Hannah:
And if you have any wildlife-

Hannah:
[inaudible 00:00:02]

Announcer:
You know what that sound means. It's time for the Michigan DNR's Wildtalk Podcast.

Announcer:
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. Hi, Hannah.

Hannah:
Hi, Rachel. How are you?

Rachel:
I am doing well. How about you?

Hannah:
Doing excellent.

Hannah:
So today we'll be sharing some highlights of the past year, as it has certainly been an interesting one. And sometime during the episode, we will be revealing the winners of our Wildtalk Podcast camp mugs, and you can find out how you can win one too.

Rachel:
We will also be talking about work going on for wildlife around the state, and as always answering your questions from the mailbag.

Rachel:
But first, we're going to shine our wildlife spotlight on the pileated woodpecker.

Rachel:
If you've ever seen a pileated woodpecker before, you know how striking their appearance is. Now, these large woodpeckers are about the size of a crow and they're the largest woodpecker found in Michigan. They are black with white stripes down their necks, and to top it off, their bright red crest on their head gives them a regal appearance. I actually just had a pileated woodpecker right outside my balcony, which is the first one I've seen right outside my door.

Rachel:
We usually have a flock of about eight bluejays that hang out in the trees, and I use my fancy wildlife photography camera to snap so many photos of bluejays. Way more than necessary. I was so excited to have this new pileated woodpecker hanging out amongst the bluejays, but the bugger was so fast that I couldn't get any photos of him. And if I did, there was a branch in the way that focused my camera. So I don't have any proof of this regal woodpecker hanging out amongst the trees, but he was really cool to see.

Hannah:
They are stunning birds. So much fun to watch. Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Rachel:
They're very large. That always surprises me, how big they are relative to other songbirds or other birds nearby.

Hannah:
Mm-hmm (affirmative). Yeah. Their size is really striking. They are a huge bird.

Hannah:
Now, pileated woodpeckers prefer more mature forests with plenty of dead or dying trees where they can search for prey or create nesting cavities. They primarily feed on insects, and their favorite happens to be carpenter ants, which I happen to have a lot of around here, so I wish the woodpeckers would hang out here more. I was fortunate enough to have, I believe, a pair of them nesting on our property this summer. So I got the pleasure out of my window here, much like you, to see the woodpeckers hanging out. We had a rotting stump, in fact, and he or she just went to town and tore that thing to shreds. So there is no more rotting stump because it is gone. Hopefully they found lots of tasty carpenter ants to rid me of.

Rachel:
I'm sure. What a fun thing to watch outside your window, especially a pair of them.

Hannah:
Yes. Yep. They were very loud and vocal all summer long. I don't think the crows appreciated having another large bird in the area, so they were always squawking at each other. It was very entertaining.

Rachel:
That's awesome.

Rachel:
Well, in addition to those carpenter ants, they also eat termites, woodboring beetle, larva, and a variety of other insects. Those woodpeckers will also take advantage of fruits and nuts when they are available. And if you have suet feeders up in your backyard, a pileated woodpecker might pay you a visit.

Hannah:
Yes, indeed. So make sure you have your camera's ready.

Hannah:
So pileated woodpeckers can make some significant damage to trees when searching for food. Just keep in mind that the trees they are usually pecking on are already dead or dying, which is why the insects have taken up residence, thus making them prime foraging locations for the woodpeckers.

Hannah:
These large birds are excellent at excavating large, often rectangular shaped holes. So that's one thing to look for if you think you might have one of these large woodpeckers in the area, is these rectangular shaped holes. In addition to the large holes, you can also look for large chips of wood that have collected at the base of a tree as an indicator these birds have been in the area.

Hannah:
I've gotten pictures over the years of folks who think there might have been a bear or some large animal scraping a tree on their property because the tree is just ripped to shreds. If you have a situation like that, it is very likely that it's pileated woodpecker activity, because they will just tear chunks off those trees to get at those insects, and being such a large bird with such a large bill, they'll certainly create a lot of damage. And if it's a smaller diameter tree, the damage looks even more significant, maybe almost to the point where the tree breaks in half.

