Family-Outdoors

Results of the license drawing for the 2013 elk hunting seasons have been posted on the Department of Natural Resources website at  www.michigan.gov/huntdrawings . Two elk seasons will be held in 2013. The first season will run from  Aug. 27-30 ,  Sept. 13-16  and  Sept. 27-30 . The second season will run from  Dec. 7-15 . An additional season may be held  Jan. 15-19, 2014 , 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. Hunters can increase their odds of getting an elk license by applying for the 2014 Pure Michigan Hunt drawing. Each application is $4, and applicants can purchase as many chances as they like. Three lucky hunters will win a package of licenses to hunt elk, bear, turkey, antlerless deer and waterfowl. Only Michigan residents may hunt elk. Winning the Pure Michigan Hunt will not affect a hunter's elig...

The belief that the best bet for turkey hunting is to head to southern Michigan is being challenged this year. Early survey results and hunter commentary are showing that hunters who spent time turkey hunting in the northern half of Michigan are satisfied with their experience. “We took three birds in three days,” said the National Wild Turkey Federation’s (NWTF) Tony Snyder, who took a bird himself, and assisted his grandchildren in harvesting their first turkeys, in Unit J. “We had awesome hunting and saw lots of birds in the area.” Trevor Shuman, an 11-year-old from Petoskey, also had great success and harvested his first bird in Emmet County. Trevor Meers from Des Moines, Iowa hunted on Beaver Island and had a hunt he can’t wait to replicate, saying, “I think I’m going to get my buddies together and come back; I was amazed at how inexpensive my turkey tag was.” Meers harvested a big tom and saw dozens of birds. ”We work hard to maintain and create great wild...

Good news! The DNR is offering “Hook, Line and Sinker” programs at over 30 state parks and hatcheries across the state this summer. Learn fishing basics, like knot-tying, casting, selecting and using bait, and removing the fish from the hook. Our experienced, friendly staff provides the instruction, the equipment and the bait, all you need is a Recreation Passport to enter the park.  To find a Hook, Line and Sinker program near you, visit  www.michigan.gov/ hooklineandsinker  for a list of participating parks. Programs are being added regularly, so bookmark the page and check back often. As always, children under the age of 17 are not required to have a fishing license. Hook, Line and Sinker programs are free; however, a Recreation Passport is required for each vehicle entering the park.

The previous Pure Michigan Hunt winners have won prize packages that most hunters could only dream about. This year’s prize package is no exception, and new sponsors continue to jump on board to show their support for hunting in Michigan. Recently, several strong partners joined the ranks, to support this once-in-a-lifetime hunting opportunity: Kwikee Quiver Company in Williamsburg - quiver package   Saginaw Field and Stream Club in Saginaw - $100 gift cards to Cabela’s Ruffed Grouse Society Michigan Chapter - Browning wind-cutter jacket and membership Those would like a chance at being one of the three winners in 2014 can purchase $4 Pure Michigan Hunt applications anywhere licenses are sold or online at  E-License . Hunters can apply as many times as they wish from now until  Dec. 31 . Winners will be drawn in January 2014. Each winner will receive a prize package, valued over $4,000, which includes the following hunting licenses: elk, bear, sp...

South Dakota state parks will be holding several special events the last weekend in June. These activities are a great way to spend time outdoors with your family. Make plans to attend the following events: Family Fun Days,   Pickerel Lake Recreation Area  near Waubay.  Thursday, June 27 through Sunday, June 30 . Enjoy a fun-filled weekend with games, contests, skits, food and fun for the whole family. Activities are held at the west campground. Info:  605-486-4753 South Dakota Survival Weekend ,  Big Sioux Recreation Area  near Brandon.  Friday, June 28 through Sunday, June 30 . Learn how to survive without the comforts of home. Join us for a weekend of programs, including fire making, edible plants, shelter building, knot tying and more! Info: 605-582-7243 Becoming an Outdoor Family,  Roy Lake State Park near Lake City.  Friday, June 28 through Sunday, June 30 . Becoming an Outdoor Family  is a weekend full of fun, camping an...

What can 30 years of research and monitoring on Maine seabirds teach us? That the marine environment is changing fast. That ocean birds may be failing to adapt. That the scope of few marine threats - from ocean warming and offshore energy development to competition from commercial fisheries - could have been foreseen when Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge< http://www.fws.gov/ northeast/mainecoastal/ >staff began studying the birds in the early '80s. The refuge, made up of more than 50 islands in the Gulf of Maine, uses data from research and monitoring to manage Maine seabird colonies and try to stem the birds' decline. Consider the Arctic tern. Its 36,000-plus mile-per-year migration from its wintering grounds in Antarctica to its Maine breeding grounds is the world's longest; the little bird makes the equivalent of three round trips to the moon in its 30-year lifetime. Small light-sensing units called geolocators have been used to document the d...

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is moving the 2013 fall turkey license application deadline, originally set for July 3, to August this year to allow for a better assessment of the fall turkey population before determining license numbers. The official date for the application deadline has not yet been determined. Stan Kohn, upland game management supervisor, said the change will allow more opportunities for hunters. “Our fall turkey numbers are a lot more precise when we can use data from late spring and early summer before we have to finalize the proclamation,” Kohn said. “Now we can thoroughly assess brood production, which has a direct influence on the fall population.” For years, the fall turkey proclamation was finalized in late May, with applications out in early June and the deadline for applying early July. Game and Fish made the decision to change the fall turkey process this spring, after a tentative application deadline of July 3 was publicized in news rele...

Big Manitou Falls It finally looks summer has arrived and not just on the calendar, but in the woods and on the waters of Wisconsin. For the most part, the state has enjoyed sunnier, warmer days in the past week and more of the same is in the forecast. Events are really picking up at state park, forest and trail properties, including a  solstice celebration  this weekend at  Aztalan State Park  in Jefferson County. Visitors will be able to view an archeological dig going on that was being filmed this week for an series that will run next spring on PBS. For a list of other activities, search the DNR website for “ get outdoors .” Water levels are finally beginning to drop on river systems. The North Fork of the Flambeau is at normal levels for early summer. Both the Lower Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers are also continuing to drop. The mayfly hatch seems to have just started on many northern lakes, including the Upper Chippewa Basin, and this has upset the ...