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By Amy Miller
LANSING, Mich. - Halloween is almost here, and that means jack-o-lanterns, black cats, and bats -- well, maybe not the bats. According to Michigan wildlife experts, bats are disappearing from some areas of the country at an alarming rate.
The culprit is a mysterious new ailment known as "White Nose Syndrome." A white fungus covers the skin of bats during hibernation, and somehow causes them to wake up starving and emaciated. The disease began in the Northeastern United States, but Emily Brunkhurst, a wildlife biologist with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, says they fully expect the disease to spread to other regions.
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The Department of Natural Resources today announced the start of the 14th annual statewide frog and toad survey coordinated each year by the department's Wildlife Division. Declining populations of frog, toads and other amphibians have been documented worldwide since the 1980s. Studies suggest amphibians are disappearing due to habitat loss, pollution, disease, and collection. Michigan's annual survey efforts help biologists keep tabs on frog and toad abundance and distribution in the state. "We have collected a large, valuable data set to help us evaluate the condition of Michigan's frog and toad populations," said Lori Sargent, the DNR's survey coordinator. The surveys are conducted by volunteer observers along a statewide system of permanent survey routes, each consisting of ten wetland sites. These sites are visited three times during spring when frogs and toads are actively breeding. Observers listen for calling frogs and toads at each site, identify the species present, and make an estimate of abundance. "There are more than 400 routes statewide, running through every Michigan county. We add routes every year but we lose a few every year as well. The continued success of the program is dependent on strong volunteer support," said Sargent. More information on the Frog and Toad Survey and other projects supported by the Nongame Fish and Wildlife Fund is available on the DNR Web site at www.michigan.gov/dnr. |
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| Over eighty percent (80%) of Michigan's wildlife species can be classified as nongame species. While many of these animals benefit from the fish and wildlife management practices carried on by the Department of Natural Resources, the only dedicated funding to help in managing and maintaining these species is the Nongame Fish and Wildlife Trust Fund. One of the primary goals of the fund is to keep common species common. Too often the focus of management is on threatened or endangered species. These are species whose populations have fallen so low that they have been provided special protection. The danger in this is not watching what other species might be falling though the cracks.
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As spring comes to Michigan, road-killed deer become more apparent as snow melts, causing concern for some motorists. The Department of Natural Resources reminds citizens that disposal of road-killed deer is generally the responsibility of the local road commission. If property owners find a dead deer on their property that was likely hit by a vehicle, it is their responsibility to properly dispose of the carcass, provided that they choose to do anything at all. Dead deer and other carrion do not present any special human health risks in most situations, but do provide food for scavengers and other wildlife. If property owners choose to do something that makes the carrion less available to pets and scavengers, then the carcass can be buried on site, care being taken to make sure it is completely covered. Deer carcasses also can be disposed of at a landfill that takes general household refuse. |
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DNR Small Game Hunting Preview
Small game hunting season begins Sept. 1 with the opening of the early Canada goose season and continues until rabbit and hare season ends on March 31. Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologists across the state say hunters should find conditions similar to last year -- with a couple of
improved opportunities -- in Michigan's wood lots, farm fields and wetlands.
Rabbits
Season: Cottontail rabbits and varying (or snowshoe) hare can be hunted from Sept. 15 - March 31, statewide. The daily bag limit is five in combination with a possession limit of 10.
Outlook: About 83,000 hunters pursue rabbits and hares in Michigan. Cottontail populations are good throughout their range over much of the state. Look for thick cover, such as briar patches and brush piles, often
adjoining agricultural fields. Snowshoe hare populations, however, are cyclical and are down somewhat because of declining habitat throughout their range, which is roughly the northern two-thirds of the state. Look for early- successional forests, such as aspen stands, and low-lying swamps with
blow-downs and brush piles.
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By Dick Bradley I have always felt that experiences in Nature have gone a long way toward shaping the character of young people. The strengthening of family ties is another result of such activities. Let me explain. Only about a century ago we were mostly an agricultural nation. If we didn’t actually live on farms or in small towns ourselves, someone in the family did. And when we visited these rural family members it was to touch a more natural way of live, where eggs were gathered, cows were milked and some of our own food grown. Just a step away from those activities were the hunting of rabbits and pheasants on the back forty and fishing in the neighboring streams and lakes. Almost always it was the family members that did these things together, sharing the work, fun and the accomplishments of effort. |
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