MICHIGAN’S PREMIUM OUTDOOR JOURNAL SINCE 1947

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 Conservation
in action.

Find a VOLUNTEER WILDLIFE HABITAT project near you and sign up at

www.mucc.org/on-the-ground
Spring 2020.indd 2 2/12/2020 1:18:58 PM
Spring 2020.indd 3 2/12/2020 1:19:00 PM
 VOLUME 74, ISSUE 1
Each Michigan Out-of-Doors magazine features
one or two cartoons drawn by Michigan's-own
Jonny Hawkins. I hope they make you laugh as
much as they did us.

contents

7 DIRECTOR'S DESK
8 ON PATROL
12 BIPARTISANSHIP STILL POSSIBLE DREW YOUNGEDYKE
14 IS THE NRC RIPE FOR REFORM? CHARLIE BOOHER
16 COVER FEATURE: A SPRING REVIVAL ERICK JOHNSON
20 SECOND SHIFT TURKEYS JASON HERBERT
24 FAMILY SUPPORT SHAWN STAFFORD
28 WORKING TO AVOID THE TRAGEDY OF THE COMMONS CHRIS LAMPHERE
30 PFAS: THE IMPACT ON OUR NATURAL RESOURCES MAKHAYLA LABUTTE
34 MORE THAN A FISH CALVIN MCSHANE
38 CHASING MICHIGAN MONSTERS DUKE LEBARON
44 AFTER ICE BLAKE SHERBURNE
48 BILL EARL YOUTH FISHING PROGRAM JIM BEDFORD
52 LOST BUT NOT FORGOTTEN: MICHIGAN GRAYLING BRIANNE TURCZYNSKI
54 SHARPENING YOUR STEELY SKILLS JIM BEDFORD
58 A MORNING IN MUSKEGON SHAUN MCKEON
62 ADVANCED CREEK TACTICS ANDY DUFFY
66 OAK HEALTH PHIL MEEKS
70 GOOD LIFE. SHORT LIFE. MUCH DONE ALAN CAMPBELL
74 THE HEART OF THE HUNT MORGAN WARDA
78 CONSERVATIONISTS IN YOUR BACKYARD ALAN CAMPBELL
80 MUTER OUTDOOR FUND

STAFF REPORTS & MISC.
90 THE CAMPFIRE: PREPARING FOR SUMMER 2020 MAX BASS
92 R3 FOR ALL SHAUN MCKEON
94 THROWBACK: TOP TIMBERDOODLE TAGGER HENRY F. ZEMAN
96 ONE LAST CAST NICK GREEN

2 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com

Spring 2020.indd 4 2/12/2020 1:19:01 PM

 bAsecamp Nick Green, Editor
WELCOME TO MICHIGAN OUT-OF-DOORS
MICHIGAN'S PREMIUM OUTDOOR JOURNAL

Conservation is in your blood — even if you don’t

know it. As a hunter or angler, you are the funder
of conservation efforts throughout Michigan and
the nation. You help ensure that game and nongame
wildlife thrive, habitats are strong and that our
policies reflect what is best for the resource.
And that resource you fund is yours.
You may walk the halls of Michigan’s Capitol or
sit in a deer blind once a year; nonetheless, you are
the gatekeeper of our way of life.
Some engage a little deeper — seeing their duty
as a calling. While the quiet, reliable majority carries
on as the citizens who bear the load day in and day
out. Some shout from the rooftops their ideals, and
others plant the seed of conservation in the next
generation.
Conservation isn’t partisan. Hunters and
anglers shouldn’t talk about conservation in
Theodore Roosevelt
terms of republicans and democrats, and our
united on that ground. We can plant our flag of
opinions shouldn’t be cast as red or blue. We are
conservation there. And we will fly it until our last
conservationists, first.
breath, together.
At conservation’s core, the resource lends the
A white-tailed deer doesn’t distinguish between
foundation for everything that embodies the term. We
republican or democrat. Our rivers don’t ebb and flow
work to improve the resource, change the resource
according to who is elected to office. And a spring tom
and protect the resource, together. We all work to
will gobble regardless of who controls House and
leave a lasting legacy for those behind us, and most of
Senate majorities.
us do it without an ulterior motive.
We need to live like the resource — ever-changing
We are at a turning point in Michigan’s
and adapting but always constant.
conservation legacy. Will the wheels fall off? Will
Let’s remember what unites us instead of
partisan politics dictate how, what and where my
what divides us. Let’s start there and gain a true
children hunt? Are we treading water until our way
appreciation for those who might stand opposed. Let’s
of life collapses?
remember that a single idea is not always telling of a
No one has a crystal ball. But everyone has
person's character.
the ability to realize we are stronger together than
There will come a time, sooner rather than
divided — as conservationists, as hunters and as
later, when our way of life will come under attack
anglers.
from those outside of our circle. A united front will
Hunters comprise about six percent of Michigan’s
be needed to ensure that hunting and fishing are
citizens. What does the other 94 percent see when
remembered forever as pillars our state was founded
they watch us infighting, dragging each other down
upon.
and spitting on our resource?
We have fought battles together, and we have won
A friend who is not a hunter asked me the other
some of those battles and lost some of those battles.
day what conservation means. Is it baiting; is it
But, we fought them together — as conservationists,
hunting, she asked? I was at a loss for words. As I
thought about it, I realized that what conservation united.
means to me is likely very different than what it
means to you. Yours in Conservation,
One thing that is the same, though, is our love
for the wild, natural world around us. We can stand

Spring 2020.indd 5 2/12/2020 1:19:01 PM

 MOMENTS of MEMORY
DEAR EDITOR,

Just finished reading my fall edition

of Michigan Out-of-Doors, and
wanted to get with you on the new
design of the magazine.

The me
Call bedrock of conservation
old school, is taking care of our natural resources so that they can be passed down to future generations. The
but I enjoyed
natural resources that we conserve
the magazine better the old way. today were conserved for us by generations of conservationists preceding us, and these
generations
When are ever-changing
I normally read the mag- and ever-flowing. Here we honor the passing of one generation of conservationists to the next.
azine its from cover to cover,
although my passion is mostly deer
hunting ,and fishing I enjoy reading In memory of
about some of the other passions Marcel Dujardin
as well. from
Mark & Cindy Mico
And I liked it better with the shorter
stories that I could read in just a In memory of
few minutes in the morning before I
head off to work. Paul Cichon
from
I do like the larger print now that Glenn Hunter & Associates
the years have been added to my
birth date, and the eyes don't do In memory of
so well. But that could be obtained
by reducing the picture sizes. I have
Benjamin Brush
from
been reading the magazine for
Denny, Peanut Butter,George, Drew, Paul, Ken, Bowjammer,
probably over 40 years now, and
Tim, Alan & Steve
hunting, and fishing the out doors
for probably 10 years more than
In memory of
that, and still find them both to be
refreshing, and joyful. I also liked Mark Battaglia
the smaller paper size of the old from
magazine, and soft covers for this Amy Elizabeth Battaglia
allowed you to fold the pages and
hold it in one had comfortably. I In memory of
know I'm only one person and like
your final story different from all Dennis Knickerbocker
others, but I really like the old mag- from
azine much better. And truly agree Amy Trotter, Terry & Jill Dedoes and Albert & Louise Massey
to Hunt Your Own Hunt.
In memory of
But do it ethically and honestly.
John Stark
from
Sincerely, DeLoy C. Clark
John & Suzanne Stark, Fath Oltman, Richard & Karen Morrin, Elizabeth Shumaker, Michael & Diane Sedlar and Roger & Mary
Muckegon, MI
Siwajek

In memory of
DEAR SIR, Alan Edwards
from
Having recently finished reading the Michigan Community Services, Inc.
new format magazine, my first im-
pression in a word is "slick". Upon
If you have recently lost someone you would like to honor here,
please contact Sue Pride at spride@mucc.org.

Spring 2020.indd 6 2/12/2020 1:19:02 PM

 LIFE MEMBER
Thank you to the following conservationists who have made a lifetime
commitment to conserving, protecting and enhancing Michigan's
natural resources and outdoor heritage by becoming Life Members
of Michigan United Conservation Clubs:

Andy Little of Ortonville, MI

Bill Humphrey of Dewitt, MI
Rory Hunter of Seven Fields, PA
Walter Ewing of Canadian Lakes, MI

If you are willing and able to make a lifetime commitment to conservation, you can become a Life Member of
Michigan United Conservation Clubs with a $1,000 contribution to the organization.

Life members receive a lifetime subscription to Michigan Out-of-Doors, a Life Member MUCC ballcap,
a Life Member patch and a certificate commemorating your commitment to conservation.

Contact Sue Pride at spride@mucc.org or visit www.mucc.org/join_mucc and select "Life Membership."

Spring 2020.indd 7 2/12/2020 1:19:04 PM

 PUBLISHER
AMY TROTTER

EDITOR
NICK GREEN
editor@michiganoutofdoors.com

ADVERTISING
NICK GREEN Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC) is a 501(c)(3)
edtior@michiganoutofdoors.com nonprofit organization founded in 1937 by sportsmen's clubs
from around Michigan to protect conservation from politics.
PRESIDENT Representing more than 50,000 members and supporters and
GEORGE LINDQUIST
approximately 250 affiliated conservation clubs, MUCC is the
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
largest state-specific conservation organization in the nation.
THOMAS HERITIER MUCC members determine the organization's conservation
policies through a robust grassroots process, which MUCC
VICE PRESIDENT staff works to implement by working with elected officials, state
GREG PETER and federal agencies, its members and the public. MUCC has
published Michigan Out-of-Doors since 1947 and operates
TREASURER the Michigan Out-of-Doors Youth Camp in Chelsea, MI. Learn
FRAN YEAGER more about the full range of programs MUCC uses to advance
conservation in Michigan and become a member at www.mucc.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS org.
MIKE TAYLOR
PATRICK HOGAN
JAY MAKI
JANE FINNERTY
CAROL ROSE
MUCC Staff
DAWN LEVEY AMY TROTTER KIRK RILEY
JACK VANRHEE Executive Director Deputy Director
CHUCK HOOVER atrotter@mucc.org kriley@mucc.org
RON BURRIS
SAM MORELLO MORGAN (WARDA) JENNINGS LOGAN SCHULTZ
DOUG KRIZANIC Wildlife Co-op Coordinator Digital Media Coordinator
mjennings@mucc.org lschultz@mucc.org
DAN MACUT
TERRY VUKSANOVIC MAKHAYLA LABUTTE SHAUN MCKEON
Habitat Volunteer Coordinator Education Director
mlabutte@mucc.org smckeon@mucc.org
Michigan Out-of-Doors (ISSN 0026-2382) is the official publication of
Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC), 2101 Wood St., Lansing
MI 48912, and is published quarterly. Telephone: 517.371.1041.
SUE PRIDE MAX BASS
Receipt of this publication is through membership in MUCC. For Membership Relations Camp Director, Educator
membership information, call 1.800.777.6720. Single copies available spride@mucc.org mbass@mucc.org
to the public for $5.99 each. Periodicals postage paid at Lansing,
Michigan, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address EMMA NEHAN
changes to Michigan Out-of-Doors, PO Box 30235, Lansing MI 48909.
IAN FITZGERALD
All advertising communications should be sent to PO Box 30235. Policy and Special Events Assistant On the Water Coordinator
Views expressed by freelance writers are their own and do not nec- ifitzgerald@mucc.org eneehan@mucc.org
essarily express those of Michigan Out-of-Doors or Michigan United
Conservation Clubs. Copyright 2020 by Michigan United Conservation NICK GREEN JOE DEWAN
Clubs (MUCC). The Copyright Act of 1976 prohibits the reproduction of
Public Information Officer Huron Pines AmeriCorps Member
Michigan Out-of-Doors without written permission from Michigan United
Conservation Clubs. MUCC members may reproduce one copy for ngreen@mucc.org americorps@mucc.org
personal use without permission. For permission to reprint a specific
article, and for inquiries, contact the editor at editor@michiganoutof-
doors.com.

Spring 2020.indd 8 2/12/2020 1:19:04 PM

 Great Lakes: Spring Forward, Not Back Director's Desk
Amy Trotter, MUCC Executive Director

It’s a new decade, and we are on to more new

beginnings. The Great Lakes are a jewel that defines
our borders and helps to narrate the story of the
exploitation and conservation of our natural resources
throughout Michigan’s history.
MUCC has been an advocate for water quality and
the Great Lakes long before I joined this storied orga-
nization of hunters, trappers, anglers and conserva-
tionists. Back in the 1960s, MUCC passed policy resolu-
tions supporting increased regulations on commercial
fishing and pollution-elimination measures, supported
bans on phosphorus in laundry detergents in the
1970s, dug into the direct discharges of sewage into our
waterways for the last 50 years, fought water diver-
sions from the Great Lakes in the 2000s and looked for
ways to prevent zebra mussels in the 1990s and Asian
carp in the last decade.
These are not efforts we undertake alone; we rely
on coalitions and our grassroots members to support
this work at all levels of government.
As we began a new decade, many of the past issues
are still before us because state and federal policies
and funding have not evolved as fast as the challenges.
MUCC is once again working to modernize the
commercial fishing regulations, and we are working
with National Wildlife Federation to find ways to
decrease harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie while
at the same time trying to quantify the economic
impacts of these blooms on the fishing and tourism MUCC Executive Director Amy Trotter holds a lake trout she
economy. We have joined with the Healing our Waters caught during a Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus event near
(HOW) Coalition. Since HOW’s inception in 2004, it Ludington in July 2019.
has seen significant victories including playing a
critical role in the establishment of the Great Lakes as hug it if it means better wildlife habitat. But, at the
Regional Collaboration Strategy, bringing more than same time, we don’t advocate for the elimination of
$2.9 billion in funding for the Great Lakes Restoration wolves in Michigan either. To me, that is the ultimate
Initiative through strong, bipartisan collaboration, and definition of a conservationist.
advocating for federal action and funding to address Instead, I think I will take a page out of the
critical Great Lakes issues. Asian carp prevention is Colorado Wildlife Council ad campaign — Hug a
closer than before, with the State of Illinois on the Hunter and Hug an Angler. Because in today’s highly-
verge of signing a design agreement that would start charged political environment, what matters more is
the preconstruction, engineering and design of the that we are not red or blue, but camo.
Brandon Road Lock and Dam project.
In my first year as MUCC’s executive director, Yours in Conservation,
I have been called a tree-hugging liberal and a wolf
killer, and any number of incorrect insults casting
dispersions on our policy stances. Our work on
protecting and restoring the Great Lakes does nothing,
in my opinion, to reduce our credibility and efforts
on defending hunting and trapping, increasing and
enhancing recreational opportunity and promoting
wise use and scientific management of natural
resources. And I would just as soon cut down a tree

Spring 2020 | Michigan Out-of-Doors 7

Spring 2020.indd 9 2/12/2020 1:19:05 PM

 ON
PATROL
In each issue of Michigan Out-of-Doors, we highlight
some of the recent cases our brave Michigan Department
of Natural Resources conservation officers handle. You don't
want to find yourself on this list.
November 3 to November 30, 2019
Quick actions of CO save a life
CO Chris Lynch was on patrol
when a call came out for a vehicle
that rolled over and the driver
was trapped inside.
CO Lynch was the first on
scene of the accident. The truck
was tipped on its passenger side
with the driver still strapped into
the driver’s seat. The driver had
severe head bleeding as well as
neck and back pain.
CO Lynch called for a heli-
copter to transport the subject
to a hospital and for the jaws
of life. CO Lynch rendered aid
to the subject’s head to control
the bleeding and then reached
through the front windshield
of the truck to hold c-spine to
prevent further spinal injury.
The subject had to be held for
over 30 minutes while emergency
personal used the jaws of life
to extract the subject from the
vehicle. The subject was eventu-
ally successfully removed from
the vehicle and airlifted to the
hospital.
The subject sustained a frac-
tured vertebra in his neck and
lacerations to his head from the
crash. Medical personnel later
8 |www.michiganoutofdoors.com
Spring 2020.indd 10
stated, if it weren’t for the driver
being properly stabilized while
trapped in the vehicle, he likely
would be paralyzed.
Eye in the sky
During an airplane assisted
patrol on November 16, a large
number of waterfowl were
observed flying over Lake
Leelanau by Sgt. Dan Bigger, who
was one of the ground units.
Shortly after the waterfowl
flew south to the river inlet, shots
were heard. The airplane being
used was a float plane so Sgt.
Bigger asked if the pilot would be
able to land the plane and have CO
William Haskin row up and check
the duck blinds and waterfowl
hunters.
After checking different
groups of hunters, CO Haskin
located an unplugged firearm in
one group and violations for no
Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs)
in another group.
Other area COs on the ground
were able to observe the contact
and assist in the issuance of
citations to allow the plane to
continue the flight that was
focusing on bait, feed, and other
possible violations along the
shoreline of Leelanau County and
the surrounding area.
Only shoot in a safe direction
During the opening weekend
of Michigan's firearm deer
season, CO Mike Haas received a
complaint from Isabella County
Central Dispatch.
A couple was sitting in their
house when they heard a loud
crash outside. They noticed their
truck windows had been broken
by what they thought was a bullet.
CO Haas investigated the
area and located the path of
the bullet. A bullet had hit the
truck's driver side window, the
driver’s seat headrest, the rear
passenger window, the door frame
of another car, and into a carport
wall.
CO Haas then followed the
bullet’s path to a nearby farm
field and was able to determine
where the hunter was standing
when they had shot the bullet.
A group of hunters were inter-
viewed, and it was discovered that
a juvenile had fired the bullet.
The adult chaperoning the
hunt was held responsible for not
properly supervising the juvenile
and charges are pending to
address the negligent discharging
of a firearm and damage to
2/12/2020 1:19:05 PM
 private property.
The opposite of a serenade
CO Ethen Mapes responded to
a hunter harassment complaint in
Charlevoix County.
The complaint stated that every
evening during hunting hours, a
subject would start playing a saxo-
phone outside. The hunters stated
that the deer would get spooked and
clear the area as soon as he started
playing.
CO Mapes contacted the saxo-
phone player who stated that he
wasn’t trying to scare the deer. The
man stated that the deer like it when
he plays saxophone and it shouldn’t
bother anyone’s hunting.
CO Mapes and the man came
up with a plan that he would play
the saxophone inside during deer
season and if playing outside, the
man would play around lunch time
or after dark.
A picture worth a thousand words
CO Raymond Gardner received
a complaint about a subject who
harvested a 13-point buck and then
bought a deer license after.
CO Gardner contacted the
subject and interviewed him. The
subject told CO Gardner that he shot
the deer on the day after purchasing
his license. CO Gardner asked the
suspect if he had pictures of the
deer on his phone.
The subject told CO Gardner
that he had pictures and showed
them to him.
After CO Gardner showed the
suspect that the time/date stamp
on the pictures were before he had
purchased a license, the subject
confessed.
CO Gardner seized the head and
antlers as evidence and donated the
meat. A report will be submitted
to the Lapeer County Prosecutor’s
Office.
Piles of evidence
CO Josiah Killingbeck received
an anonymous tip of shots fired
after dark at a residence in Lake
Spring 2020.indd 11
County. With the assistance of COs
Ryan Andrews and Brian Brosky,
contact was made at the residence in
question.
A hunter admitted to CO
Killingbeck that he had shot an
8-point buck but that it was not after
dark. The COs could see a bait pile
behind a shed that had several flood
lights overlooking the bait pile.
CO Killingbeck asked to see
the hunter’s license and the hunter
produced both combination deer
licenses. The hunter soon admitted
to not tagging the 8-point he had
taken.
While looking at the 8-point deer
that was untagged, the COs observed
a second deer head. The hunter
advised that his grandson had shot
the second deer. Both hunters told
the COs that they had shot the deer
at a stand behind the residence.
The COs looked at the blind
with the hunters and observed no
tracks whatsoever in the snow near
the blind. One subject said that his
tracks had disappeared in the snow
along with deer drag marks. The
COs discovered a large patch of
blood over the bait pile behind the
residence.
The subject with the 8-point
buck kept telling CO Killingbeck
that he had shot the buck with a .243.
However, there were no bullet holes
in the deer’s body cavity. The COs
discovered a small caliber hole in
the head of the 8-point. After several
more stories, the truth was obtained
from both hunters.
The COs learned that the 8-point
had been shot with a .22 the day
before firearm deer season opened
over the bait pile. The second buck
had been shot by another hunter at 1
AM over the lighted bait pile with a
crossbow.
The COs seized the deer, a .22
with a lighted scope and mounted
flashlight, and a crossbow with a
lighted scope and attached flashlight.
A report is being sent to the Lake
County Prosecutor’s Office for
numerous charges related to the
illegal taking of both deer.
Tag it before you bag it
CO Nick Ingersoll received a
complaint that a hunter was drag-
ging a deer out of the woods without
a kill-tag attached.
CO Ingersoll responded to the
area and located a hunter who was
processing his deer near the roadway
in a field. CO Ingersoll watched as
the hunters field dressed the deer
and waited to see if they were going
to attach a kill-tag.
The hunters eventually drug
the deer up to the road where their
truck was sitting; the deer was in
their possession without a kill-tag
attached. CO Ingersoll contacted the
hunters and asked why they did not
tag the deer yet, and they stated that
they did not have the tags with them.
CO Ingersoll was able to confirm
that the hunter did have valid tags
through checking the hunter’s RSS
history. CO Ingersoll asked the
hunters what they were going to
do with the deer, and they advised
they were going to load it into the
truck and go home and process it
themselves.
CO Ingersoll advised them that
they were required to immediately
tag and validate the deer before
transporting it through the woods
and to the truck. CO Ingersoll
advised the hunter that he needed to
tag the deer before he transported
the deer back to his residence.
CO Ingersoll waited an hour for
the hunter’s wife to bring his tag to
them, where CO Ingersoll and the
hunter validated and attached the
kill-tag to the deer.
The hunter was issued a citation
for failure to immediately validate
and attach a kill-tag and admitted he
would have drove home without a
kill-tag attached if CO Ingersoll did
not contact him.
These reports are
randomly pulled from the
DNR Law Enforcement
Division's bi-weekly
reports.
Spring 2020 | Michigan Out-of-Doors 9
2/12/2020 1:19:05 PM
 For more than 25 years Mike Avery has
informed and entertained hunters and
anglers across Michigan. His experience
and common sense philosophy have made
Outdoor Magazine the Number One
MICHIGAN'S outdoor radio show in Michigan.
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u t d
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Spring 2020.indd 12 2/12/2020 1:19:05 PM


Improving Michigan's Public Lands Since 2013
MUCC's OTG ("On the Ground") program is
in its eighth year, with multiple projects planned
across all ages and experience levels throughout
the state. Volunteers participate in a variety of
wildlife habitat projects on public land and are
provided an opportunity to engage in hands-on

Impacts
conservation while learning about wildlife habitat
needs.

About 3,000 volunteers have improved fish

2,199 3,001
and game habitat through weekend projects that
involve building brush piles, removing invasive
trees, restoring grassland habitat through native
flower and grass plantings, hinge-cutting trees for
Acres Improved Volunteers deer and snowshoe hare, installing wood duck
boxes, regenerating aspen stands, performing

14,309
river clean-ups and planting a variety of trees for
wildlife food and cover.

Volunteer Hours In March, we will be building rabbitat in Clare

County (3/07) and hosting two chainsaw safety
courses (3/14-15; 3/28-29), while April finds us
planting trees at Fulton State Game Area (4/22)
and in the Gladwin State Forest (4/25). April
also marks the start of our OTG Jr. season, which
brings students across Michigan outdoors to
improve wildlife habitat in their local communities.
In May, OTG will return to the Upper Peninsula
and plant mast-producing trees in the Gwinn
State Forest Area (5/16). We also events have
events planned for later in the summer and early
fall, so keep an eye out for wildlife volunteer
opportunities near you!

For more information on the event dates, details

and to register, please visit www.mucc.org/on-
the-ground or contact MUCC Habitat Volunteer
Coordinator Makhayla LaButte at mlabutte@
mucc.org or 517-346-6456.

