Western Upper Peninsula Citizen Advisory Council DNR Division Reports Date of Production: November 2019 This documentation is provided by Michigan DNR staff as a supplement to verbal reports that will be distributed to the Western UPCAC at the November 2019 meeting in Escanaba. Upper Peninsula Regional Coordinator Update – Stacy Haughey, UP Regional Coordinator DNR Public Meetings November 6 Western UP Citizens’ Advisory Council Meeting, Escanaba, 5:30pm November 7 Natural Resources Commission Meeting, Lansing December 3 UP Sportsperson Coalition Meeting, DNR Marquette Office, 6:00pm December 3 UP Sportsperson Coalition Meeting, DNR Crystal Falls Office, 6:00pm Central December 10 Eastern UP Citizens’ Advisory Council Meeting, Newberry, 6:00pm December 10 UP Sportsperson Coalition Meeting, Gogebic-Ontonagon ISD, Bergland, 1:00pm December 11 UP Sportsperson Coalition Meeting, DNR Baraga Office, 4:00pm December 12 Natural Resources Commission Meeting, Southwest Michigan TBD U.P. State Park & State Sponsored Activities November 23 Tahquamenon Falls State Park-Snowshoe Building Workshop December 7 Tahquamenon Falls State Park-Snowshoe Building Workshop December 14 Tahquamenon Falls State Park-Snowshoe Building Workshop January 25 Fayette Historic State Park-Lantern-Lit Snowshoe, Hike or XC Ski Season Dates & Reminders 11/1 – Beaver & Otter trapping open in Unit B (for residents) 11/1 - Muskrat & Mink trapping open Zone 2; Badger trapping opens in Zone 3 11/4 – Woodcock season closes 11/10 – Beaver & Otter trapping open in Unit C (for residents) 11/10 - Muskrat & Mink trapping open in Zone 3 11/10 – Five Day Firearm Restriction Period begins, see hunting digest p. 19 11/14 – Badger trapping closes in Zones 1 & 2 11/14 – Fall Turkey & Early Archery Deer seasons close 11/14 - Grouse closes until 12/1; pheasant season closes in Zones 2 & 3 11/15 – Firearm Deer season opens; ORV time restrictions begin 11/15 – Frog, Toad, and Salamander seasons close 11/30 – Firearm Deer season closes; Muskie closes on the Boundary Waters (possession) 11/30 – Last Day to obtain Bobcat Kill Tags 1 of 14 Recent DNR Press Releases For full details, go to: www.michigan.gov/dnrpressroom ▪ 21 million fish stocked, Wildlife Habitat Grants, help the hungry (10/29/19) ▪ Happy Little 5K / Run for the Trees virtual race registration opens Jan. 1 (10/25/19) ▪ Share your thoughts with the DNR at November meetings (10/25/19) ▪ Showcasing the DNR: Deer movement studies provide insight into CWD (10/25/19) ▪ DNR reports CWD-positive deer in Hamilton Township, Gratiot County (10/24/19) ▪ Michigan one of five new states to commit to outdoor recreation principles (10/24/19) ▪ West Nile Virus survey shows limited exposure in ruffed grouse, strong survival (10/23/19) ▪ Conservation officers respond to fatal ORV crash in Delta County (10/21/19) ▪ Chinook salmon stocking, Bat Week, surprising forest products (10/21/19) ▪ Showcasing the DNR: Developing the Tahquamenon Falls (10/17/19) ▪ Rare, 150-year-old iron mine locomotive gets $120,000 federal boost (10/15/19) ▪ Lake sturgeon releases, tree-stand safety, outdoor educators honored (10/14/19) ▪ Showcasing the DNR: Behind the DNR’s firefighting front lines (10/10/19) Eastern UPCAC Update The Eastern UP Citizen’s Advisory Council Meeting met on October 9th in Wetmore. Old Business included a continued update on CWD. New Business included a thorough update and discussion with Mr. Cody Norton, the new bear/wolf specialist who replaced Mr. Kevin Swanson. Update on forestry activities and the DNR budget were also provided. Subcommittee reports were light. The next EUPCAC meeting will be held on December 10th in Newberry. October 2019 NRC Meeting Summary – Ed Golder, Public Information Officer The November 2019 Meeting Summary will be added in this section after the November 6th WUPCAC meeting. The Natural Resources Commission met at Lansing Community College in Lansing today. The commission approved changes to: • Fisheries Order 205, which adds consistency to Muskellunge regulations on Michigan-Wisconsin boundary waters by increasing the size limit from 42 inches to 50 inches, and extends the possession season from Nov. 30 to Dec. 31. The amended order aligns possession dates for bass by extending the season from Nov. 30 to Dec. 31. • Fisheries Order 206, which delays the possession season date to May 15 to protect spawning walleye on the Cheboygan River from Mullett Lake downstream to Cheboygan Dam, and Black River downstream from Alverno Dam. The order also changes northern pike regulations on select waters in Montmorency, St. Joseph, Delta and Branch counties. • Fisheries Order 215, which simplifies walleye regulations in the Detroit River, Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River by aligning the daily possession limits for these connected waters. The daily limits will be determined using the Lake Erie harvest quota process. Director Dan Eichinger approved: • Changes to Fisheries Order 243, which modifies commercial fishing reporting requirements to better align with the department’s new electronic reporting process. • Thirteen land transactions, details of which can be found in the NRC agenda. 