the shallows and some of the best action of the year occurs.
Bass anglers also get busy during the open-water season. Crankbaits, soft plastics, topwater baits and live bait will all catch bass. Look for them in 5 to 15 feet of water.
Public access is available in the northeast corner of the lake off Joslin Road. It features a gravel ramp and ample parking.