Spring 2020.indd 13 2/12/2020 1:19:08 PM


By Drew YoungeDyke, National
Wildlife Federation
Despite the dominant political
climate, bipartisanship still exists
for some conservation priorities.
Building on the bipartisan
success of the John D. Dingell
Conservation, Management, and
Recreation Act, which permanently
reauthorized the Land and Water
Conservation Fund when signed
into law in early 2019, multiple
pieces of bipartisan conservation
legislation have been passed or are
working their way through the U.S.
12 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com
Spring 2020.indd 14
Congress Shows Bipartisanship
Still Possible with Conservation
Priorities
House and Senate.
These measures address
conservation priorities ranging
from hunter recruitment to chronic
wasting disease research and
wildlife recovery, public lands and
invasive species funding.
The Modernizing the Pittman-
Robertson Fund for Tomorrow’s
Needs Act will provide state
wildlife agencies the flexibility to
use some of the hunter education
allocation they get from the fund
for marketing and outreach efforts
to increase hunter recruitment,
retention and reactivation.
Since 1937, hunters and
recreational shooters have paid
into the fund for wildlife recovery
through excise taxes on hunting
and shooting equipment, but
declining hunting participa-
tion risks a decrease in wildlife
conservation funding through the
Pittman-Robertson Fund.
When the final 2020 budget
deal was passed, this language was
included, so it became law when
President Trump signed it in late
December 2019.
“The health of the lands,
waters, and wildlife we care deeply
about depend on funds generated
through the excise tax applied
2/12/2020 1:19:09 PM
 through the Pittman-Robertson
Act,” said Marcia Brownlee,
program manager for Artemis
Sportswomen with the National
Wildlife Federation. “The partici-
pation of women is one segment of
hunting that is increasing, and this
legislation can help reach a more
diverse demographic and reverse
the current decline of hunting
participation and conservation
funding.”
The budget agreement also
included $25 million for the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service to fight
Asian carp, of which $2.5 million
must be allocated for contract
fishing to remove invasive Asian
carp from waters they already
inhabit, such as in Tennessee and
Kentucky.
It includes $10.6 million for the
U.S. Geological Survey to research
ways to control and eradicate
Asian carp, and $50,000 for the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers to start
preconstruction engineering and
design work on the Brandon Road
Lock and Dam project — intended
to block Asian carp from invading
the Great Lakes while maintaining
shipping in the Chicago Area
Waterway System — as well as
$13.9 million to complete an electric
dispersal barrier in the waterway
system.
“We applaud the foresight of
congressional leaders who came
together on this issue. Asian
carp are wreaking havoc on our
aquatic ecosystems — including
many threatened and endangered
species — while also making rivers
and lakes unusable for recreation,
destroying local economies,” said
Michael Butler, CEO of Tennessee
Wildlife Federation (NWF’s
Tennessee affiliate) which led the
effort secure additional Asian
carp funding for their part of the
country.
The budget deal also increased
for the Great Lakes Restoration
Initiative by $20 million to
$320 million and a $57 million
increase for the Land and Water
Conservation Fund to $495 million,
though this is still far short of the
$900 million authorized from the
Spring 2020.indd 15
offshore oil and gas royalties which
fund it.
The Pittman-Robertson
Modernization Act language
was also originally included in a
Senate bill called the America’s
Conservation Enhancement (ACE)
Act, but it was removed after it
passed in the budget deal.
The ACE Act still includes the
establishment of a chronic wasting
disease task force, commissioning
a study from National Academy of
Sciences on how CWD is spread,
reauthorization for the North
American Wetlands Conservation
Act (NAWCA) and the National
Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Act through 2025, fish habitat
and conservation partnerships,
reimbursement measures for
livestock producers suffering loss
to federally protected species, and
establishing a Theodore Roosevelt
genius prize for innovative,
non-lethal technical solutions to
prevent wildlife conflict
“At a time when one-third of
wildlife species are at heightened
risk of extinction and lawmakers
struggle to agree on anything,
the Senate is again showing that
conservation can bring our leaders
together to achieve real progress,”
said Collin O’Mara, president
and CEO of the National Wildlife
Federation.
The ACE Act unanimously
passed the Senate in early January
2020 but still needs House passage.
On the House side, an even bigger
conservation package is moving
with significant bipartisan support.
The Recovering America’s
Wildlife Act, introduced by Reps.
Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.) and
Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), would
direct almost $1.4 billion to state
and tribal wildlife agencies to
recover the almost one-third of
species at risk in the United States,
identified as species of greatest
conservation need in state wildlife
action plans.
$1.3 billion would go to state
wildlife agencies to implement
those existing plans to recover
wildlife, with the remaining $97.5
million going to tribal nations for
wildlife recovery on tribal lands.
“The Recovering America’s
Wildlife Act is the most significant
piece of wildlife legislation since
the Endangered Species Act passed
in 1973,” O’Mara said.
While the dominant news head-
lines would suggest that Congress
is hopelessly divided along partisan
lines, conservation continues to
prove a uniting force that crosses
political boundaries and shows that
bipartisanship is still possible.
Spring 2020 | Michigan Out-of-Doors 13
2/12/2020 1:19:09 PM
 Is the NRC
"Ripe for Reform?"
By Charlie Booher
MUCC Policy Intern
In the fall of 2019, debate over wildlife manage-
ment authority in Lansing came to a head. This is
not a new fight, nor is it one that is likely to go away
anytime soon; so, it is an important issue for us as
conservationists to know about and weigh in on.
In 1996, the citizens of the state of Michigan passed
ballot measure G, a proposal that granted the Natural
Resources Commission (NRC) exclusive authority to
regulate the manner and method of take of game and
sportfish. This initiative passed by a ratio of two-to-
one, making it clear that the people of this state want
science to dictate wildlife management. Later, the NRC
was further authorized to designate game species and
to establish the first open season for animals through
the issuance of orders through the Scientific Wildlife
Management Act of 2014. This decision was reaffirmed
in the Scientific Wildlife Management Act of 2016.
MUCC Executive Director Amy Trotter testifies in front of the NRC in late 2019 about the commission's decision to instate
a 10-brook-trout bag limit on 33 Upper Peninsula streams despite objections from stakeholders, the Michigan DNR and
MUCC.
14 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com
Spring 2020.indd 16
This history is important because it has laid the
groundwork for the system that we have — laying forth
all of its virtues and vices. These vices have not shown
themselves more clearly than in the final months of
2019.
In November, some members of the state legisla-
ture sought to overturn an NRC decision through the
passage of a bill to allow baiting and feeding of deer
(H.B. 4687). At the same time, the NRC was moving
forward with an order regarding brook trout limits
for 33 streams in the Upper Peninsula. Under this
order, the creel limit would be changed from five to 10,
leading many groups, including MUCC, to question
the use of the best available science in making this
decision.
Trout Unlimited sought recourse of the NRC
through litigation, but that case was dismissed with a
January NRC vote to remove the 10-brook-trout creel
limit. Thus, the legislature could be seen as disre-
garding Proposal G in the same month that the NRC
2/12/2020 1:19:09 PM

was accused of ignoring its obligation to incorporate
science in management decisions. As of January 2020,
the NRC reconsidered their decision to incorporate the
input of agency and university researchers further.
Regardless, this conflict points to a bigger issue in our
system.
At one point, we at Michigan United Conservation
Clubs (MUCC) were working through multiple institu-
tions, with differing authorities, to maintain scientific
wildlife management in the state of Michigan.
The NRC is made up of a panel of seven residents
from across the state whose job is to make decisions
based on sound science, not politics or emotions. As
this logic goes, by removing commissioners from the
electoral process, the commission is not beholden to
any constituents.
However, this description does not fully appre-
ciate the nuances of the scientific method, nor what
“science” really is or does. Science is, based on a
common definition, “a process by which people
systematically study the structure and behavior of the
physical and natural world through observation and
experiment.”
It provides predictive power and may inform deci-
sions, but it cannot make decisions for us. Decision-
making, rule- and regulation-setting are elements
of governance that can (and, in my opinion, should)
incorporate science.
This put us in the conservation community in a
Spring 2020.indd 17
tough position. As advocates of Proposal G, groups
like MUCC support the authority of the NRC to make
decisions regarding wildlife management and defend
that authority. However, we are also tasked to ensure
that the NRC continues to incorporate the best avail-
able science into the regulations that they set.
So, the pressure builds. Some would like to see
the NRC done away with, as they do not directly
represent voters as state legislators do. Others would
like to see the NRC given greater regulatory authority
over the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
Regardless, this issue is ripe for reform, and the
conservation community must be involved.
So the question becomes: how can we better incorpo-
rate science into policy-making?
It is a question that has been arising for many,
many years and one that I decided to dedicate a
significant amount of time to studying. Over the last
four years, I have pursued a dual-degree program at
Michigan State University: one Bachelor’s of Arts in
Public Policy and a Bachelor’s of Science in Fisheries
& Wildlife Conservation. I have had the privilege of
working at this intersection nearly every day during
that time, yet it is still a challenge for me to wrap
my head around all of the moving parts involved in
this equation. However, in that time, I have been able
to consider several things that could close the gap
between researchers and policymakers.
Here in Michigan, many see rules surrounding
NRC appointments as the best way forward in closing
this gap. As of this writing, NRC commissioners are
not required to have any expertise, experience or
training in fisheries or wildlife management. Rather
than wholly discard the NRC, many individuals have
proposed a reform that would establish criteria by
which commissioners could be appointed.
In June of 2019, members of Michigan United
Conservation Clubs unanimously passed a resolu-
tion to work with the state legislature and MDNR to
“develop qualification and eligibility criteria which
seeks to populate the NRC with members who have
a demonstrated interest in both game and nongame
fisheries and wildlife, natural resource management,
outdoor recreation, a history of personal participation
in these activities and suitable educational and profes-
sional background.”
This resolution also seeks to find commissioners
from diverse backgrounds, encourage an even
geographic distribution and to preclude former state
legislators and relevant agency personnel from service
for a period of time.
There are significant challenges to these changes
— especially in finding high-quality candidates who
do not work in this field already or have a conflict of
interest with the commission. However, with these
simple additions, I believe that we might significantly
increase the capacity of the commission to make the
best decisions possible for the wildlife and fisheries of
the state of Michigan.
Spring 2020 | Michigan Out-of-Doors 15
2/12/2020 1:19:09 PM
 in g Re v
r By Erick Johnson
A Sp

iva
l

16 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com
16 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com
Spring 2020.indd 18 2/12/2020 1:19:10 PM
 G
rowing up in Michigan, So when my good friend Jeff invited responses and saw plenty of
springtime has always me to join him spring turkey turkeys, including some real boss
been a time of revival for hunting, I was a little skeptical at toms on our scouting trips. This
me. first. When I shared my concerns turkey hunting thing was already
Winter isn’t all that bad: there’s about my lack of calling experi- starting to grab ahold of me. And
always ice fishing and a little coyote
hunting to be done, and of course,
you can spend hours at the fly vise
dreaming of summer hatches. But
Cackles, gobbles and purrs quickly blended into
there’s just something about the
warmth of the sun on your shoul- a music that can only be described as sweet.
ders and a new freshness to the
breeze. The kind of April day when ence, he assured me it wouldn’t be of course, it was great to be back
the snow is gone and the foliage is a problem. Jeff had been guiding out in the spring woods again.
down, and you can see what winter friends and family for years with I had drawn a tag the first
has left for you. some success. season in our unit, and anticipation
Spring for me in Northern I got my application in that was flying high a few days before
Michigan was always a time of year January, drew a license and we it was to begin. We figured we’d
that I enjoyed being able to get back waited until spring. We got out have a great crack at a nice tom
into the swamps and haunts I had early in April and checked the local sometime during that week. Then
missed all winter. I spent days just haunts for signs that our resident I got a phone call that was a little
walking to see what winter could turkey population had thrived bittersweet for me. I was called
tell me about her season. Looking through the winter. We’d stop and back into work, and we had a new
for shed antlers, checking for buck he’d give a hoot with a locator call; job starting the Monday morning
sign I missed the previous fall and then we would wait for a gobbler to of my hunt.
finding the occasional mushroom respond before moving on to check Jeff and I both worked in the
filled my days. But, mostly, it the next construction trades and had been
was a time to scout for new trout area. We laid off for a few weeks. While it
waters. An avid trout angler since got a few was sweet relief for my depleted
my teenage years, I’d spent every checking account, it was a bummer
spring of my adult life in search of to miss the
backcountry brook trout waters.
All of that changed during one
bad winter. Layoffs and cut-backs
hit my wife and I hard. We moved
several times, finally settling in my
hometown downstate, trying to get
back on our feet. I still did a little
trout fishing here and there and my
share of two-tracking when I could,
but it just wasn’t the same. I was
missing the passion I’d once had for
the spring.
Friends and coworkers had
been suggesting for years that
I give turkey hunting a try.
They told me it was just like
bowhunting in October. The
same rush, the same antici-
pation and it got you out of
the house and sharpened
your hunting instincts
after a long winter. My
only experience in the
turkey woods had been
in college. With the mosquitoes,
poison ivy and stifling heat, it
wasn’t anything I wanted to replay
anytime soon.

Spring 2020.indd 19 2/12/2020 1:19:11 PM

 hammer one down on Saturday
morning.
I had some concerns having
only one day to hunt but figured
we’d give it our best shot. I got
to Jeff’s house plenty early that
morning, and we were soon parked
morning hunts
at a small parcel of public land
of our short, week-
nearby in the predawn. A couple
long season.
of quick hoots from his locator call
Jeff said we’d just have to
18 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com
Spring 2020.indd 20
got several aggressive responses,
and we booked it into the woods
trying to get set up. Jeff quickly
instructed me to sit against a tree
while he moved away with the
decoy and began calling. In my
hurry to get settled in near dark-
ness, I lost track of him.
In the dawn, the spring woods
exploded with the sounds of
turkeys. Cackles, gobbles and purrs
quickly blended into music that
can only be described as sweet.
Hens and jakes were around me,
sounding off, with no gobbler in
sight. I couldn’t tell where the
turkeys’ talking ended and Jeff’s
calling began. I had totally lost
track of where he had gone and
quickly decided that should a tom
show himself, I wouldn’t shoot for
safety reasons. He truly had disap-
peared into the shadows and was
speaking a language I didn’t know.
There was something about the
orange-pink dawn and the calling
in the woods that awoke something
missing in me the last couple of
years. I was in awe of what was
2/12/2020 1:19:12 PM
 going on around me. The scene tom intercepted the green fiber as good as after the sweet success
was quickly broken up by the roar optic bead of my Remington 870 of a hunt. I had finally found my
of a shotgun a couple hundred shotgun at 30 yards, I fired a passion for the spring again.
yards away. We learned later that magnum load of six shot. One year later, almost to the
a neighbor had snuck in from his He quickly went into a spin, day, I called in a mature gobbler
property and collected the tom with and I ran after him firing a couple where a pine ridge met a popple
his own sweet calling. We had been of finishing shots. It was over in slashing. Jeff’s dad was less than
so close, yet so far. less time than it takes now to write 100 yards away when he heard my
Jeff quickly rose from a tree not about it. I had collected my first shot. I’d bet he could see the grin
30 yards away and said it was time spring turkey! He was a beautiful under my facemask from there.
to try the next spot. I felt a little tom with a 9 and five-eights-inch Eight seasons later, I proudly
sheepish that my caller friend had beard and three-quarter-inch spurs. called in a beautiful tom for my
been so close yet out of sight. I couldn’t have been more proud. 7-year-old son Orrin. After several
We quickly drove a few miles As we drove back to Jeff’s seasons watching his dad and
away to another little honey hole. house, I couldn’t believe we had friends in the woods, it was finally
A quick check of the area revealed pulled it off with only one morning his turn to harvest a bird in the way
plenty of turkey strutting and to hunt. The energy of a giddy, I’d been taught. In the celebration
dusting had happened recently. Jeff rookie turkey hunter with his first that followed, his grandpa declared
again gave a couple of locator calls, bird in the bag filled the truck cab. that, at the age of 65, he’s ready to
and a gobbler responded a few When we got back to the barn, we try turkey hunting.
hundred yards to our southeast. found that Jeff’s dad, Billy, had This spring will find three
We rushed to get set up as Jeff also scored a beautiful gobbler that generations of our family listening
commenced to sing another turkey morning. to the sweet sounds of turkeys
love song. We gathered up Jeff’s family gobbling at dawn. My 4-year-old
Suddenly, another tom gave a and headed out to a big breakfast twin daughters recently protested
shock gobble not a hundred yards over at the local café. We relived the unfairness that their older
to our north. the hunts over and over again, brother and grandpa get to hunt
Within minutes, I could see adding details that the other hunter with "daddy"this spring, and they
him running in through the water missed. I don’t think breakfast ever are anxiously awaiting their turn.
and blow-downs in the swamp in tastes We should all be so lucky as to
front of me. He passed me savor such a spring revival.
quickly, and I searched for
an opening in the
brush. I readied my
shotgun, and
when the
bright red
head of
the
With an estimated 200,000 turkeys and more than 4.5 million
acres of public land, Michigan hunters have phenomenal
opportunities to hang their tag on a bird each season. By the
time you read this, the application period for limited-draw
hunts will be closed. However, statewide, over-the-counter
tags can be purchased anytime for hunt number 0234 running
May 1 to 31 for 2020. Season dates and license information are
available at www.michigan.gov/turkey .

Spring 2020 | Michigan Out-of-Doors 19

Spring 2020.indd 21 2/12/2020 1:19:12 PM

 Second action to begin. Just shy of first
light, the giant tom that I roosted
the night before thunders off a
Shift
gobble, then another and another,
oh so close.
As soon as the sun peaks up, a
few soft clucks from my diaphragm
call, he flies down right
Turkeys
into my setup, and boom!
I’m done before breakfast
and home for more warm
coffee while everyone
else is still in bed.
By Jason Herbert Let’s face it: the
reality of turkey hunting
A
is not so picture-perfect. All too
ll turkey hunters have a
often, the birds don’t gobble much,
dream of the perfect hunt.
are surrounded by hens, have
Mine goes something like
already learned a bit about hunters
this.
or are simply not interested. That is
I wake early, arrive at my pre-
one of the many great things about
determined spot before the birds
turkey hunting; you never know
even make a chirp and wait for the
Spring 2020.indd 22
what to expect.
Over the last several years,
I have hunted turkeys hard and
learned a lot, mostly by mistake.
One of the first mistakes was
giving up too early in the morning.
I’d arrived bright and early, got all
excited when they started to gobble
and watched the toms crash out of
the trees and wander off with hens
that they planned on spending the
morning with.
That is the catch. The turkey’s
weakness, if you will. Most of the
hens only want to get bred for a few
hours in the morning, and then it’s
off to the nest for them, leaving the
lonely toms to wander.
Most of the toms I have killed,
and many I’ve encountered, have
come between 10 a.m. and noon.
I’ve also killed a handful of birds in
the early and late afternoon.
In our home state of Michigan,
afternoon turkey hunting is legal.
Last spring, my oldest son had a
late-season tag to fill, so we went
out to a familiar hayfield in hopes
of catching one of the big toms that
gave me the slip during my hunt in
the first season.
A beautiful, warm, breezy day
greeted us as we pulled into the
horse farm we had permission to
hunt. We no sooner sat down under
our “killing tree” — that same tree
where he shot his first bird 10 years
ago — and made some calls.
From what seemed like a mile
away, “GOBBLE!!!” then another
and another.
“Get ready, dude. He’s coming,”
I said to Brendan.
“Yeah, whatever,” he replied.
“I’m serious, it is 1:30, if we
have a bird gobbling now, he’s
interested,” I replied with logic and
wisdom.
Sure enough, a few minutes of
silence later, my son added, “Wow,
he’s beautiful.”
Brendan saw the bird before
I did. Sitting on both sides of the
tree, he was able to look over his
shoulder to see the bird. I had to
rearrange my whole body to get a
visual.
I turned behind me to see a
huge tom dang near sprinting down
2/12/2020 1:19:14 PM
 Hunting in the afternoons can leave the mornings open
for Morel mushroom hunting. Two of the author's sons
pose with their harvests from a successful day.
the hayfield edge, coming
nearer by the moment,
hoping to catch a glimpse of
the lonely gal. “OK, I’m going
to call again to let him zero in on
us, get your gun ready.”
“Yelp, Yelp, YELP!” I let the call
rip, and it worked like a charm.
Moments later, a giant bluish-
red softball of a turkey head
crested the hill behind me. Brendan
did not want to stick his gun near
my face to shoot the bird over my
lap, so he had no shot.
Our decoys, a strutting tom
and submissive hen were out in
front of him because I had no idea
a bird would come in from behind
us. Regardless, we had a mature
longbeard close. Now, it was just a
matter of waiting for a shot.
The bird zeroed in on us and
ended up strutting right behind
our tree! He was close. We could
hear him spitting, drumming and
Spring 2020.indd 23
scratching dead leaves. My heart
was pounding! I can’t imagine how
Brendan felt.
Eventually, we became bored
with the bird’s antics and got our
pulses under control. I honestly
think that tom strutted behind
us for three to four solid minutes.
Brendan and I finally had enough
composure to whisper a plan.
“Dude,” I whispered. “I’m going
to call. He will either come out from
the back of the tree on your side to
check out decoys or come out on
my side to run away. Be ready to
shoot on either side.”
I heard an affirmative “Okay”
before I let a loud yelp rip from my
diaphragm call.
“YELP!” and then all I heard
was raspberry vines scraping the
turkey’s feathers as he tried to
escape.
“He’s on my left, shoot!” I
yelled.
Spring 2019 || Michigan Out-of-Doors 21
Like a well-trained soldier, my
son leaned over and dropped the
bird in its tracks with a silence
shattering “BOOM!”.
I think the entire hunt lasted
five minutes. Anyone who has the
privilege of hunting with their
loved ones knows that watching
your kid shoot an animal or catch a
fish is way better than experiencing
it yourself, and I was ecstatic
for my son! Hugs and high-fives
carried us out to the field to get out
hands on his trophy. And what a
trophy he was!
The giant tom had a 10-inch
beard, 1 ⅜ inch spurs and weighed
almost 25 pounds. I had been after
this boss of the woods for years,
and we finally caught him off guard
one sunny May afternoon.
Cooperative toms are not the
only reason I like to hunt second
shift turkeys. I think it is a great
way to enjoy the nice spring
Fall 2020
Michigan Out-of-Doors 21
2/12/2020 1:19:16 PM

weather. It is easier to get to a blind
or setup without fumbling around
in the dark, and hunting afternoons
allow me time to sleep in, attend
sporting events and do chores at
home.
I am lucky to be able to
guide for a friend’s charity
Turkey Tracks - The Eric Corey
Foundation. Turkey Tracks takes
limited mobility kids on turkey
hunts, and guys like me get to be
part of the action.
When hunting with limited
mobility kids, or adult hunters for
that matter, afternoons are great
because we drive them right up to
the blind. It generally clears the
fields of any birds, but that’s Okay.
Turkeys, and deer as well,
aren’t too alarmed by vehicles in
farm country, and any animals we
scared off almost always come back
soon. We also like to use bright,
big decoys to get the bird’s atten-
tion and help them know where to
investigate.
From that point, it’s just loud
calling about every 15 minutes,
maybe mixed in with a nap or two.
When I’m by myself or guiding
someone without mobility issues,
we also will “run-and-gun” hunt in
the afternoons.
Run-and-gun is all about
production, and we cover as much
ground as possible, remaining
hidden while we call loudly as well.
Every turkey hunter likes to
take on the task a bit differently, so
I won’t get too technical right now.
In closing, I would like to
challenge you all to, at least, try an
afternoon turkey hunt this spring.
Or, if you’re lucky enough to fill
your tag in the morning, hook up
with someone who hasn’t yet and
guide them after lunch. You’ll be
amazed at how cooperative the
birds will be.
As always, have fun, be safe and
shoot straight!

Never Trust a Fart.

True stories of grown men who have
accidentally pooped their pants.
By Jason Herbert

The perfect book for deer camp, the fishing boat, ice shanty
or bathroom! From award-winning, Michigan outdoor writer
Jason Herbert, this book is full of quick, easy to read,
hilarious stories about when, for one reason or another,
Herbert’s buddies accidentally pooped their pants. Family-
friendly, without a single curse word, this book is the ideal
gift for that hard-to-buy-for friend with a sense of humor.
Available in paperback, or Kindle download, visit amazon.
com and search for “Never Trust a Fart” to order.

22 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com

Spring 2020.indd 24 2/12/2020 1:19:18 PM

 Michigan United
Conservation Clubs
Yes! I’d like to become a
member of MUCC!
Mail this to:
2101 Wood St., Lansing, MI 48912

Date__________________________________
New Member
Renewal_______________________________

Name___________________________________
Address_________________________________
City____________________________________

OUR HISTORY
Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC) is the largest statewide
conservation organization in the nation. With more than 200 affiliated clubs
and 40,000 members, MUCC has represented millions of conservationists
since 1937. Whether it’s the halls of the Capitol or on your favorite stream,
MUCC is the insider for your outdoor traditions.
OUR MISSION
Uniting citizens to conserve, protect and enhance Michigan’s natural
resources and outdoor heritage.
OUR FUTURE
MUCC protects our natural resources while educating the next generation
of conservation stewards.
State___________ Zip_____________________
Phone (_______)__________________________
Email___________________________________
Membership Categories
All members will receive a subscription to Mich-
igan Out-of-Doors magazine.
1 Year______________________________ $35
2 Years_____________________________ $60
Life Membership (per person)_______ $1,000
Method of Payment
Check enclosed (payable to MUCC)
Visa MasterCard Discover

WHY SHOULD I _______________________________________

JOIN MUCC? Card No.

• Receive one year of MUCC’s _______________________________________

official publication, Michigan CVC Exp. Date
Out-of-Doors.
• Support MUCC’s education _______________________________________
programs. Signature
• Support efforts to conserve
Michigan’s natural resources. Please call 1.800.777.6720
• Support efforts to pass policy based or visit www.mucc.org to sign up online
on sound science.

Spring 2020.indd 25 2/12/2020 1:19:21 PM


Family Support
A
t 40 years old, I'm fortunate to have hunted
across the US and to provide quality, wild
meat to my family.
Even with that said, I had never killed
a wild turkey. I will admit that it is mainly due to the
fact that, growing up, there was no turkey season
where I lived, so it was not something I was exposed to.
Therefore, I never paid much attention to it.
Not being exposed to turkey hunting at a young age
definitely played a part in being late to join the party.
This is a prime example of the benefits and need to
introduce kids to hunting experiences at a young age.
However, as I continued to expand my participa-
tion in the hunting realm, I couldn't ignore the
continued growth and buzz around turkey hunting.
I was meeting people that, rather than spending
their vacation in the fall chasing deer, were doing
24 24 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com
| www.michiganoutofdoors.com
Spring 2020.indd 26
By Shawn Stafford
multi-state tours chasing toms in the spring. There
had to be something special about it.
I recently relocated from Texas to Indiana and
am being faced with some lofty goals at work. Moving
my family and worldly belongings 1,200 miles cross
country, acclimating to a new area and working long
hours caused high stress levels. It was time for a break.
While fishing is my general go-to spring activity, I
felt I needed a little more of a chance to recharge. I am
very blessed to have an uncle who owns some property
in Michigan and another uncle who loves calling in
turkeys. Whether it be fate or some other godly plan, I
got offered the chance to head north and bag my first
bird.
After work on the Friday before Mother's day, I
grabbed my two youngest kids and headed for my
in-laws' house. We got in later than expected, and after
2/12/2020 1:19:21 PM
 After what probably only took a few minutes
"Expecting the turkey to drop in a pile of flapping but seemed like an eternity, he finally followed her
feathers, I was shocked to see it dart off back into lead and began slowly making his way towards our
fencerow location. Expecting more of a frontal shot
the direction he came from, eventually taking from the blind, my uncle and I finally maneuvered the
gun out the window directly to my left.
flight into the trees." He didn't quite come fully into the decoys and hung
back a bit, but we decided he was within killing range.
getting everyone settled in, I headed for bed. And just like that, the gun went off.
Much to my surprise, I had a hard time falling Expecting the turkey to drop in a pile of flapping
asleep due to the anticipation of the morning. The feathers, I was shocked to see it dart off back into the
last time I looked at the clock was 12:30 a.m., and my direction he came from, eventually taking flight into
ride showed up at 4:44 a.m. Regardless I was excited the trees.
and ready as we parked the truck and headed into the I had, just the day before, a conversation with a
darkness. co-worker about not missing. We joked about how
Being so lucky and having good family members, you could possibly miss a stationary turkey with a
the blind was set up and the birds were scouted. shotgun. Well, I was currently eating crow rather than
The report had them showing up right at first light in turkey.
the void farm field. They expected birds to approach Exiting the blind, we followed up on the shot
from a dirt bridge over a small creek to the east or looking for feathers and blood. Neither were present.
possibly from the woodlot to the west. As we approached the wood line, the tom flew
Just as we settled in and the first notes from the down from his temporary perch and scurried into the
box call sounded, mother nature informed me that I deep woods to live another day.
needed to exit the blind. It was only minutes before Defeated and following another bout with mother
prime time, but it didn't matter. nature's call, uncle Mike reassured me more would
As I re-entered the blind, gobbles started sounding come.
off behind us. The gobbles continued growing closer, He was right that birds were everywhere in this
and the excitement continued to mount. location, and gobbles started ringing out again. As I sat
Something I had eaten the
previous day or perhaps the
anxiety of the new experience
was doing a number on my
innards. I once again had to
exit the blind. This time, the
look on my uncle's face was
that of "Are you kidding me?"
It didn't matter. Gobbles
were sounding off all around,
and I couldn't get back in the
blind fast enough. Shortly
after returning, a light-colored
head was spotted bobbing just
on the backside of a slight rise
in the field.
As the hen passed out
of sight, another quickly
followed. This one stuck
around for a minute, and then
at the creek crossing, a large,
black blob appeared.
The full-strutting gobbler
started sounding off at the
hen and flaunting his bouquet
of feathers in search of love.
He would not leave the inside
corner of the field until a few
hen clucks got the attention
of his date, and she started
heading for the decoys.

