Outdoor Magazine Blog

Baiting Update…”No truth to any of it”

I’ve been hearing a lot of rumors about the Michigan DNR‘s plans to bring back baiting for deer in the lower peninsula. Those rumors include lifting the ban completely, limiting the quanity of bait involved and allowing only certain types of feeders (broadcast style).

The most interesting option I’ve been hearing is that the Department is going to institute a “baiting license”. Supposedly that system would allow biologists to keep track of how much bait would be used and also allow the DNR to make money off the situation.

I haven’t given much credence to any of those comments, especially since wildlife chief Russ Mason told me on the Outdoor Magazine radio show last year that “baiting is a bad idea”.

However, the frequency and volume of the baiting comments has been increasing, so I checked with the DNR’s PR person, Mary Detloff. She told me via email there’s “no truth to any of it”.

I believe Mary and Director Mason. They’ve given me no reason to doubt those statements. At this point the Department is basing it’s reputation on the decision to ban baiting because they say it can cause disease in whitetails. To contradict that at this point would destroy any credibility they have.

In the meantime it seems clear a good percentage of Michigan deer hunters want baiting to come back. As long as that’s true, I don’t expect the rumors to go away anytime soon.

Michigan Wolverine Dies

DNRE Confirms Death of Michigan’s Only Known Wild Wolverine

Michigan’s only known wild wolverine has died.

A female wolverine, first spotted in the Thumb in Feb. 24, 2004, was
found dead by hikers at the Minden Bog in the Minden City State Game
Area Saturday.

Todd Rann of Marysville and Morgan Graham of New Baltimore spotted what
they thought was a dead beaver, partially submerged in the water near a
beaver dam. Rann pulled it from the water and realized it was a
wolverine. The pair called the Report All Poaching hot line. Department
of Natural Resources and Environment Conservation Officers Seth Rhodea
and Bob Hobkirk responded immediately and retrieved the animal.

The officers reported no visible signs of trauma.

DNRE wildlife biologist Arnie Karr, who originally verified the animal
was a wolverine after it was treed by coyote hunters in 2004, said the
carcass will be sent to the DNRE veterinary lab for necropsy. The
department plans to have the specimen mounted and displayed, probably at
the visitor center at nearby Bay City State Recreation Area., Karr
said.

The animal was the first wolverine ever actually verified in Michigan.
Biologists say that if wolverines were ever native to Michigan, they
were extirpated about 200 years ago.

At the time of the wolverine’s sighting, DNRE Director Rebecca
Humphries signed an emergency order protecting the animal from
harassment or harm. The animal, which has been seen, photographed and
videoed by numerous people since it was discovered, was thought to be
alive and well until it was discovered dead Saturday.

So is it legal or not?

OK, so now I’m confused.

Last fall the Michigan DNR sent out news releases encouraging anybody with a valid hunting license to shoot feral hogs. There’s no doubt free ranging hogs can cause a lot of damage to habitat. In fact, many southern states have been decimated by wild pigs. Because of that, it makes sense for hunters to shoot them…and with the DNR’s encouragement, I was ready to do so if I got the chance.

So when I heard about proposed legislation to institute a feral hog season in Michigan, I viewed it as a way for politicians to get their name in the news. In fact, I went off on a rant about it on this weekend’s Outdoor Magazine Radio show. After all, if it’s already legal, why do we need the bureaucracy of a new season? I would also be reluctant to raise wild pigs to the status of a “game animal” for fear of where that might lead.

I just read a blog by MUCC’s Dave Nyberg though, that has me very frustrated. According to Nyberg, shooting feral hogs is still illegal in fifteen Michigan counties. If that’s the case, why did the DNR encourage hunters last fall to do it?

It’s Not the Antis I’m Worried About

I don’t seek out controversy, but sometimes it finds me anyway.

In my job as host and producer of the Outdoor Magazine TV show seen on Sportsman Channel, and also the syndicated Outdoor Magazine radio program, I try to showcase the rich history and tradition of hunting and fishing.

In that role, I often draw the anger of anti hunters, which is something you might expect. Lately though, I find myself being criticized by fellow hunters….or at least people who say they are.

Let me give you a couple of examples.

On a recent TV show I featured Pro Staffer Gus Congemi making a hundred yard archery shot on an antelope. Now, I admit that’s not a shot most bowhunters should try, but in Gus’ case, I don’t have a problem with it. The veteran hunter routinely practices at those distances. In fact, he made a video of those practice sessions that you can watch here.

After airing that show I got lots of negative emails from folks who call themselves bowhunters. Most were very upset, and even appalled, that I would show what they called a “very unethical shot”.

