Contact:  Aiden McLearon 517-641-4903, ext. 225

Sept. 25, 2008
With the advent of the fall hunting seasons, and as the firearm deer season draws near, now is the time for hunters to sight in their bows, rifles and shotguns at one of the Department of Natural Resources' staff-operated shooting ranges.

The DNR oversees six shooting ranges in southern Michigan, including the Rose Lake Shooting Range in Bath (Clinton County); Sharonville Shooting Range in Grass Lake (Jackson County); Island Lake Shooting Range in Brighton (Livingston County); Ortonville Shooting Range in Ortonville (Lapeer County); Bald Mountain Shooting Range in Lake Orion (Oakland County) and Pontiac Lake Shooting Range in Waterford (Oakland County). An archery range is not available at Island Lake or Ortonville. Click here for hours and locations.

During October, the ranges are open six days a week, closed Tuesdays. From Nov. 1-15, the ranges are open daily.

Hours at the Bald Mountain, Pontiac Lake and Ortonville ranges are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Rose Lake and Sharonville ranges.

Range fees at Bald Mountain, Pontiac Lake and Ortonville are $4 per day for each shooter age 16 and older. Children under 16 are free. Rose Lake and Sharonville have no fee. The Island Lake Shooting Range is operated under contact by Michigan Shooting Centers, LCC. Please contact Island Lake for hours and fees at (248) 437-2784.

For more information on DNR-operated shooting ranges, please call the ranges. The telephone numbers are:

• Bald Mountain - (248) 693-0567
• Island Lake - (248) 437-2784
• Ortonville - (248) 627-5569
• Pontiac Lake - (248) 666-5406
• Rose Lake - (517) 641-7801
• Sharonville - (734) 428-8035
Information about the DNR shooting ranges, and other public and private shooting ranges, can be found on the DNR Web site at www.michigan.gov/dnr under Law Enforcement, and then click on Shooting Ranges on the menu on the left side of the page.

Shooters are reminded to bring eye and ear protection and approved paper targets with either a bull's-eye pattern or a depiction of legal game. Shooters under age 16 must be supervised by an adult.

All motor vehicles entering a state park or recreation area must display a Motor Vehicle Permit, available for purchase at the park entrance. Cost is $24 for a resident annual and $6 for a resident daily. A nonresident annual is $29 and a nonresident daily is $8.
Click here for entire article:
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10371_10402-200674--,00.html

Michigan's First Case of Chronic Wasting Disease Detected at Kent County Deer Breeding Facility

Contact: Bridget Patrick (MDA) or Mary Dettloff (DNR) 517-241-2669 or 517-335-3014
Agency: Natural Resources
August 25, 2008
LANSING - The Michigan departments of Agriculture (MDA) and Natural Resources (DNR) today confirmed the state's first case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in a three-year old white-tailed deer from a privately owned cervid (POC) facility in Kent County.

The state has quarantined all POC facilities, prohibiting the movement of all - dead or alive - privately-owned deer, elk or moose. Officials do not yet know how the deer may have contracted the disease. To date, there is no evidence that CWD presents a risk to humans.

DNR and MDA staff are currently reviewing records from the Kent County facility and five others to trace deer that have been purchased, sold or moved by the owners in the last five years for deer and the last seven years for elk. Any deer that may have come in contact with the CWD-positive herd have been traced to their current location and those facilities have been quarantined.

"Michigan's veterinarians and wildlife experts have been working throughout the weekend to complete their investigation," said Don Koivisto, MDA director. "We take this disease very seriously, and are using every resource available to us to implement response measures and stop the spread of this disease."

CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects deer, elk and moose. Most cases of the disease have been in western states, but in the past several years, it has spread to some midwestern and eastern states. Infected animals display abnormal behaviors, progressive weight loss and physical debilitation.

Current evidence suggests that the disease is transmitted through infectious, self-multiplying proteins (prions) contained in saliva and other fluids of infected animals. Susceptible animals can acquire CWD by direct exposure to these fluids or also from contaminated environments. Once contaminated, research suggests that soil can remain a source of infection for long periods of time, making CWD a particularly difficult disease to eradicate.

Michigan's First Case of Chronic Wasting Disease Detected at Kent County Deer Breeding Facility: "Currently, one of our top concerns is to confirm that the disease is not in free-ranging deer," said DNR Director Rebecca Humphries. "We are asking hunters this fall to assist us by visiting check stations to allow us to take biological samples from the deer they harvest, so we can perform adequate surveillance of the free-ranging white-tailed deer herd in the area."

Deer hunters this fall who take deer from Tyrone, Solon, Nelson, Sparta, Algoma, Courtland, Alpine, Plainfield, and Cannon townships will be required to bring their deer to a DNR check station. Deer taken in these townships are subject to mandatory deer check.

The DNR is also asking hunters who are participating in the private land five-day antlerless hunt in September in other parts of Kent County to visit DNR check stations in Kent County so further biological samples can be taken from free-ranging deer for testing. The DNR is in the process of finding additional locations for check stations in Kent County to make it more convenient for hunters.

The deer that tested positive at the Kent County facility was a doe that had been recently culled by the owner of the facility. Michigan law requires sick deer or culled deer on a POC facility be tested for disease. The samples from the Kent County deer tested "suspect positive" last week at Michigan State University Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health, and were sent to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa last Thursday for confirmatory testing. The positive results of those tests were communicated to the state of Michigan today.

