To stop the spread of oak wilt, a fungal disease that can kill red oak trees within weeks, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is urging homeowners not to prune any oak trees from April 15 to July 15.

Despite warm days in late winter, the risk of infection through sap-feeding beetles is still very low through April 15. Risk is highest from mid-April to mid-July, and recent research at Michigan State University indicates that in Michigan, oak infection risk peaks in May and June.

Oak wilt infection can occur when sap-feeding nitidulid beetles become contaminated with viable oak wilt spores and carry them to fresh wounds on other vulnerable oaks. Before April 15, this is unlikely to occur even if the beetles are active on warm days.

Oak wilt also can be spread by moving firewood cut from infected trees. It also spreads from tree to tree through connected, or grafted, root systems.

“After a tree is infected, there is no cure for oak wilt, so it is important to prevent infection in the first place,” said Simeon Wright, forest health resource analyst with the DNR’s Forest Resources Division.

Fishing licenses can be purchased at Michigan.gov/DNRLicenses or by downloading the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app and purchasing your license through the app.

Michigan DNR Hunt Fish, an official app of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, gives you a mobile path to buy and store hunting, fishing, ORV and snowmobile licenses and permits, report harvests, access guides and digests, and get the latest outdoor recreation updates.

Make future online fishing license purchases even quicker by selecting auto-renew at checkout to automatically receive licenses in the future.

2024 fishing seasons

• The statewide trout opener and the Lower Peninsula inland walleye and northern pike seasons all open Saturday, April 27.
• In Upper Peninsula waters, the walleye and northern pike seasons open Monday, May 15.
• Michigan’s muskellunge possession season on all Great Lakes, inland waters, the St. Marys River, Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair and Detroit rivers opens Saturday, June 1. (Remember that catch-and-release fishing for muskellunge is open all year.)
• The catch-and-immediate-release season for largemouth and smallmouth bass is open all year on nearly all waters (unless otherwise closed to fishing – check the current Michigan Fishing Regulations for specifics).
• The possession season for bass opens statewide Saturday, May 25, except for Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair and Detroit rivers which open Saturday, June 15.

The 2024 Michigan Fishing Regulations and Inland Trout & Salmon Maps are available online along with a lot of other helpful fishing information. Visit the DNR website at Michigan.gov/Fishing for the most up-to-date information. For fishing license questions, contact DNR eLicense at [email protected] or call 517-284-6057.

Help protect Michigan’s waters

Remember to start and end each fishing adventure by doing your part to prevent the spread of invasive species. Start with a clean boat and clean gear. End by cleaning debris and plant material from boats and trailers and draining live wells and bilges. Decontaminate waders and gear by applying a chemical disinfectant such as Formula 409® Antibacterial All-Purpose Cleaner after each use, and prevent the spread of fish diseases by disposing of leftover bait in the trash.

A total solar eclipse – when the moon passes between the sun and the earth, completely covering the surface of the sun – will cast a moon shadow across the United States, Canada and Mexico the afternoon of Monday, April 8. As the earth, sun and moon continue to orbit, the shadow will travel in a line across the continent from southwest to northeast. The total solar eclipse is viewable only from within the centerline – called the path of totality – and is estimated to last 3.5 to 4 minutes.

While the path of totality is predicted to touch only the southeastern-most corner of the state (particularly Monroe County), most state parks and state game/wildlife areas – more prone to open skies and minimal light pollution – offer ideal settings for even a partial eclipse.

According to NASA’s Eclipse Explorer, an interactive map that helps predict coverage, Erie State Game Area in Erie is expecting a “deep partial” eclipse at 99.98% totality, Sterling State Park in Monroe is estimated to experience 99.8% totality, and Lake Hudson Recreation Area in Clayton an estimated 99.3%. Other areas of the state are estimated at varying amounts.

“Sterling State Park is positioned as a prime viewing location for a near-total eclipse,” said Ron Olson, chief of the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. “While the path of totality won’t reach everyone, state parks can provide ideal outdoor opportunities to share, even partially, in this celestial event.”

Olson also said that coverage predictions in other parks vary depending on where you will be in the state and, understandably, lessen as you move farther away from the path of totality. Your chances on Belle Isle (Detroit) are closer to 99.4%; Sleepy Hollow State Park (Laingsburg), 96%; Mitchell State Park (Cadillac), 89.6%; Tahquamenon Falls State Park (Paradise), 82.1%; and Fort Wilkins Historic State Park (Copper Harbor).

