The Michigan DNR's Wildtalk Podcast

Nighthawks, black bears and southeast habitat work

• Michigan Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division • Season 8 • Episode 7

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In this episode of the Wildtalk Podcast, we talk to Nate Levitte about habitat working going on in southeast Michigan, fly away with a discussion about the eastern common nighthawk, and we wrap up the episode with a chat about black bears.

Turkey brood survey — Invasive species survey

Episode Hosts: Rachel Lincoln and Eric Hilliard
Producer/editor: Eric Hilliard

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 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
Hello everyone, and welcome to the WildTalk Podcast. This is your host, Rachel Lincoln. And joining me, as always is Eric Hilliard.

Eric
Hey, Rachel, how's it going? Happy July. We're in the throes of summer already.

Rachel
Happy July. It feels like July this year for the first time in a couple of years. It's like super warm outside. My native plants are in full bloom. It's really enjoyable summer so far. If you're spending time outside this July and you happen to see turkeys or turkey babies, we want to hear from you. So starting on today, July 1st, the 2025 turkey brood survey is going to be open and that's going to run through the end of August. We are looking for observations of wild turkeys, especially if you see hens with poults or her babies. We want those observations of that turkey brood, because that's going to help us better understand the turkey population across Michigan. So if you see some birds and you've got like 90 seconds to go into the survey link and report your observations, that's going to be really helpful information for us to better understand turkeys across our state. If you want the survey link you can find that really easily at michigan.gov/turkey. And we also know that this time of year is like peak season for camping or landscaping or backyard projects. And so if you have bought firewood, gravel, or mulch any time recently, we would love to hear from you. We'll be running a quick survey to learn more about how those materials may play a role in spreading invasive species. And you can help us understand invasive species across the state. If you are willing to take just a couple of minutes to answer some questions about those organic materials, like firewood or gravel or mulch, to help us understand more about invasive species throughout our state. So there'll be a link to that survey in the show notes. We've got another great episode cued up for you this month, but before we jump into the show, we want to take a quick second to recognize those folks who have recently donated to the Non-game Wildlife Fund to support conservation of Michigan's rare species.

Rachel
So a very big and genuine thank you to our most recent donors, Andrew Westhoff and Tom Colleen, who is a reoccurring contributor. And we also had two folks donate anonymously. So for all of those contributions, thank you so much for opening up your pocket books for rare species conservation in our great state. And remember that if you want to hear your name, read aloud on this podcast and help protect Michigan's rare species. Head over to michigan.gov/wildlife. You can click on the Donate Now button on the top of that page, and send a gift to the Non-game Wildlife Fund. Remember that this year marks the 50th anniversary of Michigan's Endangered Species Law, and so far, we have raised over $1,500 in donations to help keep those species around for hopefully, the next 50 years and beyond. So thank you to all of you who have so generously donated this past year. We'll be right back to sit down with Nate Levitte from the Saginaw Bay unit to hear about all the work that's happening for wildlife in the southeast side of Michigan. But first, a word from our forests. 

Announcer
Trees provide for the well-being of our state. That's why we work so hard to keep our forests healthy and abundant. So wildlife has a home and do people. So that there's clean air and water for everyone, and so Michigan's economy can be as strong as the trees that support it. Because every branch of forestry ensures that future generations will always have a tree for life and forests for a lifetime. To learn how sustainable forestry benefits your life, visit michigan.gov/ForestsForaLifetime.

Rachel
Today we're sitting down with Nate Levitte, the field operations manager for this Saginaw Bay unit over in the southeast region of the state. He's going to chat with us about wildlife and habitat and all things happening over there in southeast Michigan. So thanks for joining us, Nate.

Nate
Thank you.

Rachel
Well, tell us about a couple projects or initiatives you're working on and why those are important for the region.

Nate
Okay. Well this is the time of year where a lot of my staff at the managed waterfowl areas are busy putting crops in the ground. A lot of the crops that we do are specifically designed to help feed wildlife, in particular waterfowl. So ducks and geese in the fall. They're also designed to help hide hunters. So during the fall season, folks will be able to hunt and hide in flooded corn. And that's also a food source. One of the challenges that we face this time of year, just like anybody else who's been farming out there, especially in this part of the state, is some of the issues we have with, well, with deer and with cranes. Sandhill cranes, they're pretty avid predators on our crops, and we're facing the same challenges that some farmers have to face this time of year, too.

