Winter Survival

On January 2, 2014, I received a phone call from a land owner in northern Osceola County. He had planted four acres of corn, which produced a great crop. The corn was gone having been eaten by all of the wildlife and he had 57 turkeys picking on the stalks for food. He was allocated a supply of corn, always without charge.

This is being written during the third week in January. Winter came early with deep snow, ice that prevents access to the ground and brutally cold weather. As I write this it is 22 degrees below zero in Grayling.

Time to Manage Our Public for the Benefit of Wildlife

Time to Manage Our Public for the Benefit of Wildlife

The following article appeared in the COMMENTARY of the October 25, 2013 edition of Michigan Outdoor News. Although deer is the topic, it is just as appropriate to insert turkeys, grouse, woodcock, rabbits or hare.

-Jim Maturen

I am responding to the commentary by Quality Deer Management Association member Paul Plantinga that appeared in the August 30 issue of Michigan Outdoor News. In his article, he quotes statistics on the loss of hunters from Michigan and infers that the loss of deer hunters is due to our hunters leaving the state in a quest for large-antlered bucks. There is much more to the loss than he suggests.

Pere Marquette Chapter Spring 2014 Update

I am writing this during the first week in February. The wind chill is -12 degrees and expected to remain there all day and for the next several days. It has been a brutal winter with record setting low temperatures and very deep snow. Unless a source of food is found many of our wildlife will not be here come spring. It is hard to believe that not one news media or any so called conservation organizations have expressed any concern.

Pere Marquette Chapter Fall 2013 Update

The following is some of the activities of the Pere Marquette Chapter. It may include activities of the state chapter as well.

We held a chapter meeting on February 12. A discussion was held on pending turkey hunting regulations. As we always do we had a discussion what we can do to insure the future of the Wild Turkey throughout northern Michigan among other issues. A state chapter meeting was held on February 17 at Clare. Pending issues and concerns of individual chapters was discussed and where needed consensus was reached.

2013 Fall Turkey Hunting Season

Because of the dramatic decrease in Wild Turkey numbers the entire northern lower peninsula has bee closed to fall hunting, except for fall area HA which includes Mecosta, Newaygo and Oceana counties. It drew our attention when Area J, which includes 5 counties in the very tip of the lower peninsula, was proposed for a fall season.

“The motto that we are managing our natural resources for future generations is hollow.”

According to the DNR “Licenses are developed to harvest the desired number of turkeys to meet the management goal. To help reach these goals hunters are encouraged to harvest female turkeys during the fall season.”