In this episode of the Michigan DNR's Wildtalk Podcast, you’ll find out what fall work is happening for wildlife in Michigan’s Southeast Lower Peninsula, talk about public lands with Kristin Wildman, and hear listener questions answered in the mailbag segment. The episode wraps up with a discussion about fall elk viewing and bird watching.
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
Around the State Guest: Nate Levitt
Main Interview Guest(s): Kristin Wildman
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 Michigan DNR's Wildtalk Podcast, you’ll find out what fall work is happening for wildlife in Michigan’s Southeast Lower Peninsula, talk about public lands with Kristin Wildman, and hear listener questions answered in the mailbag segment. The episode wraps up with a discussion about fall elk viewing and bird watching.
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
Around the State Guest: Nate Levitt
Main Interview Guest(s): Kristin Wildman
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.
Hannah:
Welcome to Wildtalk. I'm your host, Hannah Schauer, and with me today as always is the lovely Rachel Leitner. Happy fall and good luck to all our hunters out there that will be getting out for small game opener coming up here soon on September 15th, as well as all of our waterfowl, fall turkey, bear, elk and deer hunters who will be out and about in our fields, forests and wetlands.
Rachel:
As many of our hunters are out exploring public lands and in celebration of National Public Lands Day, we thought it would be fitting to chat with Kristin Wildman about public lands in Michigan. Then, later in the show, we'll be answering some of your questions from the mailbag and sometime during the episode, we'll also be revealing the winners of our Wildtalk Podcast camp mugs. You can find out how you can win one too.
Hannah:
We'll also be talking with Nate Levitt to hear about all wildlife work going on in Southeastern Michigan. But before we dive into those updates, let's start things off by shining our wildlife spotlight on the broad-winged hawk.
Rachel:
Broad-winged hawks are a smaller sized hawk similar in size or a bit larger than a crow. A few things to note for identifying this species, particularly if it is soaring overhead, is the dark and light banded tail, which is short and square. You'll also want to look for the broad wings that come to a distinct point and have a dark outline on the outer edge. The head and back of this hawk is brown and they will also have barring on the breast. Overall, they're described as compact and chunky for a hawk.
Hannah:
Yes, and what is really neat about the broad-winged hawk is they will form huge blocks called kettles during migration. There can even be other hawk species in these groups of thousands of birds. There are a lot of birds. You will know if you see a hawk kettle.
Rachel:
Yes, you did hear that right. Thousands of birds will migrate together in the fall. Broad-winged hawks usually spend their winter in Central and South America.
Hannah:
Now is a great time to keep an eye out for migrating hawks like the broad-winged hawk because they are on the move. We'll talk a little bit more later this episode about some places to watch for hawks, as well as other migratory birds to watch for right now.
Rachel:
So broad-winged hawks prefer forested habitats and will build their nests far from human disturbances. They nest in a variety of tree species including pines, aspen, birch, and oak. They have one brood year, which will average one to five eggs in the clutch that incubate the eggs for about one month before they hatch.
Hannah:
Now, being a smaller sized hawk they eat mostly smaller sized prey like frogs, toads, small rodents. They will also dine on invertebrates like grasshoppers or junebugs as well as an array of amphibians, reptiles, small mammals and birds. They usually hunt by perching on a tree limb or other tall object near like a forest opening and then keeping an eye out for their prey to come by, and then they go and catch it.
Rachel:
If you want to learn more about broad-winged hawks, we suggest checking out the Cornell Lab of Ornithology All About Birds page. There they have photos and calls of this really neat raptor. We will also include a link to their website in the show notes.
Hannah:
Next up we'll be hearing from Nate Levitt to find out what is happening with habitat in the Southeast region.
Announcer:
September is the perfect month for elk viewing. If you're looking for a fun free outdoor adventure for the whole family, visit michigan.gov/elk and download your elk viewing information sheet from the elk resources section. Then, guided by your elk viewing map, fill your tank, grab your binoculars and load up the family to head out to the elk range in Michigan's northern lower peninsula. Don't miss out on seeing Michigan's majestic elk or hearing their bugle echo through the fall air. Visit michigan.gov/elk to plan your elk viewing adventure.
Hannah:
All right, welcome back to Wildtalk. Joining us today is Nate Levitt, the Southeast field operations manager. Thanks for taking some time to chat with us today, Nate.