Spring 2020 | Michigan Out-of-Doors 25

Spring 2020.indd 27 2/12/2020 1:19:23 PM

 "The overriding desire
to fill my tag was gone;
I was free to enjoy
the moment in all its
glory."

there cursing myself and trying to understand

how I could miss, three dark forms appeared
across the field.
Through binoculars, they appeared
to be three jakes. A few notes from the
push-button call got their attention, and
they zoned in on the two decoys.
Disappearing momentarily behind
a fold in the field, unlike the cautious
gobbler, the three immature birds came
in on a string. Wanting not to blow this, I
had the barrel out of the window ahead of
time and started working on breathing and
focusing.
The trio bunched up with their faux
companions, and I carefully waited for one
to clear himself from the others. Finally, he
stepped to the right, and I fired.
I was reliving a nightmare that had only
occurred moments before. The bird did not
fall and, to my absolute horror, started to
run. Fortunately for me, their youth and
inexperience led the three to remain well
within range, trying to sort out what had
just happened.
The target bird cleared the
others to the left, and this
time I bore down on the
barrel determined not to
blow this gift I was given. This
time, the bird dropped practi-
cally stone dead — what a feeling
of relief and an influx of emotion.
I didn't even run out of the blind.
Believe it or not, this had been a mentally
taxing roller coast, and I just sat there.
The fear of disappointing my uncle finally left,

26|| www.michiganoutofdoors.com
26 www.michiganoutofdoors.com

Spring 2020.indd 28 2/12/2020 1:19:24 PM

 Above: The results of the author's first turkey hunt, ready for the kitchen. Below: The blind the author hunted from when
he took his bird. A pop-up blind is a valuable tool for turkey hunters thanks to the portability and versatility.

and goose to turkey. It did not disappoint.

I also went ahead and fried up a couple of strips
from the breast so I could find out for myself what the
texture and taste of wild turkey was.
I'd gotten mixed reviews of eating wild turkey, with
most of them being negative. My vote is towards the
delicious side. The pieces were tender and extremely
tasty.
I rounded out the day by pinning the fan and beard
to a piece of cardboard in anticipation of making a
nice mount for the wall to pay homage to this fine
quarry.
The last thing I'll mention is to make sure you are
prepared.
While I thought shooting and killing a turkey
(once they were located and called in) would be only a
formality in the process, I was absolutely wrong—as is
evidenced by my excessive shooting.
and a huge burden seemed to be gone. The overriding
Make sure you know where your gun patterns and
desire to fill my tag was gone; I was free to enjoy the
that you actually aim your scattergun. With proper
moment in all its glory. I sat back and poured a cup of
chokes, your pattern will be quite tight and dense.
coffee from my thermos and thanked Mike.
I realized this when cleaning the bird as there were
Finally, after composing myself and leaving the
no perforations from BB's anywhere in the breast or
blind, I headed for my trophy.
thighs and legs. The shot was all centered on the head
I touched the soft feathers and thanked the animal
and neck, where I took care to aim for when I fired the
for the future nourishment he would be providing.
last shot.
I stared at the blue sky and said a little prayer
I may not spend all my vacation days chasing
before heading to the blind to hug and show my appre-
turkeys in the spring, but I will absolutely be giving it
ciation to my uncle.
another go next year!
I spent the rest of the morning prepping the
animal for the table and freezer. I extended my tradi-
tion of eating the heart and liver from deer, elk, duck

SpringSpring
2019 2020
| Michigan Out-of-Doors
| Michigan 27 27
Out-of-Doors

Spring 2020.indd 29 2/12/2020 1:19:26 PM

 Working to avert the tragedy
of the commons By Chris Lamphere
Multiple stakeholders currently embroiled in negotiations
to renew agreement governing Tribal waters
Crucial talks are underway
regarding 18,730 square miles of
water in three of the Great Lakes.
While differences exist between
the parties involved, common
ground can be found in the idea
that it’s better to work together
than apart.
Five Native American tribes,
the state of Michigan, the federal
government and various conserva-
tion groups and sport fishers have
regularly been meeting to hash out
a new agreement to replace the
2000 Consent Decree, which expires
in August. Negotiations began in
September 2019.
The 2000 agreement was
established to collaboratively
govern allocation, management
and regulation of state and tribal
fisheries in the Great Lakes waters
ceded to the state at the beginning
of the 19th Century.
In 1836, the United States
government purchased a large
swath of territory bordering lakes
Michigan, Superior and Huron
from the Ottawa and Chippewa
Indian Tribes of the northern
Lower Peninsula and the eastern
Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
According to the Department
of Natural Resources, treaties such
as these often contained clauses
in which tribes reserved hunting,
fishing and gathering rights. The
courts have consistently upheld
these rights through several chal-
lenges over the years, finding that
the state government had limited
authority to regulate tribal fishing
activity.
Stephen Schultz, a lawyer
representing some of the conserva-
tion groups in the ongoing talks,
28 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com
Spring 2020.indd 30
was involved in the negotiations should be shared.”
that led to the 2000 Consent Decree The Coalition’s current
and, before that, the 1985 negotia- members include the Michigan
tions and agreement. United Conservation Clubs,
Schultz said prior to the agree- the Michigan Charter Boat
ments of 1985 and 2000, the regula- Association, the Michigan
tions governing use of the Great Steelhead and Salmon Fishermen’s
Lakes waters and their resources Association, the Hammond Bay
were very fuzzy, leading to a sort of Area Anglers Association, the
fishing free-for-all that decimated Black Lake Association, Sturgeon
some species in parts of the lakes. for Tomorrow, the Blue Water
In 1979, Schultz became Sportfishing Association, the
involved in a lawsuit seeking to Grand Traverse Area Sportfishing
halt gill net fishing in the Grand Association, the Burt Lake
Traverse Bay. He said it had Preservation Association, the Great
caused a 98 percent reduction in Lakes Council of the Fly Fishers
lake trout from the bay during the International and the Walloon Lake
first months of tribal fishing after Trust and Conservancy.
a federal court had validated the With about two thirds of Lake
tribes’ treaty rights to fish. Michigan located in the decree’s
“It was a real tragedy of the jurisdiction, Radjenovich said
commons,” Schultz said. “It wasn’t major changes in the decree would
good for anybody.” mean significant changes to many
The nature of the fishing also aspects of his business, which isn’t
led to some conflict between non-
tribal fishers and their tribal neigh-
bors, Schultz said. Fortunately, he
added, that conflict has ended in
the Grand Traverse Bay area and
in other locations throughout the
Great Lakes as tribal and sport
fishers have improved relations
with each other.
Tony Radjenovich, a charter
boat captain and president of the
Coalition to Protect Michigan
Resources, said the 2000 consent
decree created a good framework
through which multiple stake-
holders could enjoy the resource
while also making contributions to
sustain it.
“Co-management of
the resource is important,”
Radjenovich said. “The decisions,
along with the responsibilities,
2/12/2020 1:19:26 PM
 necessarily a bad thing, as long
as the changes are positive for the
fisheries.
“It’s more about the resource,”
Radjenovich said. “I think there’s
room for all of us to co-manage and
continue to use these resources.”
According to a fact sheet
prepared by Schultz and dissemi-
nated to members of the Coalition,
the decree “directly affects where
Tribal fishing operations may fish,
where sportfishing is available, how
the resource is shared, who may
fish and when, what kinds of fish
may be caught, what kind of fishing
gear may be used by the Tribes and
how many fish may be caught by
tribal fishers and sport fishers.”
The tribes involved in the
ongoing negotiations are the Bay
Mills Indian Community, Grand
Traverse Band of Ottawa and
Chippewa Indians, Little River
Band of Ottawa Indians, Little
Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa
Indians and Sault Ste. Marie Tribe
of Chippewa Indians.
Doug Craven, natural resources
director for the Little Traverse
Bay Band of Ottawa and Chippewa
Indians, said initial negotiations
with the parties concerning the
use of the waterways in 1985 were
somewhat adversarial, but the
benefits of the decrees have far
exceeded the downsides since those
days.
From the perspective of the
tribes, Craven said it was important
the agreements preserve their
right to fish the waterways, along
with the natural balance of the
ecosystem and sustainability of the
fish species.
Under the 2000 Consent Decree,
the state of Michigan and the five
tribes shared resources. According
to the DNR, the allocations differed
among management units, but in
general, the tribes were allocated
the majority of whitefish, the state
harvested the majority of salmon
and lake trout were allocated
approximately equally.
The relationships developed
through the 1985 and 2000 decrees
have been invaluable, and it would
be a “missed opportunity” if
Spring 2020.indd 31
they were not able to come to a
consensus on a new agreement,
Craven said.
“Working together generates
more ideas and perspectives,”
Craven said. “I think we have a
much better recognition of what
each brings to the table now.”
At this point in negotiations,
Craven said he’s confident the
parties are going in the right
direction, although he also was
remaining realistic about the
situation.
“Anytime you’re working with
(several different organizations),
it can be tricky,” Craven said.
“There’s not as much animosity
as there used to be. We have differ-
ences, absolutely, but there also is a
willingness to work together.”
Schultz had similar sentiments
about the possibility of reaching
consensus in negotiations at this
point in time.
“We don’t know exactly what
everyone’s positions are yet,”
Schultz said. “From our perspec-
tive, (the 2000 decree) has worked
very well, though there are
improvements that could be made.
What happens if we don’t have a
new agreement is a big unknown.”
In a worst-case scenario,
Schultz said everyone would go
their separate ways and manage-
ment of the Great Lakes fisheries
would eventually become inconsis-
tent between the groups, leading
potentially to a situation similar
to the decades before the consent
decrees were in effect.
Schultz said he’s also more than
a little worried the parties have
not left themselves enough time to
come to a new agreement. Between
now and August, Schultz said they
are scheduled to meet monthly to
work out a new agreement, while
previous agreements took over a
year to reach.
During the 2000 Consent
Decree negotiations, the Michigan
United Conservation Clubs repre-
sented themselves; for upcoming
talks, they have teamed with the
Coalition to Protect Michigan
Resources.
MUCC Executive Director Amy
Trotter said the consent decrees are
integral to managing the fisheries,
considering all the moving pieces
involved, including fish-stocking
strategies, species protection initia-
tives and enforcement of laws.
She said the original impetus
behind the decrees’ formation is the
same now as it was in 1985 and 2000:
to bring some alignment between
commercial fishing activities, sport
fishing and tribal fishing activities.
“It’s about protecting the
fishing heritage of the Great
Lakes,” Trotter said. “It’s about
how the resource will be shared
and how all those things are
connected.”
Spring 2020 | Michigan Out-of-Doors 29
2/12/2020 1:19:27 PM
 PFAS
"Forever Chemicals" are
Impacting our Natural Resources
PFAS threatens Michigan's iconic natural resources,wildlife
By Makhayla LaButte
MUCC Habitat Volunteer Coordinator
be conducted in order to effectively identify their pres-
ence in the United States and how they are impacting
the living organisms exposed to them.
First introduced in the development of fire-fighting While the existence of these “forever chemicals”
foams, the market involving PFAS expanded quickly to has been identified in humans, additional alarm bells
include “revolutionary” consumer products like Teflon are sounding as these chemicals are being identified
cookware, household cleaning products and other in our natural resources. A growing list of states have
products with fire, grease, stain and water-repellant site-specific problems related to PFAS, and Michigan is
properties. among them.
So what does this acronym mean? According to Anyone who has looked into PFAS may have come
the United States Environmental Protection Agency across a study commissioned by the Environmental
(EPA), PFAS are defined as per- and polyfluoroalkyl Working Group (EWG) regarding PFAS contamination
substances that include, but are not limited to, perfluo- sites in the U.S. In the study, Michigan was highlighted
rooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic
acid (PFOS).
Michigan PFAS Sites
Background
These chemicals are man-made and designed to

4
KEWEENAW

be very stable when exposed to heat and substances HOUGHTON

like water or grease. This means upon entering an ONTONAGON

BARAGA

ecosystem, they do not break down. Instead it accumu- GOGEBIC MARQUETTE LUCE

lates in soil, water and wildlife. IRON

!
( ALGER

SCHOOLCRAFT
CHIPPEWA
!
(
Both PFOS and PFOA, two versions of the many DICKINSON
DELTA
MACKINAC

chemicals included in the PFAS group and the two !

(

most commonly found in the U.S., are no longer made MENOMINEE EMMET CHEBOYGAN

here. However, sister chemicals with new names like CHARLEVOIX

PRESQUE ISLE

!!
(
“GenX” are currently used in their place, and many OTSEGO MONTMORENCY (
ALPENA
ANTRIM

imported goods contain these chemicals.

LEELANAU
ALCONA
GRAND KALKASKA CRAWFORD
!
(
BENZIE TRAVERSE ((!
!!( OSCODA

Based on the results of a study between 1999 and WEXFORD

MISSAUKEE
ROSCOMMON OGEMAW
IOSCO
!
(
!
(
!
(
!
(!
(

2012, largely-manufactured PFAS chemicals like PFOA

MANISTEE
!
(
ARENAC

and PFOS appeared in the blood serum of 99 percent

MASON LAKE OSCEOLA CLARE GLADWIN

!
( HURON

of a sample pool representing of the entire U.S. popu- OCEANA

NEWAYGO
MECOSTA ISABELLA MIDLAND
((
! !
BAY

lation. This study is cited in the EPA’s “PFAS Action Legend !

( MONTCALM !
( SAGINAW
TUSCOLA SANILAC

!
(
GRATIOT

Plan,” ! !
(
MUSKEGON
(
( PFAS Sites (74)
! !
(!
(
( !
! (!
( !
(
( !
!
!
( LAPEER
GENESEE ( !
(
!
(
KENT
!
(
Aside from causing cancer, exposure to large !
( !
( ST. CLAIR
CLINTON SHIAWASSEE
Cities !!
(!(!
(
( ! (IONIA
OTTAWA
( (!!
!
( !
(!(
amounts of these chemicals is also linked to a variety
MACOMB
OAKLAND
ALLEGAN
!
(
BARRY EATON !
(
INGHAM LIVINGSTON !
(
!
(
of other ailments in humans that impact the liver, > 70 ppt !
( !
(( !
( !
!
(
(WAYNE!
(
( !
PFOS/PFOA ! !
( !
VAN BUREN CALHOUN JACKSON (
WASHTENAW

thyroid and reproductive organs.

KALAMAZOO
!
( !
(
in Groundwater !
(
The EPA concludes that, while the effects of
MONROE
BERRIEN
CASS ST.
JOSEPH
BRANCH HILLSDALE LENAWEE !
(
!
(
chemicals like PFAS in humans are being increasingly Miles

well-researched and documented, more research must 0 25 50 100

November 13, 2019

30 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com

Spring 2020.indd 32 2/12/2020 1:19:28 PM

 as being home to the most PFAS contamination sites
out of the 49 impacted states.
Despite this, Michigan has one of the most aggres-
sive response plans to PFAS contamination in the
country and far exceeds the average testing efforts of
most states. This statistic may change as more states
increase their testing efforts to match the rigor of
Michigan’s and more contaminations are detected.

PFAS, Water and Wildlife

In response to public concerns and a slow
response from the federal government, the Michigan
Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy
(EGLE) has created the Michigan PFAS Action
Response Team (MPART).
They are collecting data to better understand what
these chemicals mean for the future of Michigan’s
public water supplies, watersheds and wildlife
populations.
White-tailed deer in identified contamination
areas are being tested, and a “do not eat” advisory has
been issued for deer harvested within a 5 mile radius
of Clark’s Marsh in Oscoda Township. The deer
sampled there show elevated PFAS levels.
Due to PFAS's ability to be transferred via
inhalation of contaminated air or consumption of
a food source, experts with the DNR and Michigan
Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS)
do not advise the ingestion of wildlife known to have
heightened PFAS accumulations.
According to the DNR, deer from the Clark’s
Marsh area will continue to be tested to determine the
persistence of PFAS contaminants in the white-tailed
deer population in the Clark’s Marsh area and if the
advisory needs to remain or can be lifted.
Tammy Newcomb, Michigan Department of
Natural Resources (DNR) senior water policy advisor,
lead coordinator for DNR PFAS research and chair
of the PFAS Wildlife Workgroup, is working to make
sense of the research taking place in Michigan.
The goal is to help the DNR better understand how
the emerging contaminants move through and accu-
mulate in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. This
may also impact human exposure to the compounds.
“We understand that in the case of deer and most
other wild animals, the liver and kidneys will have
the highest concentrations [of PFAS], so our advice
to everyone statewide is to not eat the liver or the
kidneys, as those are the filtering organs of the body,"
Newcomb said. "So, if the deer has been exposed [to
PFAS], those are the organs that will have the highest
concentrations.”
MPART has also been collecting samples from
Michigan’s watersheds. Individual reports have been
generated for sample sites within the Clinton River,
Lake St. Clair, the Flint River, Grand River, Huron
River, Kalamazoo River and River Raisin watersheds.
In each of these watersheds, including the rivers

Spring 2020 | Michigan Out-of-Doors 31

Spring 2020.indd 33 2/12/2020 1:19:28 PM

 and communities that are connected to them, elevated research efforts, as it is not yet known how fish uptake
PFAS concentrations exist. It is found in either PFAS.
discharge water entering the water bodies, fish, resi- Newcomb said that another key difference between
dential wells or the water bodies themselves. PFAS and other chemical aquatic contaminants is
In areas where fish tested high in PFAS concentra- where organisms store them in their body.
tions, the MDHHS issues a consumption advisory — in For example, PCB accumulates in the fat of fish,
some instances, recommending that fish caught from and anglers can follow guidelines on how to avoid
the entirety of a contaminated river, not just select consumption of the stored chemical. We do not yet
portions, not be ingested. understand how fish store PFAS contaminants and
The persistence of these chemicals in the environ- more research is required.
ment places PFAS alongside several other concerns for This emerging group of contaminants also has
Michigan anglers that include the bioaccumulation of implications on the state’s waterfowl populations.
mercury, PCBs and dioxins in fish. With many of the largest watersheds in Michigan
However, research is beginning to show that PFAS containing confirmed PFAS accumulations, it is likely
is unique in how it accumulates in aquatic ecosystems. waterfowl inhabiting these areas have also developed
According to Newcomb, the dissimilar behavior accumulations of the contaminants.
of PFAS contaminants are what makes them so chal- Concerns have already been raised by those who
lenging to understand and respond to. have seen waterfowl swimming through foam. Bright
Unlike common aquatic contaminants, PFAS white, sticky foam can be one of the signs of PFAS
concentrations have been greater in small fish like contamination in aquatic ecosystems.
bluegill and lower in predator fish like bass. Instead of However, not all foam contains PFAS. Foam also
concentrations of PFAS increasing as you go higher up occurs naturally in water bodies as a result of the
the aquatic food chain, the concentrations decrease. biological degradation of vegetation and other natural
Additionally, the high solubility of PFAS chemicals occurrences. PFAS foam is distinct from its natural
in water may indicate that fish are exposed to the counterpart in its vibrant white and sudsy appearance.
chemicals through the filtration of water through their Currently, the PFAS Wildlife Workgroup is
gills and not through direct ingestion. working with the DNR to develop a sampling technique
This hypothesis will likely be tested through future on waterfowl, like ducks.

Clark's Marsh
For more information go to:
www.michigan.gov/pfasresponse/

HEALTH DO NOT EAT DEER

Advisory Area
µ
ADVISORY Advisory Area
76.8 Square Miles
BARLOW RD

Cedar
ft

US 23
ALVIN RD

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Do not eat deer from

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the advisory area. High

Coppler Creek
RD

AARON DR
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amounts of PFAS may be

OD
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10 12 7 9
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found in deer and could

DI

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be harmful to your health.

WOOD

16
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15 14 13 18 17 Van 16 15 14
Etten Lake
LO
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PE
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PRIDE RD

T24N,R08E ET
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RD
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20 21 22 23 24 19 20 21

Map Legend
BIS 22
MACK RD

SO
NE
TTE ST
W
RD
RD RO
A AR
RE 29
ST

DR
NT
AK

HU
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29 28 27 26 8TH ST
27
25 30 28

Clark’s Marsh Town Range

7TH ST
Foote Dam
WEIR RD

HURON RD

D
Pond LO D
GE R
WIL BE
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USFS Land
RT RD
Au Sable Duell
Advisory Area
D ER Allen Lake
PINE ST

AL
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ST
RO
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State Land
AD

Sections
L LS

43

Oscoda
03 RIVER RD
RD

FO

GRASS LAKE RD
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LAKE ST
TE

2
ALVIN RD

4
DA

3 1 6 5 4
KENNEDY RD
M

3
S2
RD

DU
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KNUTH RD

For more information, call MDHHS

2ND ST
FORE ST RD
MEAD RD

at 800-648-6942 or visit
10 11 7 8 9 11
12 10

Michigan.gov/PFASresponse.
OLD US 23 AUSTIN TR T23N,R09E JOHNSON RD
KEISER TR

CORNETT RD
15 14 13 18 17 16 15

ESMOND RD
Dead Au
Sable
T23N,R08E River
BROOKS RD

RD
SHERMAN RD

46
45
AD
T
RO 23 24 19 20 21
R ES
FO
CURTIS RD AL
ER
Silver Creek FE
D UnNamed # Legend
3 Iosco Co v. 9/18/2019
MAY RD
Clark's Marsh
Advisory Area
DAV ISO N

32 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com
RD
Sections
Town Range
USFS Lands
Spencer State Land
1 0.5 0 1 Lake
Spring 2020.indd 34 2 3 4 Miles 2/12/2020 1:19:29 PM
 The method will take into account specific species
behavior and migratory patterns in order to provide
useful information to hunters about how PFAS is
impacting this popular game species.
“The very first question that’s of the highest
priority when it comes to contamination issues is
public health,” said Newcomb. “Our initial work [with
waterfowl] will try to characterize potential PFAS
contamination in waterfowl populations and how it
pertains to human health.”
Michigan: A National Leader in PFAS
Response
Moving forward, it is critical Michigan continues
to monitor and address PFAS concerns to both humans
and the environment in affected areas. More research
must be done on the impacts of these chemicals as
they pertain to fish and wildlife management.
The information stemming from past and current
lab studies, current human exposure and affected fish
and wildlife indicate that the way we interact with
and harvest our natural resources in Michigan may
be altered in the future. The persistence of man-made
chemicals that fall under the classification of PFAS is
causing this.
Spring 2020.indd 35
Like most emerging threats to Michigan’s citi-
zens and natural resources, PFAS is shrouded in an
unnerving uncertainty that will only be overcome
through diligent investigations and efficient response
efforts.
Luckily, Michigan has risen to the challenge
and is now considered a national leader in PFAS
research and response efforts. According to Scott
Dean, spokesperson for EGLE, Michigan is currently
renowned throughout the U.S. for responding to these
compounds.
EGLE began its research into PFAS in 2017. For the
department to develop effective testing, it brought in
a panel of leading epidemiologists and toxicologists.
This includes reviewing all known scientific literature
on PFAS.
Dean expresses that EGLE knows Michigan resi-
dents are impacted by the presence of these contami-
nants, whether or not they spend significant time
outdoors, and no matter how they enjoy Michigan’s
abundant water supply. Human and wildlife health
remains the priority for all entities involved in PFAS
research.
Spring 2020 | Michigan Out-of-Doors 33
2/12/2020 1:19:31 PM
 More than a Fish
"D
rive fast, drink
lots, take chances!"
Randy shouted as I
walked away from his
camp, my head low, the top of my
ball cap collecting large droplets
of water from the spruce limbs
combing the top of my head, my
hands clenching a worn book from
Randy's collection, tucked on the
inside of my jacket.
The morning brought a few
inches of heavy and wet snow.
Temperatures hovering just above
freezing before an afternoon sun
brought subtle warming to melt
away the footprints along the river.
I won't see Randy until next year
when I meet him to set up his camp
along on a small Lake Michigan
tributary hiding in the vast forests
of the Upper Peninsula.
I met Randy almost a decade
ago when I stumbled into his camp.
He had his sweatpants tucked into
layers of stained and ripped wool
34 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com
Spring 2020.indd 36
socks, a hood drawn over his head,
shielding his rain-covered glasses
and a welcoming smile.
He complimented me on my
slippers and asked if I was lost. I
wasn't lost, but I admit in the confu-
sion of finding his camp, I played
dumb.
Rods, of all prices and styles,
leaned against his truck camper.
Two pairs of waders hung in the
white pine just off to the side. The
rest of his kitchenware hung on cut
limbs above the waders, limbs that
looked like they'd been cut before I
was born. It was like I walked into
a permanent dwelling rather than a
makeshift steelhead camp. Cases of
beer, mostly half-empty, were scat-
tered in all the right places — next
to the outhouse, alongside the steps
to the camper, underneath a small
chair by a fire pit and underneath
the arm of the large man who
asked if I was lost.
I never told Randy this, but I
By Calvin McShane
wanted to tell him that I couldn't be
lost because I'd been looking for a
camp like this my entire life.
Randy and I bonded over a
similar sense of humor and a fond-
ness for riverside peanut butter and
jelly sandwiches. Randy showed
me the Blowhole, Mary's Run,
the remnants of an old, colossal
beaver dam, the best spots to take a
midday nap and countless ripples,
runs and holes the weekend crowd
walks by.
A retired postal worker, Randy
lectured on his work ethic as it
relates to steelhead; rain, sleet or
snow, you can always count on
your mail. Besides the boredom
of stamps and their surprising
fluctuation in price, most of what
Randy has to say is pretty valuable.
Shorten your leader. Lighten up
your weight. Fish every bit of water
that looks fishy. And don't come
back to camp until you have to
navigate using the stars.
2/12/2020 1:19:32 PM
 This little, anonymous, nearly-
nameless creek I found Randy on is
far from the radiant spring flowing
in your rainbow trout daydreams.
It's a paradise for different and
better reasons than bushels full of
fish. It's life-giving in a unifying
way. Sturdy runs of Lake Michigan
rainbow trout swim alongside
broad-shouldered browns, nothing
ginormous but fish that bring a
smile to your face and bend to your
rod.
Occasionally, deeper and
slower pools hold brook trout with
a mouth full of steelhead eggs. It's
cedar swamp edges are wintering
ground for whitetail deer, and every
spring either Randy or myself cut
a fresh set of bear tracks, aimlessly
directed without
a pattern, from a
recently-awoken
boar or sow on the
prowl for food.
It wasn't in
the first year we
knew each other
that I was able to
fish with Randy.
Instead, we went
our separate ways
for the few days I
slept in my truck
in the site next to
his, me wandering
all over hell and
Randy fishing
a few stretches
patiently in the
mornings and late
afternoons.
I made sure to visit Randy
the next year, and after a night of
drinking, I weaseled my way into
fishing with him the next morning.
He told me stories of his youth, bar
fights and late-night arrests as we
worked ripple, run and pool twenty
yards apart.
He fished calmly and intently.
His casts were short and almost
intimate, his fingers gently pulsing
on line above the reel, subtly
sensing any information the river
would part with.
Snags were a mystery to Randy.
The log I caught up on two casts in
a row, he gently drifted over the top
Spring 2020.indd 37
of. The back eddy with the large
boulder that ate up spawn sacs for
a living, Randy would effortlessly
cast behind, rod tip high, walking
his bait into the downstream seam,
regularly hooking fish in spots
I thought were too small to hold
anything worthwhile.
He never gave much direction
those first days. Instead, he'd
ask questions about my life, my
writing, my home to the north,
his thoughts on modern politics
and interjections of Haig-Brown
ideas he was particularly partial
to, like "if you have taken blind
chance on such things as the state
of the water and the weather
and the arrival or nonarrival of
migratory fish, you really deserve a
disappointment."
This creek was much like the
streams Haig-Brown was fond of,
Randy too. Over the years, I've had
as many fishless days as good days.
Even in the worst of conditions,
deep snow, cold water and no signs
of spring's arrival, Randy seems to
enjoy the disappointment. Like the
steelhead brought him there, but he
decided to stay for reasons entirely
unrelated.
Maybe it was the solitude, his
orderly campy or even the random
company of kids in their mid-twen-
ties still blind with steelhead lust.
Whatever it is, Randy's frustrations
seemed to be stuck at the post
offices in his working years and
have never made their way onto the
sacred places of steelhead water.
Mid-April of this year, after we
compared our recent Christmas
gifts of new waterproofed slippers,
Randy climbed into his truck
camper and came out promptly
with a few steelhead season gifts
of his own — a long-necked jug of
cheap, blackberry brandy and a
handful of retired steelhead rods he
thought I might fancy.
The rods were hand-tied by the
Postman himself, old and crusty
with wearing guides and worn
ferrels. "With a little love, they
could be serviceable again, all good
blanks, or you can just hang on to
them, I don't need
them anymore."
I told him I might
fix up one or two,
but the others will
go on the rod rack
to the right of my
woodstove, a spot I
enjoy staring at in
the winter when I
daydream about the
upcoming spring.
I think he liked
my thinking. This
year's fishing wasn't
anything spectacular,
at least the few days
I spent in Randy's
camp.
We fished a lot
of the deeper water
to combat the lack
of rain and talked a lot about
the secrets in a really good batch
of blueberry wine and pickled
peppers.
The few fish that were hooked
played out as they usually do. I
frantically chased fish all over the
stream, throwing caution to the
wind, wading in water well over
the brim of my waders, my feet in
panic in search of stable ground.
Randy played his fish with little
fervor as if he would rather them
break his leader on a zealous leap
or ferocious tear downstream than
tire a bright fish out for no other
reason than the odd satisfaction of
Spring 2020 | Michigan Out-of-Doors 35
2/12/2020 1:19:32 PM
 of holding them in your hands.
Steelhead fishing is as much about
heartbreak as it is about unadulterated
elation.
The lows make the highs so much
sweeter, and the relationship between
our worst and best moments is a
reality with which every human being
must come to terms.
I, a young and idyllic millennial,
have a tough time remembering
the opposing manifestation of life
in the grips of either depression or
jubilation. But often, after a winter of
vitamin D deficiency and the shack
nasties, I am reminded of the lessons
of disappointment and the dangers of
unrealistic expectations.
Oftentimes, I am first struck by
these realizations sitting around
Randy's camp, conversing about Haig-
Brown, the tedious measures of the
US Postal Service and what the night's
rain might mean for the little creek on
the other side of the ridge.
If I owe anything to steelhead, it's
not the relentless desire to dominate
them as a subservient creature but to
appreciate and adore them as a living
thing with transcendent value — the
value of friendship, euphoria and,
more times than not, disappointment.

