Michigan: Bear and elk license drawing results posted; leftover licenses on sale in July

The Department of Natural Resources today announced that the results of the 2016 bear and elk hunting license drawings have been posted at www.michigan.gov/huntdrawings.

Bear

A total of 6,896 bear licenses were available during the bear application period (May 1-June 1). A total of 99 leftover bear licenses are still available in the Bergland Management Unit for the third hunt period, which runs from Sept. 25-Oct. 26, and will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis as follows:

• Holders of Lifetime Comprehensive Licenses who were not selected in the drawing may purchase leftover licenses beginning at 10 a.m. (EDT) Wednesday, July 6.
  
• Unsuccessful applicants may purchase leftover licenses beginning at 10 a.m. (EDT) Wednesday, July 13.
  
• Any hunter, including those who did not apply, may purchase a leftover license beginning at 10 a.m. (EDT)Wednesday, July 20.

Leftover bear licenses are available for residents only. Hunters, except for Lifetime Comprehensive License holders, are reminded that their preference points will reset to zero if they purchase a leftover license.

Elk

The first hunt period of the 2016 elk season begins Aug. 30-Sept. 2 and includes Sept. 16-19 and Sept. 30-Oct. 3. The second hunt will run Dec. 10-18. An additional hunt may be held Jan. 18-22, 2017, if the DNR determines the harvest insufficient to meet management goals.

A total of 60 any-elk and 140 antlerless-only elk licenses have been issued through the drawing.

Successful elk drawing applicants will receive detailed information about their hunt, including assigned hunt periods, elk management unit and type of license (any-elk or antlerless-only). Applicants are asked to be sure their mailing addresses are kept up-to-date with the Secretary of State. Elk hunters must attend a mandatory hunt orientation class prior to their hunt.

Increase the Odds

Hunters can increase the odds of getting bear and elk licenses by applying for the 2017 Pure Michigan Hunt drawing. Each application is $5, and applicants can purchase as many chances as they like. Three lucky hunters will win packages of licenses to hunt elk, bear, turkey, antlerless deer and waterfowl, plus a 2017 base license. Winning the Pure Michigan Hunt does not affect a hunter's eligibility to apply for or purchase other hunting licenses and will not affect bear preference points or weighted elk chances a hunter has earned. Apply for the Pure Michigan Hunt atwww.michigan.gov/puremichiganhunt or at a license agent.

Indiana makes Improvements in Licensing Process for Hunters and Fishermen

Buying licenses online will be easier and more convenient for hunters, anglers and trappers thanks to a new system that the DNR will launch this week. 

The new system at INHuntFish.com requires customers 18 and older to create an online account. Customers can use the account to purchase their licenses, purchase or redeem gift certificates, acquire their Harvest Information Program (HIP) number, and make donations. Having information saved to an account makes purchasing future licenses much easier for yourself and for any children under age 18 that you list as an associate. If you’re already a DNR customer, use your Customer ID located on the top left of your license to log in. 

The improvements include: 

• Free reprints of licenses. 
• The ability to save a license to your smartphone through the print feature. (Electronic copies of licenses are now valid.) 
• An option to print all valid licenses on one piece of paper, no matter when they were purchased. 
• The ability to view your active licenses and licenses that have expired in the last 30 days. 
• License options adjusted for your age, residency and hunter education status. 
• Quick links for hunting, fishing and trapping regulations, the Wild Bulletin e-newsletter, and social media accounts for the DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife. 
• A “shopping cart” feature that allows you to see what you are buying. 
• Email receipts. 

The system accepts Visa, Mastercard and Discover. 

A future version will include the CheckIN Game feature that allows hunters to use computers and mobile devices to check in their harvest through their account. 

An access fee will offset the cost of the upgraded system. The fee is $1 per license, plus $1 and 2 percent of the total on each license. For example, if you use INHuntFish.com to purchase an annual resident fishing license, your cost would be $19.34 ($17 for the license, plus $1 for the license, plus $1.34). 


No fee is charged for donations, gift certificates, registering for HIP, or checking in game. 

Error Causes Some Hunters To Receive Duplicate Deer Permits - Kansas Hunters

 Several thousand nonresident hunters who successfully drew Kansas deer permits from the April drawing received a surprise mailing in early June. Due to a printing error at a fulfillment service contracted to print and mail permits to the 21,225 successful applicants, nearly 3,260 hunters received duplicate mailings.