2 of 14 During the Policy Committee on Wildlife and Fisheries, Fisheries Chief Jim Dexter reported the salmon run and egg collection are going well. Jim also recounted conversations with the Lake Michigan and Lake Huron Citizens Fishery Advisory Committee regarding catch-and-release fishing in Grand Traverse Bay. Mortality on the bay is greater than 40 percent for fish that are caught and released. The division discussed with the committee whether catch-and-release fishing should be discontinued on the bay. Rather than taking that step, the committee supported enhancing education and outreach efforts to encourage people to limit catch-and-release fishing after they have caught their limit. Seth Herbst of Fisheries explained proposed changes to Fisheries Order 200, which would make a number of adjustments to statewide trout, salmon, whitefish, cisco, grayling and smelt regulations. Among other things, the department is recommending changes for regulations for coregonids – cisco, lake whitefish and round whitefish, three species that are hard to distinguish from one another. Currently cisco and lake whitefish daily possession limits are combined. The department is recommending that round whitefish possession limits also be added with the other two species. The proposed changes would also reduce daily possession limits for coregonids on the Great Lakes to 10 fish per day and 5 fish per day in inland waters. The order would extend the Pilgrim River Brook Trout Restoration Area in Houghton County to add greater protections for coaster brook trout. Resource Deputy Shannon Hanna reported on the deer season forecast. Deer numbers in the Upper Peninsula this year will be similar to last year. In the Lower Peninsula, deer numbers have increased or grown year-to-year. Shannon talked about Eastern Equine Encephalitis, a disease that if contracted is very serious or deadly for human beings. Four people have died from EEE in Michigan this year. The department has found the disease in 13 deer thus far this year. The department continues to offer guidance to hunters about being outdoors while EEE is a concern, as well as safe handling and consumption of meat in areas of EEE occurrence. Please share this guidance with hunters who have questions about the disease. Shannon introduced Rex Ainslie, northern lower region manager for the Wildlife Division, as acting chief of the Wildlife Division through December. Rex was recruited to help relieve the workload for Shannon, who has been doing double duty as deputy and head of the division. Al Stewart from Wildlife gave a presentation on proposed turkey regulations for the 2020-2022 spring turkey seasons. Michigan is ranked fourth in the nation for wild turkey harvest and is recognized nationally for having great wild turkey hunting. People come from other countries to hunt turkeys in Michigan, Al said. Surveys reveal high satisfaction among turkey hunters. The department’s proposed regulations would expand opportunities for hunters. Quotas would increase for turkey management unit ZZ in the southern Lower Peninsula from 35,000 to 50,000. Current week-long hunts would expand to multiple week hunts. The new regulations would allow turkey to be taken with a firearm from a scaffold, raised platform or tree. Chad Stewart of Wildlife reported on results of the fall elk season. During the first hunt period in August and September, 96 hunters participated, and 71 elk were legally harvested (29 bulls and 42 antlerless elk). Tribes harvested six elk (three bulls and three antlerless elk). Hunt Period 2 is slated for Dec. 14-22. During the director’s report in the Committee of the Whole, Law Enforcement Chief Gary Hagler presented a lifesaving award to Officer Jeffrey Ginn of Newaygo County. This was Officer Ginn’s fourth life-saving event, the most of any officer in the division. Last November, Officer Ginn was the first person on scene in responding to a man who had suffered an apparent heart attack. Officer Ginn used an automatic defibrillator to help revive the man until emergency personnel arrived to take him to the hospital. Officer Ginn’s efforts saved the man’s life. The commission then heard two presentations related to the question a 10 brook trout daily bag limit on select Upper Peninsula streams. Daniel Hayes of the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Michigan State University presented his assessment of brook trout bag limits. Bag limits are a tool to limit total harvest, he said. They are also viewed as a way to distribute harvest in a fair and equitable fashion among anglers. In reviewing DNR data on brook trout regulation, he found a general reduction in legal size brook trout in streams with a 10-fish limit compared to those with a five-fish limit. There is a need to clarify the goals and objectives of regulations, Dan said.