Nate:
Oh, you're welcome. Good to be here.
Hannah:
So can you tell us a little bit about some of the key projects that the Southeast wildlife staff will be focused on this fall?
Nate:
Well, right now we're planning out our annual wetland area open houses, so annually, we have open houses. Now last year, due to the pandemic, we were unable to do the open houses, but this year we're going to give it a shot again. So of the managed waterfowl hunting areas, Parsons Island is going to have one; Pointe Mouillee is going to have one; Fish Point, Nayanquing Point and Shiawassee River are all going to have their open houses this year. Harsens is looking at having it on the 6th of October. Mouillee is going to have theirs on the 7th of October. Nayanuing Point, now remember, they're going to the middle zone this year, so there'll be a little earlier. They're going to have it in September on the 28th; Fish Point, also in the middle zone this year on the 29th of September, and then Shiawassee is going to be on the 7th of October. They remain in the south zone for waterfowl hunting season this year.
Hannah:
It sounds some good opportunities for folks who are interested in those areas to come learn a little bit more about them and check out the area.
Nate:
Exactly. Well, we'll be meeting outdoors for social distancing, so we'll start at the field offices at 6:00 and meet outdoors. I'll probably do the intro, probably do it through FM radio. So we've got these little broadcasters now, so folks can sit in their vehicle and hear the intro, but we'll have staff there to answer questions and then it's a driving tour. So from there, they'll go out on the area, tour the refuge, tour, the areas get a look at the crops, get a look at the bird numbers and they'll get to hear the hunting procedures this year. They're going to be very similar to what they were pre-pandemic, that is, if we don't have any more additional restrictions. So if things change, we'll be on the fly again with old regulations as of 2020.
Hannah:
Well, excellent information for those waterfowl hunters to know and those driving tours sound like they'll be very interesting.
Nate:
It's good for the hunters, and it's also good for just anybody who interested about the area. So it's a chance to get out, where normally it may be a restricted entry, so a lot of times we will drive along the dikes in the refuge. It's a driving tour, so you'll get to see places that normally aren't open to the public to see.
Hannah:
Besides the tours that your folks are getting ready for, are you going to be working on any improvements to any of your state game or wildlife areas that might benefit hunters or wildlife recreationalists?
Nate:
You bet. One of the things that's happening or has happened and is about to be unveiled is our turkey tracts on the Tuscola State Game Area. If you remember the GEMS program, it's similar to that only this is specific to turkeys and it's in partnership with the National Wild Turkey Federation. We're hoping to unveil this unit later in September. We don't have a date hammered out yet, but it's similar to the GEMS. They're management that's been done specific to showcase wild turkey and wild turkey management on one of our areas.
Hannah:
Those areas especially seem to be awesome for both seasoned turkey hunters, but also folks who are new to turkey hunting and are looking for a place where they might have their best chances of feeling comfortable while also seeing turkeys, so thanks for talking about it.
Nate:
Another project I wanted to mention quickly is happening at the Shiawassee River State Game Area, and that's a managed wetland area. Well, they got hit really hard with the floods in 2020, if you remember the dams that broke; lost a lot of their infrastructure, a lot of their dikes were washed and destroyed or damaged with the flood and they've been under a lot of repairs lately. So they're beginning to wrap up some of those repairs and it's taken help from all around the state. We had assistance from Southwest region, all over Southeast region, as well as some Northern and lower, and we've been very thankful for all the help that we've gotten over there.
Hannah:
Thanks for joining us today. We really appreciate having you on. It sounds like there's a lot of great work that's happening in the fall for wildlife in the Southeast region, so thanks for sharing that with us. Stick around for the rest of this episode, because next up we'll be talking public lands.
Announcer:
There are many camping and lodging opportunities available in Michigan state parks. When you choose state park campgrounds, you get more than just a campsite. State parks offer a diverse range of recreational opportunities, including hands-on instructional classes, nature programs, places to fish, boat launches, family friendly events and much more. Reservations can be made six months in advance, so why wait? Visit midnrreservations.com or call 1-800-44-PARKS to make a reservation.
