Latest news with #MichiganDepartmentofNaturalResources
Miami Herald
21-07-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Bowfisherman shatters Michigan state record with ‘remarkable beast' of a catfish
A bowfisherman in Michigan went fishing in his attempt to retrieve dinner, but instead captured a keepsake — and a state record. Codie Carlson is a new state-record holder in Michigan, catching a 64.46-pound flathead catfish while on Plum Creek on June 29, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced July 21. Describing himself as a 'true fishoholic,' Carlson's fish is the largest flathead catfish caught in the state for any method of fishing. It shatters Lloyd Tanner's previous record of 53.35 pounds, caught on the St. Joseph River in 2022. 'I thought I was about to shoot a channel catfish for dinner. Turns out, I guess we do have flathead catfish in these waters,' Carlson told state officials. Carlson said in a Facebook post he usually releases his catches, but he was unable to keep the fish alive during the process of certifying it. 'I feel like if I was this fish and I was killed I'd want my measurements recorded to be remembered for hopefully years to come,' he said. 'The legacy of this fish will live on forever in my home. Truly a remarkable beast!' Plum Creek is in Monroe County, about a 50-mile drive southwest from Detroit.
USA Today
18-07-2025
- Business
- USA Today
You can buy your own waterfront land at this state-led auction in the Midwest
Have you ever wanted to own an island or waterfront property? Well, pretty soon, you might just be able to in this Great Lakes state. Hundreds of plots of land are soon to be up for sale by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources in a series of auctions, with land ranging from a less-than-one-acre island to plots of land hundreds of acres in size. The auctions are hosted annually by the department, local news station Fox 2 Detroit reported. "Before parcels ever get to public auction – a management tool the department has used for several decades – we've already evaluated all other options, whether it's a land exchange for land that's a better fit, or perhaps a situation where it makes more sense for another governmental agency or conservation group to hold the property," Scott Whitcomb, director of DNR's office of public lands, said in a news release. The auctions are on a staggered schedule for bidding. More details on Michigan land auctions: Where does the money go? What type of land is available? The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has a list of locations set to be auctioned. A full list can be found here, but here are some of the highlights: Remote lakefront property Lot #10050: A remote piece of property, this roughly two-acre plot of land is located on the shores of Duck Lake in Gogebic County, part of the state's Upper Peninsula. The parcel includes approximately 100 feet of frontage on the lake, according to the property listing. Bidding for this remote getaway starts at $15,000. 80-acre plot meets zoning requirements to build Lot #10099: If you're looking to build, this property, which meets zoning requirements do so, is better suited than other parcels up for grabs. Listed at 80 acres in Oceana County, bidding starts at $180,000. Mini island starts at $3,750 Lot # 10049: This plot of land, less than an acre in size, offers a peculiar location: the middle of a lake some 3.5 miles northwest of Fenton, Michigan. For any prospective buyer, the land is too small to legally build on, but bidding starts at $3,750. Note: land plot does not appear in the Google Maps embed below. Riverfront parcel listed at $55,000 Lot #10076: A plot more than 14 acres in size, this lot is placed alongside the Thunder Bay River, with riverfront property up for grabs. Located in Montmorency County in Northeast Michigan, bidding for this property starts at $55,000. 700 feet of lakefront property Lot #10080: Bidding for this parcel along John Ford Lake in Newaygo County starts at $42,000. Michigan DNR says roughly 10 of the property's 18 acres are under the lake, with no legal access road. When are auctions for Michigan land open? According to the state DNR, the first auctions are set to begin Aug. 1, with land in Kent and Oceana counties opening the bidding. Here are all the auction dates: Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Seeing turkeys in southern Michigan? The DNR would like to know. How to report sightings
