TAS admin personnel should investigate this opportunity

Want to learn the finer points of applying for DNR recreation grants? Join DNR grants management staff in January for a workshop that will help make your applications more competitive.  

The statewide workshops, beginning Jan. 12, will cover scoring criteria and how to successfully complete an application.

Frequent comments and questions staff are asked will be worked into the program, as well as tips for getting the greatest number of points possible on your application. Staff will also walk users through the MiRecGrants program to make applying easier for applicants.

Check out the workshop in your area; registration is not necessary. If you have any questions, contact  your grant coordinator, or call 517-284-7268.

Village scores $45K Recreation Passport grant

Michigan Department of Natural Resources today announced that 33 communities across the state will share $1,348,700 in Recreation Passport grants. Funding for this program is derived from sales of the Recreation Passport, the $11 annual pass that grants residents vehicle entry at state parks and recreation areas throughout Michigan.

This year, Recreation Passport grant applicants sought funding for a broad range of public outdoor recreation projects, including playground development and renovations, dog park improvements, ice-skating rink development, trail and walkway development, park and picnic area improvements and improved access for those with disabilities.

The village of Newberry received grant funding in the amount of $45,000 to make improvements at Atlas Park. According to the DNR, the village project includes development of playground equipment, benches, picnic tables, grills and lighting.

The full list of grant recipients, grant amounts and project descriptions is available on the DNR website at www.michigan.gov/recreationpassportgrants.

Successful applicants clearly demonstrated projects designed to increase public access to quality outdoor recreation opportunities. The selected projects were chosen from a field of 45 grant applications seeking nearly $1.8 million in funding.

“These Recreation Passport grants go a long way in helping local units of government bring quality recreation opportunities to their citizens,” said Steve DeBrabander, DNR grants manager. “We are proud to work with these agencies so that, together, we can create world-class outdoor recreation resources statewide. The recreation industry plays an important role in moving the state’s economy forward by providing vital jobs and tourism in both urban and rural settings.”

Application materials for future Recreation Passport grants will be available by Jan. 1 at www.michigan.gov/dnr-grants. Interested individuals also may call DNR Grants Management at 517-284-7268 or write to:

Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Grants Management
P.O. Box 30425
Lansing, MI 48909-7925

Learn more about how the Recreation Passport gains you access to Michigan state parks and more at www.michigan.gov/recreationpassport.

CAC meets Dec. 3 in Newberry

At the Eastern Upper Peninsula Citizens’ Advisory Council meeting in Newberry Thursday, Dec. 3, participants are scheduled to hear a preliminary recap on the archery and firearm deer hunting seasons in the eastern U.P.

The meeting will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. EST at the Pentland Township Hall, located at 15474 M-28, south of Newberry.

Additional agenda items include information on the DNR’s “Keep the U.P. CWD Free!” education campaign, the Good Neighbor Authority recently developed between the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Service and an update on two proposals for net pen aquaculture in the Great Lakes.

An update will also be provided on Senate Bill 245 being considered in the state Legislature, which stiffens the penalties for illegal killing or possessing of certain game, including bear, moose and elk.

Trapping opportunities in Michigan will also be discussed, along with a proposed council meeting schedule for 2016.

The public can participate in the session by offering comments to the discussion during two specified periods at the meeting (for instructions on comment procedures, see www.michigan.gov/upcac).

The DNR’s eastern and western Upper Peninsula citizens’ advisory councils are designed to provide local input to advise the DNR on regional programs and policies, identify areas in which the department can be more effective and responsive and offer insight and guidance from members’ own experiences and constituencies.

Council members represent a wide variety of natural resource and recreation interests. Agenda items are set by the council members and council recommendations are forwarded to the DNR for consideration.

Anyone interested in being considered as a future council member should fill out the application form found on the DNR website at www.michigan.gov/upcac. For more information, contact the DNR Upper Peninsula regional coordinator’s office at 906-226-1331.

Photograph information courtesy of the DNR: Eastern Upper Peninsula Citizens' Advisory Council member Gary Gorniak of Moran, left, watches as Michigan Department of Natural Resources wildlife division staff age a buck Gorniak brought in to the Mackinac Straits deer check station at Bridge View Park in St. Ignace. Gorniak shot the buck Nov. 17 during the firearm deer hunting season in Mackinac County.

Fishing Tip: Got a deer? Head out for some steelhead fishing

Fishing for steelhead is very hot right now so if you’ve already gotten your doe or buck this season, consider hitting the rivers again for the fall run of chrome.

In the last 10 years, steelhead fishing with bobber and eggs has really taken off – however, “older” fishing methods are still very effective during the early season.

Many anglers enjoy actively casting spinners and plugs. The secret to this type of fishing is finding a good hole or run that is deep enough to hold fish.

