07-05-2018 Outdoors

Fishing The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) fishing report is similar this week to last week’s report. East winds have made fishing difficult especially on the east side of the state. The inland lakes are producing bluegills however, while some have spawned, others still had eggs. The action was fair to good for panfish, bass, pike and walleye. The DNR fishing tip this week is how to eat safe fish in Michigan. The Michigan Department of Health & Human Services’ Eat Safe Fish Guide helps you learn about eating safe, local and healthy fish from throughout the state. Their “3Cs” message is simple and easy to remember when it comes to eating safe fish. Choose – A general rule of thumb is to remember S.A.F.E Smaller fish are usually a good choice. Avoid large predator fish and bottom feeders. Fat should be removed. Eat fish that have been broiled or grilled on a rack. Clean – Learn about cleaning techniques (including trimming as much fat from the fish as possible) to help remove chemicals from the fish. Cook – Discover cooking techniques that can be used to remove even more chemicals from the fish. Be informed and check out the Eat Safe Fish Guide to help protect yourself and your family from chemicals that could someday make you sick. Captain Kenny Bard of Rampage Fishing Charters out of South Haven reported fishing on Lake Michigan had slowed down somewhat, but they were still catching the big fish in 100 to 120 feet of water. Lake trout were near the bottom, king salmon were being caught down around 50 to 60 feet and steelhead was being taken anywhere from the surface down. The Black River was quiet by South Haven and pier fishing was slow. A few steelheads were caught on shrimp and alewife and some catfish were taken. No perch to report by South Haven, but word was they were catching them by St. Joseph. Inland lakes in the area are producing bluegills but crappies are a little harder to get as they have gone out to deeper water. Ellinee Bait & Tackle on Paw Paw Lake by Coloma reports inland lakes in the area are producing and keeping anglers happy. Some nice walleye were taken out of Little Paw Paw Lake with crank bait and crawler harnesses. Smallmouth bass were biting on jigs and worms in Little Paw Paw Lake and bass on Big Paw Paw were hitting soft baits in the evenings. A few other lakes producing good catches are Van Auken, Rush, and School Section Lake. Boat anglers out of St. Joseph on the big lake were catching lots of coho in waters well past 100 feet deep when trolling spoons. Lake trout and a few coho were taken in 100 feet with spin-doctors and flies. Pier anglers were catching decent numbers of steelhead with an alewife under a bobber. Perch fishing has been up and down as the fish seem scattered. There were a few nice catches in 40 feet north of the piers and in 35 feet south of the piers. Plan ahead for the second annual “Take an Adult Fishing Day” August 4. Kids can plan the next fishing trip themselves by gathering the gear, finding a place to fish and asking an adult to go with them. One easy way to locate a spot nearby is searching through the Family Friendly Fishing Waters webpage. Hunting Residents of south central Michigan may be seeing deer with GPS collars or numbered ear tags. These deer are a part of a movement study by the Boone and Crockett Quantitative Wildlife Center at Michigan State University. Starting this year and going through 2020, some deer in Clinton, Ionia, Ingham and Shiawassee counties will be fitted with GPS collars and uniquely numbered ear tags. A collaborative effort with the DNR, this study will provide valuable information on locations of deer, how they move and some of their behavior. This will help the DNR and other scientists make decisions about hunting regulations and disease management. These deer are not from a privately owned cervid facility. To report a collar found on a road kill or harvested deer, call 517-432-4440. For further questions, visit www.bcgwc.org/cwd or call 517-917-0716. The application period for Fall Turkey Hunting is July 1 through August 1. See the fall turkey hunt units and their quotas in the 2018 Fall Turkey Digest. The Fall Turkey Season is available in some areas of Michigan as a management tool to stabilize or reduce turkey numbers in these areas. To help reach these goals, hunters are encouraged to harvest female turkeys and can harvest more than one. Kill tags for fur harvesting are now available. Free kill tags needed for harvest of bobcat, otter, fisher and marten are now available. Request your tags at the same locations you get your fur harvester license. Remember, bobcat kill tags are only available until November 30. New for the 2018 fur harvest season: Bobcat bag limit is two per resident, Fisher/marten bag limits and season dates have changed, and new foothold trapping near exposed bait restrictions. The 2018 regulations for hunting and trapping furbearing species are available in the new Michigan Fur Harvester Digest.

Coloma Rod & Gun Club The Coloma Rod & Gun Club will hold their monthly CCW Class on Saturday, July 14, 2018. Class registration is held on Sunday July 8, 2018 from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The class is taught by a certified NRA and RSO instructor and the cost of the class is $100. For more information or to be put on the list, please call (269) 621-3370.

SOLD! Berrien County 4-H market animal workshop

The Berrien County 4-H program presents SOLD!! Making the Most out of your Market Animal Project workshop. This workshop is designed to assist youth with getting ready for their local Market Animal Auction.

Grow the potential profit of your 4-H market animal projects through a variety of marketing and communication strategies that will give you a leg up on the competition. Youth will learn how to create a buyer’s letter, the 7-steps to creating a good thank you, and how to avoid a communication catastrophe. Open to youth ages 9 – 19 years of age. There is no cost to the workshop. Resources and materials will be provided. The workshop will be held on Saturday, July 21, 2018 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Niles District Library in Niles, Michigan. Youth must pre-register for the workshop either by calling the Berrien County MSU Extension office at 269-927-5674 or online at https://events.anr.msu.edu/ Berrien4hSOLDworkshop/.

Deadline to register is July 16, 2018. The workshop is limited to 25 youth. For more information or interest in joining the Berrien County 4-H program, please contact Kelly Stelter, 4-H Program Coordinator, at grandtke@anr.msu.edu or via phone at 269-927-5674.

Some of our staff recently waded into the drainage area to remove a beaver dam. The dam was doing an excellent job of blocking water. Unfortunately, the newly created “pond” extended over the road so it had to go. It took a couple of hours for them to clear it. The beaver likely repaired it overnight. Beavers need a deep water area in order to store food underwater and construct their famous lodges with the underwater entrances. If a beaver is lucky enough to live in a wet area with a consistently deep level (such as large rivers or lakes), it does not need to build a dam. If it hears and feels flowing water, however, the instinct to build revs up. Although small leaks in dams are allowed, it is likely that our beaver perceives the road culvert to be a larger hole that requires repair. He (or she) will use any available materials to accomplish this task. And, after the next big rain, the staff will likely be deconstructing again.

Meet this week’s Wildlife Wonders today, July 5, at 3:00 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, kids are free. Learn about the federally endangered Mitchell’s satyr butterfly and explore one of the few remaining habitats at Sarett on Saturday, July 7 at 11:00 a.m. Admission is $3 for adults, free for children. Enjoy Music and Butterflies on Sunday, July 8 beginning at 2:00 p.m.