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says it needs the public's help tracking turkeys across the state this summer. Now through Aug. 31, the DNR is conducting its annual wild turkey brood survey during which officials are asking people to report sightings of wild turkeys and turkey broods (hens with their young). "By taking just a few minutes to report any turkeys you see, you'll be contributing valuable data to track the health of the state's turkey population," the DNR said in a release. Now in its third year, Michigan's wild turkey brood survey is part of a multistate initiative to monitor turkey populations, the DNR said. The survey is part of a larger conservation effort to identify regional trends in turkey populations and address potential declines seen in other parts of the country. Wild turkeys were near extinction in Michigan in the early 20th century, but now found in every county across the state, the DNR said. 'This bird's comeback is something to celebrate, and now we need the public's help to keep tabs on our turkeys going forward,' said Adam Bump, the DNR's upland game bird specialist. More: Isle Royale creel survey underway. How you can help track fish in Lake Superior Wild turkeys are found in all 68 counties of the Lower Peninsula and most counties in the Upper Peninsula, where the species has continued to expand its range. In 1977, only 400 turkeys were taken during the Michigan hunting season. However, by 2014, annual numbers of turkeys taken had reached 30,000 birds. Michigan is now ranked eighth in the nation for the number of turkeys taken by hunters. State officials say this midseason period is when turkey broods are most visible and when you're most likely to see them. The DNR says if you do come across birds crossing the street with poults (or chicks) or foraging in fields, officials want to know about it. Since the turkey brood survey began in 2023, Michiganders have submitted more than 11,500 reports, tallying over 25,000 hens, 65,000 poults and 11,000 males. Here's what to know in southern Michigan, and how to take part. In Michigan, turkeys can be found in most counties throughout the Lower Peninsula and in some parts of the Upper Peninsula. Egg laying begins in April, and each hen will lay a clutch of 11 to 12 eggs over a two-week period. Whenthe clutch is complete, the hen will incubate her eggs for 28 days. Peak hatching occurs in June in southern Michigan; two to three weeks later in northern Michigan. Turkey foods fall into four main categories: mast (nuts and fruits), seeds, greens, and insects. In winter they prefer hard and soft mast, including acorns, beechnuts, crabapples and hawthorns. They will also eat waste grains in harvested fields of corn, buckwheat, soybeans, oats and grain sorghum. Turkeys foraging in agricultural areas in the fall and spring eat mostly waste grains, wild plants, insects, and young grasses. Corn, buckwheat and wheat are sources of fall, winter, and spring foods. In Michigan, the ideal habitat mix is 20% to 30% bottomland hardwoods, 10% to 30% mature oaks, 5% to 10% conifers, 10% to 15% shrubs, 20% to 30% croplands and 15% to 25% grasslands, clover pastures or idled fields. Michiganders can reporting wild turkey sightings from until Aug. 31, using the online turkey brood survey form. The survey asks short questions about what observers saw. The form asks to note the number of hens (adult females), poults (juvenile turkeys) and gobblers or jakes (adult or young males) in each sighting, as well as the date and location. Officials say it takes only a minute or two to complete a report. According to the Michigan DNR some facts about wild turkeys include: They can reach speeds of up to 55 mph in flight and run 15 to 18 mph. A group of turkeys is called a 'rafter.' Flocks can range from 5 to 50 birds and usually consist of only males or females. Male turkeys puff out their feathers and fan their tails to attract females. Male turkeys have spurs on their legs that get longer as they age. Spurs are used to grapple with other turkeys over breeding rights. Be cautious when driving as wild turkeys crossing the road may cause accidents; they are usually seen in larger flocks in January. Turkeys may become aggressive and territorial if comfortable in suburban areas. Avoid feeding them and remove all food surrounding your house. Contact local wildlife biologists or nuisance wildlife control companies if there is an aggressive turkey in your area. Make loud noises to scare them away. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: DNR summer turkey survey underway in Michigan: How to report birds
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Yahoo
Macomb County men sentenced in spill that turned Bear Creek in Warren vivid blue-green