"Shorten your leader. Lighten

up your weight. Fish every bit
of water that looks fishy. And
don't come back to camp until
you have to navigate using the
stars."

36 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com

Spring 2020.indd 38 2/12/2020 1:19:35 PM

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Spring 2020.indd 39 2/12/2020 1:19:35 PM

 Chasing Michigan
MONSTERSg By Duke Lebaron

a s i n
C h

38 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com

Spring 2020.indd 40 2/12/2020 1:19:36 PM

 A
s sportsmen and women
in this great country, we
are extremely fortunate
to be able to pursue a
multitude of game species, in all
kinds of habitats, using many
different methods.
We can thank our preceding
generations of conservationists
for this wonderful fortune — and
ourselves for continuing to carry
on this legacy.
All these opportunities allow
us to sample continuously from the
smorgasbord or to hone in on a niche
that really fits our personal prefer-
ences. When it comes to angling
opportunities, few states have it
better than we do in Michigan.
Of all the renowned fisheries
we have, one species that tends to
get overlooked — and sometimes
even criticized — is the mighty
muskellunge.
Often reaching sizes surpassed
only by the lake sturgeon, it seems
like muskies would be difficult to
overlook.
Add to that the fact that Lake
St. Clair boasts probably the most
productive muskie fishery in the
world, and you might think that
statement is downright absurd.
But outside of Lake St. Clair,
which is in a category all its own that
seems like a different world, muskies
get less love in Michigan than they
do in the other places they also call
home.
It's become clear to me after
having traveled all over the muskie's
range and studying their history
extensively, in general, more
Michiganders tend to have a different
attitude towards muskies (again,
outside of Lake St. Clair) than other
states and Canada.
One notable difference here is
that muskies are often villainized
for over-eating other fish species.
Another is that a higher propor-
tion of muskies are harvested in
Michigan.
I'll share two quick thoughts on
"But as for me and a relatively small number of die-hard Michigan
muskie anglers, their pursuit is unmatched in intrigue and
excitement."
Spring 2020.indd 41
the subject and leave it at that, but I
hope you'll stick around for the true
fishing tale to follow.
First, look at any of the places
with good muskie fishing — those
with relatively high populations —
then take an honest assessment of
the other gamefish there, too.
Do a little homework, check feel-
ings with actual scientific facts and
don't rely on, potentially, uninformed
opinions.
You'll find muskies are not
villains at all and that other cohabi-
tant fish do very well, but don't take
my word for it either. Check the real
facts out for yourself.
Second, the biggest reason
muskie fishing isn't more popular
is that it's difficult, and the biggest
reason it's difficult is there aren't
many of them. History has shown
that harvest rates have a dramatic
impact on muskie populations, so
with higher harvest rates, we shoot
ourselves in the foot.
Harvest regulations have reacted
to our high harvest rates, and now,
regulations restrict anglers to
keeping just one muskie per year on
their fishing license, with reporting
of kept fish to the DNR a mandatory
requirement.
Spring 2020 | Michigan Out-of-Doors 39
Even with that restriction, most
lakes and rivers depend on voluntary
catch-and-release of muskies to
maintain their population.
It's easy to understand the desire
to keep a big muskie or to enjoy the
sport of dark house spearing in the
winter (Michigan is the only place
in the world that allows non-tribal
spearing of muskies).
Still, many of our muskie fish-
eries suffer under limited harvest. In
many places, their populations are
that small.
With a big, old fish, we literally
hold our conservation legacy in our
hands, and we can choose to carry
it on or choose to carry that big fish
out.
Even at its best potential, most
anglers, quite understandably, aren't
going to take up muskie fishing.
However, almost everyone is inter-
ested in big fish, through curiosity at
the least, and likely appreciate that
they exist.
But as for me and a relatively
small number of die-hard Michigan
muskie anglers, their pursuit
is unmatched in intrigue and
excitement.
I thoroughly enjoy fishing for
every other species, but there's
something special about muskies.
Their ways are mysterious, often
2/12/2020 1:19:37 PM

"Before my heart could even start beating again, the river had
returned to perfect silence. It took several more seconds for the
surface to settle back into an unblemished sheet of glass, but
while it did, I still hadn't moved a muscle."
maddening, and pursuing them
is far more like big game hunting
than fishing.
Part of their draw is certainly
the extreme challenge: the long
hours between encounters, the
physical toll of casting large baits on
heavy tackle or the agony of a long-
awaited encounter that ends with a
fish so tantalizingly close, ultimately
unwilling to accept your generous
offering. Muskies love to follow baits
and typically do this to tease more
often than they strike.
Apparently, I enjoy this form of
punishment because it comes with
the territory, yet I keep coming back.
38 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com
Spring 2020.indd 42
and that pursuing muskies was
foolishness.
Not entirely without success,
for a few small muskies had been
landed and a few more had shown
themselves trailing behind baits,
but the big fish I dreamt of were just
mythology.
But, oh, that strike… When they
It was an idyllic summer
finally do strike, I live for it.
morning on a quiet river in the U.P.,
Many years ago, still wet
where every fishing day dawns with
behind the ears in my muskie life
great hope and with great gratitude
but showing symptoms of being
just for being there. But, thoughts of
under their spell, I had one of those
another long drive back home and
ah-ha moments that would end up
to work, defeated in my quest, were
changing me forever.
already creeping in.
The day before had been a grind:
At first light, I motored upstream
11 hours of casting and hoping for a
from camp for about eight miles,
muskie with a couple of small pike to
then started drifting with the slow
show for it.
current and pitching short casts
It was a near carbon-copy of the
toward the bank.
day before and typical of the many
This is a remote stretch of river,
days fished in my new, developing
no cabins or any sign of human
interest. But I was waning and
disturbance, and wide enough that
started to think people were right
two anglers can just reach each bank
with long casts from a boat in the
center.
But on this morning, I was alone
taking in the sweet solitude while
methodically placing casts into the
shoreline cover with the hopes of
luring a muskie out to play — or,
better yet, to fight.
Under the right lighting, such
as this morning, the tannic river
appeared virtually black, like a
bottomless swath cut through the
forest — verdant green in its early
summer stage.
It was perfect stillness, making
the water appear even less like that
which typically invites children and
adults alike to splash in and more
like an ominous ink that makes you
stiffen up and want to keep your safe
distance.
Using a hand-carved, homemade
bait of my brother's serendipitous
creation called "The Snake" because
it swam seductively like a water
moccasin across the surface, the
9-inch jointed wakebait silently
returned to the boat over and over.
By the time the Snake was finally
retired years later, it had
accounted for many fish, including
my very first muskie. That momen-
tous occasion two years before
crossed my mind on this day and
2/12/2020 1:19:37 PM
 every time I snapped The Snake to
my line.
But right now, my thoughts
were getting increasingly antsy and
fixated, wondering if I would ever
see one of those mythical fish of
monstrous proportions. I craved the
experience of catching one beyond
what words can describe. So many
hours had been invested.
I was only an hour in on this day,
though, with no sign of life anywhere
on the river. Perfect silence physi-
cally presses in on your senses from
all sides in times like these if you
let it, gradually increasing until it
becomes a presence — a party to
your hypnosis.
The Snake was carving its way
back to the boat yet again; its bright
orange-painted back standing out
against the coffee-no-cream.
Staring it down intently, now 6
feet from the boat as I was readying
to transition this cast into the seam-
less placement of the next, the river's
silence was finally broken.
Like a Polaris missile launched
from a submarine, the huge muskie
erupted from beneath the Snake with
absolutely no warning and no chance
to see it coming.
Instantly, I had a full-length view
of the fish: the bait crossways in its
Spring 2020.indd 43
jaws just below my eye level, and
its tail clear of the now-shattered
surface.
Seemingly frozen in mid-air for
what felt like minutes — you know
that cliche that isn't cliche — but
actually without nearly enough time
or the wherewithal to do anything
but clench my body and bug my eyes
out at the spectacle.
The fish crashed back down tail
first into a frothing whitewater swirl.
Spring 2020 | Michigan Out-of-Doors 41
Upon re-entry, its head never went
back under as it thrashed, open-
mouthed, back and forth two times
at half-speed until the bait floated
harmlessly away from it.
The beast gave a menacing pause
in apparent smug satisfaction at its
work, and giving one last glimpse
of it, then left me, disappearing into
the blackness with one smooth slow
turn.
Before my heart could even start
beating again, the river had
returned to perfect silence. It took
several more seconds for the
surface to settle back into an
unblemished sheet of glass, but
while it did, I still hadn't moved a
muscle.
In shock, gripping the rod and
reel, a few feet of line trailing to
The Snake, I just stared at it until it
stopped bobbing, then lay still.
My brain, slowly beginning
to function again, unscrambling
thoughts so that I could separate the
one rational one that mattered. And
it flickered into focus: it's gone. It's
not coming back.
Now resigned to this realization,
motor functions gradually
resumed in my body, too. My first
action was to mutter out loud
for all of the river and Hiawatha
and nothing else to hear,
"O-o-o... K-a-a-y..."
2/12/2020 1:19:38 PM
 Michigan Wildlife Council campaign generating
greater appreciation for hunting and fishing
A
s hunters and anglers take
to the woods and waters
this spring, they’ll have an
ever-growing number of fellow
Michiganders cheering them on.
Well, maybe not literally. But
new research commissioned by
the Michigan Wildlife Council
(MWC) shows growing appreciation
among the general public for the
conservation and economic benefits
sportsmen and women generate for
the state.
“We’re finding increasing
recognition of the positive impact
that hunting and fishing have on
Michigan – which is exactly what
the Michigan Wildlife Council
was charged with accomplishing
when it was created by the state
Legislature in 2013,” said Matt
42 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com
Spring 2020.indd 44
Pedigo, chair of the council.
Funded through $1 from
every hunting and fishing license,
the council’s public education
campaign is steadily building
the case that scientifically
based conservation and wildlife
management practices – including
regulated hunting and fishing – are
essential to preserving the state’s
cherished outdoor resources.
Messaging received
In a range of outlets including
social media, TV commercials and
billboards, the MWC continues to
stress that it is hunting and fishing
license sales – not general state
taxes – that fund the bulk of the
Photo Credit: Michigan Department of Natural Resources
wildlife conservation work that
takes place statewide.
The message is clearly reso-
nating. The 2019 MWC survey
found that 73% of state residents
correctly identify hunting and
fishing licenses as the largest
sources of funding for wildlife
management work in Michigan.
The campaign also notes that
outdoors enthusiasts of all types
– not just hunters and anglers but
also birdwatchers, hikers, canoe-
ists, etc. – benefit from that funding
through the conservation of our
woods, waters and other natural
resources.
“Many nonhunters love the
outdoors every bit as much as those
of us who do hunt or fish,” Pedigo
said. “What we’re aiming to do is
capitalize on those shared values.
We’re helping people realize that
what we do as hunters and anglers
helps make possible what they
enjoy doing outdoors.”
The approach is proving
successful, as three-quarters of
Michiganders agree that hunting
and fishing license fees have a
major or moderate benefit to
Michigan, the survey found.
In addition, the council
routinely cites Michigan United
Conservation Clubs research that
found that hunting and fishing
activity generates more than $11.2
billion annually for the state’s
economy.
That information is also
gaining traction, with the survey
finding that 76% of people believe
that the hunting and fishing
industry contributes significantly
to Michigan’s economic well-being.
2/12/2020 1:19:39 PM
 HUNTING AND
FISHING ARE CRUCIAL
TO MICHIGAN
Michigan’s hunting and fishing
heritage runs deep. Across the state,
everyone benefits from these activities.

Every year, Michigan’s 2 million

hunters and anglers generate over
$11 billion for the economy and
$61 million for wildlife conservation
through the sale of licenses. The
Michigan Wildlife Council’s mission is
to promote the tremendous importance
of hunting and fishing to the great
state of Michigan. Created in 2013 by
the Michigan Legislature, the council
seeks to build understanding among
the state’s non-hunting and non-fishing
residents through a statewide public
education effort – so that our outdoor
heritage will continue to be here
for generations.

Learn more at
HereForMiOutdoors.org HereForMiOutdoors.orgg

Team effort
Other key survey findings
include the fact that approval
of hunting and fishing remains
high across all geographic and
demographic groups, with 86% of
Michiganders approving of recre-
ational fishing and 83% approving
of legal, regulated hunting.
“We’re continuing to build
on the goodwill that hunting and
fishing already generally enjoy,”
Pedigo said. “And while it’s clear
that wildlife conservation activities
are important to people, there is
still work to be done in educating
select audiences on their necessity
for ensuring Michigan’s wildlife
remains abundant and healthy.”
For example, he notes, only 50%
of survey respondents disagreed
with the statement that “Wildlife
does not require management by
humans to thrive.”
While that’s a notable improve-
ment from the 39% of people who
disagreed with the statement
in 2015, it shows that the need
remains to continue educating
Michiganders about the impor-
tance of wildlife management and
conservation, Pedigo said.
Through its first four years,
the public education campaign has
primarily targeted individuals in
the state’s population centers of
Southeast Michigan and Greater
Grand Rapids who don’t hunt or
fish but at least moderately approve
of the activities.
While that demographic will
remain the primary focus, the
council plans to broaden the
campaign’s geographic reach to
other high-population areas to
build an even greater foundation of
support for wildlife conservation
practices.
Great strides in knowledge
and appreciation have been made,
but confusion regarding funding
remains high. For example, 71%
of Michiganders believe their
tax dollars are funding wildlife
management. This shows that there
is room for improvement in getting
the general public to recognize the
unique role hunters and anglers
play in wildlife management.
The campaign also encourages
participation from hunters and
anglers in helping spread the word
about the good they perform for
the state, which beyond funding
wildlife management projects and
boosting the economy, includes
food donations and volunteer
conservation work, Pedigo said.
“Serving as ambassadors for
Michigan’s outdoor heritage and
traditions will not only help ensure
that our state’s forests, waters
and wildlife will be here for future
generations to enjoy, but also that
we will continue to have the right
to hunt and fish on them,” Pedigo
said.
To learn more about the
Michigan Wildlife Council’s efforts
to educate the public about how
hunting and fishing benefit the
state, visit HereForMiOutdoors.org.

Spring 2020 | Michigan Out-of-Doors 43

Spring 2020.indd 45 2/12/2020 1:19:39 PM

 After
Ice
By Blake Sherburne

44 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com

Spring 2020.indd 46 2/12/2020 1:19:42 PM

 E
very winter, the same thing happens.
My life-long fishing buddy, Kenny, and I spend just about every possible moment on our local rivers
chasing steelhead. As all steelheaders know, sometimes the bites are few and far between.
During the long bouts of fishing, in between the quick bursts of catching and after we have
exhausted every possible excuse of why we are not catching steelhead, where they might be and how we
might get into them in the next hole or during the next trip, we turn to making plans.
These flights of fancy take us from streamer fishing for giant Browns in Arkansas to catching out-sized
brook trout in Ontario. We plan trips to Colorado to fish sippers on the South Fork of the South Platte and
Wyoming to fish the upper Green near Pinedale, where I once had what was maybe the best day of fly fishing
I have ever had. We talk about Utah to fish the Green River in Flaming Gorge, Montana for cutthroat,
Louisiana for redfish, Florida for tarpon, bonefish and permit, and Alaska for egg-eating rainbows.
Sometimes, we plan trips that would require a passport: Seychelles for giant trevally, Patagonia for
familiar species in an unfamiliar place and New Zealand to sight-fish wary, pressured brown trout. But
mostly, we make plans for short trips around Northern Michigan; trips we can make after work or on the
weekend.
Every winter, we make plans for more fishing trips than we have nights or weekends to fulfill them.
We talk about a trip we once took from Hole in the Fence Access, which we mistakenly thought was
Yellow Tree, on the upper Manistee to the CCC Bridge.
It made for a long float in our raft, but we had the best day of streamer fishing we have ever had in
Michigan. We plan quick jaunts around the tip of the mitt for smallmouth, evening trips to the Tippy Dam
section of the Manistee, after most steelheaders have gone home, to look for late-season steelhead and
browns.
We promise ourselves more afternoons and weekend mornings to catch enough bluegills to have
a fish fry, and every year we swear we are going to find a good place to fish the Hendrickson or
Mother’s Day Caddis hatch. This does not even include the excursions we arrange for our
other past times like skiing and hunting.
Most years, most of these plans go unfulfilled. I have two small children at home and
a wife who likes to see me occasionally. Nights and weekends can be hard to come by.
We laugh at our extravagant daydreams, knowing that we are probably going to spend
all of our time in our same old haunts doing the same old things.
But finally, last season, we made ourselves live out
one of our steelhead-fishing-doldrum
fantasies. It was still technically

"We laugh at our extravagant daydreams, knowing that

we are probably going to spend all of our time in our
same old haunts doing the same old things."
Spring 2020 | Michigan Out-of-Doors 45

Spring 2020.indd 47 2/12/2020 1:19:44 PM

 steelhead season when we loaded
up Kenny’s Stealthcraft Power
Drifter with all of our streamer
gear and hit a local Manistee River
bayou for post-spawn, post-ice-out
pike.
Spring 2018 was a bitterly-
cold spring, and this day was no
exception. The wind was blowing
out of the north at about 25 miles
per hour, which would make fly
casting a struggle, but we would be
throwing heavy sink tip lines that
eze." would cut the wind well. We put
on all of our heavy winter fishing
clothing and launched the boat.
We eased the boat into the
bayou dead into that gnarly north
wind. The only area of this partic-
ular small body of water that was
really fishable was the south bank.
The rest of the bayou is shallow
and weedy and full of expensive,
streamer-eating snags. The setup
worked perfectly. Kenny rowed the
boat into the wind like it was the
current of the main stem of the
river, and I worked the south bank,
wind at my back.
46 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com
Spring 2020.indd 48
"Our day was done and done on a high note. Finally, one of our
steelhead conversations had come to fruition and successfully, at
that."
In preparation for this trip, I
had looked up all the different ways
to attach a bite leader to a tapered
leader. To avoid the headache
of Albright knots and haywire
twists, I decided that the technique
that made the most sense, both
for my pocketbook and ease of
use, was just to make my own
leader. I started with thirty-pound
tippet and tapered down to 10- or
12-pound.
To that, I tied on a normal-
production steel leader. The steel
leader had a swivel to help with line
twist and a snap to make switching
streamers much easier than cutting
wire and banging my head against
another haywire twist.
I tried several different
streamers. I had a couple dedicated
pike streamers and two boxes full
of trout streamers that I had tied
and some that I had purchased.
Our first couple passes up and
back on the south bank produced
nary a strike, and we were just
about to call the day on account of
the wind and lack of success when I
decided to try one last streamer.
The last streamer in my box
was a Drunk and Disorderly,
developed by Michigan’s-own
Tommy Lynch, but it came into my
possession in a curiously round-
about way. I accidentally stole it
from a guide in Cotter, Arkansas
(Brad Smith, I apologize). I fished
with Brad the last day of my second
trip to Arkansas last spring.
I had my clothing and gear
packed up in my truck for the first
leg of the 14-hour drive home after
fishing all day. A few hours north
of Cotter, I pulled into a McDonald's
for dinner on the road. My wallet
was still in my fishing jacket in the
back seat. Reaching behind me, I
grabbed the jacket and flopped it
into my lap, sending the D&D, that
I had somehow swept off the boat at
the end of the day with my sleeve,
onto the dash of my truck.
Not one to look a gift horse in
the mouth, the streamer went into
one of my boxes where I knew it
would come in handy at some point.
Just a few weeks later, back
in Michigan where that streamer
originated and apparently truly
belonged, I snapped that Drunk &
Disorderly with freshly-sharpened
hooks onto my fancy new steel
leader.
I do not get to say this often, but
the first retrieve with my new-to-me
streamer came to a soft stop about
halfway back to the boat. It was
not the rod-wrenching strike I was
hoping for, but in all my previous
casts, I had felt no resistance at all,
so I strip-set hard and was into a
small pike for the first time that
day.
Kenny questioned my honesty
when I said it was a pike, and
2/12/2020 1:19:44 PM
 quickly a small hammer-handle
was in the net and ready for his
close-up. A few casts later, my
line stopped again. The next pike
proved to be only slightly larger,
but it got its picture taken, too, and
was quickly returned. I worked
the bank a bit more before finally
feeling guilty about my success and
taking over at the sticks for Kenny.
Kenny started his shift at the
back of the boat the same way I
did. He poured through his boxes,
thinking out loud about which
streamer was going to be the
magic bullet. He selected a double
deceiver that he had tied.
I raised anchor and pointed the
boat into the wind. The boat slid
sideways, nose into the wind, and
Kenny worked the south bank. His
deceiver failed to deceive, and soon
he was switching flies.
I rowed him back and forth
along the bank while homeowners
nearby burned the brush that
had fallen into their yards during
Spring 2020.indd 49
winter storms and wondered who
would be dumb enough to fly fish in
that heavy north wind.
Several streamer changes later,
and Kenny had so far failed to fool a
pike. I talked him into snapping on
the Drunk and Disorderly for the
final row back to the launch.
I swung us back towards the cut
that led back to the boat ramp and
warm hands, and Kenny fished the
whole way.
Just when I had given up
hope on any more fish for the day,
Kenny’s retrieve came tight, and he
was into a good fish.
It had been lying just off the
brushy bank where the current
started to pick up through the little
slough that led back to the truck. It
hit harder and bent his eight weight
more than either of my fish had
flexed mine.
We soon had a beautiful,
30-inch pike in the net. This fish
was not so lucky as the first two. It
was quickly on a stringer. Kenny
Spring 2020 | Michigan Out-of-Doors 47
promised to fillet it for the dinner
table and to bring the y-bone cuts to
me for the pickling jar.
Within sight of the truck,
Kenny flopped the streamer around
a few more times without success.
Our day was done and done
on a high note. Finally, one of our
steelhead conversations had come
to fruition and successfully, at that
We loaded the boat and stowed
our gear just in time to have our
friendly, local DNR officer wheel
into the launch. A cold spring
rain started to fall to join the
bitter north wind while the officer
checked Kenny’s rig and fish and
our licenses.
Mostly, we stood around,
shooting the cold north breeze.
Luckily, we had left Kenny’s truck
running after towing his boat out,
so it was good and warm when we
got in, ready to warm wind-chilled
bodies and pike-slimed fingers.
2/12/2020 1:19:46 PM
 Bill Earl
Youth Fishing Program
By Jim Bedford
T
his May, the Bill Earl
Youth Fishing Program
is being held for the tenth
consecutive year in Lansing.
The fun happens on the first
three Saturdays in May at the
Hawk Island County Park in south
48 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com
Spring 2020.indd 50
Lansing. Annually, 150-200 children
are exposed/introduced to the sport
of fishing.
As most of us are aware, the
number of anglers (and hunters)
has been decreasing, and the
recruitment of young people to
our sport has become a goal
of many angling organiza-
tions. Fishin' Michigan is a
Lansing-based fishing club,
and
they started their youth fishing
program to honor the late Dr. Bill
Earl, an active member who was
very interested in getting young-
sters on the water with a fishing
rod in their hands.
John Hesse is the club's
youth education chairperson and
director of the program. He has
been a fishing buddy of mine for
over 50 years and really works
hard to make sure the program is
successful. The program has many
partners, but Project F.I.S.H. and
its director, Mark Stephens, are
likely the most important.
Participants are given a rod
and reel and a tackle box filled with
basic gear. When they arrive for
the program, they are kept busy
checking out aquatic macroinver-
tebrates and a display of live sea
lampreys until the program
begins.
The volunteers have
already been there for an
hour getting things set up
and they arouse the kids'
curiosity and answer ques-
tions from them about the
critters they are observing.
After the introduction,
the kids are divided into
three groups. Each group
is sent to one of the learning
stations and then they rotate
through them.
At the tackle/rigging station,
they learn about what is in their
tackle box they were given at
registration. They are taught the
improved clinch knot, how to rig
a slip bobber onto their line, add
a split shot of the appropriate size
and practice tying on a hook with
the knot they just learned.
At the casting station, they
learn how their push-button reel
2/12/2020 1:19:47 PM
 Volunteers teach kids and parents the fundamentals of casting using fish-shaped targets on the ground. The first cast
taught was an underhand, pendulum cast.
works and to make underhand,
pendulum casts. While this cast is
a safe one when fishing in a group,
it is also emphasized that this is a
very accurate cast and they get to
practice catching plastic fish on
the lawn with it. Some get so good
at it that volunteers have to keep
moving the plastic fish further
away from them for an extra
challenge.
Michigan conservation officers
lead the regulations and ethics
station where the kids learn how to
identify fish species, measure those
species with minimum size regula-
tions correctly, why conservation
is important and the proper ethics
to be a good angler. A tape measure
is given to the kids to put in their
tackle boxes.
After the kids have been
through all the stations, the real
fun begins. It's time to go fishing. A
large pond/small lake with a good
population of warm water fish is
Spring 2020.indd 51
only steps away.
Kids claim bait boxes with red
worms and wax worms on their
way to the water. The shrieks of I
caught one begin to echo around
the pond. If you have ever experi-
enced hearing these happy sounds
and seeing the joy on a kid's face
when he or she catches that first
fish, you will know why we never
have a problem getting enough
volunteers. Often the volunteer to
child ratio is one to one.
To reinforce this activity, or
keep them "hooked," follow-up
fishing outings are scheduled
on Tuesday evenings in June at
different sites.
In addition to the fishing, the
kids learn how to fillet and cook
the fish. And, of course, someone
has to eat those delicious bluegills
and other panfish. A map showing
fishing sites that are close by is also
given to each participant.
Many photos are taken at both
Spring 2020 | Michigan Out-of-Doors 49
the initial and follow-up events.
These are matched up with partici-
pants, and prints are made. These
are then sent to the children's
families to remind them of the fun
they had and lure them back to the
water for more fishing.
Youth that have been through
the program are invited back each
year. They are reminded to bring
the rod and reel and the tackle that
they were given. While the new
kids are rotating through the three
stations, volunteers will be avail-
able to troubleshoot the gear of the
returning youth.
An often-repeated phrase that
I am guilty of overusing is that we
are now in, at least, our second
generation of indoor kids. In my
opinion, most likely a minority one
among the general population, elec-
tronic gadgets are a poor substitute
for the entertainment the natural
world provides.
The Bill Earl Program requires
2/12/2020 1:19:47 PM
 a parent or guardian to accompany
the child to its events. Often both the
kid and the parent are learning how
to fish, hooray!
This helps ensure the possibility
that fishing will become a regular
family activity. We have definitely
had events when the whole family
participated. Hooray for that, too.
Another phrase that I am guilty
of overusing is the "fishing gene."
I strongly believe that many folks
would like fishing if they were just
exposed to the activity.
I taught "beginning angling" at
Lansing Community College for over
25 years and got to watch a number
of adults discover that they had the
fishing gene. It just needed to be
activated.
While more and more women
Above: A child and parent share a moment of excitement from catching a fish are getting into fishing, I strongly
at Hawk Island park where the event is held. Below: Participants get a closeup believe that they continue to be
look at sea lamprey in a tank. The invasive species is a major concern to underrepresented and that there
anglers in Michigan and understanding invasive species is an important part of are lots of women that would enjoy
combatting their spread. fishing if they were given a chance to

50 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com

Spring 2020.indd 52 2/12/2020 1:19:49 PM

 Participants and volunteers take full advantage of the docks at Hawk Island
Park. The park offers plenty of space for new anglers to cast a line and enjoy a
favorite pasttime of many Michiganders.

try it.
I am sure glad that little girls
are very well-represented at our
youth fishing events.

