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Michigan seeks feedback on outdoor recreation plan

LANSING, Mich. — Michigan’s outdoor recreation system — including public lands and waters, playgrounds and bike paths, and much more — provides critically important social, health, economic and environmental benefits. Over the past several months, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has been compiling information about the state’s integrated system of federal, state and local recreation assets. The DNR is seeking input on its draft 2023-2027 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, or SCORP. A comment period is open through Thursday. The DNR’s SCORP ...

Wild turkeys were once near extinction

Hearing wild turkeys gobbling and clucking as you step out into the backyard early in the morning is common for many Michiganders now, but it wasn’t always so. The remarkable return of these birds from near extinction is often called one of the country’s greatest wildlife conservation ...

These birds can fly — up to 55 mph

Here are some facts about Meleagris gallopavo, the scientific name of wild turkeys: — Turkeys stay in Michigan year-round. Their habitat is open grasslands, agricultural fields and forests. — Turkeys nest on the ground, building nests of leaf litter at the base of a tree, under shrubs or brush piles, and in open fields. — The size of a turkey’s clutch is 10 to 14 eggs, and eggs incubate for 25-31 days. — The average life span of a wild turkey is three to four years. — Wild turkeys can reach speeds of up to 55 mph in flight. — A group of turkeys is called a ...

ATV highway policy updated

PESHTIGO, Wis. — Effective 6 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 1, Marinette County trunk highway ATV/UTV segments will be closed until May 1. A recent change to the Marinette County Code of Ordinance Chapter 7, Traffic Code Section 7.09 the use of All Terrain Vehicles/Utility Terrain Vehicles on County Highways will be effective May 1. The new ordinance makes about 87% of the county highway system open to ATV and UTV drivers effective May 1, compared to 23% previously. Some stretches of highway in Marinette County will still be off limits, including on county trunks BB, C, I, N, T and U.

’Tis the season for winter finches in the UP

The “winter finches” have begun showing up. “Winter finches” is the common term among birdwatchers for a number of species known to occur primarily in the winter months, and usually only certain years when conditions are right. These birds are not so much north-south migrants in ...

Nasty winds predicted for Wisconsin deer opener

IRON MOUNTAIN — Wisconsin’s nine-day gun deer season opens today with the forecast calling for wind gusts as high as 30 mph and a high temperature in the low 20s, pushing wind chill values to near zero. There’s a chance of snow today while Sunday should be cold, clear and still windy, forecasters say. Milder weather is expected through the week, with highs in the mid-30s. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources offers an “online deer camp” at https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/GoHunting that includes public land maps, hunting hours, regulations and more. Michigan’s 16-day ...