Cast your offering across the river and retrieve it as slow as possible while still making sure the lure is “swimming” close to the bottom. As you retrieve, the river’s current will swing your plug or spinner down stream in an arch. Eventually the last part of your retrieve will be almost completely up stream. Many bites will come at the bottom of the arch or during the upstream retrieve. Start your casts at the top of the hole or run and after two to three casts take a step down stream. Cast two to three more times before taking another step down stream. Repeat this process until you have covered the entire length of the hole or run. After your last casts, you can either head back to the top and start over or explore the river for another spot.

This manner of fishing can be a lot of fun because the strike of a steelhead on a retrieved lure is second to none.

New license plate available

New license plate boosts vet services

Secretary of State Ruth Johnson and Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency Director Jeff Barnes unveiled a license plate that will raise funds to enhance outreach and services to veterans.

“This is one more way we can make sure that veterans get the services they’ve earned and deserve,” Johnson said.

The plate costs $35, with $25 going to veterans services. You can order the plate here. Information on other fundraising plates is here.

Hunting license structure reminder from the DNR

DNR reminds deer hunters of license structure

With Michigan's archery deer season in full swing and firearm season set to begin Nov. 15, the Department of Natural Resources reminds hunters of changes to the state's hunting license structure that took effect in 2014.

Available deer licenses include:

• Single deer license, valid throughout archery, firearm and muzzleloader seasons. This license has replaced the separate archery and firearm licenses. Hunters who buy a single deer license may not buy a second single deer license or the deer combo license.
  
• Deer combo license, which includes two kill tags, one regular and one restricted. Hunters who want two deer licenses must buy the deer combo license instead of the single deer license. The deer combo license is valid for use during the archery, firearm and muzzleloader seasons. A hunter can use both kill tags in the firearm seasons, both in the archery season or one in each season.
  
• Antlerless deer license, available based on license quotas set for each Deer Management Unit (DMU).

To see how the single deer and deer combo licenses may be used in each deer season, based on which DMU a hunter wishes to hunt, see the Antler Point Restriction Regulations map and chart on pages 32 and 33 of the 2015 Hunting and Trapping Digest.

A base license now is required for all hunters. The base license provides critical funding for habitat and conservation work on both public and private land and supports the work of conservation officers and field staff to ensure safe, legal hunting practices are followed. The purchase of a base license includes small game hunting. Whether they choose to hunt small game or not, hunters' base license dollars will be used to enhance and expand hunting opportunities, which benefits hunters of all species.

More information about Michigan’s hunting license structure – including license prices, frequently asked questions and details about how license dollars will be invested – is available at www.michigan.gov/dnr under "In the Know."

For more details about hunting seasons, licenses and regulations, see the Hunting and Trapping Digest and Antlerless Deer Digest at www.mi.gov/dnrdigests.

Those who have questions or need help determining which licenses to buy may contact their nearest DNR Customer Service Center.

DNR posts bird-hunting report

Grouse and woodcock season off to a great start

A month into grouse and woodcock season, early reports from hunters suggest that the season has started out with a bang.

“Avid grouse hunters are indicating the season appears good, dependent on location,” said Department of Natural Resources upland game bird biologist Al Stewart. “This earlier part of the season always proves to be a unique challenge, with leaves still on the trees, but leaves are now starting to fall and the woodcock migration has started.”

Michigan’s small game hunting season, which includes grouse season, opens annually Sept. 15. Woodcock season varies from year to year, due to the woodcock’s federal migratory bird status, and this year opened Sept. 19. 

“Some areas of the Upper Peninsula are reporting flushing six grouse an hour, with woodcock being four to five per hour,” said Stewart. “Northern Lower Peninsula flushes are more sporadic, and everyone’s experiences are always different. In the end we look back at all reports, on a larger scale, to see trends.”

Since the 1950s, information from hunters has helped the DNR monitor grouse and woodcock populations and build reports. Hunters interested in contributing to these efforts can become grouse and woodcock cooperators by tracking and reporting their hunting seasons. 

Michigan is a national leader in excellent grouse habitat. Aspen, a tree that is key to the success of grouse and woodcock, is abundant in northern Michigan. Active timber management continuously creates the young forests that many different wildlife species enjoy, while providing needed timber products and jobs for rural economies.

“We are hearing that some areas known as prime spots for grouse are lacking the normal hawthorn and dogwood fruit grouse prefer in the fall,” said Stewart. “Look for areas with fruit when seeking grouse. For woodcock, focus on areas of alder and dense young aspen, where the ground has good moisture.”

Looking to give upland bird hunting a try? Seeking a new location to explore? Try one of Michigan’s 14 GEMS. GEMS, or Grouse Enhanced Management Sites, are premier, remote grouse-hunting locations with hunter walking trails winding through great habitat. Hunter walking trails are for anyone with mobility challenges, or even those more comfortable walking a trail than blazing through the brush. Visit the GEMS website for more information, including individual maps of the GEMS and businesses offering discounts to GEMS hunters.  

All that is needed to hunt small game is a base license and, for woodcock, the free woodcock stamp.  Grouse season runs through Nov. 14 and then again Dec. 1 to Jan. 1.  Woodcock season ends Nov. 2.