The first Abbigail Mae Dent Memorial Wildlife Scholarship was
awarded to Jon Darnell of Mt. Pleasant earlier this year. Jon was
one of several applicants. We wish him the best in his future
endeavors. The program is designed to help area students in pursuit
of a degree in wildlife management and/or forestry.
Our 8th annual fund raiser was held in February and was our
most successful ever. Membership numbers set a new record, and
monies raised were our highest ever. It is important to note that
the money raised at this event stays local and helps preserve our
local wild turkey populations.
The winter was a tough one, and we distributed 35 tons of corn
to 5000 birds across nine counties. Bob Young, the director of our
local supplement feeding program, had continuous requests all
winter. Our hats are off to Bob and to all the volunteers that
helped get these birds through a tough spot.
In our area it is quite apparent that the nesting season has
not gone well. Cold, wet weather is hard on all nesting species.
Many sightings of poultless hens have been reported, and after
enduring the tough winter season there are serious concerns of how
populations will be affected. Additionally, although widely reported
that the West Nile Virus does not affect wild turkeys, evidence
seems to suggest the contrary.
We are working at launching a trial program to introduce kids
to the outdoor/shooting sports. The “Ask a Friend” program will
start in August, and will involve members, non-members, and
volunteers. Thanks go out to Barry Franks at BLF Sports in Gladwin
(989.426.4880) for supporting this effort and volunteering his time.
If you have an interest, please contact me at the below phone
number.
Our chapter meetings are held at 7:00 P.M. each 2nd Monday of
the odd-numbered months (Jul, Sep, etc.) at Mid-Michigan Community
College near Harrison. If you have a question or need more
information about our chapter, please contact me (David Dent) at
989-386-3078.
David Dent
Chapter President
