In this episode of the Wildtalk Podcast, find out what’s happening around the state, listen to an interview with the Wildlife Division’s new Chief, Jared Duquette, and hear listener questions answered in the mailbag segment. The episode wraps up with a discussion about coyotes, and how you can think like one to help prevent them from becoming a nuisance.
Questions or comments about the show? Contact the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-9453 (WILD). You can also email dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov, and even send your question as a sound file that you record on your phone to be played on the air!
Episode Hosts: Hannah Schauer and Rachel Leightner
Producer: Eric Hilliard
Main Interview Guest(s): Jared Duquette
Questions or comments about the show? Contact the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-9453 (WILD) or email dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov.
In this episode of the Wildtalk Podcast, find out what’s happening around the state, listen to an interview with the Wildlife Division’s new Chief, Jared Duquette, and hear listener questions answered in the mailbag segment. The episode wraps up with a discussion about coyotes, and how you can think like one to help prevent them from becoming a nuisance.
Questions or comments about the show? Contact the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-9453 (WILD). You can also email dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov, and even send your question as a sound file that you record on your phone to be played on the air!
Episode Hosts: Hannah Schauer and Rachel Leightner
Producer: Eric Hilliard
Main Interview Guest(s): Jared Duquette
Questions or comments about the show? Contact the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-9453 (WILD) or email dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov.
Announcer:
You know what that sound means. It's time for the Michigan DNR's Wildtalk Podcast. Welcome to the Wildtalk Podcast, where representatives from the DNR's Wildlife Division chew the fat and shoot the scat about all things habitat, feathers and fur. With insights, interviews, and your questions answered on the air, you'll get a better picture of what's happening in the world of wildlife here in the great state of Michigan.
Rachel:
Welcome to Wildtalk. I'm your host, Rachel Leightner and hosting with me today is Hannah Schauer.
Hannah:
Today, we'll be talking with Jared Duquette, Wildlife Division's Chief, and sometime during the episode, we'll be revealing the winners of our Wildtalk Podcast cat mugs and the answer to last month's questions. You can find out how you can win one too so stay tuned.
Rachel:
And we'll also be giving you a few highlights of work going on for wildlife around the state, and as always answering your questions from the mailbag. But first we're going to shine a light on our wildlife spotlight, the coyote.
Hannah:
February is the season of love and coyotes are no exception.
Rachel:
Coyote breeding usually takes place between January and March. And during this time coyotes are searching for a mate, driving off other coyotes that intrude into their territory and looking for a suitable den site to raise their pups.
Hannah:
Yes. And depending on when breeding occurred, pups will be born about two months later, usually sometime between March and May. An average litter may contain six pups. Pups will not open their eyes until about 14 days after they're born. And at three weeks old, the pups are eating regurgitated food from mom, yum. And about two months of age, pups have learned how to hunt.
Rachel:
Young coyotes will start to disperse from their parents' territory in the fall to establish their own home range or territory. And certainly these younger pups on their own for the first time tend to be more visible.
Hannah:
Yes, and a coyote's home range or territory can vary quite significantly. In urban areas, a coyote home range will only be about two to five square miles, whereas in more rural areas, home range sizes tend to be larger at around eight to 12 square miles. Regardless of location, size of a home range will depend on food and shelter availability, as well as the number of other coyotes that are in the area.
Rachel:
Coyotes are very adaptable species and their acute hearing and keen sense of smell help them locate food. Coyotes are extremely opportunistic when it comes to diet and we'll take advantage of just about any available food sources. A typical coyote diet is almost 90% mammals, things like rabbits, mice, squirrels, muskrats, but coyotes also feed on birds, or snakes, frogs, and potentially fruits and vegetables as well. They're also known to eat carry on. So things like dead animals, yum.
Hannah:
Yum. Lots of yummy foods for the coyotes, got to get some of that road kill. Anyway, given that many of the small mammals that make up the coyote's diet are active around dawn and dusk, this tends to be when the coyote is most active as well, although it is not unusual to see them out and about at just about any time of day or night.
Rachel:
You might also hear coyotes throughout the day or night as well. A coyote scientific name Canis latrans, means barking dog, which is fitting as these very vocal mammals can make a variety of sounds, including barks, [inaudible 00:03:39], and howls to communicate with their family group or other coyotes.
