In this episode of the Michigan DNR's Wildtalk Podcast, you’ll find out what work is happening for wildlife in Michigan’s Southeast Region, talk fur harvesting with Adam Bump, and hear listener questions answered in the mailbag segment. The episode wraps up with a discussion about the approaching breeding activities of coyotes and foxes.
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: Terry McFadden
Main Interview Guest(s): Adam Bump
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 work is happening for wildlife in Michigan’s Southeast Region, talk fur harvesting with Adam Bump, and hear listener questions answered in the mailbag segment. The episode wraps up with a discussion about the approaching breeding activities of coyotes and foxes.
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: Terry McFadden
Main Interview Guest(s): Adam Bump
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 a new season of Wildtalk. I'm your host, Rachel Leightner, and here with me today is the fabulous Hannah Schauer. Hi, Hannah, how are you?
Hannah:
Hello, Rachel. I am excellent, super excited to kick off the new year. I cannot. It seems just crazy. Five seasons already. To kick off the new year, we'll be talking with Adam Bump, DNR's furbearer specialist, to learn more about what exactly a furbearer is and what harvest opportunities are going on for the remainder of the winter. Later in the show, we'll be answering some of your questions from the mailbag. And sometime during the episode, we will also be revealing the winners of our Wildtalk Podcast camp mugs. And you can find out how you can win one too.
Rachel:
We'll also be talking with Terry McFadden to hear about the waterfowl flights that are going on in the Southeast region. But before we get into those updates, let's start things off by shining our wildlife spotlight on the gray fox.
Rachel:
Many people are familiar with the red fox and its orange fur coat, but did you know we have another species of fox here in Michigan, the gray fox? And as you might assume from the name, the color of this fox differs from that of the red fox.
Hannah:
Yeah, so the gray fox has more of a reddish-brown coloration on the legs and into the sides, and their belly is white. And what gives them sort of their gray or almost grizzled appearance are the hairs on the back of the fox and down into the sides. Their furs actually have a black tip on them, as well as a white band further down, which gives them that sort of gray or grizzled appearance.
Hannah:
Now the gray fox also has a darker or black-colored stripe running down the middle of its back and onto the tail. And the tip of the tail is black, unlike the red fox's white-tipped tail.
Rachel:
And like the red fox, you can find the gray fox statewide. Now, while you might assume foxes would be more likely to be spotted in an open field or grassy area, which is where you'd likely see a red fox, the gray fox prefers more forested habitats.
Hannah:
Yeah, I always find that interesting to think about how foxes are fairly similar, but you're probably not going to find them in the same area necessarily because they prefer those different types of habitats. And if just looking at what we've described so far as far as coloration goes, that makes sense. The gray fox is more colored to blend in with some of the gray trees that you might have in a forest, whereas the red fox and its bright red fur helps it camouflage in those tall grasses.
Hannah:
Now, the gray fox, hanging out in forested habitat, brings us to an interesting little tidbit about the gray fox. Unlike other canines, the gray fox can climb trees. So, the gray fox's foreclaws are highly curved, allowing it to basically ascend or climb straight up along the tree trunk.
Rachel:
Yes. So, in the recording studio today, we have a taxidermied gray fox that we use for education programs, and I can see its little foreclaws right now and can confirm they're very sharp. And the trees are good places to find food or rest. Gray fox might also use brush piles, rocky areas, and underground burrows. However, they don't usually dig their own den, but rather they modify an existing burrow from a woodchuck, for example.
Hannah:
The gray fox's diet is mostly made up of small mammals, with cottontails being a favorite, as well as voles, mice, and squirrels. Now, gray fox will also eat birds and insects like grasshoppers as well as crayfish, and in the late summer, plant material like fruits and nuts make up a large portion of the fox's diet.
Rachel:
Mating will usually take place in March for the gray fox, and the young are born later in May. Now, the females usually have four pups per litter, and the male fox will help to raise those youngsters. And the pair will remain together until the young disperse, which is usually late summer.
Rachel:
Well, don't climb away. Next, we'll find out what's been going on in the Southeast region.
Speaker 4:
A base license for $11 is a fair fare to go hunt hare, 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 hare to eat yourself or share with flare 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 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. Joining us today is Terry McFadden, field operations manager for the Southeast region. Thanks for taking the time to chat with us today, Terry.
Terry:
Yeah, thanks for having me on.