Fish for Stocking

For anyone interested in
starting a fishing program for
kids, John Hesse has written a
very detailed guidance document
on developing a youth fishing
program. You can obtain a copy
by emailing Hesse at hessej@msu. • Most varieties for ponds or lakes
edu.
MUCC has long been at the • Laggis' Fish Farm
forefront of getting our youth
outdoors with their Michigan
Out-of-Doors Youth Camp and
• Days: (269) 628 2056
their Tracks magazine.
It behooves us all to instill
• Nights: (269) 624 6215
the love of the outdoors in our
children and grandchildren.
Take a kid fishing or hunting
every chance you get.

Spring 2020 | Michigan Out-of-Doors 51

Spring 2020.indd 53 2/12/2020 1:19:50 PM

 Lost but not forgotten: The
Legendary Michigan Grayling
I
t would be difficult to find a
person these days who had
firsthand experience with the
Michigan grayling.
Old fishing tales passed down
through generations eulogize a
fish sought after for its magnificent
beauty, delicious meat and ravenous
hunger.
In Hazen L. Miller’s book,
The Old Au Sable, he writes of a
fish with an almost unquenchable
appetite. It’d try anything you’d
put on your fishing line, “bits of
cloth from a hooked rug, cherry
blossoms, pieces of its cousins”—it
didn’t discriminate.
The grayling swam freely in the
Au Sable River before 1900 and were
correctly identified around 1870.
Rube Babbitt, whose family
was one of the early settlers
of an area near a railroad stop
named Crawford, recounts fishing
with his father and catching the
mystical fish for the first time, “My
father and I caught a few strange
52 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com
Spring 2020.indd 54
By Brianne Turczynski
the grayling a brightly-colored fish
and a dream of an artist’s palette.
Like rainbows shimmering in the
water, their large dorsal fins had
an iridescence reminiscent of the
ocellus in a peacock’s feather. “The
grayling laid like cordwood in the
Au Sable,” Babbitt said, “and it was
no trick to catch them on a fly tied
with the feathers of a blue jay or
high-holder, or a squirrel tail.”
He mentions that from
1875-1881, he and his father sold
and shipped them to a Chicago
restaurant for a generous sum of
money.
Then the world got wind of
it—the river’s secret abundance.
Executives vacationing from big
cities came to the northern region
fish in the Au Sable,” he said,
of Michigan for a bit of sport and
“and wondered what they were.
went home filled with pride after
Whenever we needed provisions,
catching hundreds in one weekend.
father would walk to Bay City for
They saw the voracity at which
them, and one time he took along
these fish ate and began fishing for
a couple of the fish to satisfy his
financial gain, brought the train
curiosity. Nobody in Bay City knew
lines in and fished thousands of the
what they were, so father gave
grayling out of the water.
them to [a friend], who said he
With no season or size
would send them to Washington for
regulation to mark the end of the
identification.”
slaughter, the innocent grayling,
When they found out the
whose flesh smelled of thyme and
beautiful fish that swam in
tasted sweet, was nearly done for.
abundance in the Au Sable was
In his book, Miller retells
none other than the coveted
the fishing tale of Ansell Judd
grayling, they changed the name of
Northrup, a lawyer from Syracuse,
the town from Crawford to Grayling
New York, who came to the
in honor of it.
Au Sable in 1879 to fish for the
At that time, the grayling
renowned grayling.
population was immense. “We
Northrup writes, “I made my
were very much pleased with the
first cast. In a flash, with a leap
discovery and resolved to benefit
out of water a fish seized the fly
from it commercially,” Babbitt
before it touched the surface, and
reminisced in an interview with the
was fairly hooked, with scarcely
Detroit News on December 15th,
an effort of mine. I hastily drew
1929.
him in—he weighed only four
The old fishing tales render
2/12/2020 1:19:54 PM
 ounces—and, for the first time,
beheld the marvelous colors of the
large dorsal fin and the pectoral
fins, the silvery sides, the olive-
brown back, the “V” shaped black
specks…and the graceful, taper
form of the grayling. If I had not
taken another fish, I should have
felt repaid for my journey.”
Northrup’s second grayling
gave more of a fight, “Casting
again, I struck a fine fellow that
showed great vigor and activity
for two or three minutes…I gave
him full play and studied his form,
colors and spirited movements in
the clear water, as he passed up
and down, within twenty feet of the
boat. The magnificent dorsal fin,
erect like a warrior’s plume, waved
like a battle standard, and glowed
like a rainbow, and his shining sides
lashed in the sunlight like silver.”
The anglers, however,
complained that although they
would bite ravenously, their little
mouths were so delicate that
anglers had to be careful landing
the fish.
William B. Mershon writes in
this Recollections of Fifty Years of
Hunting and Fishing, that “If you
get one on your line in the swift
waters of the Au Sable, you will be
fortunate as well as skillful if you
land your fish, for the grayling is a
tender-mouthed fish and you must
exercise your greatest care and skill
in handling him.” attitude of anglers without limits
After years of successful
fishing, the lumberjacks came and
used the Au Sable to transport
lumber. The absence of trees on
the shore of the river not only
increased the temperature of the
water for lack of shade but gave way
to erosion.
The lumberjacks had their sport
on the surface of the water, but
beneath the surface, the spawning
beds of this coveted fish were
disturbed, and the particles drudged
up from the bottom suffocated
and killed many of them as bark
particles got lodged in their gills.
But Mershon argues that he
did not suspect this to be the cause
of the extinction but rather the
grayling’s own greediness.
Spring 2020.indd 55
When fishing enthusiast and
writer Thaddeus Norris visited
Michigan to try for grayling, he
caught 120 pounds in a day.
He wrote in an article published
in Scribner’s Monthly Magazine
in November of 1879, “I took at
five casts fifteen fish, averaging
three-quarters of a pound each.
The following day we fished
along leisurely until we had our
live-boxes, containing each sixty
pounds, so full that the fish began
to die.”
The gluttonous nature of the
grayling coupled with the ambitious
hastened the slaughter and made
it impossible for nature to make up
the difference.
Mershon states his premonition
in Fifty Years of Hunting and
Fishing, “…the grayling probably
could not withstand the excessive
fishing which its native waters
have undergone, because of its
greediness.”
He also recounts a time he
witnessed excessive waste by
visitors to the region, “…two
large camps, all non-residents and
strangers, killed five-thousand
fish…They salted and carried
away at least half of them. Many
were eaten, more were wasted. For
two miles below from their camps
decaying fish whitened the stream
and the offal and fish entrails left
unburied in camp tainted the air, as
the dead fish poisoned the water.”
He goes on to simply urge fellow
fishermen, “Gentlemen, save the
grayling.”
The grayling population
eventually dwindled until
vacationers and natives alike no
longer caught any at all.
“He is a “free biter”, Northrup
writes, “and is bound to disappear
before the multitude of rods avowed
over his devoted head. The sport
he affords in his capture, this taste
he gratifies in the frying-pan, and
the allurements of the charming
streams he inhabits, all conspire
with his simplicity to destroy him."
These predictions came true
unfortunately and before the 1920s
the grayling was considered by
anglers completely extinct from
the Au Sable River. It’s last sighting
unknown.
As a result of commerce and
industry—the chopping of trees,
which take fifty years or more to
rejuvenate—Miller argues that the
nature of the river is so changed
that the grayling will never swim its
quiet waters again. “No,” he writes,
“the grayling is gone forever.”
Spring 2020 | Michigan Out-of-Doors 53
2/12/2020 1:19:55 PM
 Sharpening your
Steely Skills
W
hen we fish streams for steelhead in the
spring, we often encounter spawning
fish.
It is a similar scenario to when we
fish for salmon in the fall. While fishing for spawning
salmonids is usually taboo in the Pacific Northwest,
it is commonly accepted and practiced on Michigan’s
Great Lakes tributaries.
I think this goes back to the early days of fishing for
lake-run rainbows when often the season was only open
during the regular trout season. In addition, our much
colder climate often didn’t allow for winter fishing
much of the time.
Thus, the prime time for steelhead fishing was
spring, which coincided with when these big rainbows
were spawning. And we were already fishing for other
species of fish during their spawning. A prime example
is the fishing for spawning bluegills with flies and
spiders; one of the most popular ways to catch these
fish.
I much prefer hooking unseen steelhead in holes
and runs: the dark water. I love solving the mystery of
where these great fish are holding through reading the
water by sight and feel. Ecstasy happens when my lure
enters the territory of a big rainbow, and it attacks with
54 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com
Spring 2020.indd 56
By Jim Bedford
ferocity. That being said, I don’t walk around spawning
fish when I spot them as I make my way upstream.
My usual plan is to ease my way off to the side of
the active redd and make a quartering upstream casts
above the spawning fish. I carefully watch my lure as it
travels by the fish and see how they react to it.
Sometimes they are on it on the first cast, but more
often, I need to inch my way upstream to give them a
longer look on a directly across stream presentation.
Finally, if they tolerate my presence, I will get above
the fish so that I can almost hang it just in front of
them. I always watch for signs of interest, a head turn
toward the lure, a short follow or an opening of their
mouths.
I only use two lures, a spinner and a minnow plug.
Changing plugs or blade finishes is rarely successful,
but this tactic might be given a try if the fish have
shown interest.
While many anglers will camp on an active redd,
I give the fish a good chance to hit my offering and
then move on upstream, hoping to find a taker in a run
or a hole. Covering water is the best plan during any
season when casting lures for steelhead on their river
migration.
When a redd is found that has an additional male
2/12/2020 1:19:56 PM
 steelhead behind the spawning
pair, it is always a good idea to try
and catch these subordinate males
before casting to the spawning
pair. Often these fish seem
somewhat frustrated about being
chased away by the dominant buck
and will readily attack something
smaller.
Try to steer a hooked fish
downstream away from the
spawning pair. With some skill and
luck, you might be able to catch
several without disturbing the
dominant male and the female.
Catching and releasing more than
one fish off of a redd should and
will give you a lot of satisfaction.
When only the spawning pair
remains, you should try to catch
male first, but often the female is
more intent about protecting her
redd and territory and will beat
the buck to your offering.
Just watching the spawning steelhead is not letting them know of your presence.
ritual, nature in action, enhances spring fishing for Once these big rainbows bust you, they become much
steelhead. The male suitors establish a definite pecking harder to catch. This is especially true when fishing
order. Many times when there were multiple males with artificial lures and flies.
present and I have spooked or caught and released the Moving in an upstream direction is probably the
hen, the dominant male will come back to the redd and number one key to sneaking up on and catching more
chase subordinate males away while he waits for the spring steelhead. Many anglers, especially some fly
female to return. anglers and those drifting live bait, traditionally move
Stealth is always important when stream fishing downstream. Doing an about-face will instantly make
for steelhead and it becomes even more critical when you more successful.
fishing spawning riffles and the shallows of any size Because of eyes on both sides of their heads,
stream where spring steelhead are likely to hold when steelhead have a wide range of vision. However, they
the time to procreate arrives. do have a blind area directly behind them. Since they
Whether you are fishing the dark water or the are almost always facing into the current, you can best
gravel, the steelhead will approach them by wading upstream.
be on edge and spooky in Even though they are looking
these shallow areas of upstream in the opposite
the stream. It should direction, a
also be noted that the quick
dark water can be
deep runs with a good
gravel substrate where
the steelhead are also
spawning.
In general, all fish are
not very intelligent, but
they are innately wary. This
is especially true for older, larger
members of stream-resident
species, but don’t forget that
steelhead have left the depths
of a very large lake and now
feel vulnerable in a much smaller
environment.
A real key to catching a spring-running

Spring 2020 | Michigan Out-of-Doors 55

Spring 2020.indd 57 2/12/2020 1:19:58 PM

 movement by a large, predatory angler behind them speed slightly faster than the current so they will have
will still likely send them scurrying for cover. action.
Moving slowly and keeping a low profile are Beads, eggs, nymphs, jigs and drift lures can also
important. Wearing clothing that blends in with the sky be easily fished straight upstream. You just need to
and bank vegetation will also help keep you undetected. take in line as it drifts back to you as opposed to the
Moving upstream prevents the sand and silt that traditional letting line out as it drifts downstream from
you stir up when wading from betraying your presence your position.
— the sounds you make when wading are also carried A float will help you make good presentations
away by the current when you move upstream. But without hanging up on the bottom a lot. It is much
sounds do readily better to position
travel through water, your offering a foot
so it is important to or so above the
wade as quietly as stream substrate than
possible. Making long snagging up all the
slow strides is better time.
than short, splashy To get alongside
steps. or above the holding
Pay attention and water or redd, slowly
try not to dislodge move up the side of
rocks or cause them the stream opposite a
to grind against suspected steelhead
each other. A wading lair. Utilize the
staff can help your cover that is hiding
stability and avoid the fish as that
missteps that might also helps conceal
alert the steelhead. you. Examples
One made out of wood are overhanging
is better than a metal vegetation, logs in
or metal-tipped model the water, undercut
because it will be banks and large
quieter. boulders. Turbidity,
The ripples or water depth and a
wake in the water broken surface can
surface you send also help you sneak
ahead when wading alongside or above
are also not likely to the water or redd.
reach and alarm the Looking upstream
steelhead upstream and anticipating the
unless the current holding water and
is very slow. This how you will make
surface disturbance your presentation
will still be diminished when moving against the is important. To do this, you must be able to read the
current, and slow strides will further negate them. water and see well.
One irony of the cautious upstream approach is Polarized sunglasses are an absolute must, and they
many lures and flies are best fished across the current should be paired with a hat that has a substantial bill
and down. or visor to keep atmospheric glare off the lenses. The
My favorite stream lure is the weighted spinner, glasses should be 100% polarized. Those with amber
and its most effective presentation is a quartering tints are usually best because they heighten contrast
downstream cast and then allowing it to sweep and and let through more light while still cutting the
hang in the likely fish-holding water. surface glare.
The fly angler using streamers wants to do likewise, Even though you might be fishing relatively shallow
and the plug fisherman, especially, wants to be above water when chasing spring steelhead, waders are your
the fish and sweep or hold the diving lure against the best choice as opposed to hip boots. The extra freeboard
current. gives you more options when approaching your quarry.
So, how do we accomplish this? Well, we still They allow you to stay in the stream in deeper water,
cautiously work our way upstream and plan ahead which helps keep you out of sight. They also allow you
on how we will cast to each fish-holding area as we to kneel in shallow water if necessary to stay out of
come to it. We can still cast spinners, spoons, plugs and sight and get into the best position to cast.
streamers upstream and retrieve them downstream at a Paying attention to where you are wading can help

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Spring 2020.indd 58 2/12/2020 1:19:58 PM

 you approach the fish. Try to avoid areas with loose
rocks and gravel that will shift and make noise when
you walk on them.
Often, the best and easiest path is the deeper route
because there will be less current and, of course, you
are less visible to the fish when you are waist-deep in
the water.
When fishing a stream where the steelhead are
successfully reproducing, I believe it is important to
release most or all of your catch, especially the females.
These wild fish have survived a rigorous life cycle
and have made it back to their spawning grounds
to start a new one. Keep in mind that the males can
fertilize the eggs of several females, but when you
harvest a hen before she spawns, you’re removing some
future steelhead.
If you desire a steelhead for the table or smoker,
keeping a small male is the best plan. This will not
impact natural reproduction, and you will allow the
genes of the large or trophy males to remain in the
system. All Lake Michigan hatchery steelhead will soon
be marked by having their adipose fin clipped.
This spring, only the smaller (up to 7 pounds or so)
hatchery steelhead will be clipped, but virtually all of
these fish will be clipped by 2022.
Spring 2020.indd 59
Final thoughts: Whether you are okay with fishing
for visible spawning steelhead or not, it is important
to remember these fish are not actively feeding and,
usually are not feeding at all. That includes the fish
resting in the dark water near the spawning gravel and,
of course, the fish that are spawning unseen in deeper
water.
One of the problems with fishing for steelhead
on their redds is the accidental foul hooking of them.
Irritating them with a gaudy fly or lure is better than
trying to get them to eat an egg or dark nymph. If the
fish are not interested in your bright offering, they can
see it and avoid it.
Make sure you can see your lure in the water and
follow it with your eyes. If you have misjudged the
current speed or made an errant cast and the lure
swings into the fish instead of in front and hangs up on
the back of fish, you can immediately give slack and
avoid hooking them.
By watching the lure, you can also give slack
in advance after a misjudged cast and miss the fish
completely.
These maneuvers to avoid foul hooking are not
possible when you drift a dark fly or spawn bag that you
can’t see through the fish.
Spring
Summer2020
2019
| Michigan
| Michigan Out-of-Doors 5755
Out-of-Doors
2/12/2020 1:19:59 PM
 A Morning
in Muskegon
W
omp, Womp, Womp,
Womp! The alarm
on my phone went
off and I immedi-
ately leapt out of bed to turn it off.
It was 2:25 a.m. on a weekday
morning in early June. My girl-
friend is supportive of my outdoor
endeavors, but I knew better than to
let the alarm go off any longer.
I grabbed my phone and snuck
out of the bedroom, then dressed
quickly and was soon on the road to
meet Editor Nick Green at his house
about 40 minutes from my place.
I arrived at Nick's house a little
after 3:00 AM and eased the car
into his driveway. He was already
loading a cooler into his truck and
was anxious to hit the road. We were
careful not to slam any car doors
and wake up his three dogs, thus
waking up his wife. We snuck out of
the driveway and were on the road
to our next adventure.
We were off to Muskegon
58 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com
Spring 2020.indd 60
State Park to try our luck fishing
for salmon thanks to a generous
invite from Charter Boat Captain
and fishing/duck guide Stephen
Schnautz.
Captain Schnautz is a U.S.
Coast Guard licensed Charter Boat
Captain who travels the state fishing
for walleye and salmon during
the spring and summer and then
switches to guided duck hunts in the
fall.
Nick and I have had the pleasure
of joining Captain Stephen, the
Owner of R and D Guide Service, on
a few excursions on his infamous
boat, Peaches.
Captain Stephen's orders the
night before were to be at the dock
by 5:00 a.m., so Nick and I made the
two-hour trek from mid-Michigan,
and, as luck would have it, met
Captain Stephen at the gas station
a few miles from the park while he
was gassing up the boat.
After a quick pit stop, with a
By Shaun McKeon
boat full of gas and a cooler full of
snacks, we headed to the ramp.
Upon arriving at the ramp, we
were joined by another friend of
Stephen's who slept in his truck
to make sure he was on time. We
got the boat off the trailer in the
pitch black and were heading
across Muskegon Lake towards the
channel in less than 15 minutes.
As we motored out through the
channel, my excitement to get lines
in the water grew. The chinook
"king" salmon is in my top three
favorite animals on the planet.
The simple beauty of the silver-
colored fish, coupled with the raw
power they possess, has always
resonated with me.
Trolling Lake Michigan for
salmon was something I grew up
doing with my family, and the
memories of those times spent on
the water with my mom, dad and
younger brother are some of my
favorite outdoor memories.
2/12/2020 1:20:00 PM
 As a family from 1990 until
around 2014, when my dad sold his
big water boat, we would spend two
weeks each summer chasing kings
out of Manistee. I had not been on
the big water since my dad, who was
my outdoor mentor, passed away in
2017.
As we cruised out past the pier
head onto the big water, my dad
was on my mind, and I was excited
for what the day might bring and
grateful to be back in one of my
happy places.
Captain Stephen is a true
professional, and Muskegon is one
of his homeports. He plugged his
secret numbers into the GPS, and
we headed south.
It was still dark as the captain
began setting the lines. He started
setting poles running them off
downriggers. After a few rods were
set down deep, he set a few more
lines with Dipsy Divers running off
planer boards to help take the line
Spring 2020.indd 61
off to the side and away from the
boat.
Finally, he ran a few more
lines straight back from the boat
using a copper line. The copper
line is heavy, and the farther out
you let the line, the deeper the bait
will travel in the water. We had one
copper line out 450 feet. Nick and I
both joked about letting the other
person reel that one in if a fish were
to strike.
Before the lines were all set, the
drag on a reel broke the morning
silence with its distinct scream.
Nick was first up and began his
battle with one of Lake Michigan's
many silver monsters. New to the
big water fishing game, it took Nick
a couple of minutes to settle into
fighting this fish.
After finding his rhythm in the
pump and reel game, Nick fought
the fish for about 5 minutes when
his line got a little slack in it, and
just like that, the fish was gone.
Nick was a bit disappointed
after reeling in an empty line, but
Captain Stephen promised there
would be others throughout the
day, and there would be a chance at
redemption.
As the sun began to come up
over the dunes, Captain Stephen
was right—about 15 minutes after
Nick's fish, another drag screamed
and Nick was back in the game.
This time, with a few helpful
tips from the captain, Nick was able
to boat a beautiful king, and we
happily got rid of the skunk from
the boat.
The next fish was mine, and
a rod went wild after about 30
minutes. I jumped up to set the
hook and settled in for what I hoped
would be a big fish.
My great battle was not meant
to be, however. I quickly realized
the fish on the other end was going
to be small. I quickly hauled in a
3-pound lake trout and skated him
Spring 2020| Michigan Out-of-Doors 59
2/12/2020 1:20:01 PM
 across the surface into the net
and the box.
I enjoy cooking lake trout on the
grill in the summer, so I was happy
to have a fish of my own in the box,
but it was not the king I was looking
for.
Over the next hour, we had four
more rods go off, but as luck would
have it, a couple of fish escaped
before we got the hook set, and one
decided he wanted to take a lure
with him and broke the line during
the fight.
After that flurry of action, a
mid-morning lull settled in. We
passed the time by sharing duck
hunting stories, ate some of our gas
station snacks and soaked up some
fishing knowledge from the captain
and his friend.
We changed some of the baits
and spoons, and Captain Stephen
altered our trolling course to see
if we could find a few more fish.
Captain Stephen continued to dig
into his bag of tricks.
His persistence paid off, and
soon a rod was screaming and the
line was peeling out. As I grabbed
the rod, I knew this was the fish I
had been waiting for.
I settled in and got comfortable
on the rod as the king peeled about
100 feet of line off. As my battle
was beginning,
Spring 2020.indd 62
another rod went off,
and Nick was on it.
The controlled
chaos that occurs on
a salmon boat while
two fish are being
fought is somewhere
between a cow on ice
and a choreographed
dance routine. There
is some slipping and
sliding, while people
who are not fighting
the fish try to clear
lines and bring up
downriggers.
There is bobbing
and weaving as the
people fighting the
fish try to make sure
their lines don't cross
and get tangled while
also pacing one fish to the boat at a
time.
There may even be some
twirling and spinning as the person
with the net tries to scoop one fish
out, get the fish out of the net and
hurry over to be ready to net the
second fish.
After about 30 minutes of all
of this scrambling around, some
choice words and two sets of sore
arms, both fish were in the boat,
with smiles and high fives all
around.
A little later, we wrapped up the
day with one more fish and decided
four kings and a laker would be
plenty for our freezers, so we headed
back to the dock.
At the launch, we took a few
pictures, and Captain Stephen was
even kind enough to clean and bag
our fish for us. We had a conversa-
tion with the local DNR creel clerk
as he took a few samples of our fish.
That kind of day is what being
outdoors is all about for me — trav-
eling to scenic destinations around
the state, spending time with
friends and sharing memo-
ries of good times past.
A day on the water
is hard to beat, and
filling a cooler full
of fresh fish keeps
my girlfriend
happy.
Captain
Stephen
and R and D
Guide Service
are currently
booking trips for
walleye, salmon
and Ducks for the
2020 season. If you
are looking for a great
time on the water with
a professional and fun
captain, give him a call
at (616) 466-2982.
2/12/2020 1:20:03 PM
 Game on!
Are you looking to take your outdoor experience to
the next level? We can help! GreenStone offers a
variety of loan options for recreational land of any
size. Contact your local branch office to learn more!