Hannah:
National Public Lands Day, September 25th of this year, is a national volunteer event for public lands to help restore and improve public lands. Now the Michigan DNR manages 4.6 million acres of public land on behalf of you, Michigan citizens, and all 4.6 million acres of those lands are your lands and are available for you to explore and enjoy. In celebration of public lands in Michigan, we're joined by Kristin Wildman, a public land matters biologists to talk about the importance of your public lands in Michigan. Thank you so much for joining us again, Kristin.
Kristin:
Thanks for having me. It's great to be here.
Hannah:
So why don't we start with you telling us a little bit more about DNR managed public lands in Michigan and why they are so important.
Kristin:
Well, like you said, we've got 4.6 million acres in Michigan of public land managed by the DNR and 13, that's actually 13% of the land area in Michigan. That's a lot that our citizens are lucky to have and we're excited to manage it for them. Of that, in the DNR, we have three land managing divisions, the Parks and Recreation Division, the Forest Resources Division, and the division that I work for, the Wildlife Division. So a lot of who and what the area is managed for and by is in the name. Parks and Recreation manage your parks and recreation areas; Forest Division manages your state forest, and Wildlife Division manages your state game and state wildlife areas. Of all of those areas, about 400,000 acres are managed by the Wildlife Division. Those are state game and state wildlife areas, and most of those occur in the Southern part of the lower peninsula.
Kristin:
However, we do have wildlife biologists that co-manage some state forest plans as in the Northern lower and the UP. So today, I'd like to focus more on our Wildlife division managed lands, but in general, all of our state lands are available for our public use, our people use, but they're also available for wildlife. I think it's important to remember how truly important these lands and this acreage is for sustaining wildlife populations in our beautiful Michigan. Without these public lands, without these resources and some of the unique habitat features that are supported on these lands and protected on these lands, a lot of our wildlife populations wouldn't be doing as well. So for those of us in the Wildlife Division and the people we serve, we're very excited that these lands can provide for that habitat and that potential interaction between us and wildlife to enjoy from now and our future generations.
Hannah:
Thank you for opening us up into the wildlife aspect of these lands. Could you talk a little bit more specifically about the role public lands play in wildlife habitat and resource conservation here in Michigan? I know you mentioned state wildlife and game areas, but could you go into a little more specifics?
Kristin:
Yes, I can. So like I've mentioned, we have different land managing divisions and for state game and state wildlife areas, we have specific featured species that are selected for each game area for management. We also have our overall mission to conserve wildlife population and provide wildlife related recreation opportunities on those game areas and wildlife areas. So our area managers are focused on that when making decisions. They're focused on that when designing their plan for state game area, and they're focused on that when there are questions about what you can do on certain areas. So a lot of times, it's important to recognize that our state land use rules might vary a little bit from area to area and game areas and wildlife areas will have an emphasis on providing wildlife recreation opportunity, of course, but then also for providing wildlife conservation. Not that that's not important on all lands that we manage, but that's a specific priority for state game and state wildlife areas. There are still opportunities for other recreation on state game areas and state wildlife areas, but always the focus being on wildlife conservation and sustainability.
Hannah:
So do you ever run into challenges? You've been talking about managing these areas, at least the state game and wildlife areas for wildlife habitat and wildlife recreation. But with other things that people can do on those areas, do you ever run into challenges where you have to balance some of that habitat work and resource conservation goals with other uses that are maybe going on on the public lands? I suspect some of the use of public lands that might be going on could be in conflict with one another, which I'm sure adds challenges.
Kristin:
Yes. Thank you. That's a great question, and that's a big role that we have in the public lands administration unit that I work for and a role that our local area managers, the wildlife biologists, have to balance every day. So there are a lot of pressures for how to use land. There's a lot of ideas on what people would like to do on certain lands, and so for all of these areas, we do have to ensure that what we allow and how we use the area is consistent with its intended purpose. It's consistent with why the land was purchased and what fund it was purchased with it. I will mention that state game and state wildlife areas are paid for with hunter dollars.
Kristin:
These are user pay public benefits type of areas, state game and state wildlife areas are free to access no matter what. You don't need recreation passport to use a state game or state wildlife area and the main purpose of them is to provide for wildlife related recreation and wildlife conservation. So that's something to keep in mind and that's something our managers are always keeping in mind when they're receiving requests to use areas for certain uses. There's procedures for them to evaluate use applications that might not be consistent with the area's state game area rules. So if you ever have questions or thoughts about what you'd like to do on a state game area, the best thing to do is get in touch with the local manager.