Rachel
Yeah, I imagine weather is probably one of those challenges as well.

Nate
Always. Always. Yeah. Weather is another challenge. And I think a couple of the areas, but we've already had to go through the process of doing a replant on some of our corn. We're not too late so we can get them in there. We don't have the same constraints as a typical farmer where we're going to try and harvest that, but we still want to try to get as good a yield as we can for the wildlife.

Rachel
Yeah. What are some of those impacts to wildlife where you're obviously creating habitat for them? Do they benefit in any other way?

Nate
Oh, absolutely. So a lot of that habitat that we're creating there is designed to provide for food for migrating waterfowl. It's providing food for wildlife even now. So we can't really complain. Deer are going to eat. So if they're going to eat our corn, we just would rather they wait until we have the opportunity to put some hunters in the field this fall, but they don't like the way they like to eat that stuff when it's really tasty. We've done some lure crops, so in particular Shiawassee, we've put a barley strip out there, which really kind of gets the attention of the deer and pulls them our way from the corn. Unfortunately, Sandhill cranes don't really care. They just want to get that corn up out of the ground, and they'll walk right on the right down the row and pick it right out. But that's where the utilization of some scarecrows and from flagging and just us hitting, being out on the property really can help.

Rachel
This time of year we get lots of questions from people who have recently put in landscaping or gardens, and they are also experiencing issues with sandhill cranes, geese, deer, those critters that like to eat those plants. Do you have any recommendations for how people can deter those critters from eating their landscaping or garden beds?

Nate
Some of the things I've just mentioned that things like the scarecrows and flagging, a lot of times they'll use mylar flagging, which was just a strip of mylar tapes, looks shiny and flickers and just a little bit of wind. That alone will help. It helps with geese. It helps with cranes. Maybe not as much with deer, but, it does help. Also remember, these geese are flightless this time of year, and because of that, they're kind of localized. And wherever there is that they go through that molt. So they're going to start moving again before too long. When their flight feathers grow back in. But right now they're kind of stuck right where they're at. And yeah, they're probably taking advantage of your crops that you're putting out there to your gardens and your landscaping.

Rachel
Are there specific areas that you're putting these crops in for good hunting opportunities later on?

Nate
Yeah, these are the managed waterfowl hunting areas or managed wetland hunting areas. So places like Fish Point, Nayanquing Point, and Shiawassee are some of the ones that that I oversee. And those are those places are putting in a lot of these crops now with the hope that they'll provide for good hunting opportunities this fall.

Rachel
Yeah. That's great. And we have a great website, the Wetland Wonders website, where if you're interested in hunting those areas, participating in any of the managed hunt there, you certainly can go to the website and learn more or contact any of the offices over in southeast region, because it it is quite a scene to see those managed waterfowl hunts in those areas. It has such a large waterfowl hunting presence.

Nate
I, I call it a spectacle. It is a spectacle to see that in the fall, the numbers of folks that are there to enjoy it, not just hunters, but during the fall migration, there's a tremendous number of folks that come out just to see the birds sing in the spring. And in fact, there are tremendous amount of folks that come out with just the idea of viewing the areas while the birds are stopped over. And a lot of that crop that we've put out stays on site and feeds those birds on spring migration, in addition to just the hunting season and fall migration.

Rachel
Yeah, yeah, you guys do a lot for migrating waterfowl habitat and hunter opportunity. These are really fantastic places to go this fall during when the fall migration happens to be a great time to go out and just see cool, rare or mass quantities of birds.

Nate
For sure, quantity. But one of the things we can do is provided numbers.

Rachel
Well that's great Nate. Any anything else your region is working on this time of year?