Rachel:
So, the Southeast wildlife staff is preparing to coordinate the mid-winter waterfowl flights. Could you tell us a little bit more about that?
Terry:
Yeah, I'd be happy to. It's one of the things that we do annually. During the wintertime, we have a number of waterfowl that stop over at large concentration areas like Saginaw Bay, Lake St. Clair, Lake Erie. And on years that we don't have much ice, we'll even find a lot inland. But some of those places can be surveyed just by glassing, driving around glassing and looking at things from vantage points around the lakes.
Terry:
But the bigger lakes like Saginaw Bay and Lake St. Claire and Erie, it really takes a plane to get up there. So, we have to have some flights that we coordinate.
Rachel:
So, how do these flights fit into waterfowl management? Will hunters or birders see a direct impact from doing these kinds of flights?
Terry:
It's interesting because, during the waterfowl season, we generally get migration happening, especially with the pelagic birds around the third week of October. But depending on the amount of fishing pressure, hunting pressure on these lakes, it can disperse these ducks or display them.
Terry:
So, we'll end up with large rafts over the Canadian waters in different areas, bays that aren't really subject to the same amount of pressure. And we get up there and fly them. We can see where they're hanging out and where they're finding refuge and avoiding all the disturbance during the fall. And we get pretty good numbers.
Terry:
But when a lot of that lets up, especially in the middle of the winter, ducks will start working over some of the weed beds that they've been avoiding and where fishermen like to go. So, in other words, if we have really mild weather coming into the end of October and people are still really fishing out there, the waterfowl will find another place to go.
Terry:
But they like the same things, right? Fish like weed beds, ducks like weed beds. So, fishermen know where to go, and the ducks know where to go. We get a better idea after the regular season ends, like waterfowl abundance and just the sheer numbers that are using our areas. And it also gives us an idea where ducks aren't. So, we know where they are, where they're not, and it's a bigger partnership across the Mississippi Flyway.
Terry:
So, all the states kind of conduct it the same week and provinces. Anywhere that there's concentrations of waterfowl, we get surveys, and it's a long-term data set that is monitored. But it gives us an idea of abundance and species abundance, and it really plays a role in the regulation setting.
Rachel:
So, Terry, how do you actually conduct these flights, and are there any species or particular species that you're looking for when you're doing them?
Terry:
Yeah, so what we do is we're looking for places that traditionally concentrate waterfowl, and it could be in icy conditions. It could be at warm water discharges next to power plants, any place that there's current. Some of the mouths of the major rivers, like St. Clair River, Detroit River, for instance, places around eddies around Belle Isle, you always end up with some open water in those places.
Terry:
But times like this, we're going to see if we don't have ice on the lake, it's going to take a lot more effort. But we'll encounter as many as a couple 100,000 ducks while we're out there. We have a number of staff that are able and willing to fly in little Cessnas, but it's one thing to be able to fly. It's another thing to be able to ID ducks.
Terry:
So, there's only a handful of people around the state that have the skillset and the ability to do these flights, and we try to recruit a few here and there to continue to do that. But estimating numbers from the air, you try to get low enough where you can ID the wall waterfowl, yet high enough that you're not spooking them off the water. So, we don't want to double count them on the same routes, right? We don't want a raft picking up, and then moving across a bay, and then double-counting it.
Terry:
So, our pilots, they know what we're looking for, and they're actually pretty good at waterfowl ID themselves now because they've spent so much time with us, I think. And it's kind of a fun thing to do, especially during the wintertime, to get up in the planes and cover as much ground as we can and just see how massive some of these blocks are.
Terry:
Typically, we'll see some that are like over 30,000 ducks in one little raft, but I think the most we've ever encountered that I know of on record was back in 2012, and that raft, the researchers had to actually fly the perimeter of it, estimate the density of ducks within it, and it ended up being 13 square miles and had an estimated number of over 600,000 ducks.
Rachel:
Oh, my gosh!
Terry:
Just to give you an idea. And that was on the Canadian side of Lake St. Clair.
Hannah:
Wow. That's a lot of ducks. So, you mentioned that these flights going to take place after the main waterfowl hunting season. But are there still some waterfowl hunting opportunities that folks can take advantage of during the remainder of the winter here?
Terry:
Yeah, we have the late duck split, which it's just the late season. This year, it's going to be January 1st and 2nd. Late goose is January 1st through the 9th, and then it continues again from February 5th to the 14th this year.