Hannah:
So as you mentioned, public land offers a wide range of recreation opportunities, everything from hunting, trapping, camping, wildlife watching, really, the list goes on. So when folks are planning to visit state lands and specifically, state game areas, is there anything they should keep in mind or be aware of when planning their trip?
Kristin:
I think it's important to remember what the area is for and make sure that you're going to the right place for what you want to do. So if you're looking to throw a big party and put up tents and everything, you probably need to look into events use permits and you're probably going to be directed to a recreation area. But so it's important to make sure that the use you're looking into is aligning with what the area can offer. The other thing is I had mentioned use permit, so if you find that you really want to visit an area and want to do something in there on an area and you're not sure if it's allowed or you're thinking that I need some accommodation that's not available to me right now, you can always ask for and work with the land manager to see if they can't design a land use permit to you to provide you something tailored to the use that you're requiring.
Kristin:
We do these on a regular basis, everything from research projects that benefit the state to a special access permit for a vehicle if you have a need from a mobility standpoint or something. So we have a lot of different reasons why people request these kinds of permits, but it's always just good to check and we have land managers that are happy to work with you on that. Another thing that I would remind folks is this is public land. If you litter, if you make a mess of it, you're ruining it for yourself and you're ruining it for everyone else, so when you go out there, be a good steward of the land. If you're really interested in helping monetarily, buy a hunting license or hunting and trapping licenses pay for the management and often sometimes acquisition of these types of lands. So that's the money that helps us manage it and that's the money that helps us maintain and purchased a lot of these parcels in the past, so remembering to be really considerate and thoughtful of others out there as well.
Kristin:
I will mention that one of the best things about Michigan is the fact that you can go out and you can sit under a tree in nature somewhere, and we have lots of public land to do it. You don't have to be doing anything. If you just want to sit outside in the middle of nowhere, we have opportunities for you here in this state, and I think that's one of the best things about Michigan and about public land. We do have a land strategy goal to establish huntable lands within 15 miles of everyone. So our new land strategy has a map in the appendix that shows what that looks like right now. We've got a couple of cold zones right now, but we really are trying to make large chunks of land available for you so that if you want to hunt or trap or sit and watch, you have a place to do it, and it's not too far away, and that's really the goal here.
Hannah:
We say these lands are for all and that could be all types of people, so this segue ways into accessibility. Do we have state wildlife and game areas that offer accessible amenities like trails or facilities, hunting blinds? What kind of accessible amenities do we provide?
Kristin:
We do have some accessible amenities on certain state game areas and those are listed on our website, but we also have features that are accessible once you get there, but you might need an accommodation to get there. So the example is there might be an accessible blind at Sharonville State Game Area, but we might work with you with volunteers to get a tract chair or a land use permit to allow you to drive out to it because the terrain is a little bit more wild than some of the paved, more flat surface type of accessible infrastructure you might find on some other areas. You won't find as much on state game areas as you will on state parks and recreation areas in that fashion right now, but we do have opportunities. Like I said before, we will also work with you as well to get you out to where you want to go.
Kristin:
I think that the most important thing is if you want an experience with wildlife, if you want a more rustic experience and you just don't think that it's possible, give the land manager a call or an email and see what they can work out for you. There are a lot of cases where we can't allow certain things because it's a refuge or there's a threatened or endangered species or a sensitive area, and so always remember as much access we want to give people we're always balancing the natural resource as well. So like I said earlier, state game and state wildlife areas are open 365 days a year, 24/7. They're always available to visit. You have to pay attention to what the signs say because there might be spots that say, "You can't enter here. It's a refuge." So there are things out there that are still reserved just for wildlife on state land, so that's a little caveat to your use.
Hannah:
Speaking of entrances, is there one specific area of entrance to the state game areas? Are there parking lots people should park at and look for? Where do you enter these large blocks of public land from?