Another example involves my friend Chad Stearns of Jay’s Sporting Goods. On a recent hunting trip to South Africa I videotaped Chad shooting a two ton giraffe with his bow. After stalking the giant animal for ten hours, Chad was finally able to get within fifty yards and put a good shot in the vital area. Unfortunately, the shot didn’t get much penetration and Stearns was forced to put another arrow into the giraffe. That second shot would have certainly killed the animal, but Chad wanted to speed up the process so he used a rifle to finish the job.

It took a tremendous amount of skill and patience to get an arrow into the big bull, and I give Chad a lot of credit for being humble enough to pick up a gun to keep the animal’s suffering to a minimum.

It’s always been my policy to show hunting in a realistic manner so I aired all the details of that hunt. I could have edited it down and “sanitized” the experience, but chose not to.

Again, the critics came out of the woodwork…and again, the vast majority of complaints came from folks who call themselves hunters.

I was surprised by the intensity of the criticism, and level of anger those people expressed.

It seems to me, that in today’s society filled with anti hunters, and an even bigger group of non hunters, it serves no purpose for hunters to fight each other. Just because one hunter chooses to do things differently than another, it doesn’t make it wrong. From my perspective if the act is moral and ethical in a particular hunter’s eyes, and legal in the eyes of the law…I certainly have no problem with it.

Because I’ve faced such strong criticism in the past, I’ve been a bit reluctant to air another recent hunt from Gus. This one features Gus crawling into a cave in Wyoming where he killed a mountain lion with a handgun at point blank range. Congemi actually went in there to rescue a dog that followed the big cat. However, I’m sure a certain percentage of hunters who feel they have superior morals will look down on this hunt by saying Gus had the animal trapped, and they’ll claim it was an unethical act.

The truth is I don’t think I would have the guts to crawl into a cave and face down a mountain lion, so I’m not about to pass judgement on Gus. For the record though, I see nothing wrong with the hunt. In fact, I’m in awe of a guy who has the nerve to do it.

Because I think this hunt tells a great story, and also because I’m not about to bow down to pressure from anyone, I’ve decided to put this adventure on the air and deal with the complaints as they come.

My patience is getting thin though with the small, but vocal group of self righteous hunters who believe their morals are superior to the rest of us. I believe in today’s world hunters need to stand together and remember who the real enemy is.

A Talk With Uncle Ted

I’ve known Ted Nugent for a long time. I first met him back in 1985 at Bear Archery’s Grousehaven hunting camp in Michigan. Over the years we’ve worked on a few projects together, and at one point I even considered leaving my TV news job and going to work with the Motor City Madman.

Lately though, I haven’t had much contact with Nugent. Sure, I’d seen his Spirit of the Wild TV show and watched him on interviews with the major news operations, but we hadn’t talked directly for a few years.

That’s why I was a little surprised when I got an email from one of Ted’s people offering him up for an interview on my syndicated Outdoor Magazine Radio show. At first I was a little hesitant. I’d seen Ted try to dominate a conversation and take over an interview before, and I didn’t want to use my show as a forum to promote his business activities.

I knew my listeners would be interested in what the veteran rocker and hunting activist had to say though, so we scheduled the interview.

From the minute Nugent hit the air with me my concerns were gone. This was not the loud, over the top, self promoter I’d seen before. I had the pleasure of talking with Ted Nugent the thoughtful, articulate and passionate man who has become a spokesman for hunting and shooting.

We talked about several topics, including why he moved from Michigan to Texas, and his thoughts about the Great Lakes State today. You can listen to that excerpt here.

The topic of dove hunting also came up and we agreed hunters are to blame for losing that recreational opportunity here in Michigan.

As you might expect this time of year, whitetails were a topic of discussion as well. It seems Ted and I agree that quality deer management is good in some cases, but shouldn’t be mandated to Michigan deer hunters. Click here to listen to that part of the conversation.

Finally, Nugent told me that even though he now lives in Texas, he spends the fall back here in Michigan. He also keeps a close eye on Michigan politics and what’s going on inside the Department of Natural Resources. Ted is a very outspoken opponent of the DNR, especially when it comes to whitetail management and law enforcement issues. Listen to what he had to say about those issues here.

By the end of our conversation I was reminded why Ted Nugent is such a prominent and effective spokesman for the hunting and shooting industry. He has the experience, knowledge and intelligence to get the message out in a very effective manor. He also has access to something most others don’t….the national media.

I’m not sure Nugent sought out the role he’s now playing, but I don’t believe anyone else who could do it as well.