Nate
Some of the areas, some of the upland areas in particular are working on the EPA pollinator grant. And I think Terry might have mentioned that last time as one of the things that we're spending some time on. It's it was a grant of about $450,000 that was federal moneys from the EPA for Great Lakes restoration and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. And southern Michigan was a  region. We get about 470 some acres worth of prairie plantings, new. As well as some interseeding, we're we're going back in to put in some additional, usually forbs that we're planting in those grasslands. And I think about 115 or 120 acres of invasive species controls so wherever we have woody vegetation that's coming in there that we don't want, or or other invasives for that matter. We're going to go there and do some work there. And then some of the perennials, invasives that we have to hit too another 70 or 80 acres there.

Rachel
Have you seen an increase in any of these pollinators or noticed an increase in birds or anything new in these areas now that they've been planted?

Nate
I have it was kind of fun. The technician came into the office here in Cass City, and while I don't oversee Cass City, sometimes I work out of Cass City office, and he said he was looking at one of our plantings, one of our one twos and grass plantings, and he said, you have to kind of adjust your eyes so you're not focused on any particular thing, but just looking over top of the field. And he said, as you looked over top of the grass, you said it was just alive. He said you could just see insects and birds just he said, I'm not even identifying them. He said, just the whole field was steady, alive with life over top of that.

Rachel
I mean, that's the whole point of these plots, right? Like you just want to keep things alive, a space for them to really thrive and let's be honest, those pollinators are so tiny. I saw my I saw my first Karner blue butterflies last year, and we talk about them all the time. And you see photos of them all the time. And so I was expecting to see like at least a quarter sized bright blue butterfly. No, it was about half the size of my pinky fingernail. So you really have to be looking intently to be able to identify what it is. So just to see that you've got life thriving in there, it's enough to say, good job. And were there any challenges with getting those those plots planted?

Nate
Oh, there's always challenges, but it's mostly a weather dominated thing that we really fight, that sometimes getting the timing right can be a bit of a challenge. So it's there's always challenges, but they're nothing new. They're the same challenges that we have annually and the same challenges we have with a lot of our work. When you do work in the field like that, you're always at the mercy of the weather.

Rachel
Yeah. No kidding. We were chatting right before we started podcasting, and it is. I think it's 92 degrees here in Plainwell today. I'm sure it's just as hot on your side of the state and it's field season. So there are people out banding geese. There's people out in the fields doing that work outside. So there are lots of challenges that you have to deal with. Heat certainly being one of them this year.

Nate
Yeah, I've got folks out today actually probably going to be on a sprayer this afternoon to try and treat some of those warm season grass fields that have got to, but I've got some encroaching woody vegetation. So doing exactly the work we're just talking about. And it can be pretty miserable.

Rachel
Well, that is awesome. Thanks for the update on those projects. Nate thanks so much for joining us. It's always a pleasure to have you on the podcast. You do a great job talking about your region. We appreciate all the work you and your staff do for wildlife.

Nate
Thank you.

Rachel
All right folks, stick around because up next we're talking about a boomerang shaped bird. You can see and hear this time of year.

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Rachel
Well, this month we're talking about a boomerang shaped bird with a big-ol mouth and probably the coolest bird name out there, the Common nighthawk. Well, these bizarre little birds are a personal favorite in my household. They're my husband's favorite bird. We've had some pretty unique experiences with them, and they're just generally a very unique and cool bird that we have here in Michigan. And this is the time of year where you can really get to enjoy them. But don't let the name fool you. So they're called the common nighthawk. But plot twist, they're actually not a hawk at all. It's just the name of it. And they're actually becoming increasingly not so common in many areas. So July and these really warm summer months that we're having are the perfect time to see a Nighthawk. And you may have very well seen the Nighthawk and mistaken it for a bat. They move very similarly to how bats move around this kind of darting, swooping motion. And not really how you would expect most birds to fly. So you may have seen them before. What to look for. What is it? If you're wanting to see a Nighthawk?