Kristin:
So the state game areas do manage a lot of parking lots, but local road rules are going to apply in certain counties and stuff. Very often, if you can pull all the off the side of the road, it's allowed to safely park on the side of the road and you can access a site, but it's always best for the natural resource and other users to try to use the established parking lot. If you have any issue with access or really anything going on in a state game area, the best thing, again, to do is talk to the land manager. A lot of these biologists that manage state game and wildlife areas manage thousands and thousands of acres in multiple counties. So don't assume that they know exactly what's going on in your favorite spot of your favorite state game area. Give them a call, let them know, "I've found an issue. There's something that I don't like out here that I think you should know about." Just learning to communicate with the local land manager can really help all of us, I think.
Hannah:
So what might be the best way for folks to get in touch with their local state game or wildlife manager or where might folks go to find out where there are some of these public lands nearest to them?
Kristin:
So we have a lot of great resources. First, if you go to our website, we have a wildlife biologist by county. So that'll get you the biologists that, in general, is your wildlife biologist contact for those counties. There's a couple of cases where biologists might actually be managing a game area in a county that they're not the general biologist for, but they'll let you know if you get ahold of them. The other resources are lists of state game and wildlife areas. It's by county or alphabetical, and you can choose how you want to view it and whenever you pick a game area or wildlife area from that list, it will provide a PDF state game area map. It'll provide other links, including the contact information for the headquarters that manages that area. That's going to be the headquarters where the wildlife biologist and other staff work out of and manage that area. So those are two great resources for getting in touch with your area managers.
Hannah:
Perfect, and we'll include links to those in our show notes, but you can also get to them from michigan.gov/wildlife. We talked a little bit about accessibility too, so if folks are looking for some of those accessible sites throughout the state, you can check out michigan.gov/dnraccessibility for locations and amenities. Now, Kristin, as you mentioned, the department recently updated the public land strategy, which I believe is also available on the DNR website for folks to check out as well. Anything else that you wanted to let us know? It sounds like the public land strategy has some great goals and objectives. Is there anything else we should know about the strategy?
Kristin:
The strategy does include a public engagement portion, and so one of the things going on right now is a parcel review. So as we review our land ownership portfolio, we look at parcels and decide, "Does it still make sense for us to own these?" et cetera. So that process is clearly explained online and in the strategy and so you can always keep an eye out for those public input opportunities. We'll have our public input meetings have been virtual lately, and that's a chance for everybody to let us know what they're thinking about parcels and whether or not we should be retaining them, et cetera. There's a component to that that allows you to view what's being proposed spatially, and so there'll be links online for that as well. So if you're interested in specific public lands, you can always keep an eye on that and know that the public is engaged whenever we're talking about our public land strategy, public input is incredibly important to us.
Hannah:
Kristin, thanks so much for joining us today and talking with us about Michigan's public lands. We hope that everyone takes some time to get out and enjoy their public lands this fall. Next up, we'll answer your questions from the mailbag.
Announcer:
Your Michigan Hunt applications are on sale now. If you want your shot at what is considered Michigan's ultimate hunt, pick up a $5 application or two. There's no limit to the number you can buy. If you're one of the three lucky winners, you'll get a hunting prize package worth thousands, as well as licenses for elk, bear, spring and fall turkey, antlerless deer, and first pick at a managed waterfowl area for a reserved hunt. Purchase anywhere hunting licenses are sold or online at michigan.gov/pmh.
Hannah:
Now 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. Our August mug winners were Austin, Frank and Matt Groat. They answered the question, "What Michigan's snake will flatten its head as a way to look more intimidating to potential predators?" The answer, the hognose snake. Now, to be entered into the drawing this month, test your wildlife knowledge and answer our wildlife quiz question, "What is amplexus?"
Rachel:
Email your name and answer to us that 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 answers by September 15th. We'll announce winners and the answers on next month's podcast, so be sure to listen in to see if you've won and for the next quiz question. Good luck. Now back to the show.
Hannah:
Welcome back to Wildtalk. Now, let's dig into the mailbag and answer some of your questions.
Speaker 7:
One, two, three.
Hannah:
So first up, I have a question from Nathan. Nathan wrote in with a five line skink sighting in the upper peninsula and noted that it had a bright blue tail. I've received a handful of skink sightings in the last week or so, which was exciting because they're not often seen and they all happen to have bright blue tails. If you're wondering, a bright blue tail is usually indicative of a juvenile, but adult females can retain the blue on their tail as well. Now the five lined skink is just one of two lizards that we have here in Michigan and as I mentioned, they aren't often spotted, so it's a very unique sighting if you're able to spot one. If you do, be sure to report your lizard and any other reptile or amphibian signings to the Michigan HERP Atlas, that's miherpatlas.org.