No matter where you are when the eclipse occurs, remember to never look directly at the sun with your naked eye, even during a partial eclipse; always use certified eye protection. For more details and safety tips, check out NASA’s eclipse safety page.

The nearly complete solar eclipse (99.8%) is estimated at 3:13 p.m. in Sterling State Park. Mark the moment with a viewing party in the beach parking lot from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Beginning at 1:30 p.m., solar eclipse glasses (while supplies last) will be handed out compliments of the Monroe County Convention & Tourism Bureau, Monroe County Museum and the DNR. Food trailers, interpretive programs and a touch-the-truck display will also be part of the fun.

For more information, contact park manager Jason Morgan at 734-777-6396.

Lake Hudson Recreation Area

Lake Hudson Recreation Area, near the Ohio border, is hosting a viewing party for a spectacular near-total solar eclipse (99.3 %) at approximately 3:12 p.m. Visit Lenawee will provide free solar eclipse glasses (while supplied last) to all visitors in the beach parking lot.

This park is a stargazing destination as one of six designated dark sky preserves in Michigan state parks. Dark sky preserves are locations specially designated by the Michigan Legislature and are open 24 hours a day.

For more information, contact park supervisor Shane Morse at 517-467-7401.

Erie State Game Area

Estimated to be among Michigan’s best eclipse-viewing locations, Erie State Game Area (with 99.98% coverage) will partner with the Monroe County Convention and Tourism Bureau to host a viewing event from 2 to 4 p.m. on the Dusseau Tract at the corner of Dean and Bay Creek roads. Parking is available in a few small parking areas and along the grass shoulder of Bay Creek Road. MCCTB staff will have a limited amount of eclipse viewing glasses available.

For more information, contact Adam Shook at [email protected].

ORV licenses and trail permits are valid for one year, from April 1 to March 31 of the following year. Your dollars make a major impact: Fees generated through ORV licenses and trail permits are reinvested into the ORV system, benefiting trail expansion, grant funding for annual trail grooming, infrastructure improvements and more uses.

The state’s ORV community also plays a critical role in ensuring the maintenance and longevity of state-designated motorized trails, said Ron Yesney, Upper Peninsula trails coordinator for the DNR.

“We’re thankful for the many ORV clubs all across Michigan who maintain 4,000 miles of state-designated ORV trails,” Yesney said. “These volunteers keep our trails signed and maintained, and without them we couldn’t provide the high-quality trails system that we do.”

As you plan your spring and summer riding excursions, a few friendly reminders to keep in mind:

• All operators under age 16 must have an ORV safety certificate to ride on public land – including trails.
• Plan ahead! Know which trails you want to explore and whether you are allowed to be there by viewing the DNR’s interactive ORV trail and route maps. Also check your vehicle width and trail signage before proceeding on a trail – trails and restricted areas may be closed for your safety. Aside from being unsafe, trespassing on closed trails and roads can result in fines and future trail closures.
• Always Ride Right so you return safely to family and friends. This means riding at a safe speed, riding sober, riding on the right side of the trail (trails have two-way traffic) and wearing a helmet.

If you cross paths with trail volunteers, tell them you appreciate their efforts! Great trails don’t just happen – volunteers’ hard work and dedication help keep your favorite outdoor recreational activities safe and enjoyable.

Learn more about ORV riding in Michigan at Michigan.gov/ORVInfo. For more information, contact Ron Yesney at 906-228-6561.

Under current Michigan law, only Class 1 e-bikes – e-bikes that are pedal-assisted and can go up to 20 miles per hour – are allowed on improved surface trails, which are trails that are paved or consist of gravel or asphalt. Current law also allows for local entities to expand or further regulate e-bike usage in their respective communities.

A public survey about the proposed land use change is open through March 31, and results will be shared during the April 11 Michigan Natural Resources Commission meeting. The proposed policy change will go before DNR Director Scott Bowen for action at the commission’s May meeting, with any approved change going into effect immediately thereafter.

The proposed DNR land use change – explained in more detail in this recent DNR news release – would expand allowable e-bike use to include Class 1 e-bikes on natural surface, nonmotorized trails on state park-managed land open to bicycles.

Learn more about what qualifies as an e-bike in Michigan, the current e-bike policy on state-managed park land and survey details at Michigan.gov/DNR/Ebikes. Directly access the e-bike survey at research.net/r/DNR-E-BIKE.

Questions? Contact Nicole Hunt at 517-282-9970.

“We are excited to witness the evolution of this partnership with Bob Ross Inc.,” said Michelle O’Kelly, who oversees fund and resource development for the DNRd Parks and Recreation Division. “Over the past five years, we have enjoyed celebrating ‘the joy of painting’ with a love of trees and being active all at the same time. It has been exciting to see the program offerings – to include the new happy little sticker – and our reach grow to 10 states,” she said. “We look forward to seeing how the program continues to grow in the future.”

Registration is open through Monday, April 1, at midnight. Race details:

• Registration is $36 and includes a keepsake Happy Little T-shirt, Happy Little Trees sticker (new this year!), finisher’s medal, commemorative bib number and shipping.
• Complete your 5K – that’s 3.1 miles – between April 22 (Earth Day) and April 26 (Arbor Day).
• You pick the pace and the place, anywhere outdoors.
• For group discounts (10 or more registrants), contact race director Michelle O’Kelly.
• Race packets are starting to ship! Don’t miss out – sign up today at RunSignUp.com/HappyLittleTrees to receive your goodies in time for your run.

Questions? Contact Michelle O’Kelly at 517-899-5211.

In the western U.P., researchers have found the highest densities of wolves in primarily the counties bordering Wisconsin and the southernmost counties in the eastern U.P.

Over recent years, as wolves have become more widely established in the region and their numbers have risen, wolf surveys have become more challenging for researchers.

“The current minimum count requires significant effort to provide an index of abundance,” said Tyler Petroelje, a DNR wildlife researcher. “As wolf density has increased, more time is needed to discern adjacent packs.”

Petroelje said the track survey method does not account for imperfect detection (places deemed unoccupied that are occupied) of wolves nor does it provide a confidence interval, indicating how statistically accurate the minimum population estimate is.

Efforts begun in 2022 to research alternative methods to estimate wolf abundance are still underway in the U.P. and are expected to continue through 2027.

“We are looking to increase precision and decrease costs,” Petroelje said.

The team involved in the ongoing joint DNR-Michigan State University project includes veterans of a predator-prey study conducted from 2009 to 2019 in low, medium and high snowfall zones in the U.P.

The wildlife biologists and researchers on the new wolf abundance project include Brian Roell and Petroelje at the DNR and Jerrold Belant, J. Matt Nelson and Dean Beyer at Michigan State.

Alternatives

Aerial surveys are not used because of the significant area to study and extensive forest cover that makes finding wolves difficult.

Wolf howling surveys have a low response rate, and detection requires significant time investment to estimate wolf abundance.

However, researchers championed a couple of other ideas, including modifying the current track survey to account for imperfect detection and using game cameras and artificial intelligence to acquire and sort wolf images, respectively.

“Breakthroughs in machine learning allow for rapid classification of remote camera images,” Petroelje said. “It also provides potential to monitor other wildlife species in addition to wolves.”

Researchers sought to evaluate the effectiveness of the occupancy-based track surveys and the efficacy of camera-based surveys, and compare the cost effectiveness of the techniques, considering the potential for monitoring other wildlife species like bobcats, black bears and moose.

Pilot surveys

Researchers put up 200 trail cameras over 40 contiguous, hexagon-shaped cells each covering an area of 62 square miles. The distribution produced a density of one camera for every 12.5 square miles.

Over a period of three months, the cameras captured 1.7 million images.

An artificial intelligence program called RECONN.AI was able to positively identify and sort various animal images from the photographs. This software also blurs images of people and vehicles to protect personally identifiable information.

The analysis showed the cameras had captured 40,323 photos of white-tailed deer, 7,534 black bear, 4,221 wolf, 2,936 coyote, 2,823 sandhill crane, 2,315 red fox and 764 bobcat.

For comparison, a 2022-2023 pilot snow track survey was conducted over the same geographic area.

Trucks and snowmobiles traveled over 756 miles of roads in the area looking for wolf tracks, with an average of 19 miles of roads in each of the survey area cells. In all, 2,268 miles were driven with 119 observations of wolf tracks made.

Researchers said this second method was more time-consuming, weather-dependent and difficult to scale upward to cover the entire U.P.

Scaling up

A preliminary analysis of the results of the camera pilot project demonstrated the need for some changes, including increasing the size of the cells to match the annual home territory of wolves tracked with GPS collars and decreasing the density of cameras.

Twenty-two cells were excluded from camera placement because land parcels represented only partial cells, while another 21 cells were also excluded because the land was made up mostly of city or private ownership.

A total of 1,230 trail cameras were set out over 159 cells.

The cameras were placed on tree trunks at a height of 4.5 feet from the ground, along the nearest accessible road or trail near predetermined points, with wolves habitually traveling trails and roads with low use.

Cameras were placed facing generally north, with a notice posted to passersby about the wildlife research purpose of the cameras.

Full camera deployment is planned for the next two years. Those deployed in 2023 will be revisited in 2024 and 2025.

The future

Photo analysis using RECONN.AI will continue this year and next to generate a wolf abundance estimate for the U.P.

“Annual reports will be made available to the public,” Petroelje said. “A public-facing website will also be created with interactive capabilities to view results.”

After 2025, full camera deployment will continue to create abundance estimates for not only wolves, but other wildlife species as well.

“The trail camera system will be less expensive because it will cut down on the amount of field time tracking labor,” Roell said. “It can estimate the wolf population at other times of the year, allowing us to move away from a midwinter count.”

Roell said Wisconsin has been using the camera survey method over the past few years, determining that the wolf track survey method produces results within the 95% confidence limits.

“In other words, both methods work and produce very similar results,” Roell said.

Concerns

Delisting gray wolves now considered threatened or endangered species would allow wolf management decisions to be controlled by states and tribal governments, including the DNR in Michigan.

The DNR supports efforts to delist wolves as a recovered species in Michigan. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in a response to court decisions, is working to create a national wolf recovery plan.

Though the camera survey method will produce statistically accurate results at reduced human effort and financial costs, cooperation from the public is needed it is to ultimately be effective.

“This new method is expected to provide many benefits, but this is all reliant on if it works for Michigan,” Roell said. “We have already heard about and witnessed a fair amount of camera sabotage damage.”

Find out more about wolves in Michigan.

In honor of the 250 men and women who swore under oath to faithfully enforce the laws of Michigan and the rules and regulations of the DNR, and who currently patrol all 83 counties, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer proclaimed Friday, March 15, as Conservation Officer Appreciation Day.

The proclamation, in part, shares that:

• The State of Michigan considers the protection of its citizens, environment and cultural, historic and natural resources to be among its highest priorities.
• Conservation officers continuously adapt to successfully meet emerging challenges, accept new missions and deliver premier customer service.
• These officers serve with bravery, honor and distinction in locations ranging from urban communities to the deep woods and the Great Lakes.

“DNR conservation officers work hard every day to protect Michigan’s natural resources and the millions of visitors who value them. It is less a job and much more a calling,” said DNR Director Scott Bowen.

These officers serve as front-line protectors, helping to ensure that the next generation can safely, successfully enjoy hunts that put food on the table, camping trips, hikes and other adventures on scenic public lands, and responsible participation in boating, off-road vehicle riding, snowmobiling and other outdoor pursuits.”

In 2023, DNR conservation officers contacted more than 420,000 people through their patrols and outreach, in a job that is anything but predictable. A shift might begin at 3 a.m., gearing up in green with hunter orange and silently leaving home to ensure they are in the woods before the first shots of opening day, or responding to reports of ORV trespassing, illegal hunting from vehicles with loaded and uncased firearms, and hunters or hikers who didn’t return home on time. Sometimes it’s about celebrating an angler’s first catch or rewarding young boaters for properly wearing their life jackets.

“Conservation officers respond where they are needed, when they are needed,” Bowen said.

Michigan conservation officers are fully licensed law enforcement officers who provide natural resources protection, ensure recreational safety, and protect residents through general law enforcement and conducting lifesaving operations in the communities they serve. Learn more at Michigan.gov/ConservationOfficers.