Rachel
They're about a medium sized bird, and they're called or grouped as a nightjar. So a nightjar is a nocturnal bird or a crepuscular bird. So bird that's around during dawn and dusk hours. So like as you're outside during that, those beautiful sunset hours, setting up a bonfire or having a cookout, that's when these birds are going to be most active. And nightjars have super long wings, super short legs, and really short bills. So they are very much boomerang shaped like long, thin wings like a boomerang would have. But you can identify these pretty easily from a distance because Common nighthawks have this band on the wings, so they're a really dark brown kind of motley grayish brown color kind of like leaves or dirt, because they blend in really well with the ground, because they are ground nesting birds. But when they're in flight, you can easily identify them because they have a white band on the wing. Not only can you see these birds, but you also can hear them. So they have, but they have an extreme similar call to our friends, the American woodcocks. So they also peet, that's that buzzy, nasally peet sounds that so many of us have loved woodcocks for. The only difference is, is that when woodcocks make the peet noise, they're on the ground. When Common nighthawks make that peet noise, they're in the air. So frequently you'll hear the noise. You've got one of two options just depending on the location of that call will help you identify which bird it is in the area.

Eric
Yeah, that's like me. I've got Common nighthawks in my area because I can hear them at night. I have no Aspen stands around me. So definitely not a definitely not a woodcock.

Rachel
Yeah. And I'm really glad you say that, because part of what makes Nighthawks so special is that they do live very successfully in urban areas. So these birds historically have been known to live in really open grassland and or savanna habitats. Right? They need a lot of really big open spaces. And that's because they are bug eaters. So they need to live in a place where there's a lot of open air for them to catch bugs in. However, over time, they have adapted really well to urban habitats because so much of our infrastructure is built with gravel roofing and they don't really need a lot of material to build their nests. And in fact, their whole nest philosophy is like no nest is best, and they basically just drop their eggs on whatever bare ground they find. But gravel topped buildings have become a real sanctuary for a lot of these birds. And so a lot of times people can hear them and see them in these very urban settings and similar to you, where I live in Kalamazoo, we see them pretty frequently because they nest on top of several schools in the area. Another benefit to them living in the city and part of what makes them so successful is city lights. So, so often we talk about city lights being problems for birds, right? They can they can pull them off their migration pathway. They can be very disorienting for birds. But in the case of nighthawks, lights can actually be super helpful because what's attracted to lights after dark? 

Eric
Bugs!

Rachel
Bugs. And so it just pulls in all of these bugs. It's like this super easy bug buffet for these agile Nighthawks. And so another really great place to see Nighthawks is kind of around these city lights after dark, where they are just getting their fill of insects. Now, we mentioned that Nighthawks are bug eaters, but really, bugs are life for the Common nighthawk insects. They build their entire life cycle in tune with the seasons and the rhythms of insect abundance. And so they build both their migration, their nesting, their offspring rearing all off the presence of insects. So, for example, Common nighthawks are a long distant migratory species until they actually schedule their whole lives around the insect availability. And here in Michigan, they won't show up until a little bit later, after a lot of other migratory species do. In that, like late April to early May window after the Michigan weather starts to warm up a little bit more and we start to have our first emergence of flying insects. Then they will breed in June or July, but by mid August those insect numbers will start to decline and then Common nighthawks will begin to leave the area to head south. So they only arrive after we've got insects emerging. And then once they start to decline, they get out of town too. Nighthawks actually have the longest migration out of any other species in the Americas, and they may travel between 2,500 miles to 6,800 miles just to reach their wintering grounds. So they're pretty long distance travelers.

Eric
Do they travel slow?

Rachel
You know, that's probably part of it because they don't really have a straight flight path. They're pretty buzzy and kind of like, not wishy washy, but they are not the most efficient travelers.

Eric
They're more meandering in they're in their route.

Rachel
A dilly dally, if you will. 

Eric
Yeah. 

Rachel
Eating insects as they go.

Eric
Oh, these mayflies are so succulent.

Rachel
Yes. Mayflies are exactly the diet of nighthawks, but so is just about everything else.

Eric
Yeah, they're not picky eaters.

Rachel
They are not picky eaters when it comes to insects. It makes me think about Lizzo's song boys---but bugs. I like big bugs and the city bugs, I like little bugs, I like all the bugs. 

Eric
There you go. 

