8922419 total results

A random sample of 9,000 deer hunting license buyers were contacted after the 2006 deer hunting season to (1) estimate importance of deer hunting and motives of deer hunters in Michigan, (2) quantify hunter activity during the past three deer hunting seasons, and (3) determine deer hunters’ opinions on various hunting regulations. Most licensees (83%) indicated hunting deer was either one of their most important recreational activities or the most important activity. The primary reasons people enjoyed hunting deer were to spend time outdoors, spend time with friends and family, and the excitement of seeing deer. Among hunters who purchased a deer hunting license in 2006, 96% of these licensees spent time in the field hunting deer during the past three years (683,095 deer hunters). About 74% of these hunters took at least one deer during the past three years. Nearly 60% of hunters took an antlered deer and 46% took an antlerless deer during the past three years. Over 75% of deer hunters felt the number of deer, number of bucks, number of mature bucks, and deer herd health were the most important issues to consider when developing deer hunting regulations. Most deer hunters (>62%) statewide believed there were moderate to extensive problems with the number of deer, number of bucks, and number of mature bucks in the region where they most often hunted. Statewide, most deer hunters (84%) agreed the regular firearm season should begin on November 15. Most deer hunters in the Upper Peninsula (58%) and Northern Lower Peninsula (52%) supported additional restrictions on buck harvest. Nearly equal proportions of deer hunters in the Southern Lower Peninsula supported and opposed additional buck harvest restrictions. Although most Michigan deer hunters favored additional buck harvest restrictions, none of the buck harvest restrictions evaluated received higher support than the existing regulations (i.e., allow hunters to take a total of two bucks in any combination of seasons if one of those bucks has at least four antler points on one antler).

Report on trip to the Upper Peninsula to determine moose status and habitat conditions.

Report on the increase in ticks in the western portions of the Upper Peninsula in the summer of 1944.

This report contains a preliminary analysis of the 1986 deer hunting season based on data collected at highway deer check stations, from field reports, from counts of deer being transported on vehicles, and from highway traffic counters. About 232,000 bowhunters, 725,000 firearm deer hunters, and 58,000 muzzleloaders went deer hunting in 1986. Records were set in all three deer hunting seasons. More deer were taken by hunters in 1986 than in the history of Michigan deer hunting. The preliminary archery harvest was 46,500 (up from the 1985 final harvest estimate of 41,780). The preliminary firearm harvest of 192,000 also increased from a final estimate of 186,840 deer during the 1985 season. The preliminary muzzleloading harvest estimate was 5,500 which was an increase from the 1985 preliminary estimate of 3,500. For all three seasons combined, hunters harvested an estimated 244,000 deer in 1986.

Results of the research and survey carried out on fishers that were killed by motor vehicles or accidentally trapped during the fall of 1985, spring, fall, and winter of 1986, and winter of 1987.

This report contains a preliminary analysis of the 1985 firearm deer hunting season based on data collected at highway deer-check stations, from field reports, from counts of deer being transported on vehicles, and from highway traffic counters. Deer came through the winter of 1984-1985 in fine condition. Scientific measures of winter severity, taken at northern field offices on a weekly basis, showed that the winter of 1984-1985 was milder than that of most years during the past decade. It appears that in terms of total deer taken, Michigan's deer hunters have just completed their second best firearm deer season in history. The estimated harvest of 163,000 deer represents a 26 percent increase from the 1984 harvest.

Survey to estimate moose abundance in the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan from January 2 to February 2, 2013.

A surves was completed to determine the number of otter harvest tag holders that set traps for otter and beaver, the number of animals caught, the types of traps used, and the number of days trapped.

This report is a quick summary analysis of the 1982 firearm deer season based on early data collected at highway check stations. from field reports, from counts of deer on vehicles moving homeward, and from highway traffic counters. The preliminary estimate of the 1982 firearm deer kill suggests that the harvest was better than we had expected. Prior to the deer season, we had projected that there could be as much as a 20 to 25 percent decrease in the firearm deer take compared to the harvest in 1981. The severe winter weather during January and February, 1982. resulted in the loss of more than 67,000 deer in northern Michigan. In addition, the survival of fawns born in the spring of 1982 was certainly lower because of the stress placed on the does during the winter. It was a pleasant surprise to see that the firearm harvest had only fallen 12 percent from the all time record 1981 firearm deer harvest which was estimated to be 173,210. The 1982 harvest of 153,000 would place it in third place on the all time Michigan list behind last year's record and behind the 1952 harvest of 162,160.

The Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan supports numerous furbearer species, and the Department of Natural Resources is charged with managing the "Endangered" but rapidly recovering gray wolf (Canis lupus), the reintroduced fisher (Martes pennanti) and marten (M. americana), the Federally regulated bobcat (Lynx rufus) and river otter (Lutra canadensis), and a number of other furbearers of varying status. Harvest information and physical data have been collected as part of the registration process for fisher, bobcat, river otter, badger, and incidental marten captures. Furbearer Winter Track Count Surveys have been attempted in the UP since 1996, and formal summaries of the results of the survey conducted in 1998 and 1999 were reported. A winter track count approach was selected, because many of the species of greatest concern are active on the surface of the snow during winter, and suitable snow tracking conditions in the UP normally extend from late January until early April. Routes were surveyed 1-3 days after a marker snow, and data from 11 furbearers and 5 other species of interest were collected. Marten tracks were found along 48% of the segments surveyed in 2000. The coyote (Canis latrans) was the most widely distributed furbearer, leaving tracks along 78% of the segments surveyed. The Lagomorphs (snowshoe hare, Lepus americanus and cottontail rabbit, Sylvilagus floridanus) were the most widely distributed species group, being detected along 79% of the segments surveyed.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources uses population estimates to assess population status and determine harvest permit quotas for black bear management. The tetracycline survey uses a 2 occasion mark-recapture design to derive a population estimate for the bear population of the Upper Peninsula. We evaluated the survey to identify bias in the estimate and violation of assumptions in the surveys procedure. We also evaluated the survey for efficiency in procedures and methodology and appropriate scale of application. We examined the surveys data both statistically and geographically, and compared surveys data to harvest data. We also simulated surveys conditions to identify the potential magnitude of biases. We make recommendations to minimize the effects of violating surveys assumptions and to improve surveys efficiency.

A survey was completed to determine whether hunters and landowners supported mandatory QDM regulations in Deer Management Units (DMU) in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (UP). The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) supports the voluntary implementation of QDM practices on private land in Michigan. However, mandatory regulations should be imposed in a DMU only when it can be shown that a clear majority (>66%) of hunters and landowners support implementation. Questionnaires were sent to a random sample of landowners and hunters; 75% of the landowners and 86% of hunters returned their questionnaire. About 63% of landowners owning land in the UP and 61% of people hunting deer in the UP supported implementing mandatory QDM regulations. Support from both landowners and hunters was insufficient to recommend implementation of mandatory QDM regulations for the UP.

This report is a summary analysis of the 1980 firearm deer season based on an early sampling of data collected at five highway check stations from field reports, counts of deer on vehicles moving homeward, and from highway traffic counters. Hunting conditions were generally described as excellent for the greatest part of the season in most parts of the state with very little "down-time" because of weather. The firearm deer kill was greater than anticipated. An increased herd pursued by a large hunting public during excellent weather over a longer period of time produced a larger kill than expected. The deer kill during the 1980 firearm deer season increased about five percent over 1979's kill of 118,480. Hunter numbers in 1979 were apparently down somewhat from the 711.340 of last year.

Extensive logging in the 1800's, subsequent fires, and heavy trapping through the 1920's led to the extirpation of the fisher (Martes pennanti) from its former range in the Upper Peninsula (U.P.). Fisher were first reintroduced in the 1960's on the U.P.'s Ottawa National Forest. By 1989, they had become sufficiently abundant in all or parts of Baraga, Gogebic, Houghton, Iron, Marquette and Ontonagon counties to allow a limited harvest by trapping. In 1994, additional areas in Alger, Delta, Dickinson, Houghton, Keweenaw, Marquette and Menominee counties were opened to fisher trapping. Trappers were limited to 1 fisher from Unit B as part of their bag limit. Regulations remained the same in 1995. In 1996, the remainder of the Upper Peninsula, with the exception of Drummond Island, was added. The regulations remained unchanged in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001. Since the first trapping season, trappers have been required to submit to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) the skulls of fisher for examination and pelts for sealing. In 2001, there was a registered harvest of 381 fisher. Of the 293 fisher submitted for examination, 145 (49.5%) were males and 148 (50.5%) were females. Of the legally trapped fisher submitted for examination, 65.5% (192 of 293) were 1.5 years old or younger. By comparison, last year's fisher harvest consisted of 74.4% (131 of 176) yearlings and juveniles.