Hannah:
Coyotes are a member of the canine family and can look similar to wolves and domestic dogs. Size-wise, coyotes are smaller than a wolf and larger than a fox, measuring about three to four feet from tip of their nose to the end of their tail. In the winter especially, their fluffy fur coat and the long legs can make them appear quite large. Key features to look for when trying to identify a coyote are the large pointed ears, which in my opinion, look too big for its head, and it has a long narrow snout. The body overall is sort of a grayish modeled color. There can be a lot of variation among individuals and they might have some reddish coloring on their legs and the black tip of their tail.
Rachel:
Anytime I've seen a coyote in the wild, they were usually running, and so the black tipped tail is pretty good giveaway since it's such a dark coloration and you can catch it pretty quickly. Because these coyotes are so adaptable, you can find them throughout the entire state, and just about any kind of habitat, from rural to urban areas. But you might not always see them as they like most other wildlife prefer to avoid people. Not everyone wants coyotes around their home, but it is important to remember that they do provide vital ecosystem services by keeping small mammal populations in check.
Hannah:
Yes. And hopefully we can all agree that coyotes are incredibly resourceful and have learned to adapt to the ever-changing landscape around them. Pretty remarkable.
Rachel:
Indeed.
Announcer:
It's that time of year again, coyote breading season. Don't be surprised if you see more coyote activity during the next couple of months. Coyotes are found statewide and can survive just about anywhere. Coyotes can become comfortable living near people, particularly if there are food sources available. Remove attractions like trash bins, bird feeders, and pet foods. Take advantage of a coyote's natural fear of humans and scare them off if you see them. Remember coyotes can be good neighbors to have because they eat plenty of rodents.
Rachel:
Welcome back. It's time to hear what our staff around the state have been up to. Starting up in the upper Peninsula, a handful of our UP field staff are working on the deer camp survey, which is basically talking with a large number of UP Deer Camps that are polled annually to track their hunting observations and comments, to see how it compares to previous years. Now, we've got about 700 deer hunting camps all across the UP that are a part of this survey. And if some of you listeners are a part of that survey, we just wanted to say an honest thank you because we do use your hunting experiences, your observations and opinions together, a snapshot of the whole UP harvest information. And that's invaluable data that we would not otherwise have if you didn't provide it.
Rachel:
So our staff are currently compiling the 2020 season results and a final report is planned to be sent out in February. Also up in the UP, The Deer Winter Complex, Winter Deer Survey, is underway this month. For those who might not be familiar with what Deer Winter Complex is, it's an area that is specifically maintained for deer survival during a typical UP winter. So you can kind of think of it as a winter safe haven for deer. There's a handful of them across the UP, and this Winter Deer Survey will gauge the deer activity in these identified areas during the winter months. The UP region is now expanding the framework and how we'll collect data and those kinds of processes, and what expectations we have for the survey so that we can continue to influence landscape and habitat management decisions across the UP.
Rachel:
And finally, the 12th year of the Deer Habitat Improvement Partnership Initiative Grant Program has begun. This program provides grants to our partners so that they can improve deer habitat on private lands across the UP. If you want to learn more about deer management, the Winter Deer Complexes or the Deer Range Improvement Program, you can find this information at michigan.gov/deer. There's a lot of deer work going on even past the deer season.
Hannah:
Absolutely a lot of great stuff. And below the bridge is no exception. There is also some deer habitat improvement work to be done. Across Northern Michigan staff will continue to work on deer habitat projects on state land, but we'll also spend time on the deer PLAN, which is an acronym for the Private Land Assistance Network. So this is a grant program, which is specific to the Northern lower region. It provides grants to private land owners to help reduce bovine tuberculosis in wild deer population and provides an avenue for landowners to collaborate with the DNR staff on deer and habitat management in their area. Again, if you're interested learning more about the deer PLAN grants, visit michigan.gov/deer, and we'll also include a link for more information to the grants in our show notes. Applications for the grants are due by February 28th. So coming up here pretty quick. Our Northern lower region also welcomed two new-
Rachel:
Team members.
Hannah:
-to the Wildlife Division. Wildlife technicians were hired to cover the tip of the mitt and the North Eastern portion. We're excited to have our new folks on board.
Rachel:
Can't wait to actually meet them in person and not just over a virtual Teams call.
Hannah:
It'd be fabulous. I think we're all looking forward to getting back to our in-person work, hopefully, some point in the near future here.
Rachel:
Moving a little farther South and over to the East, I first have an update on the Mid Winter Waterfowl survey that was mentioned in our last episode. We had talked to many of our staff who would be observing and counting waterfowl from vehicles and planes in January. And this year, the Southeast staff had a very rewarding experience while doing the survey. While they were on a long flight across Western Lake Erie, they counted and observed over 100 bald eagles.