Rachel
The nighthawk loves the bugs. So everything from mosquitoes to beetles, moths, flying ants, grasshoppers, caddisflies. If it's a bug, it's probably on the palette of the Common nighthawk. And they have this incredible mouth made for catching bugs. So if you ever see a night hawk, or if you see a photo of one, you'll notice that it has---appears to have a really tiny beak. It's like it looks almost unusually small for where the tip of its beak is, but if it opens up its mouth, it's basically like this gaping net. It's a really wide mouth that is shaped more like a scoop, and so they can fly through the air with their mouth open and just catch massive swarms of insects. Basically, it's just engulfing insects as it's flying and just catching and eating everything that comes into its path. It's incredible.

Eric
I wonder if they're ever just like [choking sound] because they're flying around like, you know, maybe a mosquito goes in quite not right at the angle they were expecting. And this catches them off guard.

Rachel
Oh well, I thought the funniest experience I've had with the Nighthawk, I'm fairly certain I saw a young nighthawk out on its first ever feed. And so there was three. There was two obvious adults, and they were, you know, like we mentioned, they kind of fly like bats, like they're bouncing around a little bit trying to catch insects. And then about 12ft behind them was the slightly smaller bird that was truly flying around in like, every kind of direction. And then it would stop using its wings and kind of fall for a little bit, and then it would try to catch bugs again. And I'm pretty sure it was just an offspring, you know, a baby off to its first flight. But it was super entertaining to watch.

Eric
That's fun.

Rachel
It was fun. So I mentioned how most eggs are laid directly on the ground like that, very weird, no nest is best policy. It's always shocking to me that those eggs are ever successful since they're not in a camouflaged nest. But part of that could be is because mom is ultra protective. So both mom and dad are fully, it's not hands on, wings on? Participatory---

Eric
Yeah. 

Rachel
In in the offspring. Right.

Eric
I kind of like wings on that take that works. Yeah.

Rachel
So they're both wings on. But mom usually spends most of the time with the eggs. And because they are that brownish blackish color, they blend in super well with the ground. For the most part, that mom will sit tight if a predator or if a person walks by. But every once in a while, if something gets too close, then she may perform a distraction display. And we see this, sometimes. We've see it with woodcock or killdeer species. They will feign an injury and like make direct eye contact with the threat and lead that predator away. While it's like pretending to be injured in an effort to protect her, eggs.

Eric
Will fly up into a tree and go; Whippoorwill, Whippoorwill! Look up here, look up here!

Rachel
They are closely related to Whippoorwills, and I knew that that line was going to be in here at some point. How could it not? So while mom is feigning an injury, the males may also step up to the plate and dive bomb intruders, and they have this unique wing adaptation. They will fly or dive and then snap their wings in. And it creates this very bullfrog like call. And so they've actually been nicknamed bull-bats because they make a bull or bullfrog like noise, but they kind of move like bats. So occasionally you do hear them be called bull-bats as well. Unfortunately, the common nighthawks have been in decline across North America, and Michigan is no exception. And there are a few major factors that are behind this worrying trend. So first of all, they have declined about 48% since the 1960s. So it is a fairly significant decline. And because of those declines, the nighthawk is listed as a species of special concern and is a focal species in Michigan's Wildlife Action Plan. Which means we are paying really close attention to this animal's population and the habitat that they live in. The primary driver in the Nighthawk decline is the loss of suitable habitat. So we mentioned they need these big grasslands or savannas, these big open areas for them to live in. These big open areas often require fire in order to keep large, woody vegetation like trees from growing in those areas. And if those trees are allowed to grow, then it's no longer a grassland and it's more of a forest. And that's just not the habitat that these nighthawks need. So without fire in those systems and these plants are growing up, we're losing the habitat these nighthawks need. Additionally in urban settings, because we mentioned there's a lot of gravel lined roofs in cities in urban areas. But that material. But in those urban settings, there's then a shift in roofing practices that's unintentionally hurt these species. So the replacement of gravel rooftops with like a smooth rubber or tar roof actually means there's fewer safe nesting options for nighthawks to have their babies. Additionally, in urban areas, nighthawks just have more predators, so there tends to be a lot more cats. People let their cats out and those can attack birds. But also raccoons seem to be a really big nest predator on nighthawks because again, those eggs are just on the ground and exposed.

