(Ed. Note: This story was originally published by Bridge Michigan, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization. Visit the newsroom online: bridgemi.com.)
By Jordyn Hermani
Bridge Michigan
LANSING — The Michigan Senate voted Oct. 21 to increase hunting and fishing license fees, with supporters saying the revenue would fund needed hunter safety and education programs.
“If we don’t maintain at least what we have, you’re going to get fewer and fewer people out enjoying the outdoors,” state Sen. Jon Bumstead, R-North Muskegon, told reporters following the Senate session.
“This is basically just to maintain what we have.”
The proposed fee hikes, which would vary by type and applicant, would generate about $29 million in additional revenue next year for the state’s Game and Fish Protection Fund.
But the legislation could be a non-starter in the Michigan House, where Republicans argued it would violate a recent agreement between legislative leaders and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on the new state budget, which raised marijuana taxes but dropped proposed hunting and fishing fees.
Whitmer and Senate Democrats had both included hunting and fishing license fee hikes in their budget proposals, but House Speaker Matt Hall made clear last month he would not support that.
“One thing we’re never going to have is increases in our hunting and fishing fees,” Hall, R-Richland Township, said during an Oct. 7 press conference. “We’re never going to have that so long as I’m speaker.”
Nonetheless, Senate lawmakers on Tuesday gave bipartisan approval to a two-bill package that would raise hunting and fishing fees.
In some instances, such as with deer hunting licenses for residents, fees would rise by as little as $5. But for nonresident deer hunters seeking a license, the fee would jump from $20 to $150.
Of the money generated from the fee increases, $6.3 million would go to wildlife management efforts. Another near $5.8 million would go toward fisheries resource management.
Sen. John Cherry, D-Flint, said during a floor speech that the fee hikes addressed the need to increase funding for wildlife conservation and hunter education “in the least burdensome way possible.”
But Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan, was fiercely opposed to that characterization, instead painting the fee increase as shoveling more money to what he called an “out of control” state Department of Natural Resources.
McBroom referenced a number of recent DNR-related headlines — including the recent near-euthanization of a visually-impaired deer named Peanut, an ongoing fight to save a similarly situated coyote called Kota and recent legislative hearings on feral pig killings — as proof “people are up to their ears in frustration with this department.”
“They’re shouting about it, and we’re not listening,” McBroom added. “Instead, we’re going to give them more money. It’s unbelievable.”
Michigan last updated its licensing fee structure in 2014.
By Jordyn Hermani
Bridge Michigan
LANSING — The Michigan Senate voted Oct. 21 to increase hunting and fishing license fees, with supporters saying the revenue would fund needed hunter safety and education programs.
“If we don’t maintain at least what we have, you’re going to get fewer and fewer people out enjoying the outdoors,” state Sen. Jon Bumstead, R-North Muskegon, told reporters following the Senate session.
“This is basically just to maintain what we have.”
The proposed fee hikes, which would vary by type and applicant, would generate about $29 million in additional revenue next year for the state’s Game and Fish Protection Fund.
But the legislation could be a non-starter in the Michigan House, where Republicans argued it would violate a recent agreement between legislative leaders and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on the new state budget, which raised marijuana taxes but dropped proposed hunting and fishing fees.
Whitmer and Senate Democrats had both included hunting and fishing license fee hikes in their budget proposals, but House Speaker Matt Hall made clear last month he would not support that.
“One thing we’re never going to have is increases in our hunting and fishing fees,” Hall, R-Richland Township, said during an Oct. 7 press conference. “We’re never going to have that so long as I’m speaker.”
Nonetheless, Senate lawmakers on Tuesday gave bipartisan approval to a two-bill package that would raise hunting and fishing fees.
In some instances, such as with deer hunting licenses for residents, fees would rise by as little as $5. But for nonresident deer hunters seeking a license, the fee would jump from $20 to $150.
Of the money generated from the fee increases, $6.3 million would go to wildlife management efforts. Another near $5.8 million would go toward fisheries resource management.
Sen. John Cherry, D-Flint, said during a floor speech that the fee hikes addressed the need to increase funding for wildlife conservation and hunter education “in the least burdensome way possible.”
But Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan, was fiercely opposed to that characterization, instead painting the fee increase as shoveling more money to what he called an “out of control” state Department of Natural Resources.