Hannah:
Wow, that's awesome.
Rachel:
I know. Yeah, that must've been quite a treat to see. I don't think I've ever seen more than one bald eagle at a time, so to count a hundred different bald eagles is amazing. Similar to most of the other regions, the Southeast crew is still plugging along and winter habitat projects that involve mowing brush and other woody plant species while the ground is still frozen. And as we were on the corner towards the start of the spring field season, they will be restocking supplies, materials, and getting equipment prepared and on hand for spring planting and habitat work. Around the West side in Southwest Michigan, similarly to Southeast, the crews continue to work on winter habitat projects. We're cutting out a lot of brush, mowing areas of thick snow for some rare butterfly habitat. And there's also a number of timber sales on going, which are either they've begun and the timber sale is now ongoing or they're in the planning processes. And those will become open very soon.
Rachel:
Now those are going on in a handful of state game areas in the region. And these timber sales will mostly be removing older trees that have passed their prime and we're freeing up space and sunlight for new native species to grow. Some of these state game areas where the timber sales are taking place, will have limited access to the trails near the timber sales for safety purposes. But these trails we'll have a lot of signs to make you aware of the sale. So if you do come across a sale or some of these signs while you're out, it might be a good idea to consider taking a new trail. I'm sure I can speak for most of our field staff and our non-field stuff too, and I say we are all excited and looking forward to spring time when we can't get outside and have some fresh air and see some new spring buds and wildlife running around. All right, and that's all we have from around the state. Stick around for our interview with wildlife chief, Jared Duquette.
Announcer:
A base license for $11 is a fair, fair to go hunt hair or even a squirrel or two if you care. You hunted deer last month, the license is already there, so no more money from your pocket or your billfold square. To get your share of squirrel or hair to eat yourself or share with flare and fanfare with a nice set of flatware at a table you prepared, just bundle up warm with something to wear and don't miss when you shoot or you're liable to swear and possibly despair if you see no more signs of hide nor hair, so happy hunting to all and y'all take care.
Rachel:
Welcome back to Wildtalk. Today, we have Jared Duquette, the Wildlife Division's Chief joining us. Welcome Jared.
Jared:
Yes. Thank you for having me. This is super exciting, I think my first official interview since I've started this job a little over a month ago. So it's perfect.
Rachel:
Oh, fantastic.
Jared:
Yeah, it's nice to start with our staff instead of getting grilled by somebody from the media potentially.
Hannah:
Excellent.
Rachel:
I'm sure you've been super busy in your last month starting this new job, so we do really appreciate you sitting down to talk with us today. Well, let's just get started with, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself and what got you interested in wildlife conservation?
Jared:
Sure. So I grew up actually in St. Charles Michigan about half an hour Southwest of Saginaw. Folks know it's that small little town. And grew up, we have five acres and a pond and it was just that traditional kid that was out there playing with frogs and my family were big hunters so I got to exposed to wildlife through that kind of traditional pathway. And then went in and just was like, one day I think my family got cable. I think I forgot how old, I think I was 10. And remember that was the first episode or first season of Shark Week. And I remember there's a researcher on there tagging a shark and his name was Dr. So-And-So. And I was like, "I want to handle animals." I was like, "I'm going to be a doctor."
Jared:
And I've always been a very like driven person and just kind of made a plan along the way and went to Central Michigan University and got a biology degree in natural resources there in 2004, and then went on to work around the country actually, on various projects. A couple of them were on bovine tuberculosis, actually up in Northern Michigan. And then worked on some things with some of our stakeholders, especially our Cattleman's Residents and looking at ways we can keep deer and elk from spreading disease actually into cattle and some of these preventative measures, which is really, really neat. And then I worked around the country on Blackbird Projects and Elk and Rocky Mountain National Park for a few years, and then got a masters working on badgers actually in Ohio. And so very rare species there in the state, which is really neat project. And then jumped actually right into a PhD after that. I'm working back up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on the Michigan Predator Prey Project, we're in the first phase there. And working with the declining, kind of slow declining deer population.
Jared:
And trying to answer that question relative to the impacts of weather and various carnivores species and habitat and that. And then after I got my PhD and wrapped up in 2014, I wanted to get out and get some more experience. Went around and worked some couple of places in California for a couple of different organizations out there. Worked internationally, did some projects down in Panama, very conservation focus working with jaguars, and tapirs, and ocelots and things. And then I was like, "I want to get back closer to home a little bit." And my wife agreed with that thankfully. And I found a position in Illinois and started their Illinois [inaudible 00:15:23] Program, which is just for adults. It's like free and people can take that and it gets them some exposure and they teach them how to cook wild game and all these things.