After spending a few minutes with him the other night I don’t hesitate to say he’s welcome on my show any time.

You can hear the entire conversation this weekend on the Outdoor Magazine radio show, or online here starting next week.

I hope this isn’t true…

NEWS FROM DRAIN COMMISSIONER DENNIS LENNOX

DNR set to outlaw walleye fishing in third-largest lake
Natural Resources Commission urged to vote ‘no’ on job-killing proposal

For more information, contact:
Dennis Lennox, (231) 238-7829

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TOPINABEE, Mich. (Oct. 26, 2009) — A proposal to outlaw recreational walleye fishing in Cheboygan County’s Mullett Lake is coming under heavy criticism from business owners and community members, who stress the importance of fishing to the local economy.

The proposal, which has received approval from senior bureaucrats in the Department of Natural Resources, will be considered at the Nov. 5 meeting of the Natural Resources Commission in Lansing. The ban would go into effect for the 2010 fishing season, and would be reviewed each year thereafter.

“At a time of unprecedented economic challenges, recreational fishing is a major boost in the arm for local businesses,” said Cheboygan County Drain Commissioner Dennis Lennox, who lives in Topinabee on Mullett Lake. “My constituents depend on tourism dollars generated in large part by fishing enthusiasts.”

Lennox will bring petitions with signatures of constituents urging a vote against the ban, which would result in job losses and further economic difficulty in an area with one of the worst economies in Michigan, to the Natural Resources Commission meeting.

“If walleye fishing in Mullett Lake is outlawed, the overall level of fishing will decrease and fishermen from across the Great Lakes region will be less likely to visit our community,” he said. “This proposal will have disastrous effects for the local economy.”

The proposal came about after Indian tribes recently served notice that they intended to harvest larger than normal catches of walleye from Mullett Lake.

The Natural Resources Commission consists of seven members appointed by the governor. It is responsible for overseeing the Department of Natural Resources and setting conservation policy.

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They Disappeared

I just got home from a bowhunting trip in central Ohio with my friend Bill Pyles of Ohio Bowhunting Outfitters. Bill’s operation is based in Knox and Licking Counties, a part of the state known for lots of big bucks. He’d been sending trailcam pictures of some of those giants, and I was looking forward to a great hunt.

When we go there everything looked good. Each of Bill’s hunters the week before had taken nice bucks, the fall colors were in full swing and the first morning of our hunt was a very chilly 28 degrees.

As we headed out to my favorite property, one called the “Hammock Farm”, I was optimistic for a close encounter with a nice buck. Our stand was near the top of an oak ridge overlooking a standing corn field and thick bedding area. It was a spot where I’d seen big bucks before and hunters in past years had taken several trophy animals.

Surprisingly, the morning was pretty slow, we saw a few does with fawns and one year and a half old four point. At the time I had no idea how significant that buck would be.

The evening hunt from that same stand wasn’t much better so the following day we jumped to a new farm…this one called “The Thicket”. The Thicket was also known for big bucks, in fact I have video of Jim Barta of The Hunter Safety System missing a 160 inch ten point there a couple years ago.

About the same time we jumped farms, the temperature started to jump up and we had several days of seventy degree weather. That, combined with lots of standing corn for the deer to hide in, made for a very tough hunt.

We tried a couple of stand locations on the Thicket farm over the next few days, but again we only saw does and fawns. On our last two hunts there we didn’t see anything at all.

The lack of deer movement was very surprising…almost to the point of being surreal. I knew there were big bucks on that property and I knew Bill had several very nice stand locations set. In fact, our second stand on the Thicket was one of the most promising locations I’ve ever hunted. It was in a tree line sandwiched between standing corn, a food plot, an orchard and a bedding area. Even so, our efforts turned up nothing more than a couple of does and fawns.

Finally, we had a cold front come through, and I was hopeful the change in weather would ramp up buck activity. Our last night in Ohio we set up on an oak ridge between two bedding areas. Bill had seen lots of activity on that hilltop in previous seasons and I still had hope it would produce a shooter buck for us.

After several hours of scanning the timber and looking for any kind of movement, we saw nothing…again.

By then I was out of time and had to come home. In six days of hunting, and almost forty hours in a stand on three different farms, I never saw a mature buck. In fact, the only racked buck I saw was the little four point on the first day.

I never dreamed this hunt would be so slow. Unfortunately, I think the warm temperatures had a lot to do with the lack of movement and I’m sure lots of animals are hiding in all that standing corn.

The good news is temperatures are dropping now in Ohio, farmers are starting to take down the corn and the rut is just around the corner. That’s great news for Bill’s hunters over the next couple of weeks.