Eric
Yeah, I saw this cat wandering around, cat wandering around with a tag on with a phone number, and I thought, oh, someone's cat must have escaped. I called this lady's number and I was like hey, I found your cat. And she's like, yeah, it's an outdoor cat. We're not looking for it. And it's like, and why have your phone number hanging around this cat's neck?

Rachel
Yeah, it doesn't make too much sense, I suppose, but it's just a good idea to keep your cats indoors because it's safer for them. I mean, a cat, it can be a perilous world out there for our little cat.

Eric
Yeah, I'm honestly surprised. Like, I haven't seen that cat in some time. I would not be shocked if it met an untimely end. But yeah, it's a good idea to keep your cats inside. Keep them safe.

Rachel
Keep them safe, keep wildlife abundant. I mean, I'm sure we've all heard the statistic that house cats kill 2 billion birds a year, but that's true.

Eric
Cars also kill a lot of cats.

Rachel
Yeah, there's there's there's a lot of threats out there. Keep your pets inside. You love them. Just keep them inside. Keep them safe. One of the other causes of declines for nighthawks is insects. Insect declines because they only eat insects. As insect populations are in decline. It can also have sweeping effects on birds that eat those insects, and so widespread uses of pesticides or insecticides can have very detrimental impacts on these birds. And so, you know, we would encourage reducing the unnecessary use of pesticides or insecticides, especially in places where you might have these birds existing, like in your backyards or in those urban areas, and then also planting pollinator friendly gardens. So things like native plants that are going to be specifically the host plants that are going to be houseplants for native insects, not only are those going to feed native birds, but probably bring some native birds to your backyard, it makes for some really cool viewing opportunities for you. Michigan's Wildlife Action Plan currently estimates there's about 20,000 nighthawks in Michigan, but the number may be a little lower now, given some of those recent recent declines that we mentioned. But the nighthawk, it's a really important species in our Wildlife Action Plan and in our state because it can be a signal. So it shows that if we manage some of our habitats right, then we could see nighthawks persist or potentially see their populations rebound. And if we don't take care of those habitat, then something could not just be wrong for the nighthawk, but for the suite of other species that share in those habitats. Nighthawks have our focus and the focus of our partners, because saving nighthawks can tie into saving a whole community of other species and helping to maintain those natural processes and habitats that benefit lots of our native wildlife and plant and insect populations. So while you're out this summer enjoying a barbecue or a bonfire, make sure to keep your eyes turned upward, hopefully to see or hear this really unique and neat bird we have here in Michigan, the Common nighthawk. Stick around, because when we come back, we'll pivot from birds to bears.

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Rachel
July is an active month for many of us and for many critters. That includes the Black bear. Black bears have shifted into high gear mode, so summertime is a busy time for the life of a black bear. There is relentless foraging, cubs are exploring, and the mating season is underway. So that means that campground and backyard encounters are much more likely. And we are here to help you to hopefully stay ahead of any potential conflicts. So for the first time this year, young bears are starting to stretch their legs and explore a bit of independence. Cubs that were born just this year. So they were born like in January, February, or March of earlier this year. They have grown to about the size of a small dog. But don't be fooled by their size if you see them. These little ones are still under mom's care, so a mama bear will keep her babies with her for about 18 months. And so she's going to spend this entire first year teaching those babies basically how to be bears.

Eric
How to bear. You gotta learn how to bear.

Rachel
Their learning how to bear. And the first lesson they're learning is what kinds of foods they should be eating. One of the first ways that babies learn what food to eat is by his by smelling mom's breath. So cubs will literally reach their little heads into her mouth and smell her breath because they can smell the types of foods that she's eating and what kinds of foods to then go seek out.

Eric
Must be pretty similar to a dog's nose.

Rachel
Like how well?

Eric
How the---how the bears smell. Yeah.

Rachel
Well, actually, it's much better than dogs nose. So---

Eric
Oh, do tell

Rachel
I will. Bears have an insanely powerful sense of smell. It's actually a hundred times stronger than ours, and about seven times better than a bloodhounds sense of smell. And a lot of it is because of the large surface area that they have within their nose. It can just pick up much more scents. And so they're able to smell up to a mile away. They can smell food at that great distance.