McBroom referenced a number of recent DNR-related headlines — including the recent near-euthanization of a visually-impaired deer named Peanut, an ongoing fight to save a similarly situated coyote called Kota and recent legislative hearings on feral pig killings — as proof “people are up to their ears in frustration with this department.”
“They’re shouting about it, and we’re not listening,” McBroom added. “Instead, we’re going to give them more money. It’s unbelievable.”
Michigan last updated its licensing fee structure in 2014.
Outdoor Truths: Stay Put
By Gary Miller
Sometimes in deer hunting, the tree stand becomes the seat of discontentment.
Early in my hunting life, I was notorious for giving up on one spot for the hopes of another. My logic was always based upon the deer that I was not seeing.
It didn’t matter that I had spent weeks or even months scouting that particular area. I was willing to give up after only a few days of inactivity. And since these were the days before trail cameras, my roaming always seemed justified.
Sometimes I would get out of the tree stand and just start wandering around. I called it spotting and stalking, but it was really my inability to be patient with where I was. My cry was, “If I could only see deer! I don’t have to shoot one; I just want to see movement.”
So, after a couple of non-productive days, I was ready to move on. The problem was that many times the new place I found was no better than the last. So, I moved again.
Now, as you can see, I began forming a pattern of constantly moving; and worse, a pattern of impatience. Thankfully, as I grew older, I overcame the urge to move. I began to trust my preseason scouting and realized that my constant moving was not caused by the lack of deer movement but by something lacking within me.
What was lacking was problems, or as the Bible says, tribulation. Here’s what it says: “We also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance.”
In deer terms, this means that when I realized that deer was showing up at the place I had just moved from; I understood that I had moved too soon. My tribulation of the past produced in me the patience I need today.
Right now, you may be getting a little antsy as well. The urge to move may be welling up inside you. It may be coming from unrealized expectations or delayed activity. But don’t be so quick to leave. You may only be moving toward a pattern of impatience while someone else is enjoying the fruit of being at the place you just left.
—————
Gary Miller has written Outdoor Truths articles for 22 years. He has also written five books which include compilations of his articles and a father/son devotional. He also speaks at wild-game dinners and men’s events for churches and associations. Write to him at gary@outdoor truths.org.
Sometimes in deer hunting, the tree stand becomes the seat of discontentment.
Early in my hunting life, I was notorious for giving up on one spot for the hopes of another. My logic was always based upon the deer that I was not seeing.
It didn’t matter that I had spent weeks or even months scouting that particular area. I was willing to give up after only a few days of inactivity. And since these were the days before trail cameras, my roaming always seemed justified.
Sometimes I would get out of the tree stand and just start wandering around. I called it spotting and stalking, but it was really my inability to be patient with where I was. My cry was, “If I could only see deer! I don’t have to shoot one; I just want to see movement.”
So, after a couple of non-productive days, I was ready to move on. The problem was that many times the new place I found was no better than the last. So, I moved again.
Now, as you can see, I began forming a pattern of constantly moving; and worse, a pattern of impatience. Thankfully, as I grew older, I overcame the urge to move. I began to trust my preseason scouting and realized that my constant moving was not caused by the lack of deer movement but by something lacking within me.
What was lacking was problems, or as the Bible says, tribulation. Here’s what it says: “We also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance.”
In deer terms, this means that when I realized that deer was showing up at the place I had just moved from; I understood that I had moved too soon. My tribulation of the past produced in me the patience I need today.
Right now, you may be getting a little antsy as well. The urge to move may be welling up inside you. It may be coming from unrealized expectations or delayed activity. But don’t be so quick to leave. You may only be moving toward a pattern of impatience while someone else is enjoying the fruit of being at the place you just left.
—————
Gary Miller has written Outdoor Truths articles for 22 years. He has also written five books which include compilations of his articles and a father/son devotional. He also speaks at wild-game dinners and men’s events for churches and associations. Write to him at gary@outdoor truths.org.
DNR Speeds Up Aspen Clearcuts
Visitors and residents in the northeastern Lower Peninsula may notice more clearcutting of aspen trees over the next year or two as the Michigan Department of Natural Resources speeds up harvests in a 30-square-mile area.