Jared:
And then with that too, with that position with Illinois DNR, and I got to work a lot with chronic wasting disease, from a managerial aspect a lot, but also a lot from the field operations of how to manage disease, particularly CWD. And other things like waterfall banding and all the things that come with working for a wildlife state, a wildlife division. And then I was like, "Okay, I think I kind of have this urge to get back home." And for the past few years, and then the chief position came open, I applied for it and was thankful and honored to have got the position here and be able to lead conservation here in the state.
Rachel:
It's very easy to see how qualified you are for this position. I mean, so many of the jobs that you just set are so applicable to what we do here and you have quite the robust amount of experience. It's exciting to see what you'll bring to the division with all that you've done. If you had to say one of those was your most favorite position or project, could you name one?
Jared:
It's tough that one of my proudest things that I've ever done, I love applied conservation, getting the research and all that knowledge and working with field folks and partners and really creating on the ground conservation actions. And one of the projects I had in Northeast California was looking at a declining pronghorn population there. And we didn't know the factors that are going into that. And we have these GPS collars on these animals and looking at migration routes and things people do nowadays. And we found this area actually on tribal land that was a historic kind of pinch point where all these animals come through to migrate, but there was two interstates there and lots of fencing and these animals were getting held up there a lot in poor food and all this.
Jared:
And we worked with the tribe, worked with BLM, worked with the Forest Service, to actually mitigate this area and help pronghorn pass through by fixing fences, removing them. We cut down a bunch of invasive species, tried to restore that land in that habitat there. And it was just great to see all that research and all those partners come together for this actionable conservation for pronghorn and many other species like mule deer and bear that would use this.
Rachel:
I'm sure it also doesn't hurt that where you find pronghorn is also some of the most beautiful land in this country. So that's probably a perk to that job?
Jared:
The smell of sage brush. I mean, I do miss that. It's wonderful.
Rachel:
So the last question I have, so that our hunters and folks listening can get to know you a little bit better is probably the most burning question you're going to receive, is do you have a dog?
Jared:
Ooh, yes. I actually had two. So technically I have a chocolate lab. He's your typical bumbling lab, a wonderful dog. And then my wife, she has a golden retriever. And so it's kind of the postcard dogs and for your Christmas card kind of thing. So they're wonderful. And I've always had dogs all my life and I couldn't imagine my life without one.
Rachel:
Do you waterfall hunt with your chocolate lab?
Jared:
When, I have opportunity. I kind of like hunting invasive species or problematic species. So I really love Canada goose hunting. Where I live now, that's resident geese, can become a huge nuisance and people don't know how to manage them. I've really kind of found this niche of trying to help conservation while doing something recreational that I like to do. So that's really where I kind of focus my effort.
Rachel:
We have all kinds of waterfall hunting opportunities here, so I'm sure there'll be some goose hunting opportunities for you. So now that you're back in Michigan and kind of leading the wildlife division into the future, can you tell us a little bit about what your vision for wildlife management in Michigan looks like?
Jared:
I think it's so important to have a vision, not only for myself, but as a division wide. And that's one of the things I'm working on now with all of our staff, is not just what I'm thinking, but coming in with a fresh set of eyes, but where do we need to go as a division and how do we fit into the overall department in DNR and what our stakeholders want too and our constituents? And so it's really a collective vision that's at many levels. And so my perspective coming in with a fresh set of eyes is really looking at how do we make wildlife more relevant to our approximately 10 million constituents in the state of Michigan? Traditionally, we've focused a lot of management on our game species, especially species like deer and turkey, things you often think about, but we have a lot of species, and a lot of monitor wildlife action plan that often get overlooked or not even talked about.
Jared:
And so a lot of people, we have people out there that maybe are interested in birding or already birders or hiking, how do we make not only wildlife relevant, but how do we make the outdoors more relevant? So when people go to vote, when they say, "Hey, this is important to me, I'm going to talk to my neighbor about this," on however it is, conservation, that they find that relevant to them and important to them? And that's something I really want to work on as a division is looking at, how do we create programs to do that? And what I'm really looking at is it kind of ties back to looking at diversity, equality, and inclusion, is including more voices in the way we look at wildlife conservation and wildlife management, how do we do that?