Eric
So make sure you take care of those barbecues then.

Rachel
Precisely. We say it every year and we will continue to say it bears have an incredible sense of smell, and you have to be very cautious about putting away anything that they can get into, because bears can follow a scent trail for more than a mile. So if you've got bears anywhere within the vicinity of your house or your backyard or where you're camping, they can smell that food. And it's a really good idea to pack up or clean up whatever food was around, so it doesn't encourage them to explore further. If they do find something to eat, we know that bears will continue to return, right?

Eric
So we definitely want to keep those grills, those trash cans inside of the garage locked away because if your trash cans are out, if your gas grill is out or your charcoal grill and you've got just, you know, a little bit of food remnants on there, bears are going to come and do what bears do, which is wreck shop on your trash or your grill.

Rachel
Yeah. And, you know, it's especially important to remember that this time of year, because those moms, those bear moms have babies with them, and those babies are learning. And if they're finding food in these places near your homes, those babies are going to learn that that's where they should be seeking out food. And they will continue to seek out food near your home or other people's homes for the rest of their lives. And I'm if you've heard the phrase a fed bear is a dead bear, it's pretty accurate. It's not a good situation for bears to feed from or find food near our homes, especially if it's a cub and they're going to grow up eating from those food sources.

Eric
Especially if they're not keeping that fear of humans and they become habituated to human presence. It can be a dangerous situation for people and a dangerous situation for the bears.

Rachel
Most certainly. So don't feed the bears and do your best to clean up after yourself. Well, right now, moms with yearlings are also on the move. So like I mentioned, a mom will keep a baby around for about 18 months. Well, for those babies that were born last year, their 18 month is coming up and they're getting ready to get kicked out and sent out on their own for their first time. So during this time, again, we've got young bears who are out exploring for the first time. They're out from the guidance of mom. And so they're on their own, and they may end up in some places where we have never seen bears before, or we typically wouldn't expect bears. And that's because bears have to learn lessons the hard way most of the time. So if you find a bear in your backyard and you didn't even know you lived in bear country, just do your best to scare the bear out of the area and again, take out any bird feeders, pull in any trash cans, and do everything you can to make your home seem unwelcoming to this bear. So that it can learn how to naturally forage and be a wild bear out in places where it's safer for it to do so. Another reason why bears are more active this time of year is because it's the breeding season. During the breeding season, especially in July, males and females will actually mark trees. They will stand up on their hind legs, and they will reach their arms up as far as they can, up to the tops of some trees, and scratch or bite the tree. It's a way to let other bears know they're in the area and how big they are. And in fact, males will often mark above other male scratches because he's basically saying, I am bigger than you. 

Rachel
Probably seems like a lengthy list of to-dos we're saying, right? Take your trash and clean your tables off. Take your bird feeders down, but hear me out. This is important because bear sightings and nuisance reports are on the rise. So Michigan saw over 300 reports of conflict behavior. So bears that had gotten into some of these trash can or bird feeder, or had caused some form of property damage. We saw over 300 reports last year, and that is higher than the average. And with warmer winters and an expanded bear territory, which we've seen in northern Michigan, bears are waking up earlier and they are wandering farther. And so they're becoming more chances for you to have these kinds of encounters with bears. And so basically, if you live north of Grand Rapids and Lansing, you should be considering taking some precautions, because we know we've got bears just north of Grand Rapids, sometimes in Grand Rapids and just north of like that, Lansing. So if you draw a line across, you live north of that, or if you go camping up there, or if you have a summer home up there, you really should be acting with bears in mind, especially during the summer months, because most of these encounters are entirely preventable. Bears come back to places where they found food. If you can avoid attracting a bear initially, shouldn't be a problem for you. Now, if you live in southern Michigan like me, but you like to go camping and you're heading into bear country to camp, it's time to channel your inner bear because bears make decisions with their noses. As we mentioned. So if your campsite smells even remotely interesting, it's likely it could be investigated by a bear or other critters. Again, nobody wants a raccoon hanging out near your cooler at the campsite. This is just general good wildlife practices. When it comes to thinking about food storage, just remember, if it's fragrant, it's going to be fair game. So store your food, your coolers, your toiletries and trash in some type of bear resistant container or in the locked vehicle. So a container that really can only be opened if you have two human hands that's bear resistant. Don't leave anything with a scent in your tent. Do not take your toothpaste into your tent with you. Don't take your oreos or your midnight snacks. It's just not a good idea. Each snacks put them in a container. You can get up in the middle of the night and have your midnight snacks. Just put it back in the container and always remember you pack it in, you pack it out. Leaving scraps or garbage behind, even if it's buried or burned, can teach bears to associate campsites with food. So everything you take in with you just take it out at the end of your weekend. These steps will help protect both you and the bear. 