This report contains a preliminary analysis of the 1983 firearm deer season based on early data collected at highway check stations, from field reports, from counts of deer on vehicles moving homeward, and from highway traffic counters. It appears that in terms of total deer taken, Michigan's deer hunters have just completed their ninth best firearm deer season in history. The estimated harvest of 119,000 deer represents a 26 percent reduction from the 1982 harvest. In 1981 and 1982 hunters had their first and second best total harvests in history. Overall, the firearm deer harvest was more than twice as large as the average ten years ago.

Results of the research and survey carried out on skinned fisher carcasses and/or heads submitted by trappers and DNR personnel in 2002.

Results of a survey to determine the number of otter harvest tag holders that set traps for otter and beaver, the number of animals caught, the types of traps used, and the number of days they trapped in 2009.

Extensive logging in the 1800's, subsequent fires, and heavy trapping through the 1920's led to the extirpation of the fisher (Martes pennanti) from its former range in the Upper Peninsula (U.P.). Fisher were first reintroduced in the 1960's on the U.P.'s Ottawa National Forest. By 1989, they had become sufficiently abundant in all or parts of Baraga, Gogebic, Houghton, Iron, Marquette and Ontonagon counties to allow a limited harvest by trapping. In 1994, additional areas in Alger, Delta, Dickinson, Houghton, Keweenaw, Marquette and Menominee counties were opened to fisher trapping. Trappers were limited to 1 fisher from Unit B as part of their bag limit. Regulations remained the same in 1995. In 1996, the remainder of the Upper Peninsula, with the exception of Drummond Island, was added to Unit B. Since the first trapping season, trappers have been required to submit to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) the skulls of fisher for examination and pelts for sealing. This year, 348 of the 471 (73.9%) legally trapped and registered fisher were submitted for examination at the Rose lake Wildlife Disease laboratory. Nearly equal numbers of males, 187 (53.7%) and females, 161 (46.3%) were examined. Of the legally trapped fisher submitted for examination, 71.3% (248 of 348) were 1.5 years old or younger. By comparison, last year's fisher harvest consisted of 81.4% (118 of 145) juveniles.

The goal of this study was to document the distribution and relative abundance of double-crested cormorants in areas of concern for fisheries management, particularly the bays and islands along the Eastern U.P. Great Lakes shoreline. Because spawning perch concentrate in portions of these bays from the time ice leaves until mid-May, cormorant use was examined in more detail during the spring period. The surveys techniques used are also evaluated and recommendations are provided for future attempts at cormorant population estimates. During the evaluation, some cormorants arrived on the study area before the first aerial survey was conducted on 19 April and before all ice was gone. Cormorant abundance increased gradually from about 1,000 birds in April to 3,000 in June. The number of birds counted during June and July fluctuated between 2,000 and 3,000 but increased dramatically in August to 6,600. Presumably, this increase consisted largely of fledglings which had left their nests. Cormorant numbers declined sharply from late August to October with the onset of fall migration.

Extensive logging in the 1800's and subsequent fires plus heavy trapping through the 1920's led to the extirpation of the fisher (Martes pennanti) from its former range in the Upper Peninsula (U.P.). Fisher were reintroduced in the 1960's on the U.P.'s Ottawa National Forest. By 1989, they became sufficiently abundant in Baraga, Gogebic, Houghton, Iron, Marquette, and Ontonagon counties to allow a limited harvest. The 1992 season was the fourth consecutive year for legal trapping for this species and resulted in a registered harvest of 140 fisher. In addition, one fisher was killed by a vehicle, 14 were accidentally trapped, and 2 were found dead. Younger age classes were more likely to be trapped with 77 of the 119 (65%) animals aged being 1.5 years old or younger. Nearly equal numbers of males (61) and females (58) were examined, despite the fact that males have a larger home range and are more likely to engage in intraspecies competition.

Report on deeryard investigations in the Upper Peninsula in 1938-1939.