A successful applicant should have received only one mailing with one set of permits, which included an either-sex permit and carcass tag and a whitetail antlerless-only permit and carcass tag. Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) officials want to remind hunters that the law only allows them to have one permit that allows the harvest of an antlered deer, so only one set of the permits they received is valid. Duplicate permits may not be used or transferred to another hunter.

Hunters who received duplicate permits and carcass tags are asked to return duplicate sets to the KDWPT Licensing Section, 512 SE 25th Ave., Pratt, KS 67124. Department staff are working with the contractor to identify issues that led to the error and to ensure that all successful applicants received the correct permit, and that those who received duplicate permits are notified.

All applicants who were unsuccessful in the drawing should have received their refunds, and all successful applicants should have received their set of permits by now. Hunters can see their status in the draw at www.ksoutdoors.com and clicking on the “Nonresident Deer Permit Draw Results” button on the left-hand edge of the homepage. If you have questions, please contact Mike Miller at 620-672-0765 or Ron Kaufman at 785-296-2870.

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Wisconsin Weekly Outdoor Report 6/10/2016

Musky fishing picking up on northern lakes and Green Bay; recent rains have raised water levels on Wisconsin and other rivers

Recent rains have added to high water levels across the state. The Wisconsin River is short on sandbars for the moment, but levels are dropping any may be near more normal levels by the weekend. That water will be welcome refreshment for those outdoors, as temperatures are expected to enter the mid-80s to high 90s. Mountain bike and all-terrain vehicle trails are wet and muddy some may be closed so call ahead to check on trail conditions.

Erratic weather and strong winds throughout the past week had kept fishing pressure sporadic throughout much of the state. However, angling success for species from panfish to trout, musky to northern pike, has been improving. The mayfly hatch on some northern lakes has put-off the walleye bite some, but musky anglers have been out in pretty good numbers and nearly all have been seeing fish, with good number also being boated. Bass action has been generally good on northern lakes, with some very nice catches of largemouth being made in the last week. Panfish action has been very good in between the rain storms, with bluegill, pumpkinseed and crappie providing some excellent. The bluegill nesting period is still occurring on many waters and some very nice fish have been found near the spawning beds.

On Green Bay, catch rates are on the rise along the east shore with anglers toward the end of the week into the weekend finding good numbers of hungry walleyes and the occasional yellow perch. Musky action was also good on the lower bay with multiple anglers catching 50-inch muskies. Walleye action also continued to be good along the west shore off Oconto and south to the Suamico River. Smallmouth bass anglers brave enough to battle the wind and waves along windy Door County shorelines did very well this past week with reports of 40-50 fish days.

Lake Michigan trout and salmon fishing is picking up with trollers reporting strong success for coho, rainbow and brown trout. Fishing pressure along the Milwaukee shoreline increased this week with a nice stretch of calm stable weather. Nice catches of coho salmon continue to be landed along with a few brown trout in the 5 to 6 pound range.

Greater numbers of does are dropping fawns and turkey broods are starting to band together and move about. Deer will be browsing for forbs or flowers in open areas, which provide the protein in their diet for antler and milk production. Velvet antler growth is now becoming quite visible on bucks. This is also the time of the "molt migration," during which geese begin heading north for the summer, where they will spend time until returning in early fall.

Spiderwort, wood phlox, columbine and Canada mayflower are in bloom. Yellow lady's slipper orchids are in bloom in Door County. Dragonflies, including the 12-spotted skimmer, common whitetail and dot white-face are being seen. Yellow swallowtail butterflies are numerous right now and a few monarchs have been observed. Crickets have responded to the temperature change and have been chirping songs of the coming summer.

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Second Drawing for Black Hills Elk Now Open

The Black Hills (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Applications are now being taken for the second drawing of the 2016 Black Hills Elk Season.  No paper applications will be taken for the second drawing.  You must apply online by 8:00 a.m. CDT on June 22.

 

Anyone who does not have a 2016 elk license is eligible for the second drawing, including those individuals that were not eligible for the first drawing.

 

Applicants now have the option of using accumulated preference points during the second draw. Those applicants who choose to use their preference points in the second draw and are successful in the draw will lose any accumulated preference points and eligibility to apply for that season for 9 years.  

 

Applicants will be charged the $10 nonrefundable fee to their credit/debit card, and if successful the full license fee will be added.

 

To apply, click here.

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DNR seeks input on updated Michigan Deer Management Plan

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources invites those interested in the management of Michigan’s white-tailed deer population to review and provide input on its draft updated Deer Management Plan.