Rachel
Lastly, if you plan on going hiking again north of Grand Rapids and Lansing, you might be in the bear area. If you plan on going hiking, keep these things in mind. There's a few simple and important rules to follow. One travel in groups when possible, bears are much less likely to approach multiple people, but honestly, if you just make a little bit of noise, bears are going to flee and run out of the area talking, clapping, singing loudly.  Anything you can do to make your presence known, especially near dense vegetation or wetlands, or maybe a small hill where you can't see the other side of it. If you can make a little bit of noise to alert whatever is on the other side, or any other critters in the area, generally things are going to leave you to be on your own. But if you do happen to encounter a bear, remember the trick to Black bears is to just stay calm. Don't run. Don't flee. Stand your ground. Wave your arms, make some noise. That bear is likely going to recognize you as human and not prey, and it's going to walk away. But it's also always a good idea to carry bear spray. I came face to face with a black bear a couple of years ago, and it had absolutely no interest in me, but I was in between it and it's lunch, and so it wasn't going to leave any time soon. And I did, in fact wish I had bear spray just so I felt better about that situation. But ultimately I banged two sticks together and it was just like super patient and just wanted me to leave the area. And once I did it, it resumed eating its lunch. Lastly, just keep in mind that black bears don't want to fight, but if they're startled or feel cornered, they might act defensively. So just giving them space is the key. Black bears are as much of a part of Michigan's summers as campfires and cookouts, and with just a little bit of respect and a few simple precautions, we can share our summer seasons safely.

Announcer
Michigan.gov/DNRTrails is your destination for trail maps, trail etiquette, and trail closure information. Trail information for biking, cross-country skiing, horseback riding, hiking, off-road vehicle riding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and even water trails for kayaking and canoeing are available. While you're there, remember to check out information about pet friendly recreation, track chairs, and the Iron Belle Trail, all available at Michigan.gov/DNRTrails.

Rachel
Now is your opportunity to win a WildTalk Podcast mug, as a thank you to our listeners will be giving away a mug or two every episode. The June episodes 'Mug Me' question was; How many species of bats do we have in Michigan? The answer is nine. Congratulations to Jim Zinger and Michael, who didn't provide a last name. So congratulations Jim Singer and Michael, watch your email as we will be getting in touch with you soon to send you a mug. To be entered into the drawing this month, test your wildlife knowledge, and answer our wildlife quiz question. This month's question is; What bird family are the common nighthawks in? We are not looking for nightjar. That is like an unofficial bird family. We're looking for the scientific family that common nighthawks are in. Email your 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 answers by July 15th. We'll announce winners and answers on next month's podcast, so be sure to listen in and see if you've won and for the next quiz question. Good luck everyone!

Announcer
Michigan Conservation officers are working hard to protect and keep the outdoors safe for current and future generations. If you witness a natural resources violation, you can call or text the Report all Poaching Hotline 24 hours a day at 1-800-292-7800, or fill out the complaint form available at Michigan.gov/RAP. If you would like more information on becoming a Conservation Officer, click on 'Become a CO' at Michigan.gov/ConservationOfficers.

Rachel
Well thank you for joining us on this edition of the WildTalk Podcast. Remember if you have questions about wildlife or hunting you can call (517) 284-9453 or email us at DNR-Wildlife@michigan.gov. We'll see you back here in August.

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.