It’s also good news for me. Bill Pyles has invited me back in a couple of weeks if I can fit another trip in my schedule. By then those bucks will have no excuses to disappear on me again.

Switching Archery Gears

I’ve put down my Predator recurve and picked up the Darton Compound.

Since last April that recurve has been part of my weekly routine. I started shooting it in preparation for turkey season. After lots of practice, and a few misses I was able to connect on a nice bird.

Recurve Turkey

Next, I turned my attention to bear hunting. My goal was to take a nice boar with the Predator. I had a close encounter with this big guy, but he didn’t give me a shot.

My quest to take a big game animal with a recurve wasn’t over yet though. I started the Michigan bow season with the Predator in hand and a big doe on my mind. Though I saw lots of animals…again I couldn’t get it done.

Now, I’m heading down to Ohio to hunt with my friend Bill Pyles of Ohio Bowhunting Outfitters. Bill really wants me to take a big buck. He knows that would makes a good show for me, and promote his business on a national television show. He doesn’t want me to bring a recurve though.

My guy in Kansas…Ed Barton of B and C Kansas Hunts wants me to shoot a compound too.

I’m happy to do that, especially since I’ve recently partnered with the good folks at Darton Archery here in Michigan. It’s been a while since I’ve worked with Darton and I’m very excited to be with them again.

I’m hoping to use my Pro 2500 to take another nice buck like this one from a past Ohio hunt.

Avery Ohio Buck

The transition back to a a compound bow has been pretty smooth. That 2500 is fast, quiet and very shootable. I’m only drawing 58 pounds but the bow is fast enough to use one pin out to 30 yards. I’ve never been able to do that with other bows before.

I’m very excited to head to Ohio in a couple of days. Bill has sent lots of trailcam pictures and I know there are good bucks in the area. I also know I’ll be shooting a great bow that I have a lot of confidence in.

Big bucks, a great bow and plenty of confidence…..that could make for a very good hunt.

This Week on Outdoor Magazine TV

We kick off a new season this week with a couple of good friends.

First, Jim Barta of The Hunter Safety System is bowhunting in central Illinois. JIm has a close encounter with a big buck, but he can’t get a shot. Later, that buck returns chasing a doe and Jim is able to get the job done.

Then, Pro Staffer Mark Romanack heads north to Sasketchewan where he’s chasing monster pike and big black bears at the Lloyd Lake Lodge.

Romanack is into big fish every day, and he sees lots of bears each night, but not the one he’s looking for.

Finally, after moving to a very remote stand, Mark gets a shot at a very big bear.

Lots of great bowhunting action this week as we kick off a new season of Outdoor Magazine. I hope you enjoy it…..

Michigan’s Crossbow Speed Limit

I’m a big fan of crossbows and I’m very pleased Michigan hunters will be able to use them this fall. However, I think the speed limit put in place by the Natural Resources Commission is silly.

The law states a crossbow capable of shooting more than 350 feet per second is illegal to use for hunting.

I realize that restriction was instituted to placate the anti crossbow crowd, but it makes no sense. We don’t limit the speed of traditional bows or even compounds, so why should crossbows be singled out?

To make the law even more ridiculous, I don’t believe it can be enforced. The only way to effectively monitor such a speed limit is to equip all Michigan Conservation Officers with chronographs, or maybe radar guns…and that’s not going to happen.

There’s no money in the DNR’s budget for such items these days and Officers barely have time to handle much more important complaints.

The official line from the Department is that CO’s will use information provided by the crossbow companies about how fast their bows are. Those claims are often exaggerated by the manufacturers and don’t always provide a true gauge of a crossbow’s performance.

Even if those specs are accurate, most crossbows can be slowed down to shoot less than 350 fps by using heavier bolts (arrows) and broadheads. Wardens would have to take all of those factors into account in deciding if a bow is legal.

I don’t think that’s a good use of their already limited time and resources.

The speed limit puts Conservation Officers in a tough spot. Their bosses (DNR commissioners) say Wardens must enforce the law, so publicly that has to be the policy.

Click here to listen to an excerpt from an interview I did with Lt. Craig Grey for the Outdoor Magazine radio show talking about this issue.

Realistically, I doubt many Officers will go out of their way to enforce the crossbow speed limit. However, it puts law abiding Michigan bowhunters in a very uncomfortable spot. They can disregard the law that’s obviously silly, or choose to obey that law even though it has no basis in fact.

The crossbow regulations are scheduled to be looked at again in three years. I hope it doesn’t take that long to correct this problem.