Hannah:
Well, thanks, Terry.
Terry:
You're welcome. I appreciate being on.
Hannah:
Well, we really appreciate you taking the time to share a little bit about the waterfowl flights and the work that's happening in the Southeast region. Next up, we'll be talking with Adam Bump about furbearers, so stick around.
Announcer:
Did you know that Michigan lies where the Atlantic and Mississippi Migratory Flyways intersect? This brings over 340 species of birds to Michigan each year. Follow MI Birds on Facebook to learn more about our feathered friends, year-round guided bird walks, stewardship events, and community science opportunities near you. MI Birds is an education and outreach program created by Audubon Great Lakes and the Michigan DNR. Search MI Birds on Facebook. That's M-I birds.
Hannah:
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.
Rachel:
Yes, and our December mug winners are Emily Phillips and Connor [Estees 00:11:57]. Emily and Connor, check your email. We'll be getting in touch with you soon. They answered the question, what bird that can be found in Michigan lays its eggs in other birds' nests, oftentimes in warbler nests, that the other birds will raise its young? The answer to the question is the brown-headed cowbird, a real pesky bird we've got here in Michigan.
Hannah:
To be entered into the drawing this month, test your wildlife knowledge and answer our wildlife quiz question. This month's question is, what Michigan animal or animals will eat their own poo to have a second chance to absorb nutrients? And if you know, what is the term used for this behavior?
Rachel:
Once you've got the answer, email us your name and that answer to 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 January 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 tune in for the next quiz question.
Hannah:
Good luck, everybody. Now. Back to the show.
Rachel:
Well, it's January, and while many of our big game seasons are winding down, there's still plenty of opportunities to get afield and pursue game. In fact, many of our furbearer seasons are open in January and through the coming months. Joining us today to talk about some of these hunting and trapping opportunities is our furbearer specialist, Adam Bump. Welcome to the show, Adam, and thanks for joining us.
Adam:
Thanks for having me.
Rachel:
Adam, to kick off our episode here, could you tell us a little bit about your role with the DNR and how long you've been with the wildlife division?
Adam:
Sure. My current role as furbearer specialist is a job that's a statewide position, where I work primarily with stakeholders on regulations pertaining to fur-bearing animals. And I bring expertise on those species as well as the regulatory process to try to set regulations that are effective for management of those species, make sure that we have sustainable populations of all of our furbearing species while providing recreational opportunities.
Adam:
So, that's the vast majority of the position is really working on those regulations and talking with stakeholder groups. I do also provide expertise to staff within the DNR and external organizations and work on things like ensuring that we have adequate habitat for furbearing species and helping people understand how to manage that habitat.
Adam:
I've been a specialist for about 13 years, so I've had a variety of different species. So, when I first took the job, I was the bear in furbearer specialist. We have 17 species of furbearer, so that's quite a few animals with that in that pot. I had wolves added to that for a couple years around 2013, 2012/2013 when we had our one wolf season. And currently, I have furbearers, small game mammals, like rabbits and squirrels, and I'm also covering the upland game bird program.
Adam:
I had five years experience with the DNR prior to that in the field. I was a habitat biologist out of our Bay City office and covered four counties for that. I worked for two different nonprofits, the Ruffed Grouse Society and Michigan United Conservation Clubs, between grad school and coming to the DNR. So, all in all, I've been in the natural resources field in Michigan for over 20 years. I have a master's degree from the University of Massachusetts and got my undergraduate degree from Michigan State University.
Hannah:
So, before we jump into harvest opportunities, can you tell us a little bit about what a furbearer is? Some of our listeners might not be familiar with that term. Could you elaborate for us a little bit?
Adam:
Sure. Like I mentioned, we have 17 species in Michigan that we call furbearers. So, the term furbearer is defined in the statute where the individual species are listed out. The category basically refers to animals that have traditionally been harvested for their fur, often through trapping. So, that's kind of the general idea.
Adam:
And if you think through that in your head, you probably come up with some of the species, but it's things like coyotes, fox, beaver, otter, muskrat, mink weasels, those types of things, raccoons. Most of the species are carnivores. So, you're thinking of small things that eat other animals, but then you have beavers and muskrats are two big examples of herbivores, plant eaters that are also considered furbearers.
Hannah:
Are there other goods besides furs that people might go out and harvest furbearer species for or use them for?