The change in the DNR’s forest management harvest planning will benefit both elk and deer and their fondness for young aspen.
Aspen is a resilient tree that regenerates naturally from underground shoots, or root suckers, without the need for replanting. Elk and deer browse on young aspen throughout the year, but primarily during the fall and winter when other food sources become scarce.
“We are finding that some of our aspen stands within this core elk range are not regenerating to meet our minimum standards,” said Matt Foster, manager of the DNR Forest Resources Division’s Atlanta Unit. Cutting will take place in that unit as well as the neighboring Pigeon River Country.
The accelerated cutting schedule will take place in nine compartments, or subunits, within the two state forest management units in Montmorency and Otsego counties. Clearcuts originally planned over the next 10 years will be grouped into a shorter time frame to better support forest regeneration and elk habitat.
The idea is to give elk more areas of fresh growth to browse, reducing pressure on any single site and improving regeneration.
The work was originally planned to start in 2028, but the devastating ice storm that struck the northern Lower Peninsula in late March moved the timeline forward because timber salvage work needs to be done in that area.
The DNR’s Forest Resources and Wildlife divisions work together to maintain habitat for a wide variety of wildlife, from the tiny Kirtland’s warbler to elk and moose.
Plans for clearcuts and other forest management practices are available at Michigan.gov/Forest Management.
The change in the DNR’s forest management harvest planning will benefit both elk and deer and their fondness for young aspen.
Aspen is a resilient tree that regenerates naturally from underground shoots, or root suckers, without the need for replanting. Elk and deer browse on young aspen throughout the year, but primarily during the fall and winter when other food sources become scarce.
“We are finding that some of our aspen stands within this core elk range are not regenerating to meet our minimum standards,” said Matt Foster, manager of the DNR Forest Resources Division’s Atlanta Unit. Cutting will take place in that unit as well as the neighboring Pigeon River Country.
The accelerated cutting schedule will take place in nine compartments, or subunits, within the two state forest management units in Montmorency and Otsego counties. Clearcuts originally planned over the next 10 years will be grouped into a shorter time frame to better support forest regeneration and elk habitat.
The idea is to give elk more areas of fresh growth to browse, reducing pressure on any single site and improving regeneration.
The work was originally planned to start in 2028, but the devastating ice storm that struck the northern Lower Peninsula in late March moved the timeline forward because timber salvage work needs to be done in that area.
The DNR’s Forest Resources and Wildlife divisions work together to maintain habitat for a wide variety of wildlife, from the tiny Kirtland’s warbler to elk and moose.
Plans for clearcuts and other forest management practices are available at Michigan.gov/Forest Management.
Setting Up for the Rut
By Jack Payne
Throw out the rule book, the rut is fast upon us.
Well, not exactly the truth, but if there is a time when a buck makes a mistake, it’s during the rut. Unless you are fortunate in having a large tract of ground without any hunters, most good bucks have turned nocturnal.
This will change with the onslaught of the does coming into heat. This doesn’t mean that a buck becomes totally stupid; it means that its attention will turn towards the does.
Bucks will be in constant search of a hot doe, often traveling many miles in a day. The home range of a buck will expand, and a buck will chase a doe that is coming into heat with his tongue hanging out.
What I find is that bucks will travel in a pattern that allows them the opportunity to cross as many doe trails in the shortest time frame. As an example, if you have a stand of thick pines where deer enter and exit at, say, two or three locations, a rutting buck will walk in a line where he can cross all three in the shortest time frame.
Any hot doe entering the pines he can detect by walking perpendicular to the trails. This applies to a feeding area, a swamp, or any location where it travels.
A buck will also often travel downwind of prominent doe trails. A rutting buck would rather cover as much ground in the shortest amount of time looking for a hot doe than following one trail at a time.
So where will you sit? I like ridges near a swamp, edges of thick cover that might lead into a feeding area. I also like areas that parallel clearcuts or an area full of acorns.
In farm land, ditches and fence rolls become prominent spots. Bucks will search for a hot doe covering the edges of bedding and feeding areas in the shortest distance and shortest time frame possible.
Because I detest hunting near others, I stay a good distance from these actual locations. It might be 100 yards or maybe even further. Once again, with good scouting, you can often find a spot where deer stage before entering a prime feeding area.