Audits of the facility by the DNR in 2004 and 2007 showed no escapes of animals from the Kent County facility were reported by the owner. Also, there were no violations of regulations recorded during the audits.

Since 2002, the DNR has tested 248 wild deer in Kent County for CWD. In summer 2005, a number of those deer had displayed neurological symptoms similar to CWD; however, after testing it was determined the deer had contracted Eastern Equine Encephalitis.

More information on CWD is available on Michigan's Emerging Diseases Web site at
www.michigan.gov/chronicwastingdisease.

At discussion about this matter can be found at

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=248252.

Upper Peninsula Forest Planning Process: Press Release
Calkins Bridge Dam on the Kalamazoo River: Press Release
Black Bear Management Plan: Press Release
Salmon Bag Limits: Press Release Frequently Asked Questions
Fishing Line Increase: Press Release Frequently Asked Questions
NLP/SLP Regional State Forest Management Plan: Northern Lower Peninsula Ecoregion
WUP Regional State Forest Management Plan: Western Upper Peninsula Ecoregion

Source: http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153--191030--,00.html

DNR has investigated release of sediment from ranch near Vanderbilt into the Pigeon River.
Gary Heinlein / Detroit News Lansing Bureau
LANSING -- Department of Natural Resources officials will meet this week with the Attorney General's Office over a fish kill on the Pigeon River caused by a massive release of sediment from an impoundment on a private ranch near Vanderbilt.

The release occurred the night of June 22, when a gate was opened on a dam at Song of the Morning Ranch, a private yoga center, DNR officials said.

Within three days, an array of stream fish that included chubs, white suckers, shiners, 62 brown trout, 25 brook trout and three rainbow trout had been killed by black sediments that flowed down the river. Forty of the brown trout were more than a foot long, said DNR spokeswoman Mary Dettloff.

"The sediment gets into their gills and basically suffocates them," Dettloff said.

DNR Fisheries Division Chief Kelly Smith said that since then, DNR investigators have performed a "full river assessment" to gather data about the amount of sediment released and the number of fish that were killed.

He said the agency is putting together the numbers now to determine how the incident compares to a 1984 fish kill when the same dam was opened at the same ranch.

In that incident, tons of silt swept down the river when the dam's gates were opened for cleaning.

Click here for entire article:
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080728/METRO/807280370/1409/METRO

GO-Get Outdoors celebrates outdoor recreation and the role it plays with improving the quality of life in Michigan. Whether biking, hiking, trail running, camping, swimming, boating, fishing, hunting or simply exploring nature, park and recreation facilities provide opportunities for every one of all ages and all backgrounds to enjoy the state's diverse natural resources. Participants can improve their health while supporting recreation opportunities.

GO Events Listing: http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10365_36576---,00.html

Southeast Lower Peninsula

Lake Erie - Is very muddy and water temperatures have dropped into the 50 degree range. Walleye fishing was best between Stony Point and the Fermi Power Plant. Bottom bouncers were producing fish for those trolling or drifting. Good numbers of white bass are hitting on pretty much anything. Good catfish action continues near Consumers Hot Ponds.

Huron River - They are still getting some steelhead by the dams. Anglers fishing down from the walk bridge on the park side of the river were getting white bass and crappie on minnows. Walleye are hitting on Hot-n-Tots or crawlers.

Detroit River - Walleye are being caught in the lower Trenton Channel, near Wyandotte, and around Mud Island. Anglers are drifting Erie Dearies or trolling reef runners in 10 feet of water.

Lexington - Boats trolling in 15 to 40 feet of water caught trout and salmon on body baits or spoons. Pier anglers have caught small perch.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364-34956--,00.html

Southeast Lower Peninsula

Lake Erie - Catch rates remain fair with the cooler temperatures. Anglers had mild success for walleye near the Fermi Power Plant and Stony Point when slow trolling with bottom bouncers. The Dumping Grounds near Bolles Harbor were also producing a few fish. Those fishing the lake side of the Banana Dike caught walleye in 10 feet of water. Large numbers of white bass are hitting on live bait. The catch and release bass action has been good near the shoreline and in the channel off Bolles Harbor.

Huron River - There are still light numbers of steelhead below the dam. Walleye fishing has picked up and the smallmouth bass bite has been good. The river has a lot of carp and suckers.

Detroit River - Has good walleye action along the entire river when using jigs with minnows or crank baits in the early morning or late at night. Perch have been caught around Stony Island but watch out for the rocks. Most are using perch rigs with shiners. The white bass are just starting to come in.

Lake St. Clair - Some walleye were caught when jigging or handlining but the action is slow. Better weather will bring better fishing.

Lexington - Boats trolling in 15 to 25 feet of water have caught coho, lake trout steelhead and brown trout with a few chinook and walleye mixed in. Bombers and rapalas were the ticket. Pier anglers have caught small perch.


Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364_10848-34956--,00.html

The DNR is seeking input on two fishing issues: Increase in Lines Allowed for Fishing and Salmon Daily Bag Limits. The DNR is committed to providing consistent opportunity for anglers and continuing its efforts to simplify regulations. Neither proposal will have any negative biological impact on the state's fishery resources. They address social issues and perspectives on ways anglers may prefer to enjoy their fishing activities.
Use this link to read the press releases, Frequently Asked Questions and submit your comment.

Click here for the Proposal to Review the Daily Bag Limit for Salmon:



http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/SalmonDailyBagLimitFAQ_232622_7.pdf

The new regulations are now in effect starting April 1, 2008.

2008 Fishing Guide 2008 Trout and Salmon Guide