Two Macomb County men pleaded no contest to misdemeanor hazardous waste crimes related to a February 2024 spill into Bear Creek in Warren that temporarily turned the creek a bright greenish-blue. Saad Somo, 50, of Washington Township, and Marvan Talal-Razooqi Batoo, 40, of Shelby Township, pleaded no contest July 3 in Warren's 37th District Court before Judge John Chmura to the following charges: Hazardous Waste – Operating a facility without a license, a one-year misdemeanor. Hazardous Waste – Generator and facility operator records, a one-year misdemeanor. Liquid Industrial Waste – General violations, a 6-month misdemeanor. Attempted Water Resources Protection Violation, a one-year misdemeanor. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources agreed with the final plea offer only after the men cooperated with the DNR; the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in rectifying the spill, Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido said in a statement. As a result of their cooperation, an earlier charge of Water Resources Protection Violation, a two-year felony, against each man was dismissed after the Attempt Water Resources Protection Violation charge was added, Lucido said. Somo and Batoo were required to pay more than $172,000 in remediation costs, and Judge Chmura also sentenced each man to pay fines, costs, and a special assessment totaling $3,500. The judge denied Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Lisa Lozen's request that the two men also receive probation. The pleas are the result of an investigation initiated after Bear Creek in Warren turned a bright florescent green/blue in early February 2024. The source of the contamination was found to be a former metal finishing commercial building in Warren owned by Somo and Batoo, the former Fini-Finish Metal Finishing electroplating shop at 24657 Mound Road. The building was not heated, resulting in frozen water lines breaking and stored chemicals being spilled. Somo and Batoo disposed of the chemicals through a storm drain. More: Burst pipe at Warren plating shop causes chemical spill into Bear Creek More: EGLE: 'No immediate human health risk' from Bear Creek spill in Warren EGLE and EPA investigators quickly determined that the creek contamination posed no immediate human health risk and did not impact any drinking water supplies, but that aquatic organisms in the creek may have been harmed. "Reckless handling of hazardous chemicals poses a serious threat to both public health and our environment," Lucido said. "My office is committed to aggressively prosecuting environmental crimes and holding offenders fully accountable. "In this case, the defendants took responsibility by cleaning up the contamination they caused. Their cooperation and remediation efforts spared taxpayers the burden of cleanup costs and were appropriately considered in the resolution of the charges." Contact Keith Matheny: kmatheny@ This story was updated to add a video. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Macomb County men sentenced for Bear Creek spill in Warren
CBS News
27-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Ted Nugent brought a firearm into the Michigan Capitol despite a ban, state police say
Michigan police are investigating whether rock musician and avid sportsman Ted Nugent brought a concealed firearm into the Michigan Capitol building Wednesday. Nugent was at the statehouse Wednesday to testify at a joint committee hearing about the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, requesting accountability over DNR actions relating to hunting regulations. When arriving, Nugent entered the building at the north entrance, a Michigan State Police spokesperson said in their statement. "The weapons detection system functioned correctly and alerted to a possible weapon; however, the trooper staffing the entry point did not see the alert until after Mr. Nugent left the screening area," state police said. "How did this happen?" state Rep. Laurie Pohutsky (D-Livonia) said in a video posted to Instagram. She was among the legislators attending the hearing that Nugent participated in. Pohutsky said early in the proceedings, she was among those who realized Nugent was carrying a firearm at the time. She and others flagged the attention of the Capitol sergeant and the state police. "We are still evaluating how the weapons detection alert was missed and will be following up to ensure this does not happen again," a statement from the Michigan State Police spokesperson said in response to the circumstances. Nugent's arguments included what some hunters, anglers and residents consider to be overreach in the state's conservation laws. The state Capitol has bans on open carry and concealed weapons, policies that went into effect in recent years. There are exceptions for on-duty law enforcement officers and legislators who have a concealed carry permit. Nugent would not have met either of those requirements as a citizen who was on site to testify. Nothing was done during the meeting, she added. "Upon completing his meeting, MSP personnel contacted Mr. Nugent and notified him of the weapons policy, and he complied," state police said. "I don't think anything is going to be done about it, but it's obviously not acceptable," Pohutsky said after learning that the firearm actually was detected at the scanner check-in. CBS News Detroit has reached out to Nugent's team for comment. The above video originally aired on June 25.