Rachel:
What a fun summer wildlife observation, but not very many people see those, so it's exciting that you're getting observation reports of them.
Hannah:
It is very cool. All right. How about you, Rachel? What do you have for us today?
Rachel:
Well, the first email I received is from Wilma. Wilma has received a bear tag and so she'll be heading out for the bear season this month. She was reading through the bear digest that when you take your harvested bear to the bear registration station that the DNR may be removing a bear tooth or a piece of rib from the bear and she was wondering what the reason is for a tooth or rib extraction. So both the tooth and the rib are part of some ongoing research projects that the DNR is involved with. The premolar tooth, which is the tooth right behind the large canines in the bear's mouth, those will be removed to determine the age of the bear. Those ages are determined by using a microscope to count the number of layers in the cross sections of the tooth.
Rachel:
So if you think about counting tree rings in a fallen tree, it's very similar to a bear tooth. Then, we'll also take a small sample of the hair or of a rib which could be collected from the harvested bears as part of a stable isotope study, looking at the bear diet. So, basically, we can tell the primary diet of the bear based on the composition within that rib or its hair sample and that way, we know where the bear's food sources are coming from, how much are human provided food sources, first natural food sources, it's rather interesting. Then, in addition, if any bears are harvested from the upper peninsula, they'll likely be sampled for a small piece of tissue, either it's muscle, a tongue or an addition to the rib, which is also used to estimate the population size through genetic analysis, so several bear research projects going on.If you harvest a bear and you take it to a registration station and they want to remove some biological data, likely for a research project.
Hannah:
How exciting. Lots of interesting research projects going on.
Rachel:
Did you have any other questions for the mailbag?
Hannah:
Yes, I did. I actually got a text message from Steve and he had texted me a photo wondering if it was a round goby, which is an invasive fish species. Our invasive species staff think it could be, but the way to tell for sure is to look at the pelvic fins, which are fused together on the round goby. This particular photo was of the top side of the fish, so we weren't able to tell for sure from the picture. But in the lake where the fish was spotted, round gobies are known to be there, so it's very likely what it was.
Hannah:
Now, round gobies are a small, but very aggressive and hungry little fish and often out-compete native species. So if you happen to see an invasive species like the round goby, or think you may have spotted one of our other invasive species, please let us know. Visit michigan.gov/slash invasives for species, profiles and information, tips on what to look for to identify them as compared to our native species. There'll also be links or phone numbers there, depending on what the species is, who you should report the sighting to, so definitely early reporting is good. I know we've talked about it on our show before, so definitely keep an eye out for those invasives and let us know if you've seen one.
Rachel:
I have the last question, Billy submitted, and this is applicable for the hunting seasons that are rolling around. So Billy wrote to us and is interested in hunting grouse and woodcocks this fall and asked if there were any specific dates or seasons that the grouse enhanced management sites, otherwise known as the GEMS, were opened or closed, so basically wanting to know if the GEMS open specific times, closes specific times, because they would like to walk and scout some of those GEMS trails before the bird hunting season begins this September. The GEMS are areas of publicly accessible land. They're open year round to anyone, so most of them are public lands. There's one exception. There's a private land GEMS, but it's also open to public access, so they can be accessed year round.
Rachel:
There are really no season dates to them. Now, occasionally there are closings in specific areas for maintenance and that will be signed off and you'll have some idea of that when you arrive at the GEMS. But overall, these areas do not have seasoned dates or any other type of seasonal closings, and right now is a great time to scout a hunting spot at a GEMS. If you're planning to hunt grouse or woodcock this fall, these areas are excellent locations for you to check out because they're specifically managed for these species, but these areas are also available to hunters of all types. So if you're seeking out new squirrel, rabbit, deer, really to pursue any other game animal with an open season, you can do it on these lands. So if you wanted to learn more about the locations or see habitat maps of these areas, you can learn more at michigan.gov/gems. Now, as we zip 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 questions could be featured on the mailbag.
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/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/dnrdigest.