Adam:
Yeah, there's quite a few things, actually. The majority of furbearers are taken primarily for their fur or for their pelt, or maybe for leather purposes. But mostly, it's for a pelt, something with fur that's used for all sorts of different things. It might be a mount. It might be clothing. There's all sorts of things where it can be used for.
Adam:
And so, most of the other uses are in addition to using the pelt. They use other parts of the animal. So, some good examples are meat. For some species, the meat is consumed. In Michigan, especially Southern Michigan, there's a long tradition of eating muskrat meat. So, there's still some groups that do muskrat dinners where that's what they're eating is muskrat or marsh rabbit sometimes it's called when it's consumed as meat.
Adam:
Beaver meat is sometimes consumed, but not as commonly. The carcasses are sometimes sold to rendering plants to be used. Skulls, there's a market for skulls just because people think skulls are cool. So, they're being used either for educational kits or for display. There's castor. That's from beavers. That's used for all sorts of different things. Perfumes for lures, for trapping beaver and other species.
Adam:
Skunk essence is collected and used, and that's used for all sorts of different things too, and usually is quite a bit more valuable than a skunk pelt. So, the collection of skunk essence occurs. There's probably a few other things that we could come up with, but I think those are probably the primary purposes for, in terms of what is used from furbearer when they're harvested.
Adam:
Then other reasons that someone might harvest a furbearer often centers around resolving negative interactions that people are having with those animals. So, it might be a raccoon in your barn or in your attic, or a mink or weasel getting into the chicken pen or something like that. So, sometimes animals are removed.
Adam:
The agency encourages people to try to resolve those issues in the regular trapping season by licensed fur harvesters, mostly to try to make sure that the animal is usable and put to good use beyond being harvested just for resolving the problems. But we have some pretty relaxed regulations when it comes to resolving those issues to ensure people have the ability to control some of those problems.
Rachel:
So, have you tried muskrat meat?
Adam:
I'm trying to remember. So, I mentioned that I worked for MUCC, and one portion of my role was a district liaison between the organization and their member clubs. And I went to district meetings where they did muskrat dinners. That's why I just assumed it was just like a different word for potluck or something, and I probably tried it then, but I can't remember. So, I can't tell you what it tastes like, but I don't know that I would've passed up the opportunity if there were some muskrat dishes there. I just can't remember. It's been half a life ago.
Rachel:
It seems like if it wasn't super memorable, then it probably wasn't so bad. But I would've assumed it was musky and very strange, but perhaps not. You mentioned all of these things that people can do with furbearing species. So, they collect the furs, skunk essence, which I didn't know that was something people collected. So, if someone was interested in obtaining these kinds of goods, what kind of fur harvesting opportunities are available to them? I know we mentioned we've got some upcoming seasons, so kind of what seasons do we have for what species?
Adam:
Yeah, we have a lot of opportunities that go through the winter. And a lot of that is because we try to center our seasons for most species around when their fur and pelt is what we refer to as being prime. And what that means is that the leather is thickest, and the coat is as thick and as heavy as it's going to get. It occurs at specific timeframes based usually on latitudes. So, the farther south you get, it might be earlier. The farther north, it might be a little bit later and on the species.
Adam:
And for most of our furbearers, their pelts hit primeness in the winter months. It also provides opportunity when a lot of our other critical seasons aren't happening, like deer season. So, there is some overlap with those seasons, but you have a lot of opportunity when there are not deer hunters there.
Adam:
I'll just give you a few examples. Our bobcat hunting seasons start in January and run through ... It depends on where you are, but as late as March 1st, and it ends as early as January 11th. We have fox, raccoons, badger. I'm just running down through some of the list. Trapping season for bobcat is happening right now, and we have a relatively short season for trapping in the Northern Lower Peninsula. So, that would be something that if you're interested in doing, you have a little while, a little more than a week left of that season, but that would be time to get out.
Adam:
Our marten and fisher trapping season is a short season running December 3rd through December 12th. Muskrat and mink trapping are happening now through the beginning of March. Otter trapping is through the end of March, and we have beaver trapping that runs through the end of April. So, those are kind of the major opportunities. And we have some species that just don't have a closed season, like weasels, skunks, possums, where you could go out and pursue them whenever you wanted to.
Adam:
Right now, in the fur market, most of our pelts are not at a high point. So, it's fairly low, which we usually see reduced trapping activity when pelt prices are low. But we're seeing a shift in use. So, the majority of bobcats taken in Michigan are not sold into the fur market. They're kept by the trapper or hunter and presumably used as mounts, or as rugs, or wall hangings.
