Ben Wales and son, Jack, were hunting turkeys in early May on family property near Powers when Jack Wales, 7, knocked this prize bird down, his first ever. (Courtesy Photo)

IRON MOUNTAIN — Menominee County led the way in Upper Peninsula spring turkey harvests, according to data from Michigan’s Turkey Harvest Report Summary.

In the first year of mandatory reporting, the Department of Natural Resources reports 289 toms taken in Menominee County during the spring season. The statewide harvest was 18,639, including 1,249 in the U.P.

Dickinson County ranked second in the U.P. with a harvest of 140; followed by Iron, 130; Delta, 126; Houghton, 105; Marquette, 92; Chippewa, 80; Baraga, 73; Ontonagon, 55; Gogebic, 55; Schoolcraft, 41; Alger, 26; Mackinac, 18; Keweenaw, 16; and Luce, 3.

Although the season has concluded, harvest numbers continue to be updated. Allegan County in the southwestern Lower Peninsula has the highest reported total in the state at 650.

Forty-five years ago, the DNR says, a hunter had a 25% chance of getting a turkey hunting license in Michigan with hunter success rates roughly 10%, resulting in about 400 turkeys total harvested statewide.

Wisconsin turkey hunters registered 47,725 birds this season, 8.6% above the 5-year average of 43,953, according to preliminary totals from the Wisconsin DNR.

Zone 7 — generally north of U.S. 8, east of Highway 13 and west of Highway 101 — had the lowest harvest total in the state at 749 birds.

Zone 5, which is south of U.S. 8, east of Highways 86 and 101, and north of Highways 52, 47 and 22, had a reported total of 2,524.

This spring marks 50 years since wild turkeys were successfully reintroduced to Wisconsin.

“With mild winters and average to above average nesting and brood rearing conditions the last several years, Wisconsin’s turkey population is very healthy, and we continue to see stable harvest trends that indicate stable to increasing numbers across most of the state,” said Taylor Finger, DNR gamebird biologist.

Wisconsin’s fall turkey hunting season will open Sept. 12 and run through Jan. 3

Michigan’s fall season is Sept. 14 through Nov. 13.

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This is Three Free Weekend in Michigan. Residents and out-of-state visitors can grab a fishing rod, ride the off-road trails and visit state parks, boating access sites and other outdoor locations – all free of charge.

Here are the details:

— Free ORV: Legally ride 4,000 miles of state-designated routes and trails and the state’s six scramble areas without an ORV license or trail permit.

— Free Fishing: Fish for all in-season species, all weekend long, without purchasing a fishing license. All other fishing regulations apply.

— Free Recreation Passport: To encourage people to pursue free fishing and other outdoor fun, the Recreation Passport that grants vehicle access to Michigan’s 103 state parks, 1,000-plus state-managed boating access sites and many other outdoor spaces is waived for the weekend.

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Anglers on the lower Menominee River were targeting musky with fish being around but not biting very well, the Wisconsin DNR said. A few walleyes were caught on the lower Peshtigo River this week drifting with crawlers. Bass fishing was good at the mouth of the Peshtigo River using various baits such as soft plastic swimbaits, crankbaits, and jerk baits.

Anglers noted seeing lots of carp and schools of gar in the river as well. Water temps in the rivers were around the 70 degree mark.

The Michigan DNR reported this Upper Peninsula fishing activity:

Little Bay de Noc: Walleye anglers reported good fishing in and around river mouths. Shallow water during dawn, dusk, and nighttime hours was productive. Some anglers found success trolling crawler harnesses along the bottom of drop-offs. Anglers utilizing forward-facing sonar were casting snap-style jigs at marks near the bottom and reported good results.

Yellow perch anglers reported fair fishing, with schools remaining sparse and widely dispersed.

Delta County: Salmon were caught in Fairport.

Munising: Boat anglers found good numbers of chinook salmon along with a few coho salmon while trolling in the bay and around Grand Island. Anglers also picked up some lake trout while trolling and jigging around Grand Island and Wood Island. It was a slow bite for splake off the Anna River mouth.

Keweenaw Bay: Anglers reported good numbers of coho salmon being caught while trolling stickbaits, spoons, and flasher-fly setups in the upper 50 feet of the water column. Chinook salmon and rainbow trout were also caught while trolling, although in smaller numbers.

Anglers jigging for whitefish reported fair fishing, with the bite changing from day to day.

Traverse Bay/Portage Entry: Anglers trolling near structure reported fair numbers of lake trout and a few coho salmon while using spoons and flasher-fly setups. Anglers also reported the occasional rainbow trout being caught.

Anglers targeting lake trout reported a fair bite while jigging with natural and artificial baits in over 100 feet of water, with the most success occurring around 120 feet.

Ontonagon River: Fishing efforts on the river were fair over the past week. The week started off slow, but reports showed that walleye were caught in fair numbers. Catches of rock bass and yellow perch also occurred in lower numbers. Anglers had success with both trolling and jigging; however, trolling was the preferred method for most boat anglers. Reports from shore anglers indicated less frequent catches of walleye.

Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay: The Silver City and Union Bay access sites saw low angling effort over the past week. Ontonagon experienced higher effort in comparison. The better part of the week on the lake was slow, with anglers reporting mixed catches of coho salmon, Chinook salmon, lake trout, and steelhead in low to fair numbers. Trolling produced the best results for boat anglers. Shore anglers fishing from these ports reported catches of coho salmon and steelhead in low numbers.

Black River Harbor: Angling efforts from the harbor were somewhat low over the past week. Reports suggest that fishing was slow, with conditions being less than ideal. Boat anglers reported mixed catches consisting of coho salmon, brown trout, chinook salmon, and lake trout in low numbers. Trolling remained the most effective method for finding these fish. Reports of fishing within the harbor and from the break walls were lacking over the past week, with no evidence of successful efforts.

Manistique: Walleye anglers report slow to fair fishing. Steelhead fishing in the river was slow. Anglers report seeing few fish and believe the spring steelhead run is done. Smallmouth bass and northern pike have been caught in the river on crank baits.

Alger County: Chinook salmon were caught near the Munising Bay and Au Train area. Panfish were on their beds and aggressive. Grand Marais pier was good for lake whitefish and round whitefish, and the coho salmon moved out.

Schoolcraft County: Walleye fishing was good. Chinook salmon were reported in the area. Walleye and pike were caught on inland lakes.

St. Ignace: When trolling spoons off Mackinac Island, lake trout anglers obtained their limits in 40 to 70 feet of water.

At the Pine River, there were reports of walleye, perch, rock bass, and bullhead. Shore anglers drifted jigs and leeches, while boat anglers trolled nightcrawler harnesses in green, orange, red, and white. Anglers were at least catching undersized walleye, with most trips producing between one and five keeper fish.

Grand Marais: The lake trout bite was steady for boat anglers trolling and jigging, with reports of a few coho salmon also being caught. The lake whitefish and round whitefish bite was slow, though some anglers found success on them in the evenings. Spawn and worms were the preferred bait.

Les Cheneaux Islands/DeTour: Anglers in Hessel struggled to find keeper perch but caught some throwbacks at the marina in Hessel as well as in the club cut. Good numbers of lake trout were reported in the Cedarville area for anglers who jigged and trolled. The lake trout were suspended in about 30 to 40 feet of water. Smallmouth bass fishing remained steady, as the fish were still on or near their bed sites. In DeTour, anglers caught a mixed bag of lake trout, Atlantic salmon, Chinook salmon, and steelhead while trolling around the lighthouse. Fishing was inconsistent, depending on bug hatches and weather conditions.