Jared:
I'm a big human dimensions person. I've worked with a lot of those people. So people don't know that's kind of your sociologist essentially, and asking people, what do you want? What are you interested in wildlife? Because a lot of people are not exposed to nature. They may even find going for a hike, that's intimidating for them, let alone going out and knowing how to find birds, or identify bird, or go in hunting, whatever that may be, well, there's so many nuances to human behavior and we have to look at how are people motivated? What are their values? And there are some recent surveys that have come out of, things like responsive management surveys, the trend nationally, and even in Michigan, we're getting people that have more mutualistic views of wildlife. So they view wildlife kind of more of the same human rights, kind of, we want to view wildlife in the context of... We don't want to hunt them, we don't want to kill them, we just want to coexist kind of with wildlife.
Jared:
And so we need to factor that in and how do we make wildlife relevant to people? And at the same time, like I said, I'm a hunter and hunting has a huge place in wildlife management still. And where we look at those intersections, because hunters have a very intimate knowledge of nature a lot of time, and capturing that knowledge and using them to get people outside too. So it's looking at where do our traditional kind of constituent groups, where do they overlap, and that inflection point with our non-consumptive groups, or groups maybe we've traditionally overlooked. And I talked with, at the department level, our DEI coordinator, and we're thinking about how do we get people outside? And it's taking those little steps, maybe develop a program. It's like learn to do X, learn to camp, or learn to hike. And then you can walk them maybe into hunting or maybe they don't want to do that. Maybe they just want to go learn how to bird, but you have to start them somewhere and make the outdoors relevant to them and then make wildlife relevant to them.
Jared:
And that's really my perspective on things is really asking people, what do you want? Are you interested? And then trying to work with our staff, and our programs, and our department, and our stakeholder groups to say, "Hey, let's get some programs going for these folks." And that's really where I'm coming at from that inclusion perspective there. Now, one of the things I also want us to do to be able to do that is we have to be very innovative in the way we do things. So traditionally, and times are changing, what different generations want. Millennials operate different than baby boomers versus gen Z years and all these things, and we have to be cognizant of that too. So what is our target audience? How do we communicate best with them? What programs do they want? And that's going to have to take innovative thinking, but also some innovative programs and innovative staffing.
Jared:
And that's some things I really love about stepping in and seeing with the wildlife division and really DNR as a whole is that that's a very innovative group already. I know I've thought about ideas in the past few days and people are like, "Oh yeah, we've been doing that for two years." And that's wonderful to hear. It's challenging to come up with fresh ideas and that's a good problem to have. And so, moving forward, it's thinking about that and helping the division and helping the department empower staff to do those things based on what constituents want, and what's also best for the resources as well, because human interests don't always align with what's best for the resources and finding that median there.
Rachel:
Thank you for that. And I'm glad that you mentioned kind of looking at how human desires and what's best for the resource and all those different factors play a role and they don't always jive with one another. So when we're talking about wildlife conservation, we have all these different factors to consider species, biology, the social aspects, how do we go about assessing all these different factors and balancing them?
Jared:
That's where the challenge of wildlife management comes in. Because I mean, a lot of times at the end of the day, wildlife management is people management. And humans kind of have that final say, right? And research helps us kind of understand the voice of wildlife in a way because they can't tell us what they need or what they want a lot of times. So we have to study them. And so I'm a researcher by heart, that's most of my background. And I find great value in objective evidence and collecting all of that and making the best informed decision that we can, not only from your traditional tracking collars and blood samples, but also human dimensions work. And so that's been a really big emerging field that's kind of the sociology of wildlife management and looking at asking people, like I mentioned a minute ago, "What do you need? What motivates you? How do you feel about a topic?" And trying to include more voices to represent all of our constituents in wildlife management.
Jared:
And so where those kind of, if you think about it as a Venn diagram, where all do those circles kind of overlap and how do we get into that overlap and do what's best as that trade-off, because most of the time you have constituents that their opinions on something is kind of this bell curve. And a lot of times you hear from the tail end of those distributions, the more vocal people, but where the fruit generally lies is in that middle somewhere, we have to find that middle ground, not only what's good for all of our constituents, but where does that bell curve lap with what we need and what's best for the resource too. And that's something I'm very cognizant of is trying to make that trade off and getting that information ahead of time and getting it to our policy makers to say, "Hey, here's what we're thinking from an objective standpoint, here's what our constituents are thinking, what are you hearing?" And working with the natural resources commissioners, and then working with our legislators and people in saying, " Here's, what's best we think from our angle with these things."
Rachel:
A lot of different factors to consider and think about. We should go into more detail sometime for folks about all of these levels of consideration that we have to consider with any decision, no matter how minor it may seem.
Jared:
Because I mean, you can layer in there. Human interest, it's a very broad, you can get into the economics of things. You can get into the political aspect of things, right? There's so many kinds of subcategories in these things that, I mean, it's incredible and the environmental impacts too. It's not just biological, but what's the impact on water equality on trees, on soil, all of these other factors that come into play too. So that's something we have to work as a division, we focus on wildlife, but we have our forestry division, we have law enforcement and all these voices that maybe have different perspectives. And not only as a department, we may differ in our opinions and perspectives on things. And then getting all of our 10 million constituents, what's their opinion? So it's a very complex system that people often, I don't maybe forget or don't realize how big and complex it is.
Rachel:
It is complex. I mean, even as someone who works in this field, it's so easy for us to sometimes overlook or think, or simplify what we do. So it is complex. I appreciate you making all these considerations and communicating all of these considerations with everyone. Like you mentioned, social science is becoming just as prevalent as biological science in the human dimensions realm. And as a state, we do have 10 million constituents. And that translates to a lot of diversity within our state, both in people and in wildlife. And you mentioned making sure we stay relevant with the citizens of Michigan. So how do we get them engaged with conservation? Do you have any ideas with how we stay relevant?
Jared:
Yeah, absolutely. One of the things we can look at, like I said, is asking them, don't assume. A lot of times, I mean, it doesn't matter if you're trying to sell somebody a product, if they're not going to buy your product, your business is ineffective. And that's something I'm pretty business minded and I'm like, "How do we create programs and do wildlife management in a way that's relevant to people?" And that's asking them. A lot of businesses, they'll have things like focus groups, they're going to ask people, what would you buy? What does it need to be? What shelf do you put that on? And that relates a lot to what we do with wildlife management. But where we come in, we care, we have to think about what is the product? How's that going affect the product too? So how's it going to affect deer? How does it affect turkey?
Jared:
So it's not just getting people from the, however you think about it, whether it's birding, hunting, whatever it is, people kind of using that resource in some way, but how is that going to affect the resource? And so we're kind of a servant, you kind of think about it from a service standpoint. And so how do we services for people that are relevant to them? And that's asking them, figuring out what motivates them, what type of values do they have, and how do you scale that? That's something a lot of very successful businesses have figured out. Coca-Cola for example, with the way they have local marketing and various things, and how do you create those programs, involve stakeholder groups in a way that is within their realm? Whether that's geographic or cognitive, whatever that may be, you have to be able to do that in a way that capitalizes on their values and their motivations, because that's really the root of eliciting some type of behavior to participate.
Rachel:
That is fantastic to hear. And I'm really excited to see where this kind of thing takes us in the future. So I have one last question for you. What are some of the ways that people can get involved with either wildlife conservation, the Wildlife Division, any natural resource making decisions that are happening? We talked a lot about diversity and introducing these new groups and communication, so how can they communicate and be involved?
Jared:
First, what I'm going to do, and I see this on a lot of our correspondence with our hunters. I'm going to talk directly to hunters for a second, is that I know you all get your Annual Hunter surveys and things, not everybody gets those. They're kind of randomly selected. But your voice is heard. Don't think it's not heard. But like I mentioned, a few minutes ago, we have all of these different voices to include in the process. And the Wildlife Division is one voice in many voices in what happens in wildlife management when it comes to deer, turkey, whatever that is, but just know that that is important. And we keep telling those surveys out because that's your chance, that's your vote, essentially. We want to hear from you. And that helps us inform our voice.
Jared:
Kind of talking out to a broader audience, whatever that the birders, non-consumptive users, and especially constituents that if you haven't engaged with wildlife or don't enjoy the outdoors right now, don't be afraid to contact the DNR, contact the wildlife division, because I know there's a lot of people out there that are probably just, maybe you're intimidated or you just don't understand, or you want somebody to kind of mentor you, whether you want to learn how to camp, whether you want to learn how to identify birds, or maybe you do want to learn how to hunt anything, not only is it in the wildlife realm, but we have people in the DNR that are working in all kinds of great programs to get you outside. And I realize sometimes, we have to kind of walk into that. Growing up, I learned how to bird from somebody that mentored me and could show me how to do those things. And I understand the importance of that. And we can get you involved with those things.
Jared:
So if you have a local group in your area, if you you're a leader of one of those groups, contact us and we would love for you to become more involved and to hear your voice in the greater picture of wildlife management.