I like setting up closer to a feeding area for an evening hunt and closer to a bedding area for a morning hunt. You are less likely to spook deer in this manner. Now, I do not actually hunt the feeding area unless it is a small stand of isolated oaks. Nor will I hunt in the center of the bedding area unless it’s opening day of gun season.
I do play the wind and scent. I want the wind in my face if at all possible. Do everything possible in keeping a buck in front of you and upwind. Keep scent-free and spray down before leaving the vehicle and at least once or twice while in your stand.
I love to call deer. I learned this from a much-respected national writer and photographer. I will call at any buck seen and call once or twice blindly every 15 or 20 minutes without any deer being spotted.
Calling deer is much like calling turkey. Do it softly and do not overcall. Generally, my sequence is two or three short urps with a pause, and then repeated. That is it.
Rattling deer, I have not done too much of. Some say it works on the big bucks, but I can’t attest to this either way.
During the rut is a time when I might hunt all day or at least be in my stand for a five-hour sit. Midday hunting can be really good during the rut, and if the solunar tables suggest a good midday movement, I will be out there.
Once again, do not overhunt a stand. Rotate, stay scent-free, and be on alert. Many times, I will hear a grunting deer long before I actually see it. Try hunting the rut at likely ambush locations, and good luck. Remember to visit Bob’s Gun and Tackle Shop.
Throw out the rule book, the rut is fast upon us.
Well, not exactly the truth, but if there is a time when a buck makes a mistake, it’s during the rut. Unless you are fortunate in having a large tract of ground without any hunters, most good bucks have turned nocturnal.
This will change with the onslaught of the does coming into heat. This doesn’t mean that a buck becomes totally stupid; it means that its attention will turn towards the does.
Bucks will be in constant search of a hot doe, often traveling many miles in a day. The home range of a buck will expand, and a buck will chase a doe that is coming into heat with his tongue hanging out.
What I find is that bucks will travel in a pattern that allows them the opportunity to cross as many doe trails in the shortest time frame. As an example, if you have a stand of thick pines where deer enter and exit at, say, two or three locations, a rutting buck will walk in a line where he can cross all three in the shortest time frame.
Any hot doe entering the pines he can detect by walking perpendicular to the trails. This applies to a feeding area, a swamp, or any location where it travels.
A buck will also often travel downwind of prominent doe trails. A rutting buck would rather cover as much ground in the shortest amount of time looking for a hot doe than following one trail at a time.
So where will you sit? I like ridges near a swamp, edges of thick cover that might lead into a feeding area. I also like areas that parallel clearcuts or an area full of acorns.
In farm land, ditches and fence rolls become prominent spots. Bucks will search for a hot doe covering the edges of bedding and feeding areas in the shortest distance and shortest time frame possible.
Because I detest hunting near others, I stay a good distance from these actual locations. It might be 100 yards or maybe even further. Once again, with good scouting, you can often find a spot where deer stage before entering a prime feeding area.
I like setting up closer to a feeding area for an evening hunt and closer to a bedding area for a morning hunt. You are less likely to spook deer in this manner. Now, I do not actually hunt the feeding area unless it is a small stand of isolated oaks. Nor will I hunt in the center of the bedding area unless it’s opening day of gun season.
I do play the wind and scent. I want the wind in my face if at all possible. Do everything possible in keeping a buck in front of you and upwind. Keep scent-free and spray down before leaving the vehicle and at least once or twice while in your stand.
I love to call deer. I learned this from a much-respected national writer and photographer. I will call at any buck seen and call once or twice blindly every 15 or 20 minutes without any deer being spotted.
Calling deer is much like calling turkey. Do it softly and do not overcall. Generally, my sequence is two or three short urps with a pause, and then repeated. That is it.
Rattling deer, I have not done too much of. Some say it works on the big bucks, but I can’t attest to this either way.
During the rut is a time when I might hunt all day or at least be in my stand for a five-hour sit. Midday hunting can be really good during the rut, and if the solunar tables suggest a good midday movement, I will be out there.
Once again, do not overhunt a stand. Rotate, stay scent-free, and be on alert. Many times, I will hear a grunting deer long before I actually see it. Try hunting the rut at likely ambush locations, and good luck. Remember to visit Bob’s Gun and Tackle Shop.