The plan was created in 2010 through a process that involved substantial stakeholder input and incorporated the best scientific information possible.  A similar process was undertaken in 2015 to update the plan, ensuring that it remains current and reflects the current status of the deer program in Michigan.

“The updated plan will continue to provide strategic guidance to DNR staff for the management of white-tailed deer in Michigan,” said Chad Stewart, DNR deer, elk and moose program specialist.  

The plan supports the mission of the deer program by maintaining a healthy white-tailed deer population, using sound scientific management, maximizing recreational opportunities while minimizing negative effects on ecosystems and other wildlife species and without creating undue hardship to private interests.

The draft plan focuses on goals and objectives that are desirable, with defined actions outlined to achieve these goals and objectives. With this structure, the DNR has the ability to adopt an adaptive approach to deer management, accounting for differences between regions and incorporating changes in management techniques or technology to achieve a desired result.

“We’d like to thank all of the individuals, stakeholders and partners who have assisted in this process over the last year and a half,” Stewart said.

The draft updated plan is available on the DNR’s website at www.michigan.gov/deer. The plan will be available for review through July 8. Comments may be submitted to dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov or sent to DNR Wildlife Division, 525 West Allegan St., Lansing, MI 48909.

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Wisconsin Outdoor Report for 6/5/2016

Panorama view of the Kettle Moraine State Forest, Pike Lake Unit near Hartford Wisconsin. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Free Fun Weekend in Wisconsin June 4-5; free admission to parks, forests, trails, no fishing license needed to fish

This weekend is Free Fun Weekend in Wisconsin, with free admission to state parks and forests, no trail passes required for state trails, no fishing licenses needed to fish, and no non-resident trail passes needed to operate all-terrain vehicles on state trails. Events include: the 50th anniversary celebration of Hartman Creek State Park, ribbon cutting for a new 60-unit campground at Buckhorn State Park, Discovery Day at Pike Lake Unit and an Outdoor Skills Day at the Northern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest, as well as, Art Along the Willow at Willow River State Park.

Some properties are taking advantage of Free Fishing Weekend to offer fishing clinics, including: High Cliff, Kohler-Andrae and Merrick state parks, Richard Bong State Recreation Area, and the Northern and Pike Lake units of the Kettle Moraine State Forest and there are additional free fishing activities taking place around the state. Other fishing rules apply, such as size and bag limits.

Saturday is also National Trails Day and hikes are planned on a number of state properties and local Ice Age Trail Alliance chapters are planning hikes around the state (exit DNR).

Large portions of the state experienced heavy and punctuated rains over the past Memorial Day weekend but that did not stop people from getting out, especially when skies cleared on Monday. The rains did wash out a section of the Tuscobia State Trail and flooded parts of the Chippewa River State Trail, so sections are closed on both trails.

In the Northwoods, panfish action is improving dramatically. A slower rise in water temperature has extended the spawning activity of some crappie, largemouth and smallmouth bass. This has also prompted a few bluegill and rock bass to begin their nesting periods. With the northern musky opener last weekend, musky fishing was the highlight of this past week, but while anglers reported sightings and follows there were relatively low numbers of hook-ups.

Anglers were catching walleye on the Menominee River, and the walleye bite along the west shore of Green Bay continues to be good with anglers reporting limits of fish being caught off Oconto. Walleye fishing along the Door County side of the bay was also good, especially at night. Smallmouth bass fishing was proving to have its ups and downs early this season for many anglers, but bass fishing reports continue to get better throughout the peninsula.

Rough water conditions, heavy fog, and a strong southerly wind hampered Lake Michigan fishing activities through the first half of the weekend and fishing pressure was relatively low. As the weather conditions improved and the lake settled down, fishing pressure increased and many anglers were reporting success in Kewaunee, Algoma, and Sturgeon Bay. Mostly rainbows were being caught, also an occasional chinook, coho salmon and lake trout.

The forests and fields are full of new wildlife. Numerous reports of fawns, young rabbits, foxes and bear cubs have come in. Elk cows are having calves, so the yearlings are being displaced from mom and are frequently seen along the sides of the roads. Many songbird species are fledging their first nestlings and grouse and turkey broods should be starting to hatch. As a reminder state law requires dogs to be on leash until July 31 on state-owned lands to protect fledglings and young animals.

Numerous prairie flowers such as: prairie smoke, golden alexander, and lupine are competing with invasives such as yellow sweet clover and dame's rocket. Bug populations have arrived in much of the state, particularly in wet conditions. Mayfly hatch has begun and ticks and mosquitos are out in the woods and along streams, in force.