Rachel:
You are absolutely correct, we do want to hear from folks. So if you're tuning into this podcast and you're looking for a group to get involved with, or you're looking for any guidance on anything, please send us an email. We'd be happy to get in contact with someone or do whatever we can to help get you outdoors. Jared, thank you so much. It's been such a pleasure to talk with you today. We really appreciate your time and your insights.
Jared:
Yeah. And we will hopefully get back and I'll be around the state physically, hopefully, and meeting people and not in my spare bedroom.
Rachel:
And not from our closets or wherever else we're recording from today.
Jared:
Exactly.
Rachel:
All right, folks, don't scamper away. Next step, we'll be sorting through the mailbag and answering some of your questions.
Announcer:
Do you know that you can take your hunting and fishing regulations with you wherever you go? Have access to the information you need when you need it right on your smartphone. Just visit michigan.gov/dnrdigest, to download the applicable hunting digest before you head out to the woods or the Michigan Fishing Guide before you hit the water. Download the most up-to-date regulations available today at michigan.gov/dnrdigests.
Rachel:
Welcome back to Wildtalk. Now it is time for us to dig into the mailbag and answer your questions.
Announcer:
One, two, three four.
Rachel:
[inaudible 00:34:02] wrote in to ask us when the drawing results for the spring turkey licenses will be available. She had applied for a hunt that has a limited amount of license available, and if she isn't drawn for the license, is there any way she can still obtain a spring turkey license this year? Excellent question to [inaudible 00:34:19]. The drawing results for the spring turkey license will be available on March 1st. And you can check your drawing results online at michigan.gov/turkey. Now, if you applied for a license but were unsuccessful in the drawing, there are still opportunities for you to harvest the turkey this spring. First, for those that applied for a license that were unsuccessful, you can purchase a leftover license for any area that has licenses remaining on March 8th at 10:00 AM. If you did not apply for a license during the application, but then decided you wanted to go out try to get a turkey this spring, you can pick up a spring turkey license on March 15th at 10:00 AM, if there are any leftovers still available.
Rachel:
If there are no leftovers available for the area where you want to hunt, or you're not interested in hunting in any of the locations where they're available, there's also the hunt two, three, four option. This license lets you hunt on public and private land statewide except for public lands and unit ZZ, and gives you the flexibility to hunt throughout the month of May. The hunt two three-four license goes on sale March 15th, and you can learn more about all of these turkey licenses at michigan.gov/turkey.
Hannah:
Good to know lots of great spring turkey hunting opportunities on the horizon.
Rachel:
All right. So I have a question here from Greg. Greg asks if the 2020 base license is good for the remainder of the small game hunting and also the former trapping seasons. And yes, the 2020 base license is valid all the way through March 31st of 2021. And also the 2020 for harvester license is valid through April 30th of 2021. If you have your 2020 base license and the 2020 for harvester license, you are able to for harvest during the 2020 for harvesting seasons, which depending on the species you're going after last through the end of April, 2021. Now, it can get a little confusing with the 20s and the 21s all overlapping, but... And then with just your base license, you can small game hunt for some species all the way through March.
Rachel:
Please be aware if you have not yet purchased a 2020 for harvest harvester license and you still think you might want to get out for the remainder of the season, you'll need to purchase your 2020 base license by February 28th in order to be able to purchase your 2020 for harvester license. So you can purchase your fur harvester license later, if you decide you want to go out, but you need to make sure you have that 2020 base license in hand before February 28th. You can get the 2021 base license beginning March 1st of 2021, and then the 2021 for harvester license will be available for purchase May 1st, 2021.
Rachel:
I also got a question from Jackson, which kind of relates to what we just talking about as far as fur harvesting goes. And Jackson asked if registration stations for the [inaudible 00:37:22] are open? Now I mentioned this last episode, I believe, but offices are still currently closed, but you can call the field office ahead of time to set up an appointment with them in order to get in and get your for bear sealed and registered. If for some reason you have trouble reaching any of our offices by phone, please feel free to email us at dnr-wildlifeatmichigan.gov, and we'll get you in touch with the local staff that way. For any of the upcoming fur harvester registration deadlines, please see the Fur Harvester Digest, and that is available at michigan.gov/trapping.
Hannah:
Those are good questions to clear up some of that confusing information.