Rachel:
Right now is a great time to view Michigan's mighty elk herd. During the fall breeding season in September and October, elk are more active and can be seen in forest openings during dawn and dusk, where the bull elks will be bugling for attention from females and to establish dominance over other possible suitors.
Hannah:
There are 13 designated elk viewing areas that can be accessed by roads throughout the Pigeon River Country State Forest up near Gaylord, Michigan. These designated areas have been managed for elk habitat providing an excellent opportunity to observe the herd or hear the bugle of a bull elk, which I still need to do in person out in Michigan's countryside, so this is on my bucket list.
Rachel:
Mine too. But when we go to do it, we can navigate our way through the expansive Pigeon River Country State Forest by using the elk viewing guide to plan our routes. The guide is available for download at michigan.gov/wildlife, or you can pick up a hard copy at the Gaylord DNR Customer Service Center. They've got boatloads of copies for you to just swing by and pick one up when the customer service center is open during the week. While you're packing for your trip, you'll want to remember to bring your binoculars, spotting scope and camera. If you do find [inaudible 00:38:36] which likely you will, you'll want to make sure you retain a safe distance from them. So bring some type of device where you can see them up close while still remaining your distance away, so binoculars are a super useful tool while viewing elk.
Hannah:
They're also handy to watch birds, and this time of year happens to be a great time to check out the fall bird migration. Now, you may have already noticed birds moving, including shorebirds and warblers, but September is exciting because you're likely to start seeing raptors moving in large numbers. As we mentioned, when talking about the broad-winged hawk, they will form those huge groups as they migrate. Sharp-shinned hawks are another raptor to be on the lookout for right now, and you might want to check out the Detroit River Hawk Watch or Mackinac Straits Raptor Watch for awesome raptor viewing opportunities.
Rachel:
Speaking of raptor viewing opportunities, I have recently learned that I have nighthawks that nest near my house, and I got to hear them for the first time the other night, which was extremely exciting. I'm sad I just now am hearing them before the migration because I'm sure there'll be heading south soon, but it was a fun wildlife backyard observation.
Hannah:
They are neat little birds.
Rachel:
So in addition to these raptors, waterfowls such as mallards and blue- winged teal and wigeons will also start heading south. Songbirds like warblers and ruby-throated hummingbirds will be on the move as well.
Hannah:
Next month, some species of birds will arrive in Michigan for the winter, including diving ducks, like the long tail ducks and canvas backs, as well as dark-eyed juncos and pine siskins. Sandhill cranes will also be moving through Michigan in large numbers in October, so plenty of burning opportunities throughout the year.
Rachel:
It was especially fitting that we talked with Kristin earlier in this episode about public lands because public lands are great places to go birding, state wildlife and game areas, parks, recreation areas, forests, as well as municipal public spaces all provide excellent viewing opportunities. As I mentioned before, the Pigeon River Country State Forest is an expansive stretch of public land, great for elk viewing and our managed waterfowl hunting areas attract a wide variety of migrating waterfowl and other wetland-dependent bird species. So there's lots of public land out there, probably some really close to you. You can go and do some excellent wildlife watching.
Hannah:
Yeah, and there are also birding trails throughout the state that offer the high-quality birding opportunities. Don't forget, you can also bird in your very own backyard. You don't necessarily need to find a remote area to see the birds, backyards, city parks, or even a potted flower garden on your back porch could all be places that you could spot birds. It's pretty cool.
Rachel:
I lived in a small apartment about this time last year, and we had a small potted plant that attracted the Carolina wren. If you're new to burning, or if you're just looking for additional tips or places to go check out the resources on the wildlife viewing page, which includes links to programs like my birds and organizations like the Great Lakes Audubon as well as breeding locations and species to watch out for. You can find wildlife viewing information at michigan.gov/wildlife.
Hannah:
You can also find out what birds are being observed in your area right now by checking out ebird.org. So lots of great resources and information out there. If you're an avid birder or just interested in getting into birding, or just curious what the bird was that you saw sitting on out in your tree branch, so definitely check those resources out and hopefully, you can enjoy some fall birding or fall elk viewing this year.
Rachel:
All right, folks, that's a wrap for this episode of Wildtalk. Thanks for joining us, and we'll see you back here in October.
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.
Announcer:
(singing).