Hannah:
So they are large birds. You can usually hear their slow, steady, hard thump. If you're listening for woodpeckers, that'll be the characteristic sound versus the smaller ones, which are probably a little more fast paced as far as the pecking goes.

Rachel:
It's kind of amusing that you could mistake damage from a woodpecker for a 500 pound black bear, given that there's like a 500 pound difference between the two animals, but these pileated woodpeckers, they really do some damage. Amusing maybe isn't the right word, but it's definitely amazing what they can do.

Hannah:
Yes. A lot of excavation. They're good at getting at insects. That's why I welcome them around here. Like I said, we've got lots of termites and carpenter ants and things, which I prefer not to have in my house. So the woodpeckers are welcome to take care of them.

Rachel:
Well, pileated woodpecker pairs typically stay together in their territory year round. So hopefully you'll have your pair of pileated woodpeckers hanging around for a while. And they'll defend their space from other intruders, although they may be more tolerant of visitors during the winter months.

Rachel:
In the early spring, the pair will prepare a nesting cavity and typically have three to five young. Pileated woodpeckers only have one brood per year, but I hope your woodpecker pair stays around and that you can watch them hatch babies.

Hannah:
I hope so. Yeah. I don't know if we saw any babies this summer. I definitely saw adults at different times, but I'm not sure exactly where their nest was. But certainly a lot of activity out in the woods. And I think it's really cool that they're one of those bird species that stay with the same mate for quite a while. You know, of course, with one pair, one of the mates happens to die or something happens and they'll find a new mate, but for the most part, they stay with that mate for life, which is really cool. Don't often see that in wildlife.

Rachel:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Rachel:
Next up, you'll want to stick around, because we'll be talking about what's going on around the state.

Announcer:
Are you looking for some last minute gifts or stocking stuffers for those special hunters in your life? Do you want to see smiles wider than the rack of a monster elk on Christmas morning? Then buy them some entries for the DNR's Pure Michigan Hunt, and let visions of a $4,000 hunting prize package and hunting licenses for elk, bear, spring and fall turkey, antlerless deer, and first pick at a managed waterfowl hunt area dance through their heads. Forget about the sugar plums and visit mi.gov/pmh or your local hunting license retailer to buy.

Hannah:
Well, the hustle and bustle of firearm deer season has passed, but our field staff remain just as busy as always. The end of the firearm season is not the end of deer season, as the archery deer season picks back up, followed by muzzleloader season and then late antlerless season right around the corner.

Hannah:
In many areas, deer check stations are closed, but in counties where there is a disease concern, such as Gratiot County, field staff will continue to check deer through January 4th.

Rachel:
Yes. And all of those deer heads that are collected at the check stations eventually make their way to the Wildlife Disease Lab where operations are now in full swing as the lab staff are testing thousands of deer heads for chronic wasting disease and bovine tuberculosis, in additional to the usual animal necropsies that get into the lab. This tends to be the lab's busiest time of year, as they are literally working through piles of deer heads to sample. And it is hard and meticulous work sampling all of those deer heads, but it is an important piece to understanding the scope and the spread of diseases in Michigan.

Hannah:
Absolutely. Very important.

Hannah:
And staff will also be busy gearing up for furbearer registration, as the deer season here is winding down. Fisher and marten need to be registered on or before December 16th. So that's coming up pretty quick here. And bobcat trapped in units C, D, E and F need to be registered on or before December 30th. So visit michigan.gov/trapping to find a list of furbearer registration stations and contact information so you can set up your appointment. You can find additional furbearer registration details and information in the current Fur Harvester Digest, which is also available at michigan.gov/trapping.

Rachel:
Now is 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:
Yes. So exciting. Our November mug winners are [Strom 00:10:23] [Yorton 00:10:23] and Bruce [Troxell 00:10:25]. Check your email, as we'll be getting in touch with you soon.

Hannah:
They answered our question about what wildlife species projectile vomits to deter predators; The turkey vulture. One of my favorite birds. But yuck. [crosstalk 00:10:39] If you think about how they eat carcasses and dead things all day, and then they're going to regurgitate that on you ... If I were a predator, I'd be steering clear.

Rachel:
Yeah.

Hannah:
It's so fascinating.

Rachel:
That is some optimal defense mechanisms.

Hannah:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Rachel:
So gross, but so effective.

Hannah:
Yes, I think it must be.

Rachel:
All right, to be entered into this Month's drawing, we will test your wildlife knowledge and you can answer our wildlife quiz question. This month's question is, "What canine species has climbing abilities and often forages and shelters in tree canopies?"

Hannah:
Email you name and answer to us at dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov to be entered for a chance to win a mug. Be sure to include the subject line as "Mug me" and submit your answer by December 15th. We'll announce winners on next month's podcast. So be sure to listen in, to see if you've won, and for our next quiz question.

Rachel:
Good luck. Now back to the podcast

Rachel:
It's an exciting time in Northern Michigan, where the elk hunting season will soon be starting back up. The second hunt period will begin December 12th through December 20th. And during this eight day hunt, 160 lucky hunters will take to the field in hopes of harvesting their prized Michigan elk. I've heard that there's a few father-son duos who drew tags this year, which is incredibly lucky to get to go on a hunt with one of your parents. And so we're really looking forward to this second hunt period.

Rachel:
During the breeding season in September and October, the elk herd divides up into a few smaller herds called harems, but now that the breeding season is over the herds have all rejoined into one larger herd for the winter time. So to those of you setting out on your elk hunt in the next few weeks, we wish you good luck.

Hannah:
Yes, absolutely. Enjoy that chance at a Michigan elk. How exciting.

Hannah:
So in November, the 2021 deer regulations were proposed to the Natural Resource Commission. If you're interested in learning more about what the proposed deer regulations are, if you've not had a chance to check them out yet, or want to provide feedback on those proposed regulations, we would encourage you to attend a commission meeting, or you can send an email to nrc@michigan.gov. The next virtual NRC meeting will be held Thursday, December 10th. You can visit michigan.gov/nrc for the meeting schedules and agendas.

Rachel:
Well, that's what's going on around the state. After a quick update, we'll be right back here to recap episodes that happened in 2020. Stick around. We'll be right back.

Speaker 4:
A base license for $11 is a fair fare to go hunt hare, or even a squirrel or two, if you care. If you hunted deer last month, the license is already there. So no more money from your pocket or your billfold square.

Speaker 4:
To get your share of squirrel or hare to eat yourself or share with flair and fanfare with a nice set of flatware at a table you prepare, just bundle up warm with something to wear, and don't miss when you shoot or you're libel to swear and possibly despair, if you see no more signs of hide nor hare.

Speaker 4:
So happy hunting to all, and y'all take care.

Rachel:
Welcome back. What a weird year it has been. We have done ... This'll be our 11th episode of the year, I think. And so we've had some really amazing guests on our show this year to talk about a whole wide variety of different topics, and rather than interview one specific person for the December episode, we wanted to just recap the year, give you a few highlights and updates as to what's going on from previous episodes, and just spend some time talking about the challenges we may have encountered during this strange year.

Rachel:
Of course, if you wanted to listen to any of these episodes in full, you can find all of our past episodes and show notes at michigan.gov/dnrwildtalk.

Hannah:
We kicked off the year talking about wild games with Karen Cleveland. And if you have any wildlife lovers in your life, you might want to listen to January's episode to hear about the What in the Wild card game and how to order a copy.

Rachel:
Yes, I can attest that that game is fun for all ages. I play it with a four-year-old and I also play it with a 40 year old. So it's a well-rounded game, to say the least. It's a fun one to have around.

Rachel:
In our February episode, we talked with Carrie Fitzpatrick about a very neat photo project which captures images at specific points and you can see how forest and land management has changed over time.

Rachel:
If you live anywhere near state land, I would recommend checking out this photo project, because there's a good chance you'll be able to see an area close to your home and you'll see how it's changed over decades, which would be really neat.

Rachel:
Anyone can view these photos. So do be sure to check out the February episode to learn more about the Camera Point Project.

Hannah:
Yes, that was such a neat conversation to learn more about, and this project that's been going on, as you said, for decades. It's really cool to see how things have changed over time.

Hannah:
Now, the last person that we were able to record with in our studio was Todd Grischke for March's episode, when we got to hear all about the Arctic grayling re-introduction. I'd like to give you a little taste of our discussion that we had talking about the buckets they use to help Arctic grayling imprint on a specific location. So take a listen.

Hannah:
But I'm really curious. So you mentioned these buckets for the eggs and you wanting the fry to imprint. Is that because the Arctic grayling is a migratory species? Does it move about the river and come back to the same place to spawn?

Todd:
That's a great question. A lot of our [inaudible 00:16:56], steelhead, brown trout, a lot of them are migratory. They move into our streams or tributaries at some point in their life cycle, but then they move back out to the great lakes.

Todd:
In this case, what's important about imprinting for Arctic grayling, which are not necessarily migratory to the great lakes, they do migrate within river systems for different parts of their life cycle, but what's important about the imprinting is that when we stock fish that are raised in a hatchery system, they don't necessarily home in on the location that they're stocked, unless they're stocked at the exact time that their body is imprinting. But if they're stocked after that, they have no real concept of, "That's home."

Hannah:
Right.

Todd:
So with Arctic grayling, the whole concept here is that we are not moving into this reintroduction effort thinking it's a stocking event every year. We're going into this trying to establish a self reproducing population. So for them to imprint in that location is critical because they will use that as their home base and then the fry, the eggs that they produce as adults, will also be imprinted in that stream.

Todd:
So, yeah, we're hoping to kickstart this by utilizing those RSIs, those buckets, and that technology. But at some point, we're hopeful that the fish themselves are able to take off on their own and establish themselves in the stream.

Hannah:
That was a really fun discussion we had with Todd about the Arctic grayling. So for all our listeners who haven't heard that episode yet, you should definitely take a listen.

Hannah:
I also wanted to mention that that particular topic, the Arctic grayling re-introduction, was a suggestion submitted by one of our listeners. And we'd love to know what topics you'd be interested in learning more about in 2021. So be sure to email us at dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov, if you have any thoughts or ideas on topics that would be of interest to you.

Rachel:
Yes. I look back fondly on recording that episode because it was the last one that we did in our studio, and how different things became so quickly.

Hannah:
Yes. Quite a change.

Rachel:
So as our longtime listeners are aware, we did not have an April episode because of these hurdles we, one, had to overcome in order to just be able to start recording episodes at home when we all had been sent to work from our homes.

Rachel:
So we had a handful of hurdles, it seemed like, and the first hurdle was forming a setup. So in our office, we had a big conference room where we had this sweet sound set up with large microphones and high quality sound recording equipment that we just really sounded good in, and we had a whole system. But we weren't able to bring that heavy equipment home. So instead we each had to make our own recording studios out of whatever materials we were able to find, which often led to recording in closets or attic spaces, whatever small, tight spots we could find.

Hannah:
Yes. We got ourselves into some interesting predicaments, having to find things to help kind of mute the sound so our sounds aren't reflecting off any hard surfaces. That was always the challenge. So laying down blankets on your tables or hiding under blankets. You know, if you have busy streets nearby or passing emergency vehicles or neighbors who decide to mow their lawn right when you start recording ... You know, good fun things like that we had to deal with.

Rachel:
Yeah, there was a lot. We also had to figure out a way to actually interview our guests since we could no longer invite them to our studio. And so it took some exploring and some trial and errors, but we eventually were able to find a video chatting platform that allowed us to record our conversations. And then our sound wizard of a producer, Eric, is able to extract the audio and transform it into this beautiful high quality podcast that we have.

Rachel:
So a huge shout out to Eric, who has spent so much time editing each episode and enhancing our individual sound quality and really making us sound good when we are only at home, not using high quality equipment. So thank you, Eric, for all of the time that you've put into these episodes.

Hannah:
Yes. Thank you so much. He makes us sound good.

Hannah:
In light of everything going on, we thought it would be good to talk with Ed Golder during our May episode, once we finally were able to get things up and running and make sure we had good audio to work with. So in May, we talked with Ed about how to continue enjoying the outdoors safely. So here's a short little clip from that interview with Ed Golder.

Ed:
Anybody who's lived in Michigan for any period of time or anyone who's visited Michigan knows how special the natural resources are to our state. I think the great lakes rival natural features across the world for sheer size and beauty. That's not to mention our inland lakes, the forest land that is spread throughout the state, both public and private, abundant fish and wildlife. So everybody's pulse kind of beats to that in Michigan. And I think outdoor recreation is fundamental to physical and mental health, and it's even more important right now in the midst of a pandemic.

Ed:
You know, one of the most important things I think right now is to stay local so that you're not risking transporting the virus any great distance, that you're not putting other populations at risk.

Ed:
And the other thing I'd say is, follow the advice of health professionals. So at a minimum, that means maintaining that social distance of six feet from people outside your own household, it means not going out if you're feeling sick, it means washing your hands frequently and thoroughly, and using hand sanitizer where water and soap aren't available, and it means following the directions posted at places you're visiting.

Ed:
And just please be aware and conscious of other people. Public health professionals have told us that the coronavirus can be spread by people who don't show any symptoms. So you don't know if the person coming down the trail toward you or fishing next to you is somebody who has a pre-existing condition, somebody who's been treated for cancer or is immunocompromised for whatever reason, and that could make them much more susceptible to the bad effects of this virus. So just please remember that this really is about all of us together, as people keep saying, and not just each of us individually.

Hannah:
Moral of the story: please continue to get out and enjoy the outdoors, and remember to keep yourself and your community safe and healthy.

Alexis:
Yep. It's been a great time and a great year for the outdoors. We've seen a huge boost in all outdoor recreation, and I don't expect that to change anytime soon. So be safe while you're exploring.

Alexis:
Our June episode was actually one of my favorites. We were joined by wildlife biologist, Nik Kalejs, who gave us a look into the incredible comeback story of Peregrine Falcons in Michigan. And he had a few nailbiting stories to share about his experience banding and handling Peregrine Falcon chicks. I'm not sure if I'm envious of that job, but it does make for some excellent stories.

Hannah:
Yeah. I could never do some of the precarious perching and climbing up into high places that he talked about. Not for me.

Alexis:
No, it's definitely not for the faint of heart. So if you're interested in birding or falcons, or if you just want to hear a really good story, I recommend that you check out the June episode.

Hannah:
Yes, absolutely. Some great stories were shared there.

Hannah:
And we also had a good chat in July with Kristin Wildman and Ryan Soulard about the abundant accessible recreation opportunities in Michigan. And I believe since that episode, there have even been some new accessible blinds that have been established. So be sure to check out michigan.gov/dnraccessibility for some of these locations that you can utilize the accessible blinds we have available.

Alexis:
Yes. There's a lot of options for people of all abilities. And I highly recommend folks, if they're interested in getting outdoors or doing hunting, or whatever it is what kind of recreation you are interested in participating in. There might be some options available to you on that website.

Alexis:
In August, we met with the acting Wildlife Division Chief, Dan Kennedy, who stepped into this acting role earlier in the year, and certainly got more than what he bargained for as he led our division through a global pandemic. So we discussed what kind of challenges he faced in that.

Alexis:
Now, Dan is our division's endangered species specialist. And so he met with us to talk about the Recovering America's Wildlife Act, RAWA, the piece of legislation, and the passing of the Great American Outdoors Act that happened this summer. Both of those pieces of legislation create really important funding sources for wildlife conservation work, and so if you're interested in the policy side of wildlife conservation or what that legislation will do, we recommend you listen to the episode.

Alexis:
And as a quick follow-up, RAWA still has not been passed through Congress, but we are impatiently waiting to see what happens with it over the next few months. Hopefully something really exciting for wildlife will come from it.

Hannah:
Yeah. So you'll be sure to hear about it if it does. I'm sure we'll be talking all about it.

Rachel:
We followed up with a September episode talking about diversity, equity and inclusion in the natural resource field and in outdoor recreation. We talked with the DNR's DEI officer, Alexis Hermiz, and fellow DEI team members, Ashley Autenrieth and Clay Buchanan, and here's a clip from the episode.

Alexis:
[inaudible 00:27:33] adjusting as well, and should reflect those changes. One in four Americans have a disability, and so we need to make sure that our access sites, or that our recreation sites, are accessible, our infrastructure is accesible, keeping up with that. And also that we make sure that our workforce and the jobs that we have are up to date, and make sure that we can provide spaces for persons with disabilities to be able to be successful in these spaces. Again, giving people what they need to be successful.

Rachel:
As you can hear from the clip, we had a lengthy conversation on the importance of having access to public lands, how barriers including race and gender can prevent groups from outdoor recreation, and all of the wonderful work the department and the division are doing to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive agency and outdoor space.

Hannah:
Yes, we want everyone to feel welcome in the outdoors and be able to join in all our various outdoor opportunities.

Hannah:
As we're nearing kind of our end of our rundown here; in October, as you may recall, we chatted with Chad Stewart and Ashley Autenrieth all about deer. And for those who are heading out for archery and muzzleloader season, you might want to take a listen to that episode to hear about the changes this year and some of those commonly asked questions. It's still very relevant and important information. So if you're heading out, be sure to check that episode out.

Rachel:
And in our last episode in November, we had discussed birding opportunities available throughout the winter. We met with our Audubon of Great Lakes partner, Erin Rowan, to talk about these birding opportunities. And now is a really great time to see neat birds, and it will be throughout the remainder of the winter. So if you know someone and you would like to get them maybe a holiday gift, since we're in the gift giving season now, a field guide is an excellent gift. It sounds cheesy to say, but it really is the gift that will keep on giving. As more birds move throughout all of the different seasons, there's always opportunities to spot new birds. Check out our November interview with Erin to hear her tips and more.

Hannah:
Yeah, so it's been quite the year, not without challenges, but I think we were able to bring you all some interesting and insightful interviews. So we hope you enjoyed them.

Hannah:
Now, don't scurry off. Next up, we'll be digging through the mail bag and answering some of your questions.

Announcer:
Did 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/dnrdigests 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.

Hannah:
Welcome back to Wildtalk. Now it's time to take a look at your questions from our mailbag.

Hannah:
The first mailbag question that we have for you today is a fun one. Samantha wrote in with a photo of a lizard they found in their house. They were wondering what kind of lizard it is.

Hannah:
So we don't often get lizard photos, but the lizard in the photo didn't look like either of the two native lizards we have in Michigan. So for those of you who didn't know, we do have two different native species of lizards in Michigan. They're not overly abundant, so you're probably not likely to encounter them, but we do have them here. Anyway, I consulted with some of our herpetologist colleagues and found out that the lizard Samantha found was a brown anole. Brown anoles are a Southern species found in much warmer climates, but have been known to inadvertently end up further North by way of plants or other shipping containers.

Hannah:
So if you find a little brown lizard in your house and happen to have recently purchased a tropical plant of some kind, that may be how that little lizard came to be in your home.

Rachel:
Sneaky. Sneaky lizards.

Hannah:
Yes, they're quite cute little guys too.

Rachel:
I don't think I'd be upset about finding a brown anole in my house, though I wouldn't quite know what to do with it once I had it.

Hannah:
Yep, just let it hang out and eat bugs, I would suppose.

Rachel:
That is an excellent way to get rid of your fruit flies or whatever those little flies are that gather around your potted plants.

Rachel:
I received a question from Noah, wondering if hunting in the backyard is legal to do.

Rachel:
Now, hunters state-wide need to adhere to safety zones around buildings when hunting with a firearm. A person may not hunt with a firearm within 400 feet of an occupied building, and that includes dwellings, houses, residencies, cabins, or any kind of buildings in connection with a farm operation, without obtaining the written permission from the owner, renter or occupant of the property. Safety zone information can be found on page 18 of the Hunting Digest, and that digest is available at michigan.gov/dnrdigests.

Rachel:
Now, before you begin any of those hunting activities, you will also want to check with your local city or township law enforcement offices to see if there's any additional or local ordinances or laws in place prohibiting hunting or the use of certain hunting equipment in your area. You can find state land use rules and other recreational related rules at michigan.gov/dnrlaws. So it's handy to keep this one bookmarked.

Hannah:
Yes, indeed. Another law related question that we got in the mail bag; Janice contacted us wondering if it's legal to trap rabbit. And in Michigan, no, you cannot trap for rabbit. Rabbit season is September 15th to March 31st and is a hunting season only. So you can hunt for rabbit with your base license, and a base hunting license entitles you to hunt for rabbit, hare, squirrels and other small game species. Again, this does not include trapping of these species.