800-444-3276

www.greenstonefcs.com

Spring 2020 | Michigan Out-of-Doors 61

Spring 2020.indd 63 2/12/2020 1:20:04 PM


I
couldn’t see the trout, but I
knew I had one on.
I felt my line tighten
and run between my
fingers. Then I set the hook.
Mayhem broke out in the creek
as vibrations coursed through my
monofilament. The trout ran and
thrashed about.
I saw firsthand what a tempest
in a teapot looks like. That’s the
thrill that comes with fishing a
small stream. A person finds big
action in tiny spaces.
Creek fishing for trout is simple
enough. An angler merely needs
to find a stream and work quietly
along it. Then, wherever a trout
might be lurking, the fisherman
can just drop in his bait.
A lot of folks will dramatically
increase their catch rates, though,
by paying attention to some things
I’ve learned through the years.
First, a person needs to
62 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com
Spring 2020.indd 64
Advanced
Creek Tactics
recognize where a trout is likely
to be hiding. Fly anglers who fish
rivers call that reading the water.
Creek anglers need to read the
water, too.
Prerequisite number one for
trout is water depth. Trout don’t
always need a lot of water above
them, but they need some. They can
get by with less depth if they have
overhead cover.
Don’t look for a trout, then, in
the middle of a creek in a shallow
riffle. A fish might dart out in the
riffle to grab some food, but an
angler can make better use of his
time and effort by fishing deeper
water.
What trout really need is a
protective canopy of some sort
above them. This is especially true
in creeks.
In rivers, water depth can serve
as protection. Birds of prey can’t
dive deep enough fast enough in
By Andy Duffy
a river’s deep pools to ambush a
trout. They often can in creeks,
though.
So, when fishing a creek,
anglers should look for deeper
water with overhead protection. If
the water moves slowly enough or
has something to work as a current
buffer, so much the better. Trout
don’t want to expend a lot of energy
fighting the current.
Often, an angler might miss
ideal trout cover. Undercut banks
are famous trout lairs. They easily
escape notice, though.
I often wade into a creek after
I’ve fished a section of it. I kick
the banks trying to see where the
current has gouged them out. I’m
often amazed by what I find. Some
places that look as if they haven’t
been undercut have lots of room to
hide a trout.
So, besides being able to read
water, it helps if an angler knows
2/12/2020 1:20:05 PM
 the water. That familiarity doesn’t across public land. And, of course,
come with the first trip to a stream.
"Every place where a trout they can fish streams that cross
It requires lots of excursions.
Once an angler understands
might be lurking, he drops his private property that are open to
the public.
where trout hide, he needs to figure worm. Some people use crickets Anglers should make certain of
out how to approach them. That’s a stream’s status before assuming it
where stealth becomes a factor. or minnows. I’ve tried them is public water. Some streams that
Heavy steps send vibrations are considered navigable water,
into the water and send trout and don’t see that they offer though, are hardly more than
fleeing. Just by remembering to creeks. Anglers can fish them if
tread lightly, anglers will find more
any advantages over good old they stay in the water.
success.
Being stealthy, though, includes
garden worms." By staying in the water instead
of slipping stealthily along the
some other elements. I know a guy no matter if a stream or a drain is banks, they might scare some fish.
who wears camouflage on streams. flowing there. But scaring a few fish is better than
That’s not overkill. At a Trout anglers will fish the not fishing at all.
minimum, a person should wear plunge pools below the culvert, but So, this is how to fish a creek.
subdued colors. that is as far as they go. They don’t A person slips along the water – on
Another advanced tactic is to move from the road. the bank, if possible – looking
use a long rod. I have a friend who And that is partly because the for places where a trout might be
has mastered this technique. streams, whether natural or man- hiding.
He stands well back from the made, are flowing across private Every place where a trout
edge of the streams he fishes. He property. Some property owners might be lurking, he drops his
pokes the tip of his rod through the won’t permit anglers to fish their worm. Some people use crickets or
brush and drops in his bait. property. Often, the anglers don’t minnows. I’ve tried them and don’t
I call it the “walk-softly-and- bother seeking permission. see that they offer any advantages
carry-a-big-stick technique, and it But serious trout anglers will over good old garden worms.
works like a charm. want to leave the road and work Anglers should leave the bails
Anglers should also be mindful along a creek. Instead of waiting on their reels open. First, they will
of the sun and shouldn’t let their for a trout to come to them, they be dapping as much as casting.
shadows fall on the water. will go to the trout. With a reel’s bail open, the
People need to remember that And anglers can go trout current can carry the bait to the
they’re not really trout fishing; hunting easily enough if they want cover that an angler might not be
they’re trout hunting. That means to. They can knock on doors and able to reach with a cast.
they shouldn’t stay in one place. ask for permission to fish a stream. As Charles Cotton advised, we
They should remember to keep They can fish creeks that flow should fish fine and far off. Things
moving. Drift a worm through a are compressed on a creek; we are
likely spot a couple of times. If
nothing hits, move on. Probably
no trout is there. The anglers that
cover the most water will probably
catch the most fish – at least if their
approach is stealthy enough.
I live in a water-rich environ-
ment. A major river flows through
my area. Numerous small creeks
feed the river. Many of the creeks
are good trout streams.
Besides the natural streams,
though, the area has lots of
drainage ditches.
Years ago, farmers dug some of
the ditches to drain fields. County
road commissions maintain some
drains to protect roads. Some of the
drains hold trout.
Every spring, starting the last
Saturday of April, I’ll see cars
parked by almost every culvert,

Winter 2019 | Michigan Out-of-Doors 61

57
Winter 2018 | Michigan Out-of-Doors 57

Spring 2020.indd 65 2/12/2020 1:20:05 PM

 fishing less far off than we getting tangled up in the top of
would on a river. a log jam before our bait gets
Rather than always drop- carried under it.
ping bait into a hole right at For day-in-and-day-out
our feet, we should allow the angling, though, I prefer to use
current to carry our bait to no weight.
the fish when we can. That The most natural presen-
is the only way to fish some tation possible seems to work
places without scaring the the best. That means making a
trout away. dead-drift presentation.
Anglers should hold the That is the technique fly
line loosely between their anglers use when they’re
thumb and index finger – if nymphing or using dry flies.
they have one. (I know an That’s the way trout are accus-
expert trout fisherman who tomed to seeing their food
is missing an index finger.) come to them. That method
That way, a striking trout works best for many trout lies.
can pick up the worm and For the lies where conditions
run with it rather than preclude that option, a person
having it ripped out of its might want to carry a few split
mouth. shot with him.
Also, the angler will feel Experienced trout anglers
the line go and will know keep the present conditions
that either the current is in mind. Cloudy skies and
taking his line, or he has rain will bring trout out from
a hit. With experience, under cover to feed in the
mortality on sub-legal fish. I prefer
a person can usually tell the stream’s main current.
to set the hook quickly, even if it
difference. We can be a little more relaxed
means losing a few fish.
Anglers should also watch the with our presentations and with
We can’t discuss advanced
business end of their lines. They’ll our stealth when skies are cloudy
creek fishing tactics without
often see the line change direction and rain is dimpling the stream’s
mentioning the use of split shot.
in the water or see the flash of a surface. During a storm, catching
When streams are high, a person
trout. trout usually becomes much easier.
might want to use some weight to
After the trout hits, it is up to Anglers eventually become
get his bait down.
the angler to decide when to set aware of what they can get away
Trout aren’t likely to come to
the hook. Some people let the trout with on a stream, too.
the top of a stream to grab a worm
swallow the bait. Hooking percent- Last summer I was fishing a
getting swept by in a torrent. And
ages go up that way. creek when I came to an undercut
we won’t catch a trout if our line is
It also leads to hooking bank. Because of the brush along
the stream, I couldn’t effectively
present my worm without getting
in the stream very near the
undercut.
I waded in as stealthily as I
could. The current wasn’t going to
carry my worm under the bank, so
I let it drift along the edge of it. A
trout came out and struck. I think
it was my largest trout of the day.
Trout are notorious for disap-
pearing during the dog days of
summer. Some have been caught
and kept. Some have just migrated
to cooler waters.
Whatever the reason for the
disappearance of the trout, it is the
dog days that really test an angler’s
mettle.
The smaller the brook, of

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Spring 2020.indd 66 2/12/2020 1:20:06 PM

 summer.
We would stand on the bank
above the creek and drift worms
through the little channels. We
would watch as the trout darted
out from the vegetation, seized our
worms, and disappeared again.
Sometimes, the trout wouldn’t
even make an appearance. Our
worm would simply disappear as a
trout right at the edge of the weeds
sucked it in.
Then, a couple of summers ago,
the road commission came through
and stripped out all the watercress.
I suppose it was routine
maintenance. It ruined the stream,
though. The watercress still hasn’t
made a comeback. The water level
gets low in the summer, and a
person is lucky to catch a few tiny
brookies.
Other streams, though, still
fill up with weeds, and anglers can
remember that trout hang out in
them.
A lot of anglers don’t bother
fishing creeks. They would rather
fish lakes or rivers where casting
is easy, hordes of branches aren’t
waiting to snag a person up and
they don’t need to bother with the
nitty-gritty aspects of fishing small
streams.
Those who enjoy stalking
unseen fish in tight cover, though,
can find success by observing the
principles listed here.

course, the greater the effect of

groundwater on it. The tiniest
streams often are trout havens
when the weather is hot. And
streams even a yard wide or less, if
they’re deep enough, hold good fish
during the dog days.
So, when the weather is hot,
think small.
Near my home is a little
drainage ditch that I once fished
regularly. It emerges from a swamp
and runs along a county road for
a couple of miles before changing
directions abruptly and flowing
into a nearby river.
During the early spring, the
ditch never had much cover. As
the season progressed, though,
watercress would grow and fill the
stream.
The watercress’s bulk, of
course, had the same effect as
putting pebbles in a glass of water.
Once weeds filled the stream,
the water level normally remained
high enough to harbor trout even in
dry conditions.
Anyone familiar with the story
of Archimedes and the crown will
understand the principle.
The current kept little channels
clear. Brook trout would lurk in the
vegetation and wait for food to drift
by in the channels.
The ditch was my go-to loca-
tion whenever I wanted to take
guests fishing during mid- and late

Spring 2020 | Michigan Out-of-Doors 65

Spring 2020.indd 67 2/12/2020 1:20:07 PM

 Understanding
Oak
Health
By Phil Meeks

64 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com

Spring 2020.indd 68 2/12/2020 1:20:08 PM

 I
t's little surprise to most of oaks are found in
hunters how important oaks Michigan, and these can
are to wildlife. all be divided into the red oak
One pound of acorns in or the white oak group. The latter
the fall can supply as much as 2000 category includes
calories, making this a valuable white oak,
resource for deer, bear and turkeys swamp
as winter looms. white oak,
Approximately 100 vertebrate chinkapin
species are known to depend on oak, chestnut oak
oaks as a food source in the U.S., and bur oak.
and a number of species will The
modify their movement patterns acorns of
based on acorn availability. Bear these
and wild turkey, for example, tend tend to
to have much smaller home ranges be more
during those years when the acorn palatable to wildlife
crop is abundant. in that they have fewer
Approximately ten species tannins than those of the

red oak group and

produce a crop each year.
The red oak group – northern
red oak, pin oak, northern pin oak,
scarlet oak and black oak – bear
acorns that are less desirable than
their white oak kin, but they have
value nonetheless.
Biennially produced red oak
acorns serve as a delayed food
source, only becoming sought by
animals once the white oak acorn
supply is exhausted and the winter
rains and snows have leached out
some of the bitter tannins.
Oaks also display a trait known
as marcescence, meaning they
cling to dead leaves long after
other species have cast those to the
ground. This makes the oaks useful
to several bird and mammal species
for winter cover.
The bottom line is this:
Anything that impacts oaks will
impact wildlife.
Unfortunately, oaks are not
immune to factors that can lead to
their demise. Two in particular –
oak wilt and oak decline – have the
potential to affect acres and acres
of Quercus species.
Any discussion about oak
health in the United States must
first include an appreciation of
how we have influenced American
forests over the centuries.
The chestnut blight was a

Spring 2020.indd 69 2/12/2020 1:20:10 PM


big one, resulting in the loss of a
species that accounted for as much
as 25 percent of the mature trees in
any given woodland.
The introduction of other
pests, such as gypsy moth, hemlock
woolly adelgid and emerald ash
borer has no doubt left a mark
on Michigan woodlands. Other
species, including oaks, will end up
in those voids created by the loss
of chestnuts, ashes and hemlocks.
Forest fragmentation has been a
player, too, as has the control of
wildfire.
The result is that many oak
trees are growing in places where
they may never have ended up if
left to natural influences. A species
growing on a site where it's only
going to be marginally successful
will be more prone to attack by
invasive insects and other health
pressures than if it's on an ideal
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Spring 2020.indd 70
spot.
A disease
The aforementioned influences
on Michigan oaks -- oak wilt and
oak decline -- are a disease and a
disease complex, respectively.
Oak wilt does its damage
quickly, often within a single
growing season, by blocking the
tree's xylem tissue. Leaves in the
upper canopy will begin to wither,
and entire branches will turn
reddish-brown.
A close inspection of red
oak leaves will often reveal leaf
margins that are yellowish or
brown.
The oak wilt fungus (Bretziella
fagacearum) spreads from tree to
tree in two ways. Above ground, it's
carried by any of a number of bark
beetles or sap-feeding beetles.
Trees that have been killed
by the fungus will host a sweet-
smelling spore mat just beneath the
bark. Beetles drawn to these spore
mats pick up fungal spores that are
then transmitted to other trees as
the insects move into fresh wounds
in the trunk or branches.
Beneath the surface of the
forest soil, the disease spreads via
a complex network of root grafts.
Red oaks especially are character-
ized by this ability to fuse their
roots and share nutrients, but
unfortunately, that also provides
for transmission of infections.
While all oaks can be infected
by oak wilt, red oaks are much
more susceptible. That's partly
because white oaks' roots are less
likely to fuse with those of other
trees and due to the fact fungal
spore mats don't easily develop
under white oak bark, thereby
limiting both above- and below-
ground spread.
A disease complex
Oak wilt results in tree
mortality relatively quickly, but
oak decline may gradually bring
about the tree's demise over a
period of years or even decades.
It will be noticeable at first in
the form of a slow dieback of the
tree crown that progresses down-
ward and inward.
A forest manager may be able
to use an increment borer to note
a pronounced decrease in the
tree's radial growth, but this isn't a
symptom detectable by the naked
eye.
Unlike oak wilt, which has only
been known to be in this country
since World War II, literature
suggests that oak decline has been
at play in eastern and midwestern
forests for nearly two centuries.
As with oak wilt, oak decline
can impact any oak species but
tends to be more common in those
species in the red oak group. It also
tends to be more of an issue in trees
that are greater than 70 years in
age, once the resistance and vigor
of youth have waned.
Oak decline isn't brought about
2/12/2020 1:20:11 PM

by a single, detectable pathogen,
as is the case with the fungal oak
wilt. Multiple factors play into
oak decline: predisposing factors,
inciting factors and contributing
factors.
Predisposing factors would be
those site conditions that set the
oaks up for eventual failure, condi-
tions such as the slope and soil
characteristics.
The physiological age of the
trees and competition are also
counted as predisposing factors.
Short-term environmental
conditions such as drought,
flooding or wildfire are considered
examples of inciting factors.
Contributing factors would
include insect and disease pres-
sures such as hypoxylon cankers,
armillaria root rot, two-lined
chestnut borer or red oak borer.
These influences wouldn't
necessarily result in tree mortality
in and of themselves, but once a
group of trees is "set up" with the
predisposing and inciting factors,
these influences can deliver the
death blow.
One more worry
Another serious fungal
disease that could wreak havoc
on Michigan forests is sudden oak
death (Phytophthora ramorum).
Spring 2020.indd 71
In addition to oaks, the disease can
impact nearly 100 other trees and
shrubs.
Sudden oak death has been
found in nurseries on the West
Coast but fortunately hasn't made
an appearance in Michigan yet.
However, it pays to be cautious
when ordering landscape plants
from nurseries in California and
Oregon and to only deal with
reputable companies.
Management options
If you notice areas of oak
dieback in areas where you
normally hunt, report those to
the land manager, be it public
or private land. Both issues are
difficult to manage, but foresters
have some options for corrective
action if economics and location
warrant it.
In the case of oak wilt,
managers may kill trees
on the outer perimeter
of the infected area
and then remove
the dead oaks
from within.
Efforts will also
focus on the
severing of
roots at that
perimeter to
lessen chances
for root-to-root transmission.
This is an expensive endeavor
but can help contain the disease
and eliminate sources of fungal
spore mats.
Since spore-carrying beetles
access new trees via wounds, avoid
the use of tree stands in oaks
in those areas where oak wilt is
known to be active, opting for other
species instead whenever possible.
When it comes to oak decline,
the solution is much more involved
and may include a long-term
strategy to shift species composi-
tion on a site to something more in
tune with the site conditions.
This can be accomplished
through regeneration openings and
timber stand improvement.
Even if red oaks are the goal for
the site, the oak decline risk can be
significantly reduced by favoring
more vigorous trees that are
younger than 70 years, so a salvage
harvest may be an option.
As with oak wilt management,
however, these solutions aren't
always economically feasible.
Furthermore, if decline has
been active for a number of years,
and trees have lost more than a
third of their canopies, the situ-
ation is too far gone, and the best
scenario may be a salvage harvest
to encourage new growth.
Hunters can be the first line
of defense against forest health
issues like oak wilt and oak decline,
accessing areas of woodlands in the
fall when early leaf-drop is evident.
Management options are costly
for both situations, but the expense
climbs dramatically over time.
Inform land managers of
changes you note in the woodlands
where you hunt, especially when
those changes involve red oak
species.
2/12/2020 1:20:13 PM
 Legends of Conservation:
Good Life. Short Life.
Much done.
By Alan Campbell

T
om Washington, who died
in 1995 about three weeks
after the opening day of
deer season, used sheer
willpower and unrelenting love for
the outdoors to become a national
force for conservation.
"It was all real," said his
daughter, Heidi, reflecting on her
father's life. "There was nothing
fake, ever, with my dad."
The Michigan Natural
Resources Commission names its
annual lifetime achievement award
after Washington, who it credits
with building the Michigan United
Conservation Clubs into the largest
state conservation organization in
the nation. He was also a president
of the National Rifle Association.

Washington in Lansing
Tom Washington would be
known as an enigma if alive today.
He held no college degree,
yet was revered and respected
— sometimes both, depending
upon the issue of the day — by
lawmakers while walking the halls
of the state capitol. And though he
leaned toward Republican doctrine,
Washington pushed hard, helping
win success for then-controversial
environmental issues that crossed
party lines such as the returnable
bottle act and retention of oil and
gas royalties from state property to
purchase recreational land.
Washington didn't care where
a legislator sat — right or left side
of the aisle — as long as he or she
supported conservation.
"I think he was mostly
Republican," said Bill Rustem, who
as a policy advisor for Gov. William
Milliken and through other profes-
sional pursuits worked closely with
Washington. "He supported people
from both parties. It all depended
on their conservation ethic. That's
what mattered to him."
Washington didn't shower
lawmakers with big campaign
contributions like the lobbyists of
today. Instead, he appealed to their
conscience to do the right thing for
the future of Michigan.
If they wavered, he need only
remind them that his voice carried
the backing of 100,000 MUCC
members who would be voting in
November.
"He did it with tenacity and
hard work. Those were two of his
traits. He knew what he wanted
and would get there, both in life
and in getting things done in the
Legislature," Rustem said.
Washington's desk was found
at MUCC headquarters in Lansing,
where his door was open. But
he did his best work across the
state while unifying the voices of
local gun, fishing and trapping
organizations.
Washington understood and
successfully preached that a buck
chasing a doe on opening day and
a trout rising to a Hendrickson

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 Hunter's Hollow a state Constitution amendment
drive that is still working today.
Washington owned former pheasant farm near Mason that served Final votes determine the
the causes of conservation well when burly Tom Washington needed to win-loss record of lobbyists.
bend the ear of a squishy lawmaker is still in the business of promoting Washington's go-to move to lock in
hunting and fishing. support for a pending bill was to
Washington purchased the 80 acres of the property, called Hunter’s have a legislator follow his German
Hollow, when the business of put-and-take pheasant hunting closed. shorthaired pointers at Hunter's
The property eventually passed through the family to two of Tom’s Hollow, a pheasant farm located
sons, David and Steven, who added neighboring parcels as they became south of Lansing.
available. Rustem believes blunt discus-
Now, the Washingtons join fellow members of the Capital Area sions among opposing legislators
Branch of the Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) in have become rare these days, a
hosting the children of servicemen and women for a youth deer hunt loss with roots in term limits. The
every September. "us vs. them" reporting carried
The house on Tom Washington’s old stomping grounds serves as throughout a 24-hour news cycle
headquarters. — and highlighted by minute-
“It’s just like a regular deer camp,” David Washington explained. by-minute opinionated tweets—
“Parents bring in the kids, and we sign them up. My dad was big into doesn't help.
introducing kids into the outdoors.” Washington's attributes were
Eleven young people aged 8-11 attended in 2019, spending their first a natural fit for past times. His
day absorbing lessons of deer hunting such as shooting skills, blood engaging personality and willing-
trailing and shot placement. A state conservation officer helps with the ness to know legislators beyond a
presentations. surface relationship paid dividends
Participants also learn about fishing on a pond on the farm. for the conservation movement of
The young hunters are stationed the next morning at various blinds in the 1970s, 80s and 90s that turned
the area, one or two of which are located on the Washington property. environmental science into law.
Eight does and bucks were harvested last fall. "Backroom politics still works.
Parents are welcome and sometimes participate. Washington esti- If you had to reach an agreement
mates that about half would not have an opportunity to hunt if not for under a spotlight with your wife
the QDMA deer camp. or your dog, that would be tough,"
Rustem said.

were results of a myriad of envi- the other. He wanted people to be

ronmental components connected connected and respectful of the role Family man, jokester and
in ways as complicated as life of each." storyteller
itself. DDT kills mosquitoes but When he couldn't drum up
weakens the shells of bald eagle enough votes to pass a bottle return Sundays in autumn were
eggs. Warming the waters of a trout bill, Washington turned to MUCC busy for the Tom and Joanne
stream favors browns over brookies members to gather signatures for Washington family. After attending
— or eliminates both.
So MUCC's mission expanded
far beyond protecting gun rights.
"Wetlands law, banning DDT
and PCP, we were the first state to
do those things, and MUCC was
always there supporting them,"
Rustem said. "He believed abso-
lutely in conservation and that
hunters and fishers had to give
back. It wasn't all about guns. It
was about clean air and water."
Added Heidi Washington, "I
recall him often trying to educate
people (about the connection)
between guns and conservation,
between natural resources and
firearms ownership. Without a
healthy environment, we don't have