Rachel:
Yes, I know the base license and fur harvester license when they're available and the 2020 kind of overlapping into 2021, it can get confusing. But we want to make sure you kind of outline that for you and certainly you can find those dates and things on the website too. We flew through them pretty fast here, so you can certainly check on those dates online if you need to. Well, I think that zips this segment to a close. Remember if you have questions about wildlife or hunting, you can call 517 284 Wild, or email us at dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov. Your question could be featured on the next mailbag.
Rachel:
Now the time you've all been waiting for, it's your opportunity to win a Wildtalk podcast mug. As a thank you to our listeners, we'll be giving away a mug or two every episode.
Hannah:
Our January mug winners are Jennifer Stevenson and Jacob [inaudible 00:39:16].
Rachel:
Yay.
Hannah:
Congratulations, Jennifer and Jacob, check your email as we'll be getting in touch with you soon. They answered that the possum is the only marsupial native to North America.
Rachel:
We had so many folks write in this month and we just love hearing your stories and how much you have fun listening to the podcast either on your commute or with your kids. So we really appreciate those and thank you all for taking the time to submit your answers. So for this month's drawing, test your wildlife knowledge and answer our wildlife quiz question, this month's question is, whistlepig is another name for which Michigan memo?
Hannah:
That is such an excellent question. I can't wait to see what kind of responses we get to it. All right, folks, if you think, you know the answer, email your name and the answer to us at dnr-wildlifeatmichigan.gov to be entered for a chance to win a mug. Be sure to include the subject line as mug me and submit your answers by February 15th. We'll be announcing the winners and the answer on next month podcast episodes. So be sure to listen in to see if you've won and for the next quiz question.
Rachel:
Good luck everyone. Now back to the podcast. So Hannah, I think we talk about coyotes every year because they're always causing a stir, particularly in urban areas.
Hannah:
Yes, indeed. I have been surprised to spot them on occasion around my neighborhood. And even in my backyard. I know they are around because they're everywhere, but it is really startling to look out your window and see a coyote standing there, especially when you aren't expecting it. I know it gave me quite a start seeing one out in the backyard. It wasn't what I was expecting to see that morning, so they can definitely cause a stir.
Rachel:
Absolutely. And because coyotes tend to surprise people with their presence, we wanted to talk about the ways that you can deter and haze coyotes, but we're going to do it through the eyes of the coyotes. So get into character, it is time to think like a coyote.
Hannah:
In order to channel the coyote, think back to some of the adaptations traits and life history we covered earlier in the episode. If you're a coyote, you're always going to be searching for something to eat, preferably a small mammal or maybe a bird. This time of year, you might be looking for a mate, or if you've already found a mate as a couple, you'll be looking for a suitable spot to raise your pups, preferably somewhere secluded, quiet, near to a food source, and where you won't be bothered. As a mated pair, you'll also be kept busy defending your space from other coyotes that are trying to infiltrate your territory.
Rachel:
So as a coyote, searching for something to eat, where might you look for food? You have an excellent sense of smell. So you'll probably follow your nose. There seems to have been a lot of activity on the ground near a bird feeder. This is probably a good place to watch for bunnies and mice, and you can pounce on them when they show up. You might also sniff out some trash cans. And unfortunately for you, the contents of the can might be inaccessible, so you strike out.
Hannah:
You and your mate to find a small woodlot not too far from the bird feeders and trash cans. There don't seem to be any predators or threats to disturb you. There are some two legged creatures, but they stay over by their dens and don't seem to really be a problem. They aren't usually out when it starts to get dark and that is when you are usually out looking for food. So this seems like a good spot for your den.
Rachel:
But the two legged creatures seem to become aware of you and your mate hanging in the area and are no longer quiet neighbors. Unfortunately, whenever you go near the bird feeders or trash can those two legged creatures run at you and make all kinds of noise. It is rather scary because they are so big and you're not sure if they intend to harm you. They also took away the bird feeders once they figured out why you were visiting near their den.
Hannah:
Now you're having a hard time finding the food here and those two legged creatures are quite bothersome. What is a coyote to do? Maybe you and your mate need to find a new location, or maybe you just want to stay farther away from the two legged creatures den sites. They clearly don't want you in their territory, so maybe it's best to avoid them.
Rachel:
If you want more tips and information on what to do about coyotes in your area, head to michigan.gov/wildlife. We'll also include a link to our How To Haze a Coyote video in the show notes. Thanks for joining us today folks, we will see you next month for more wildlife fun.
Announcer:
This has been the Wildtalk podcast, your monthly podcast airing the first of each month and offering insights into the world of wildlife across the state of Michigan. You can reach the Wildlife Division at 517 284 9453, or dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov.