Wildlife Cooperatives
In the Field: Winter Pheasant Cover
by Anna Mitterling, Wildlife Cooperative Coordinator, MUCC Did you have great pheasant habitat in the spring and summer? Then the snow came and your grass is as flat as a pancake – doing very little for pheasants throughout the winter? What you are missing are cool-season grasses like switch-grass and some nice sturdy shrubs to…
Read MoreIn the Field: Cooperative Meeting in the Northeast
by Anna Mitterling, Wildlife Cooperative Coordinator, MUCC On Saturday, I had the privilege of attending and speaking at the Anchor Creek Rendezvous. Galen, a Dairy Farmer in the Cooperative talked about the importance of cooperative, from an agriculture perspective and not a hunter. Managing deer and cows do run parallel together, we just have different…
Read MoreIn the Field: In with the New
by Anna Mitterling, Wildlife Cooperative Coordinator, MUCC Now that hunting seasons have wrapped up (click here to read about special January hunts), I welcome you to the first day of the 2018 season: preparation. Hopefully, you took note of your habitat conditions when you were out hunting or running your dog. If not, get back…
Read MoreIn the Field: 2017 in Review
by Anna Mitterling, Wildlife Cooperative Coordinator, MUCC In 2017, the Michigan Wildlife Cooperative program facilitated the following events around the state: Habitat Workshop Series, promoting mid-contract management options for properties in the Conservation Reserve Program, in partnership with local Conservation Districts Pilot run of the Deer Browse Survey, in partnership with DNR and Anchor Creek Deer…
Read MoreJanuary Hunt Offered to Assist with Deer Management
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources just announced a new opportunity for hunters to keep deer hunting after the traditional season has ended, while also helping private landowners in Alpena County. This hunt is meant to help sustain a healthy deer herd and habitats through an increased doe harvest. We know no one wants to…
Read MoreIn the Field: December Pheasant Season
by Anna Mitterling, Wildlife Cooperative Coordinator, MUCC Typically when you think of a hunting season, you think about harvesting animals! One could assume, quite logically, that my blog this week is about hunting pheasants. Yes, it is. It is also about creating future pheasant hunting opportunities. There are some fun things we can do this…
Read MoreIn the Field: Response to CWD
by Anna Mitterling, Wildlife Cooperative Coordinator, MUCC The newest set of CWD positives is startling. At least 30 positive cases in Michigan, with more to come for sure, as thousands of samples are waiting at the lab for the rest of the CWD test kits to be delivered. This is horrible news for Michigan deer.…
Read MoreIn the Field: Wildlife Disease Lab
by Anna Mitterling, Wildlife Cooperative Coordinator, MUCC The Wednesday before Thanksgiving I had was able to take a day to volunteer at the Michigan DNR Disease Lab. Before I go into the details of what goes on at the lab, let’s start with the check stations – where these deer come from. At the check…
Read MoreIn the Field: Buck Poles and Deer Check
by Anna Mitterling, Michigan Wildlife Cooperatives, MUCC What a fun opening weekend of hunting, buck poles, and deer check! What most stuck out to me about the weekend, is that regardless of where I was, hunters were in high spirits about the season. While the weather was cold and rainy much of the weekend, I…
Read MoreIn the Field: Gun Opener Eve
by Anna Mitterling, Wildlife Cooperative Coordinator, MUCC Twas the night before Opener, and all through the house, not a creature was sleeping, not even the mouse. The camo was hung by the back door with care, in hopes that come daylight a big buck might appear. There is something special and magical about the night…
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