Spring 2020 | Michigan Out-of-Doors 71

Spring 2020.indd 73 2/12/2020 1:20:14 PM

 service at the Greater Lansing
Church of Christ, Tom would take
the kids hunting.
"We'd go to church, come home
and then head out to Hunter's
Hollow," said David Washington,
one of six children and now regional
vice president for Jackson National
Life Insurance Company. "If we
weren't doing that, we went hunting
at one of his buddy's farms. Some
times I was the beagle. It was a great
way to grow up."
By all accounts and memories,
Thomas Lee Washington was a
bear of a man, topping 6-foot-1 and
weighing about 280 pounds. He was
born on July 15, 1937, in Detroit,
and died on December 5, 1995, in a
hospital in Dearborn.
The son of a railroad man and
a police dispatcher, he had dark
hair, dark eyes and, for most of his
life, wore a mustache, which was
common at the time.
Washington loved to tell stories
and sing songs, sometimes around
campfires. He was often asked to
perform "Danny Boy" at funerals.
He might be described as a
workaholic in today's terms, but
he may not qualify because he was
always doing what he loved to do.
"On the weekends, we'd pick
up the mail and go to the office,"
David said. "Some times he'd take
(lawmakers) hunting. That's how
he would schmooze them, take
them to Hunter's Hollow."
The Michigan Natural
Resources Commission recently
honored Dennis Knapp for his
years of service as chief of staff.
He previously worked for 11 years
for MUCC, the first five under
executive director Washington.
"Tom was a blast to work for,"
Knapp said. "I did wildlife issues
and firearms issues with the
Legislature. I met with Tom a lot,
and he was passionate about the
issues I worked on. Whenever I
needed anything, I had the big guy
to go to."
After a long day pushing envi-
ronmental causes, the MUCC crew
routinely decompressed in the
lobby of headquarters, reflecting
upon victories of the day with
70
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Spring 2020.indd 74
libations in hand, Knapp said. with my car and it was in the body
Three memories held by Knapp shop. He picked up the phone and
help to explain the life of Tom called them, and said I needed my
Washington, starting with the day car. He had a huge network. People
he told his boss that his wife had wanted to work with Tom to get
been diagnosed with cancer. She things accomplished," Knapp said.
eventually died from the disease. Washington took time during
"He let me know that wherever his last trip to the Hiawatha Club in
I needed to be, whenever I needed the eastern Upper Peninsula to call
to be there, to not worry about the Knapp. It was a time when pagers
time off," Knapp said. ruled over cell phones.
Then there was the time Knapp "When he was driving north
was without transportation. to deer camp, he phoned to let me
"Tom knew everybody. I know that I was welcome to hunt
remember when I had a problem his property in Mason. I'll always
Washington Controversies
Tom Washington's death at the age of 58 was far too early and cut
short the work of a legend of Michigan conservation.
Washington was a man known to speak his mind while promoting
environmental issues, especially those that furthered hunting and
fishing.
He was bound to run into controversy along his journey. And he did.
Two instances stand out.
Washington's name was among fellow plaintiffs and outdoor
stalwarts Carl Johnson and Fred Bear in a Michigan United
Conservation Club lawsuit filed in 1981 against CBS News. They were
seeking to defend the reputation of all hunters who they claimed were
defamed in the television documentaries "The Guns of Autumn" and its
sequel "Echoes of the Guns of Autumn."
Washington was especially incensed because his voice was dubbed
over techniques termed "questionable hunting practices" shown in
the filming of a bear hunt at a dump and Colorado hunters handling
deer carcasses. The conservation legend was explaining the virtues of
hunting during the scenes.
However, the U.S. Court of Appeals rejected their claims, ruling that
Washington's voice was unattributed and that MUCC was not mentioned
directly.
Tom Washington's son, David, did not recall hearing about the
lawsuit when growing up. But he did notice that his father hired
someone to independently record an interview when he worked on a
network project later in life.
"I thought that was pretty smart," David said.
Much of Washington's obituary in the New York Times was
unfortunately dedicated to a fund-raising letter sent out by the NRA
while he was president.
The letter "created a furor in the wake of the Oklahoma City
bombing by denouncing some Federal agents as 'jackbooted government
thugs,'" the obituary stated.
Three of the six paragraphs in the obituary were dedicated to the
incident, which caused President George H.W. Bush to resign his NRA
membership.
A fourth paragraph stated, "Although he was long outspoken in
his belief that the Constitution should and does guarantee a right to
own guns, Mr. Washington, whose unpaid NRA position was largely
honorary, was not always as outspoken as some NRA members would
have liked."
2/12/2020 1:20:14 PM
 cherish that the last time we talked,
he called me to let me know I was
welcome to hunt his farm." Rustem
added, "He liked to go to casinos
a bit, but spent the bulk of his life
hunting and fishing. He loved to
share a drink in the woods; he was
a 'tin cup of bourbon along a trout
stream' kind of guy."
Heydays for conservation
It's difficult to quantify the list
of Tom Washington's accomplish-
ments for Michigan conservation.
Starting from humble beginnings
— his career with MUCC started as
an ad salesman for Michigan Out-of-
Doors magazine in 1973 — he rose
to become the leading voice of his
time for conservation movements in
Michigan.
As director from 1982-95, he
shepherded MUCC through a time
of strong growth thanks in part
to his creation of an independent
membership option.
Heidi Washington, who is
now director of the Michigan
Department of Corrections and a
member of the Board of Directors
for the NRA, recalls recruiting new
MUCC members while attending
Michigan State University.
"We'd all come in (to MUCC
headquarters) at 3 p.m. and pile into
vans to get a wetlands bill passed or
to get new members.
We'd go to metro Detroit or
Sterling Heights or wherever. Every
night when I came home, he would
ask me, 'How many members did
you get? How many life members
did you get?'… it was very successful
at getting new members, educating
people and raising money."
Washington purchased the name
"Michigan Outdoors" from former
TV host Fred Trost, whose company
had gone bankrupt and brought in
Bob Garner to continue the iconic
hunting and fishing television show
started by Mort Neff.
His work to push approval of
restrictions to highway billboard
signs was certainly notable. As
This piece is part of an ongoing series that will cover Michigan conservationists spanning all walks of life.
Spring 2020.indd 75
was getting the bottle bill passed
through the slogan, "Four words
that make me burn are no deposit,
no return."
Wayne LaPierre, NRA execu-
tive vice president, was a fan of
Washington's work.
"Tom was the true essence of
Mr. Conservation," LaPierre said."
He was tireless in his pursuit of
truth and in his efforts to preserve
America's hunting lands and
heritage. Tom stood steadfast to
safeguard our Second Amendment
freedom for future generations. I
was honored to know him and work
with him, but more importantly, to
call him my friend."
Heidi Washington believes her
father's most notable accomplish-
ments came while campaigning to
expand public lands.
He was instrumental in getting
a constitutional amendment passed
that annually makes millions of
dollars in revenue from oil and gas
leases available to purchase land
through the Michigan Trust Fund.
"When you think of all the
thousands of people who love and
use public land, whether through
the Trust Fund or some other
mechanism, it was because of his
effort that people can enjoy that
land for generations to come," she
said.
It's difficult to predict how
much more he would have accom-
plished if not for a heart attack that
struck the day before opening day
of deer season more than 24 years
ago.
Heidi believes her father
would have changed with the
times, finding new ways to reach
and recruit Michigan residents
and lawmakers to the causes of
conservation.
"It's a different world, and he
would have had to adapt. He would
always say, 'We already have term
limits, and it's called a ballot box,
so people need to get out and vote.'
He would have had to change his
approach, but there was no sign of
him slowing," she said.
Normally, Washington would
call into the popular J.P. McCarthy
radio show at WJR on November 15
to provide the state with an opening
day report.
Instead, it was David, then 27,
who made the call and provided
listeners with the mournful news
that a conservation legend was
deathly ill.
"It was unfortunate. He was the
voice of state conservation, and
there's been nobody like him since,"
David said.
Spring 2020 | Michigan Out-of-Doors 73
2/12/2020 1:20:14 PM
 The Heart
Hunt
of the
By Morgan Warda
I
have been an outdoor enthu-
siast my entire life but only a
hunter for seven years.
My lack of participa-
tion wasn't due to limited family
involvement.
My dad, grandpa, brother and
uncles have hunted for as long as
I have memory. I have fond recol-
lections of pressing my nose to
our glass door and watching for
headlights to pull in the driveway
on a Sunday night—the return
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Spring 2020.indd 76
undoubtedly the most challenging
I've ever experienced. Time
restrictions, weather conditions,
equipment issues and diminishing
confidence were hills I just couldn't
seem to climb. Yet, the multiple
opportunities presented to me were
unparalleled.
As always, I am content and
proud to harvest does even in the
early season, and that was my
focus.
In seven years, I have never
harvested a buck. They have been
there, in my crosshairs, but I easily
lowered my gun and marveled at
from deer camp.
their remarkable beauty instead.
I would throw on my coat and
Most times because I knew they
whatever boots were within reach
had years left to mature and once,
to meet my dad and stare in wonder
in my early years, an old buck
at whatever rested in the trailer.
with battle scars and broken tines
Wildlife had always seemed like an
evaded my shot out of respect
unreachable idea to me.
alone.
Later in life, I would come to
Everything in me told me no,
realize that hunting intertwines
even though he easily met our age
humanity and wild, respect and
standards. It doesn't even make
pursuit, life and death. It is for that
sense to me, and I'm okay with that.
reason I share this story of emotion
October 16, 2019, was the first
and question openly, without fear.
opportunity I had to bow hunt. My
The 2019 deer season was
main stands didn't offer a safe entry
point with the wind direction. My
husband, who has been a faithful
and dedicated guide, and I decided
to go behind our house, which is 200
acres of corn, soybeans and a small
woodlot.
Our goal was to get half a mile
back along the corn to the blind
that sits there.
We jumped two does that had
bedded in the beans. Their quick
appearance had me scanning the
rest of the field.
That's when we saw the antlers
above the beans about 120 yards in.
The blind was no longer an
option, and we crawled into the
standing corn. After using a grunt
call, the buck stood and came
straight towards us. About 50 yards
from where we sat, he turned to the
north.
He had two options: go into the
corn or follow the edge down to my
lane.
Arrow nocked, release in place
and admittedly shaking, I waited
to see antlers to my right before
drawing back. I was so focused on
2/12/2020 1:20:15 PM
 that timing that I failed to notice
that the buck was sneaking through
the corn just three rows behind us.
The buck got directly downwind,
spun, fell and ran.
My mind was reeling with
shock and emotion. Whitetails
never fail to impress me with their
instinct.
The buck knew our approxi-
mate location and was able to
get behind us, secure his ability
to smell us and react before we
noticed he was there. How a mature
buck can sneak silently through
dried corn stalks will always be a
mystery to me.
We watched the buck make his
way back into the bean field and
across to a group of does. As dark
approached, a second buck made
his way out of the corn.
He was bigger, older and quite
obviously intimidated the first
buck. This deer would become the
bane of my existence for the next
several months. He was the one. I
was sure of it.
I felt the truth of it settle in me
immediately like I'd been handed
a pen and was directed to keep
writing the story. I've never felt that
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Spring 2020.indd 77
kind of finality as a hunter before.
From then on, I hunted hard,
consistently and alone (harvest
called my farmer away).
I used the remaining crops to
my advantage even though they
seemed a burden before. I had to
answer my own questions and
make my own mistakes.
The buck showed himself a
total of three more times, giving me
two in-range opportunities during
gun season.
The first was a clean miss due
to a ballistics issue with a hollow-
point bullet sighted in at 100 yards.
The bullet drop wasn't
accounted for past 150, making my
166 yard shot on the buck nearly
impossible. We learned our lesson
and fixed the problem. Strike one.
The very next night, the buck
stepped from the corn about three
minutes post shooting time. I
watched him closely with immense
respect, knowing that he probably
waited because of the previous
night. I knew it was lucky to see
him again at all—Strike two.
Then the inevitable happened;
a couple of weeks went by with no
sign of him. We surely would have
Spring 2020 | Michigan Out-of-Doors 75
heard from our neighbors, who
have reported sightings, if they had
shot him.
This buck was community
buzz, making me eternally grateful
for hunters that share stories and
information.
I was okay with someone else
finding success with this buck. His
story just kept growing in depth
and purpose.
The last personal encounter
with this buck was at 50 yards. He
aggressively followed a yearling
buck across the harvested head-
lands of the cornfield, directly to
where my husband and I sat in the
blind.
He was there, shoulder
perfectly in the crosshairs, and as I
pulled the trigger, my eyes watched
him do a complete 180-degree turn
on his haunches.
The decision had already
been made before he turned; he
was faster than my ability to stop
the motion that sent a .450 bullet
directly into the dirt where his
body should have been.
Strike three brought all of the
frustration of time and energy to
life.
2/12/2020 1:20:15 PM
 There were tears as I watched with one pull of the trigger. I hope Embrace who you are as a
him run and then resettle before that I never lose the ability to feel hunter to fulfill your role as a
disappearing into the woods, but the gratitude these animals deliver. conservationist. We all have a place
thankful he was uninjured. They bring me joy and excite- and a journey.
We hunted November 27, ment to observe, the ability to grow This season was difficult, but
Thanksgiving day, with no sight of as a person, fill my freezer and I can say with confidence that
him and had the same result on the donate to others in need. I'm not I learned more than I thought
morning of November 28. The route afraid of my emotions in the field, possible about myself, equipment
out to the four-wheeler was through and I don't want anyone else to be and wildlife. I shared the field with
the remaining rows of corn that still either. family and friends.
stood. Posting this story on social Having been a new hunter not
We slowed as we approached media was intimidating, but I had long ago, facing intense emotion
the last few rows and saw two recently heard a story from a hunter also made me more aware of how
does within range in the field. The who was told that they shouldn't one should act as a mentor. Your
thought, 'No, that's too easy,' passed feel anything. I know, as do all other why is your truth, and sometimes
quickly through my mind. conservation-minded hunters, that that's all someone needs to hear.
After all of the emotion the this is not how ethics work. Truth leads to understanding
season had brought thus far, I Remorse is as real as the respect and understanding to acceptance of
hesitated to raise my gun. hunters have for animals. The what we do as hunters.
Why her? online response to the raw truth Finding that path was an
Why now? of hunting was overwhelming. important step for me. I also learned
Why? Hunters, men and women alike, that it's okay to share your story,
Let me be clear about two began sharing similar moments even the unfortunate parts, and I
things: I do this for a living. I talk they have experienced. encourage you all to do the same.
to people every day about wildlife For a moment, it didn't matter As for the buck, he was seen
management. I learn something the species hunted, who you were, in a neighboring field three days
new each day by reading, talking where you were from or what your before late doe season began.
to professionals and hunters and background was. It was just about He lives…
by experiencing animal behavior being a hunter that felt wrenching
in-field. emotions.
I know why I do this and
welcome the emotions that come
with it. Sometimes, even after years
of hunting, those emotions are still
strong enough to surprise me.
I have so much respect for this
animal that I sometimes find myself
hoping they won't slip up even
though we have worked for multiple
years to put ourselves in a position
of opportunity.
That is an absolutely insane and
contradictory statement to make—I
know that.
I also know that the health
of our game species' depends on
knowledgeable hunters that make
sound management decisions, and I
am proud to be a part of that group
Hesitation didn't get the best of
me that day. The shot was true and
accurate.
Within moments, I had a deer
on the ground, and that's when I
slumped to the mud myself.
It was relief, remorse and, again,
finality that flooded my brain. It
was overwhelming to process what
felt like months of emotion released

76 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com

Spring 2020.indd 78 2/12/2020 1:20:15 PM

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 Conservationists in your backyard
By Alan Campbell
I
f you’re looking for living
inspiration to take a first step
toward furthering the cause of
conservation, follow the path
left by Nick Di Cresce.
You may struggle to keep up,
but Di Cresce is leaving an easy
path to follow.
A retired firefighter from
Detroit, Di Cresce fills his life by
teaching young people the fun of
drawing back on a whitetail buck or
growing monarch butterflies from
eggs.
“He’s almost too big-hearted,”
said Ed Shaw, a Michigan
Department of Natural Resources
interpreter who manages the Carl
T. Johnson Hunting and Fishing
Center in Cadillac. “Everybody
sits around and talks about getting
young people into the outdoors …
Nick connects the dots. He gives
them a taste.”
Di Cresce goes where the need
is greatest, recruiting inner-city
kids for an annual trip to northern
Michigan.
Through the nonprofit Our
Global Kids formed by him and
his wife, Dellashon, the Di Cresces
lead an annual bus trip adventure
78 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com
Spring 2020.indd 80
for young people who may have
never previously left the confines
of metro Detroit. They bend necks
to view behemoth white pine at
Hartwick Pines State Park, hike to
Tahquamenon Falls and tour the
scenic Pictured Rocks.
“These kids cry when they go
across the Mackinac Bridge. They
would have never had the opportu-
nity to go to these places — or the
will to go — if it wasn’t for Nick,”
Shaw said.
Di Cresce teaches what has
become a secret among urban kids:
Outdoor time is quality time, far
more so than more typical after-
school activities.
“Parents have gotten lazy,”
Di Cresce warns. “It’s not just the
inner city; it’s all over now. A lot of
kids are hooked to their TVs and
phones.”
Drawing from a network of
former players — Di Cresce at one
time coached high school basketball
and football teams in Detroit — he
is able to reach out and find young
people who would take to outdoor
recreation if only given a chance.
His titles are many. Drawing
from his college teachings, Di
Cresce has been or continues to
be an interpreter for Metro parks,
professional archer and USA
Olympic instructor, and volunteer
with the state Academy of Natural
Science.
Perhaps the Di Cresces’ most
aggressive venture was purchasing
nearly 150 acres near Gladwin to
provide mostly inner-city kids with
their first opportunity to ply their
outdoor skills on a hunt.
With help from like-minded
outdoorsmen and women, they built
five small cabins and host up to 20
young people and family members
for weekends of deer hunting.
The deer camp is busy during
bow season. Di Cresce coaches
archery teams at 30 schools in the
Detroit area. His coaching culmi-
nates with more than 1,000 kids
competing in an archery shoot in
mid-May.
Some want to take their skills
to the ultimate level — harvesting a
whitetail.
“A lot of these kids never saw
anyone in full camouflage who
wasn’t an actor in a movie. Their
idea of hunting was someone
shooting Bambi,” Di Cresce said.
He’s been helping people most
of his adult life, sometimes by
keeping them alive through trauma
as a paramedic. But his last day
in an ambulance came on May 10,
2010, when a drunk driver caused
an accident resulting in broken ribs
and bones.
Di Cresce was told to switch
gears, so he became a park inter-
preter, but he never slowed, and
eventually recovered.
A typical day for him begins
at 4 a.m. with an hour of prayer
— he’s a member of St. Joan of
Arc Catholic Church in St. Clair
Shores — followed by two hours in
the gym. Then it’s off to volunteer
where ever he’s needed.
Often that includes giving a
youngster his or her first taste of
life beyond city streets.
“I love being in the outdoors
and teaching people about it,” Di
Cresce said.
2/12/2020 1:20:17 PM
 CALL THE
HOTLINE

REPORT
FERAL
SWINE
TO REPORT FERAL SWINE OR
FOR
MORE INFORMATION PLEASE
CALL: USDA WILDLIFE
SERVICES AT
517.336.1928
OR
WWW.MICHIGAN.GOV/
FERALSWINE

FERAL SWINE
DAMAGE AGRICULTURE,
NATURAL RESOURCES,
PROPERTY, PEOPLE AND
CULTURAL SITES

This project was funded by the Michigan Invasive Species

Grant Program (www.michigan.gov/invasives).

Spring 2020.indd 81 2/12/2020 1:20:18 PM

 Muter Outdoor Fund Engages
New Audiences
John Muter, whom the fund
is named after, was an
avid outdoorsman and his
passion to share his love of
the outdoors inspired his
friends and family to start the
scholarship.
D
o you remember the first time you went
hunting, fishing or camping in Michigan?
More than likely, you can easily and
fondly recall those memories and family and
friends who were with you for those special moments.
You can also probably point to one or more impor-
tant people in your life who introduced you to the
incredible outdoor opportunities Michigan has to offer.
Unfortunately, there are many kids and adults in
our state without an experienced and enthusiastic
outdoor mentor in their lives. As a result, they haven’t
had many, or even any, of these formative experiences.
As fewer people take to the outdoors, it is becoming
increasingly important to introduce new audiences to
Michigan’s outdoor opportunities and to help foster
a new generation of leaders and mentors who are
equally passionate about this mission.
The Muter Outdoor Fund, a new not-for-profit
organization, is attempting to do just that.
Established in 2017, the Muter Outdoor Fund is dedi-
cated to engaging new audiences and new generations
with Michigan's rich outdoor heritage.
The organization was inspired by the late John
Muter, an avid Michigan sportsman from Saginaw,
who passed away in 2016 after a long and courageous
battle with cancer.
After John passed away, his son, Bret, reconnected
with two of his father’s friends from grade school – Joe
Ruthig and Robert Johns – to work together to find an
appropriate way to honor his father’s memory.
“For the three of us as well as many others, John
was the father, friend and mentor who sparked our
80 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com
Spring 2020.indd 82
own love of the outdoors,” said Muter. “My dad loved
to share his outdoor experiences with family, friends
and even complete strangers. He was always taking
new hunters and new anglers under his wing, passing
on his knowledge and enthusiasm as he introduced
them to his favorite pastimes around the Great
Lakes State. This was the stimulus behind the Muter
Outdoor Fund.”
To carry out its mission, the Fund has been
providing scholarships and supporting programs that
promote outdoor recreation and celebrate Michigan's
natural resources and rich outdoor heritage.
Its first program, the John A. Muter Memorial
Scholarship, recognizes college students who, like
John, have demonstrated a commitment to intro-
ducing new audiences to fishing, hunting and other
forms of outdoor recreation in Michigan.
Last fall, the Fund announced its second annual
cohort of John A. Muter Memorial Scholarship
recipients.
Three winners were selected from a highly-qual-
ified pool of 21 applicants, representing 10 Michigan
colleges and universities. The winners received $1,000
scholarships to support their 2019-2020 academic
expenses.
“We have been completely blown away by the
quality and quantity of applications we have received
over the past two years. Our 2019 winners are doing
incredible work on their campuses and in their
communities to engage youth, families and others with
the outdoors as well as increase public appreciation for
Michigan’s natural resources and places,” said Johns.
“It’s incredibly inspiring to learn about what these
up-and-coming conservation leaders are doing in our
state, and it makes us optimistic for the future. We’re
pleased to recognize their efforts through this scholar-
ship and play a small role in supporting the financial
costs of their education,” said Ruthig.
The fund anticipates awarding at least three
additional scholarships to deserving undergraduate
students in 2020. Applications for the 2020 scholarships
are now available on the Muter Outdoor Fund website,
www.muteroutdoorfund.org.
Beyond scholarships, the fund also provided
financial support to the 2019 Saginaw Bay Nature
Festival spearheaded by the Rotary Club of Standish
and Pinconning.
The festival highlights the diverse natural
resources and recreational opportunities available
in the Saginaw Bay Region through public outreach
events, classroom presentations, fishing clinics, school
field trips, the arts and other activities.
2/12/2020 1:20:19 PM
 “My father spent most of his free time fishing,
duck hunting and wildlife watching on and around the
Saginaw Bay. So, it seemed especially fitting to support
the Rotary with this incredible public outreach
effort,” said Muter. “We played a small role in the
2019 Saginaw Bay Nature Festival activities and have
committed to helping sponsor the 2020 Festival and
deepening our partnership with the Rotary Club in the
years to come.”
The fund is also exploring other ways to fulfill its
mission and build its base of supporters for the future.
“Even if you did not know John, you likely knew
someone like him – someone who inspired your own
love and appreciation of Michigan’s outdoors. The
mission of the Muter Outdoor Fund is one that we
think a lot of people can get behind,” said Johns.
“We’re excited by what we’ve done in the last two years
and are looking forward to building a grassroots effort Jacklyn Lenten
to continue engaging new audiences and new genera-
tions with Michigan’s rich outdoor heritage.”
Negaunee, Michigan • Northern Michigan University
As a senior at Northern Michigan University,
The 2020 scholarship application deadline is 5 p.m.
Jacklyn has a “special pride” for the natural beauty
on April 30.
of northern Michigan. She is actively involved with
To learn more about the Muter Outdoor Fund and
the NMU Conservation Crew as well as the school’s
its work, visit www.muteroutdoorfund.org or send an
Environmental Science Camp, which engages high
e-mail to muteroutdoorfund@gmail.com.
school students with scientists to explore how
technology and field experiences are used to study

2019 Winners the environment. She was also recently accepted into
MSU Extension’s prestigious Lake & Stream Leaders
Institute. Jacklyn plans to attend graduate school
to pursue her interests in wetlands and amphibian
conservation.

Jacob Zona
Albion, Michigan • Saginaw Valley State University
Jacob is entering his final year at Saginaw Valley
State University, where he is studying both biology
and chemistry. He currently serves as the president
of the Biology Club at SVSU and, in his tenure, has
helped the organization become more engaged with
the local community. In addition to outreach, Jacob
is passionate about research. He has conducted
research projects on topics ranging from animal
behavior to the environmental health of the
Saginaw Bay watershed. After finishing his degree,
he plans to attend graduate school and pursue a
career in conservation research.
Magkena Szemak
Ann Arbor, Michigan • Central Michigan University
Magkena is a third-year honors student at Central
Michigan University, majoring in environmental
science and minoring in community health. By
bringing these two fields of study together, she hopes
to address environmental health concerns impacting
marginalized communities in Michigan and else-
where. At Central, Magkena conducts research
and outreach with the Institute for Great Lakes
Research. She volunteers as a counselor for the 4-H
Great Lakes & Natural Resources Camp and serves
as the Vice President of Scouting & Youth Services
for the Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity.

Spring 2020 | Michigan Out-of-Doors 81

Spring 2020.indd 83 2/12/2020 1:20:20 PM

 Full Draw: Taking Notes
By Tom Nelson
As New Year's festivities finally come to an end, I
begin to stow away my bowhunting gear.
My camo clothing is washed after months of use
and placed in scent-free containers until needed again.
My bowstring is waxed up, and the bow itself is
gone over with a rag to wipe away any mud or other
debris that may have attached itself in some way to the
limbs and riser. It is a bittersweet time for me, but also
a time for recalling the past season. This is when my
bowhunting journal becomes so important.
I have kept a daily journal of my bowhunting
outings for almost three decades. After each morning
or afternoon hunt, I grab a pen and scribble the hunt's
events, both good and bad, in my hunt journal.
I log items such as, wind direction, temperature,
what stand or blind I was sitting in, etc. I also log the
number of deer seen, whether they were bucks or does
and what direction they came from and where they
went.
Over the years, I have found the information I have
gathered, to be extremely important in future decision
making. Important as far as where to hunt during
different wind directions.
My journal tells me what wind is good and or bad
for each stand. Information gathered from past hunts.
There is a boldly written entry in my journal from late
October of this past fall. DO NOT HUNT THE NEW
SHADOW HUNTER BLIND WITH ANY WIND FROM
THE EAST!
I remember the frustration while sitting in the
blind as deer blew and stomped, causing me to vacate
the blind early rather than educate more deer. All the
deer approached the food plot that the blind was set up
on from the west. Entirely the opposite of what I had
expected.
Three days later, a buddy of mine arrowed a big doe
from the same blind on an evening with a northwest
wind — something to remember. Perhaps, however, the
most important notes to heed from my daily journaling,
are the small items, small items such as those listed in
my journal from this past fall.
Turn the ladder stand in the Big Oak to the south
a bit. Replace or fix the chair in the tower blind as it
squeaks. Move 007 (name of my favorite rut stand) 40
yards or so to the south.
Although these three changes are minor they all,
when attended to, could likely spell the difference
between punching out a tag or not.
After the end of the 2017 Michigan bow season,
I had written in my journal to be sure and create
a shooting lane behind my ladder stand west of
the swamp. This was a long-time proven stand that
produced perhaps as many as a dozen good bucks over
the last decade and a half.
82 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com
Spring 2020.indd 84
I had never cleared a shooting lane behind my
position as I had never had a buck approach through
the swamp from that direction. There was not just an
absence of bucks but not even a doe.
However, on a frosty, early November morning, I
had perhaps the largest buck I had seen in several years
come wading through the knee-deep water pushing his
way through the cattails that blocked his path. Why
he was traveling this difficult route, I had no idea, but
there he was at 15 yards and I had no opening to sneak
an arrow through. I had to stand there and watch him
disappear without ever drawing my bow.
When spring came around, I was reading through
my journal and noticed my entry regarding trimming
out a shooting lane to the swamp. I had completely
forgotten about it and likely would not remember to do
so.
Fast forward two years to November first, sitting
in this stand in the late afternoon. With the sun now
barely visible above the western horizon, the sound
of splashing water drew my attention. A doe and fawn
came trotting through the swamp behind me. They
hastily moved on, as they disappeared, I heard the
unmistakable grunting of an approaching buck.
As I hooked my release on my bowstring, a wide
eight-point came splashing through. I drew and voice
grunted at the same time. As the buck stopped a mere 5
or 6 yards below me, I picked a spot behind his shoulder
and sent a Vortex broadhead through his vitals.
Had I not taken notice in my journal and cleared a
shooting lane to the swamp that wide eight would likely
still be haunting me in my dreams.
This was not the first-time reminders reread
from my journal had me making an adjustment that
benefited me at a later date. One does not even have
to journal daily. A good friend and fellow bowhunter
takes a bit of time after the season ends when it is
still fresh in his mind and writes down all the changes
he wants to
make come the
following year.
Remember
a few minutes
of jotting
down notes
could mean
the difference
between
success and
failure.
2/12/2020 1:20:21 PM
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 How Behavioral Factors Can
Influence Newborn Fawn Sex
Ratios By John Ozoga

84 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com

Spring 2020.indd 86 2/12/2020 1:20:23 PM

 W
e expect animal
populations to produce
approximately equal
numbers of male and
female offspring.
And, in the long run, that is
generally true. However, there is
abundant evidence that certain
animals, including white-tailed
deer, can manipulate the sex ratio
of their offspring in response to
various environmental factors.
Even a doe’s age, reproductive
experience, dominance status,
response to prospective mates
(mate selection), as well as buck
availability and other social factors,
during the autumn breeding
season, could directly influence
fetal sex-ratios – even when nutri-
tion is favorable.
Timing
While monitoring activity
rhythms of penned deer, I acciden-
tally discovered does become very
restless and began pacing in their
pen shortly before they mated.
From a series of experiments, we
learned that average nighttime
activity rose 28 fold one or two
nights before estrus.
In fact, we calculated one
doe walked more than 20 miles
the night before she bred. Hence,
this information proved useful in
conducting controlled breeding
trials.
Spring 2020.indd 87
During the 1970s, we carefully
monitored the activity levels for 67
does during the breeding season.
We partitioned each pen, so that
does passed through narrow gate-
ways while pacing. Each gateway
had a probe-type switch connected
to an event recorder. Whenever a
doe tripped the switch, the time was
marked on the recorder tape.
Each morning we tallied each
doe’s nighttime activity. A sharp
rise in a doe’s movements signaled
the start of estrus. We then intro-
duced a buck periodically until the
doe bred, carefully determining the
number of hours that had elapsed
from the start of estrus activity
until the first and final mating.
The interval between the start
of estrus behavior and final mating
ranged from 15 to 95 hours, aver-
aging about 40 hours.
These records showed that few
male fawns were conceived early
in the estrus cycle, whereas more
male fawns were conceived late in
the cycle.
When does mated within the
first 24 hours of estrus activity,
they, on average, conceived only
14.3 percent male fawns. However,
the proportion of male fawns
progressively increases with
greater elapsed time until they
comprised 80.8 percent of the
progeny of does mating more than
48 hours after the beginning of
estrus
Viewed another way, males
constituted 27.1 percent of the
fawns produced in matings occur-
ring within 36 hours of estrus
onset, compared to 69.7 percent
male young resulting from delayed
breeding.
Although our research was
conducted years ago, Doctor
Art Reuck, a veterinarian from
Minnesota, sent an abstract of a
comparable study recently with
cattle.
According to the abstract,
researchers obtained data from
716 cows that had been artificially
inseminated at different times
between 8 and 44 hours from visual
signs of estrus.
Spring 2020 | Michigan Out-of-Doors 85
2/12/2020 1:20:25 PM
 As with whitetails, the
percentage of male calves was
lowest (26.5 percent) during early
estrus (8-18 hours). Conversely,
inseminations delayed more than
30 hours from start estrus produced
72.1 percent males.
With cattle, the percentage
of successful pregnancies also
declined from early to late estrus
inseminations (66.2 to 45.4 percent,
respectively). Although not statisti-
cally significant, we saw a similar
pattern with whitetails. Does that
bred within the first 36 hours
of estrus produced an
average of 1.97
fawns per
86 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com
Spring 2020.indd 88
doe, compared to 1.78 fawns per doe
among late breeders.
Clearly, the timing of mating
within a doe’s estrus cycle is an
important factor determining
the sex of her progeny: delayed
matings result in more male
progeny.
Why a doe mates early or late
in her estrus cycle could be due to
many factors, including her level
of nutrition. However, herd sex-age
composition and density, as well as
other social factors, can be equally
important.
Buck Availability
Natural deer populations
normally have a ratio of about one
adult buck to fewer than two adult
does in the autumn herd. Given
such a ration and favorable nutri-
tion, bucks normally detect and
mate with does as soon as
they come into estrus.
Hence, on average, a
one to one progeny
sex ration
is expected
for such a
population.
A ration of
one buck per
three does is
more common
in well-fed deer
populations if
bucks are heavily
exploited, providing
good recruitment
rates are maintained.
However, when
herd productivity and
recruitment are poor,
for whatever reason,
heavy buck harvesting
can contribute to a pre-
hunting season population
of about one buck per five
does.
If heavy buck exploita-
tion precedes the breeding
season, as it commonly
does in the south, the adult
sex ration may be heavily
skewed to females during
the breeding season. Such
an imbalance would be
expected to lead to more frequent
delayed mating (or possibly estrus
recycling) and more male progeny
than expected.
Mate Selection
There is mounting evidence
that whitetail does are mate selec-
tive. That is, young does (yearlings)
respond more favorably to yearling
suitors, whereas mature does tend
to prefer the courtship style of
rut-experienced mature bucks.
If so, the age composition of the
buck population – and availability
of preferred suitors – could impact
doe breeding schedules and resul-
tant fawn ratios.
Young does (fawns and year-
lings) breeding for their first time
appear to be particularly apprehen-
sive when being courted by large,
mature bucks. As a result, they
tend to mate late in their estrus
cycle and produce preponderance
(better than 60 percent) of male
offspring.
On the other hand, since
these young does seem to be more
tolerant of yearling bucks, they
probably mate earlier in their cycle
when serviced by yearling bucks,
resulting in a more even progeny
sex ration, as occurred in our
Cusino studies.
Conversely, older does tend to
be more responsive to the courtship
finesse demonstrated by rut-experi-
enced sires but shun the advances
of less experienced yearling bucks.
Theoretically, progeny sex-
ratios produced by mature does
should vary accordingly – more
female progeny with mature bucks
and more male progeny when bred
to yearling bucks – but we could
not demonstrate this relationship
relative to sire and doe age.
Maternal Domination
Female whitetails have a
complex matriarchal social system;
wherein prime-age females are the
most dominant and control supe-
rior food and cover resources.
As a result, these dominant
2/12/2020 1:20:26 PM
 individuals tend to breed first,
conceive multiple litters and
produce a disproportionate number
of female offspring.
In contrast, subordination has
a strong suppressor effect upon the
behavior and reproductive perfor-
mance of young females.
Typically, a yearling doe
breeding for her first time main-
tains close, but subordinate, social
contact with her mother. In our
Cusino enclosure studies, these
young does conceived about 63
percent male progeny.
Likewise, progeny sex ratios
for does breeding their second time
hinges heavily upon whether or
not they successfully raised their
first litter. Those does that fail
to rear their first litter resume a
subordinate social role with their
mothers. The successful mothers
start their own family and become
more independent.
In our enclosure studies,
when 2-ear-old does raised fawns,
they bred earlier the next rut (17
November) compared to unsuc-
cessful 2-year-olds (25 November).
The successful does also
conceived a lower proportion of
male progeny (38.9 percent versus
64.7 percent).
These findings demonstrate
the inherent role behavioral traits
and social stress play in governing
Spring 2020.indd 89
progeny sex-rations.
Since the unsuccessful 2-year-
old doe retains close contact with
her mother, delayed birth of her
second litter and tendency to
conceive males (which disperse)
would minimize mother-daughter
competition for food and cover
resources.
Likewise, because the
successful 2-year-old more likely
disperses to new range to rear her
second litter, it is to her advantage
to give birth early in the season so
as to claim a favorable fawn-rearing
territory. The conception of female
progeny would also enable her
to form her own family group (of
daughters) independent of the
matriarch.
In short, the differing repro-
ductive performance of young
does that either succeed or fail to
raise their first litter represents
an adaptive strategy that is in the
individual’s best self-interest in
terms of genetic fitness.
Conclusions
Although nutrition is undoubt-
edly the most important factor
determining whitetail reproductive
performance, it’s the physiological
status of the female during estrus
that determines whether she is
Spring 2020 | Michigan Out-of-Doors 87
likely to conceive female or male
progeny.
Stress of any kind, or a
shortage of preferred suitors, will
likely contribute to delayed mating
and a better chance of conceiving
males.
Normally, well-fed adult
does, in socially balanced deer
populations, produce more female
than male progeny. This allows
individual matriarchies to develop
rapidly and to spread into newly
available habitat. Hence, such a
population grows at its maximum
rate.
The opposite is true for popula-
tions that have inadequate food and
cover, have too few males to service
estrous does on schedule or are
socially stressed for any reason.
If bucks are in short supply or
deer are stressed, resultant female
hormonal imbalances and delayed
mating will lead to the production
of more male progeny.
This can be expected to occur
in herds with high buck mortality
and low buck-to-doe ratios, and
wherever deer are malnourished.
These changes in newborn
fawn sex ratios allow whitetail
populations to adapt to constantly
changing environmental conditions
and fluctuating mortality factors
that may impact one sex more or
less than the other.
2/12/2020 1:20:26 PM
 The CAMPFIRe
By Max Bass
MUCC Camp Director
The summer of 2020 is looking like it is going to be
one for the books!
Here at MUCC, we are in full-swing getting ready
for this camp season. We have been traveling all across
the state visiting career fairs at various universities,
to find the best staff possible, and spreading the word
about our unique and wonderful camp program at the
various sport and fishing shows.
When we are not traveling, we are geared up and
getting ready in the office. We are making sure regis-
tration is running smoothly, interviewing potential
staff and preparing schedules and curriculum. On top
of that, we have been working hard with a variety of
volunteers to make sure that the Cedar Lake Outdoor
Center is ready for over 400 campers to have the
experience of a lifetime.
Chelsea Rod and Gun Club has put in some serious
time and manpower to help make some new wooden
bunk beds, all made from lumber from downed trees
on the property. They also put a new roof on the
90 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com
Spring 2020.indd 90
director’s cabin so that I will stay dry this summer!
Last summer was my first summer in Michigan,
and my goodness was it incredible. The long, gorgeous
summer days, the clear, cool nights, the white pine
forest and the gorgeous views of Cedar Lake made the
summer of 2019 extra special. This summer we are
planning on keeping the focus at camp pretty similar
to last year; safety, fun and learning.
Our goal is for each camper in our program to have
a safe and positive experience in the outdoors. Then we
want them to have fun. We want them to enjoy every
moment and not even realize they are learning all
sorts of different things about our natural world.
Thinking back to last summer, I cannot help but
smile. So many campers came to camp, all with such
different personalities. It was as if the entire property
was filled with laughter for five weeks straight.
Sometimes it is hard to tell the impact that we
will have on our campers. This past summer, we had
a camper very new to the outdoors who had never
experienced anything like our camp. Throughout
the week, I kept an eye out on him to see how he was
doing. He did not seem unhappy nor did he seem
2/12/2020 1:20:28 PM
 amazed, bewildered or excited by camp.
He left the week with a smile on his face and said
he had a good time but to me it did not seem like we
had an impact on him. Months later, I received a letter
from an adult close to this camper. Apparently, a lot
had changed since the summer ended. He had more
confidence in himself, his grades had drastically
improved and his fitness habits were beginning to
change. They were attributing it to his time at camp
and getting to experience so many new activities.
These are the type of impacts that we, as camp
staff, rarely get to see; however, they warm my heart
and are why I have chosen this career path.
We will be making some new changes to this
upcoming summer. We are extremely excited to
announce that we are adding a whole extra week of
programming for our older campers (12-14 years old).
This means our season will be six weeks instead of
five, and we are so thrilled to be able to offer even more
young conservationists an opportunity to come to
camp!
We are also adding a new camp theme called
“Young Naturalists.” This new theme is for our
campers ages 12-14 and is based on our existing
program “Conservation Connection.” This new
program will be a sampler camp for those older
campers who are new to the outdoors. They will get
to learn a little bit about forest ecology, water ecology,
wilderness survival, fishing, archery, riflery, boating
and hiking. It will be an opportunity for campers new
to the outdoors to see a little bit of everything and find
what sparks their interests.
On top of the extra week and new program, we are
going to be reintroducing overnight campouts for all of
our programs! All of our residential campers will now
get to do an onsite overnight during their time at camp.
Spring 2020.indd 91
They will learn to set up tents, cook their food over the
fire and enjoy a night truly sleeping out-of-doors.
Our Counselor in Training (CIT) program will also
be changing for this upcoming summer. In the past, we
would run a small CIT program where our CITs would
spend the week together learning about what it takes
to be a counselor and a conservation educator. This
year we are trying something new.
We are offering our CIT a FREE week of camp
during the summer where they will get to help our
counselors with all aspects of camp. From games and
lessons to campfires and the flag pole, our CITs will
really get a hands-on opportunity to see what being a
counselor is like! We are looking for previous campers
that absolutely loved camp, are a good role model
and leader and are at least 14. Any former camper
interested in applying to be a CIT should reach out to
me, Camp Director, Max Bass, at mbass@mucc.org for
more information!
Online registration is open for this summer and
filling up fast! Please go to www.mucccamp.org to see
what weeks still have room, view our camp brochure
and register your camper. Do not delay on signing
your child up, because once we are full, we are full.
If you have any questions about registration,
please reach out to me at 517-346-6462.
If you or someone you know might be interested in
joining us this summer as a part of our summer camp
staff, send a resume over to mbass@mucc.org.
We are currently looking to fill all of our posi-
tions. We are looking for an; Assistant Director, Above:
Health Director, Waterfront Director, Range Officers, helping
Conservation Educators/Camp Counselors, Camp situatio
Cook, Kitchen Assistant and Facilities Manager! the cam
We offer room, board, a weekly stipend and a
summer job like no other!
Fall 20
Spring 2020
19 ||Michigan Out-of-Doors 89
MichiganOut-of-Doors 91
2/12/2020 1:20:30 PM
 Conservation Through Education
By Shaun McKeon
MUCC Education Director
In the winter 2019 issue, I high-
lighted R3 and the importance of
recruitment, retention and reactiva-
tion to slowing the tide of hunting
and fishing participation loss.
We talked about connecting
youth to their natural resources
and the importance of creating a
community that provides people
with multiple opportunities to try
hunting and fishing. This pathway,
with multiple contacts and oppor-
tunities to engage in the field, is
likened to participants creating
a string of pearls. Each new
connection is a pearl strung along
a necklace until they identify as a
hunter/angler and become a mentor
for someone new, thus completing
the circle.
I am fortunate to have the
opportunity to work on R3 projects
with partners throughout the state
on a year-round basis. Whether I
am acting as a hunter education
instructor, teaching a wing shooting
101 class for adults or helping with
a youth pheasant hunt, I get to see a
variety of approaches and programs
that try to get new hunters involved.
Each project has its own goals
and strategies for getting people
92 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com
Spring 2020.indd 92
R3 for All
involved.
One of the programs I worked
closely with this fall was the
Michigan Pheasant Hunting
Initiative (MPHI). This program is
a two-year pilot project with a focus
on getting more people involved in
small game hunting on public land
throughout the southern portion of
Michigan. The Michigan Game Bird
Breeder Association, in conjunction
with the Michigan DNR and MPHI,
planted 5,800 male pheasants over
11 different state game areas every
week during the fall and winter
when and where pheasant season
was open. There were also two learn
to hunt events held in conjunction
with this program. One event
took place at the Allegan State
Game Area and the other at the
Shiawassee River State Game Area.
These two special hunts were
facilitated in cooperation with
learn to hunt programs put on
by the DNR, MUCC, Pheasants
Forever and National Wild Turkey
Federation.
All four organizations put on
learn to hunt events throughout the
year, but the scope of the two MPHI
hunts was larger than anything
attempted before. For the Allegan
hunt, 60 new hunters were regis-
tered and for the Shiawassee hunt,
40 new hunters were registered.
For scale, a typical learn to hunt
event meets full registration at 15
participants. Typically, the smaller
class size is a result of the difficulty
of finding mentors for the new
hunters.
Knowing the MPHI hunts would
be the largest events our group had
pulled off in our three years of learn
to hunt, we began working on the
planning in April. Starting with site
visits to Allegan and Shiawassee,
our team met with the local biolo-
gists and field staff for the DNR. We
walked fields, looked at aerial maps
and planned out the hunting zones
for each area. The field staff was a
little leery of the program, but they
did their best to provide everything
we asked for and helped our group
become more familiar with each
area.
Over the next several months
as logistics and planning continued,
our team spent countless hours
working the phones looking for
volunteers, dog handlers and guides
for each of the hunts. The goal was
to have one dog handler and one
mentor guide for each group of
hunters.
At Allegan, we had 12 hunter
groups and at Shiawassee, we had
eight hunter groups. As November
drew near, we opened registration
and interested hunters who were
2/12/2020 1:20:32 PM
 new to pheasant hunting in less
than 48 hours filled both hunts.
That's right, we had 100 people
register to either begin hunting for
the first time or sign up to learn how
to hunt a new species in less than a
weekend.
Each day had nearly 100 people
turn out. Besides the hunters, we
had volunteers lending a hand as
mentors, dog guides and helpers
with other logistics. The Saginaw
Field and Stream Club provided
a range and instructors to teach
firearm safety for the Shiawassee
hunt, and the DNR had ample staff
on hand to teach bird biology and
answer questions about each area.
Based on survey results and the
participants' feedback, both hunts
were successful. Many of the new
hunters were able to get their first The MPHI program has touched connecting with new hunters and
bird, and many other birds escaped all three pillars of the R3 model. passing on their passion to a new
to provide opportunities for other It has recruited new hunters, group of people. I even met two
hunters during the rest of the whether they be brand new to happy dogs in a field at the Rose
pheasant season. hunting or new to hunting pheas- Lake State Game Area who, at one
With the pheasant season ants in Michigan. It has retained point, were retired from pheasant
behind us and by taking an anec- current pheasant hunters. By hunting. They were doing what they
dotal look back, the first year of providing the excitement and the loved and enthusiastically searching
the MPHI roll-out has had a few perception that there are more birds for an elusive rooster in the tall
bumps. While there is a need for available on the landscape, hunters grass.
more education on ethical pheasant have a reason to continue to partici- Doing the work of R3 takes
hunting and highlighting field pate in the activity they enjoy doing. an enormous amount of time and
etiquette is something to focus Finally, it has reactivated lapsed resources, dedication to preserving
on for year two, the program has hunters. hunting and angling for future
achieved something that many other Several of the volunteers at generations and passion by people
R3 programs have been unable to the MPHI events were re-engaging and groups who are doing their best.
do. because they see the importance of

Spring 2020 | Michigan Out-of-Doors 93

Spring 2020.indd 93 2/12/2020 1:20:36 PM

 Throwback:
Top Timberdoodle Tagger
“Come on guys; let’s go find
some birds.”
With a flip of her landing net
and a command to her two English
setters, Ticker and Ike, Sally
Downer of Traverse City header
for the spring woods to do what she
had done so many times before —
band woodcock chicks while they
are flightless shortly after leaving
the nest.
Ms. Downer, for the past three
years, has been Michigan’s leading
woodcock bander, with 93 chicks
last year. Closest was Don Schultze
of Kent City, with 83 chicks. Ms.
Downer may be the only woman
woodcock bander in the country.
This woodcock flightless period
takes place each spring shortly
after the hen woodcock brings off
her brood of three or four chicks,
which she had been incubating for
about 21 days. Woodcock are one of
the state’s earliest ground nesters
and at times, incubate eggs through
early spring snowfalls.
Woodcock banding began in
Michigan many years ago when
G.A. (Andy) Ammann of Haslett,
former grouse/woodcock specialist
with the Department of Natural
Resources, was looking for an
efficient and speedy technique of
capturing and marking the chicks.
Formerly the only technique used
involved mist nets, a time-con-
suming and inefficient method of
capturing woodcock. Further, it
sometimes resulted in injury to the
birds.
Ammann found that with close-
working, staunch pointing dogs he
could find the chicks in the early
spring shortly after they left the
nest and while they were still flight-
less. Trick was to locate a brooding
hen that would stick to her chicks
when danger threatened. Once the
hen was pinpointed by the dogs, the
chicks could be spotted, picked up
Spring 2020.indd 94
This article was originally published in May 1988
By Henry F. Zeman
and banded.
Ms. Downer, who is 38, is an
attractive mother of two sons who
has been smitten by the banding
bug. For the past five years, she has
taken several weeks of vacation
during the crucial brooding period
to band timberdoodles. Last year
she reserved three weeks of vaca-
tion time for banding.
“I dearly love to be out in the
woods at this time of the year, to
observe and listen to the spring
sounds, and to follow the woodcock
hen and her broods as they grow
into the flight stage,” she said.
She begins her spring activity
by locating and watching nesting
hens long before they bring off
their broods. Last year she spotted
three nests before the first of May.
At this time, she checks the nests
every other day and continues until
the eggs are hatched.
Ms. Downer grew up in a
hunting family. Her father, Bill
Wicksall, developed a line of
English setters that now carry his
name. Naturally, his daughter also
hunts and bands with those setters.
Ms. Downer caught the banding
bug early and tagged along and
learned when Ammann, then with
the DNR, came up to the Traverse
City area to show her father how to
band woodcock.
Everyone in her family hunts,
including her husband David, who
helps on weekends or whenever
he has the time. Sometimes her
son Jud also assists with the
banding. Several years ago, when
her youngest was an infant, Ms.
Downer carried him on a papoose
board while she banded.
“That first year, I only banded
one brood of four birds,” she
recalled, “but in 1984, I increased
that total to 48. In 1985 it was 80,
and in 1986 it was 67 birds. My goal
is to someday band 100 birds, and
I came pretty close last year with
93.”
The spring of 1987 was a good
year with warm, dry conditions
that allowed Ms. Downer to be
afield almost every day, and
nesting conditions were considered
excellent.
Each morning during the
banding season, Ms. Downer packs
lunches, gets her children off for
school or to the babysitter and then
gathers up her setters and heads
for some woodlot, searching for
woodcock.
“I have a number of nearby
covers that I return to year after
year and often day after day,” she
explained. “I could find a brood
or two in one choice habitat and
several days later find still another
different brood in that identical
cover.”
Since woodcock begin nesting
and incubating eggs at different
times, this stretches the banding
season into several weeks, with
staggered age broods sometimes
available. In southern Michigan,
those broods hatch early, a week or
two before those in the north.
Ms. Downer’s best day has been
19 birds, although any day when
she can find two broods or more
is a good one. She figures that she
spends about five hours daily in the
field.
The weather was perfect that
spring day when she pulled into
a trail road in a typical northern
Michigan bird habitat. Buds were
just breaking in the aspens, and
tent caterpillars were showing as
she opened the door of her station
wagon and the setter pair dashed
out to find game.
“It takes a close-working dog to
find and hold the brooding hens,”
she said. “Without a good dog, you
are beat before you start.”
She keeps close tabs of the
2/12/2020 1:20:36 PM
 dogs,
and if they get out of
sight, she whistles and they quickly chicks
cast back, looking for her. She talks pinpointed, she
slowly tries to net the mother hen, more
constantly to the dogs, who are
although this is more of a plus time ‘exploring’
always within sight or sound of her
than a must. More often than not, looking for new territory, although
voice.
the hen escapes, as this one did, what I am looking for is similar
The two setters work in
but remains near as Ms. Downer to the covers in which we hunt
concert, and once one makes a
picks up the chicks and places grouse or woodcock in the fall,” Ms.
staunch point, the other comes in
them in a bag. She measures Downer explained. “Mostly, this
to honor it. Apparently, there’s a
their beaks, which is a method to means looking for stands of aspen.
lot of scent coming from a brooding
determine age (beaks grow two mm “After a while, you get to know
hen and her chicks, especially in
a day), and then releases the birds what to look for in the way of
the early morning hours.
after banding. All of the data are habitat, and finding broods
It wasn’t long before the two dogs
recorded as Ms. Downer bands the becomes second nature.”
went on point and Ms. Downer
chicks. Another method she often
went over to them, walking slowly
On one occasion, the hen uses to find woodcock is to check
to find the brood. First thing is
circled, going into a classic broken- the ground. If it looks as though it
to find the brooding hen, which
wing trick, trying to lure danger would hold worms, it’s a good place
usually is not difficult, and if the
away from her peeping brood. to start looking for broods. You can
dogs are too close, to make them
Many dogs would have broken also search for the tell-tale white-
lie down. After that, Ms. Downer
at this point and either snapped at wash droppings most woodcock
searches diligently for each of
or grabbed the hen. However, this hunters are familiar with.
the fuzzy chicks. I had been along
hen put up a beautiful display of Once, while looking for wood-
on this day with half a dozen
caring for the peeping chicks as Ms. cock nests, Ms. Downer almost
other volunteers, including Tom
Downer banded and released them. caught a nesting hen by hand.
Prawdzik of Clare, a DNR biologist,
If a hen is caught, it is the first to be “I wanted to see how close I could
and none seemed to have the “eye”
banded and quickly released after get before she would fly and I had
for spotting chicks that Ms. Downer
banding, giving her a reason to be my hands on the bird before she
had. Try as I might, I never found
in the area hear her chicks. took wing,” Ms. Downer said.
the chicks before she did.
“Every year, I spend more and On her second find that day,
When Ms. Downer has all the

Spring 2020 | Michigan Out-of-Doors 95

Spring 2020.indd 95 2/12/2020 1:20:37 PM

 both dogs pointed the same hen, a friendly ‘gentleman’s’ rivalry several Gulf Coast states.
and Ms. Downer tried to stretch among the banders over how many Most state game agencies
the landing net over the hen. But birds they will band that year. would like more hunters with
she missed, and the bird flew just That competition is not cutthroat good dogs to get into the woodcock
out of reach. At times the hen will or anything like that, because we banding game since they don’t have
return searching for the peeping often get together to compare notes the time to do the job themselves.
chicks, but this hen would have and to help each other.” Biologists are always looking
none of this, and after banding, For the past two years, the for new ways to manage this
we left. Ms. Downer carefully Grand Traverse Area Chapter of important resource and to monitor
placed the chicks on the forest the Ruffed Grouse Society has been trends in population fluctuations
duff together. The birds promptly holding a woodcock banding work- each season.
froze, and Ms. Downer called the shop showing how to find and band Each bander is given a report
dogs away from the site so the hen woodcock and to interest other when the bird he or she banded is
would reclaim them. They would bird hunters with good dogs in this returned. Experience shows that
be together in minutes, none the demanding activity. Ms. Downer only three or four such reports
worse for wear. has been active in this group and come from each 100 birds banded.
“I have never found more is one of the principal instructors. “I feel that by banding wood-
than four chicks in any one brood, Last year 75 people came to the cock I’m doing my part for conser-
although other searchers have seminar and 14 licensed banders vation by putting something back
found five,” Ms. Downer said. came to help. into the resource to offset what I
“You always look for four chicks, Nationwide, and especially take away,” Ms. Downer said. “And
although today both broods we on the east coast, woodcock spring hunting helps the dogs in
found had three.” numbers are decreasing. Many training to hunt close and point
Later that morning, Ms. experts contend that the reason staunch.”
Downer almost caught a male is diminishing habitat and not Ms. Downer has been learning
woodcock in her net, a rare occur- overhunting, as some suspect. a lot about woodcock by banding,
rence. Most males flush wild at this Information gleaned from banding and she’s having fun at the same
time of year. Experienced banders is crucial to the well-being of the time. “And that’s what counts the
get to know a brooding hen from a species. Woodcock are migratory most,” she said.
male in the way they fly. Brooding species that nest in many northern
hens fly close to the ground with states and Canadian provinces
feet dragging and alight close by, and migrate starting in
while males flush high up and November to
straight, just as they do in the fall.
Most of the banding takes place
in May, with much of
it tapering off
by the end of
the month.
“I can
tell how the
hatch is going
by the number
of chicks I band
and at the end of
many broods, I
continue to search
for that late hatch,”
Ms. Downer said.
“Sometimes a
hen that loses its
brood will renest,
and that’s what I’m
looking for. I don’t
set a number goal
anymore. At the begin-
ning of the year, I just go
out and have some fun,
although I admit there’s

Spring 2020.indd 96 2/12/2020 1:20:37 PM

 Subscribe, become a member and get MUCC and
Michigan Out-of-Doors gear at www.mucc.org
and www.michiganoutofdoors.com

Get Michigan Out-of-Doors

by becoming a member of
Michigan United
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Visit www.mucc.org/join_mucc
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Spring 2020.indd 97 2/12/2020 1:20:40 PM

 One Last Cast
By Nick Green
Editor

In today’s conservation world, there are an

unprecedented number of organizations vying for a
historically-low number of supporters. How do you
sort through what is important, what gives you the
most bang for your buck and who truly has your needs
in mind? These are the questions often asked when
I am at outreach events or giving a presentation on
21st-century conservation.
With today’s digital age, these organizations with
the best marketing strategies and graphic designers
seem to be raking in the lion’s share of young, impres-
sionable conservationists. Main stays like Michigan
United Conservation Clubs have fell to the wayside of
these new, hip conservation groups.
Herein lies the problem: MUCC is a known conser-
vation commodity, both statewide and nationally. We
are the organization other state’s look to when they
are trying to start a conservation organization to be
the watchdog of whatever governmental entity over- importantly, we do it all without tooting our horn.
sees their natural resources. If there is no longer an You ask what has MUCC done for you today?
MUCC, there is no longer a fire keeper of conservation We have ensured that your rights to hunt, fish and
in Michigan. trap are safe. We have helped to secure and protect
Our membership is bigger than some of those many of the public lands that Michiganders utilize
larger, nationwide conservation organizations, too. each and every day. We have educated the next gener-
And MUCC is a true grassroots organization: our ation of conservation stewards through Michigan
membership sets the organization’s policy. We have Out-of-Doors Youth Camp and TRACKS magazine, and
existed since 1937, through the best and worst of times. we have empowered youth to become the conserva-
With 12 full-time, dedicated staff members, MUCC tion-minded voters of tomorrow.
operates a youth camp that engages and introduces We have helped to keep politicking out of the deci-
almost 400 kids each year to the outdoors. MUCC sions that directly impact our natural resources. We
tracks hundreds of bills and testifies at dozens of have gathered together outdoor enthusiasts from all
hearings during each legislative session. We are at walks of life to rally around one cause: conservation.
every single Natural Resources Commission Meeting MUCC doesn’t host social pint nights at bars
and testify at most of them. throughout Michigan. But, we have On the Ground,
Through coordination of volunteer efforts, public-land improvement events where you can come
the organization has improved more than 3,000 dirty your hands and toast some water around a
acres of public land and enlisted more than 1,000 planted tree. We have bill-signing parties where you
volunteers. We have brought together private land- can touch a pen the governor used to sign legislation
owners to improve habitat in southern Michigan protecting our rights as hunters, anglers and conser-
through a robust cooperatives program. Most vationists. And we rally around the next generation of
conservation stewards each spring and summer when
we bring together volunteers to work at our youth
"We are the organization other state’s camp. Will you join us?
MUCC does these things because it is who we are
look to when they are trying to start — Michigan United Conservation Clubs — not because
it is the cool thing to do.
a conservation organization to be the
Yours in Conservation,
watchdog of whatever governmental entity
oversees their natural resources."
96 | www.michiganoutofdoors.com

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