Rachel:
So, I have a two-part question for you here. First off, some species that you mentioned, like bobcats, otter, fisher, they have bag limits in place while other species don't. Could you elaborate on why some species have lower amounts of bag limits?
Adam:
So, the primary reason we have five species with bag limit in the state and four that have mandatory registration. And all of those species are species that exist at low densities on the landscape. So, if you had unregulated harvest, completely unregulated harvest, you most likely would see those populations decline.
Adam:
We implement restrictions on those species to try to have a better control over harvest and make sure that populations aren't being negatively impacted. We also, for marten, fisher, bobcat, and otter, we have mandatory registration. We collect a tooth, actually a skull from those animals. That allows us to get even more information. So, we can get age information. We get sex information, and we can use that to help better understand how populations are doing and make sure that the regulations we have in place are adequate and allow the proper restrictions to keep those populations or allow them to expand.
Adam:
Badger harvest is so low that collecting that additional information doesn't provide us enough to be worth the effort to do registration on badger. With the remaining species, they're either abundant enough that our current harvest levels don't impact populations, or the amount of interest in harvest of those species is low enough that they don't need bag limits or further restrictions in order to manage them effectively.
Adam:
So, we don't like to put in a bunch of restrictions and add additional effort to be able to participate if it's not necessary for a management purpose. So, that's why you don't see that kind of restriction on other species.
Rachel:
And just to reiterate, what happens when you take a bobcat, otter, fisher, or marten to a DNR registration station?
Adam:
So, when you go there, you'll have filled out your kill tag. It'll be on your animal when you take it in. You'll take it in. Someone will take that kill tag off. They go and will ask you a series of questions about the animal, do inspection. Usually, we're expecting that the animal will be skinned so that the head can be taken. The head will be taken, and you won't be able to get that back because it's just very hard to be able to facilitate getting skulls back to people.
Adam:
So, the registration information will be collected to help us know when and where you harvested the animal, whether it's male or female. We connect that information to the skull. The skull will go to our lab. A tooth will be taken, and for some species, we collect samples for DNA analysis. Bobcats, for example, we sex genetically because we don't have a very good success rate with determining whether the animal's a male or female in the field.
Adam:
And then, with the teeth, we're able to slice it and count the rings, kind of like when you're looking at tree rings, and that gives us age information for the animals that can help with modeling populations. You get the pelt back, and if you want the carcass back and not the head, you're able to take that back as well.
Hannah:
All right, so a lot of useful information that's collected at those registration stations. Now, if someone wanted to go learn more about this abundance of fur harvesting opportunities that we have here in Michigan and some of those regulations that they need to be aware of, where could they go to learn more?
Adam:
I would suggest they take a look at our website at michigan.gov/trapping. There's a lot of good information there. And the current digest is there as well, so they can look at the regulations, and season dates, and all that kind of good stuff.
Hannah:
Well, Adam, thank you so much for joining us and shedding some light on Michigan's furbearers and the plethora of fur harvesting opportunities that are available for folks to take advantage of. For our listeners, stick around. Next up, we'll be answering your questions from the mailbag.
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:
Welcome back to Wildtalk. Now, let's dig into the mailbag and answer some of your questions.
Hannah:
The first question I had came from Marie, who was concerned about seeing a snowy owl on the ground during the daytime. Now, this is not an unusual occurrence during the winter months when these Arctic birds come south. Snowy owls are easy to spot for several reasons. One of those being that they are diurnal, meaning they're active during the daylight, so are out and about during the day when you are also most likely out and about.
Hannah:
They are also used to hunting in the tundra, so they prefer open areas for hunting. So, they might be easier to spot as they frequent these open areas that don't have much tree cover, which might block your view otherwise. And it isn't unusual to see them on the ground as this is where they're used to being up in the tundra.
Hannah:
Now, please keep in mind that winter months are stressful, and the birds are often here to find food. So, it's best to observe them from a distance. And even if they don't seem afraid of people, which they might not act fearful of humans, don't get too close. Give them their space, and enjoy these impressive birds from a distance.
Hannah:
Do you have any questions for us from the mailbag, Rachel?
Rachel:
Yes, I do. I have a question from Phil. Phil asks, how do I find a furbearer registration station? So, you can find the listing of furbearer registrations at michigan.gov/trapping. Just look for the registration stations link. And then, once you find the office nearest you, you want to contact them to set up an appointment.
Rachel:
It's really important that you call ahead. If you have any trouble setting up an appointment by the phone, you can also email us at dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov, and we'll be able to connect you with the appropriate staff.
Rachel:
Be sure to check the Fur Harvester Digest for registration deadlines. There are due dates and deadlines for those types of things, so check there to make sure you're registering your animal prior to those deadlines. There are some bobcat deadlines coming up soon. So, depending on what unit you are hunting in or trapping in, you will want to make sure to check.
Rachel:
And then, Hannah, do you have one other question for us today?
Hannah:
Sarah asks, where can I get the new Kirtland's warbler license plate? And if you haven't yet heard this exciting news, the wildlife habitat specialty license plate offered through the Secretary of State now features the Kirtland's warbler to celebrate the recovery of this unique bird. So, it's a new design. Prior to the Kirtland's warbler, which is now featured, we had an elk featured. And then, prior to the elk, it was the loon.
Hannah:
So, you may see those plates still out and about, but starting here in January, we have the Kirtland's warbler featured on the plate. Specialty and fundraising license plates, including the wildlife habitat plate, can be purchased through the Secretary of State, and proceeds from the sale of the wildlife habitat license plate support the Nongame Fish and Wildlife Trust Fund. To find more information on vehicle license plates and to order one online, you can visit the Secretary of State website at michigan.gov/sos.
Rachel:
Awesome. I can't wait to get my plate. I was a fan of the elk plate, but the Kirtland's warbler is really beautiful. So, I can't wait to have it.
Hannah:
Yep, it looks pretty cool.
Rachel:
Well, 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:
It's time to gobble up those applications for spring turkey hunting during the January 1st through February 1st application period. Visit michigan.gov/turkey and download the Spring Turkey Digest for full details, including updated regulations, season dates, and more.
Rachel:
Well, it might seem a little early to think about breeding season and wildlife babies, but for our wild canines, the foxes and coyotes, the breeding season has just begun.
Hannah:
So, breeding season for fox and coyotes typically happens January through March, and you're likely to see an uptick in activity if you have these critters in your neighborhood. A mated pair will likely be busy defending their territory from potential intruders, and you'll probably hear a lot of vocalizations, especially from coyotes, which are extremely vocal mammals. They have a lot of different sounds they make, and they're kind of noisy.
Rachel:
Well, in addition to establishing their territory, a mated pair will begin to seek out an appropriate den site within their territory. They'll be looking for a quiet, secluded spot to raise their pups. That sounds peaceful. And once their pups are born in the spring, the adults will stick close to the den site but will be very busy hunting for small birds and mammals to feed their hungry youngsters.
Hannah:
So, now is a good time to start thinking about how to dissuade them from your property if you have them hanging around and would prefer they find a den site elsewhere. If they feel like your area is a safe spot to raise their young, you might end up seeing a lot more of them in the coming months. Many of our listeners, you probably remember some of my fox escapades last summer when I had a family of foxes in my own backyard.
Rachel:
Yeah, you tried a lot of different methods last year to deter them, so best luck you. Keep us updated if they come back.
Hannah:
Oh, I will. I'm sure there'll be more fun stories. Right now, they just leave the occasional dead thing for me to find. But they're still around. They're just not quite as concentrated since they've just dispersed.
Rachel:
Ah. Fox and coyotes will look for areas with minimal human disturbance and plenty of nearby food sources. And if you have a corner of your property that you don't often walk through, now is a good time to increase your activity in the area by either walking through regularly, or running yard equipment, or something similar to make a lot of noise and have some traffic through that part of the yard so that the fox or coyote, they don't see that as a quiet spot, and they won't get comfortable there.
Hannah:
And be sure to remove potential food sources if you notice that they're attracting the attention of these wild canines. So, as we've talked before, keep in mind that things like bird feeders might attract the smaller critters that foxes and coyotes like to eat, as well as pet foods that are left outside or even trash left out overnight, might attract curious critters.
Rachel:
And if you do see these foxes or coyotes, you can also employ various hazing techniques to scare them away and to let them know that this is your space and they are not welcome there. So, we'll include a link to our hazing technique videos for coyotes in the show notes.
Rachel:
Well, thanks so much for joining us on our first episode of 2022. We will see you back here in February.
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.