Hannah:
You can find more small game hunting information in the current Hunting Digest at michigan.gov/hunting. And if you're interested in learning about the species' that can be harvested by trapping methods here in Michigan, you can visit michigan.gov/trapping.

Rachel:
Well, as we zip this segment to a close, remember if you have questions about wildlife or hunting, you can call 517-284-W-I-L-D, or email dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov. Your questions could be featured on the mailbag.

Announcer:
Putting on your camo and heading out to a blind? The Michigan Department of Natural Resources wants to remind deer hunters that their assistance is critical to bovine tuberculosis surveillance in managing disease in Michigan's deer and cattle. Successful hunters in Cheboygan, Crawford, Iosco, Ogoma, Otsego, Presque Isle, and Roscommon County are encouraged to visit a 24 hour self-service drop box or check station to submit their deer head for testing. Visit michigan.gov/deercheck for locations and hours. The DNR hopes you have a safe hunting season.

Rachel:
Michigan is home to eight woodpecker species eating mostly insects. Woodpeckers can become a nuisance when they peck at wood siding in homes or outbuildings. Woodpeckers are protected under federal law and may not be harmed.

Hannah:
Yeah, so we talked about the pileated woodpecker earlier on this episode and they can certainly cause some damage to trees. If you've got woodpeckers hanging around your area, even though they are protected by state and federal laws, there are some ways you can try and mitigate their damage and get them to move on.

Hannah:
So if possible, remove food sources like bird seed or suet that may be attracting the woodpeckers. And as we talked about with the pileated woodpecker, insects are highly attractive to these birds. So if you have an insect infestation in wood or wood siding, that could also attract the birds to the area. You'll want to treat the infestation to prevent woodpecker damage or cover the damaged area with hardware cloth or sheet metal to prevent further pecking by the woodpeckers.

Hannah:
You can also use noise makers, like air horns or rattling rocks in a glass jar, to try and scare them whenever you happen to see them around your home.

Rachel:
Yeah. I've heard that a combination of all of these things is probably what works best to deter the woodpeckers. Birds can be very smart, and so using only one of these methods, they might be quick to learn what's going on. So using them in multiple different ways can usually be more effective.

Hannah:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Rachel:
So placing visual stimuli near areas where woodpeckers are creating damage to deter the pecking activity is also a helpful tactic. Strips of cloth, shiny mylar ribbons or tape, and owl decoys can also be effective, or spraying a hose near the woodpecker or using [inaudible 00:36:37] detecting sprinkler can also help keep them away.

Hannah:
Now, as we mentioned, the woodpeckers are protected by state and federal laws and the US Fish and Wildlife Service offer some tips for people who have had woodpeckers interested in their home.

Hannah:
If woodpeckers are pecking at your house, inspect your siding for damage. If you have insect issues or rotting wood, this will make your home more attractive to a hungry woodpecker or a woodpecker seeking shelter. So it's good to inspect your home for these things, because a woodpecker's presence might be alerting you to a larger problem that needs your attention.

Hannah:
Now, occasionally woodpeckers might just use a building to drum on in order to amplify their sound when they need to communicate or attract a mate.

Rachel:
The US Fish and Wildlife Service also reminds homeowners that woodpeckers, including their nest and eggs, are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, as we mentioned, and while woodpeckers and many other birds have federal protections, there are options to mitigate damage legally. If you've tried some of the deterrent methods we discussed and you're still having damage to your home, the US Fish and Wildlife Service can provide advice and assistance on solutions to your unique situation.

Hannah:
We'll include a link in our show notes to the article from US Fish and Wildlife Service that has some of the information we've mentioned about what to do when your house catches the attention of woodpeckers. And also the article has contact information if you need further assistance from them.

Rachel:
Well, that's all we've got for you, folks, in this December episode. We hope that you enjoyed listening and recapping the year with us. We hope you have a wonderful holiday and we will see you back here at the beginning of next year.

Hannah:
Yep. 2021. Let's hope it's a good year.

Rachel:
Thanks for listening.

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.

Announcer:
You can reach the Wildlife Division at 517-284-9453 or dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov.