Discover the U.P.

It's a topic worth reiterating every ice fishing season - ice safety! Unfortunately every year, someone goes through the ice on an inland lake or great lakes bay. Stacy & Sammi from Delta County Search & Rescue gave a great presentation on ice safety at a recent women's ice fishing clinic held at Blade's Bait & Tackle. They go over gear you should take on the ice, how to check the ice, and what to do if you or someone else falls in. It worth a listen to help save your life, or the life of someone else!

A visit to the Rocking Chair Camp, a traditional U.P. deer camp set in the heart of Michigan deer camp country, with almost 90 years of deer hunting stories, camp traditions and generations of hunters. This story comes 45 or so years after the last time its story was told. I sat down with the 2nd and 3rd generation to hear stories about their fathers and grandfathers, their own deer camp memories, and how the Rocking Chair Camp has come full-circle now that it's back in the family. And we're introduced to the Green Horn Camp, built by the sons of the Rocking Chair Camp. Here is the full conversation!

I chat with Dan and Lindsay, organizers of Belgiumtown Big Buck Night, about how the event has grown in the last 8 years from a handful of people to a crowd of over 1000 in 2023. We talk about the volunteers and sponsors that make the event a success, what's new for this year, making this a family-friendly event, the importance of community nights like this to the hunting culture of the U.P., the big bucks of Menominee County, Dan's prediction for this year, and how they were disappointed "Discovering" didn't show up there last year. But I'll make up for it this year!

I sat down with Joseph Heywood, author of the Woods Cop mystery novels to talk about the series and the latest book released last month; "Out of Service". Joe shares how he finds inspiration for his stories and characters from the months he spends riding with Michigan DNR Conservation Officers. One book scene comes from a patrol where Joe busted all his teeth while helping catch illegal pike spearers. Joe also gives me some tips for aspiring writers (like myself). This is the full interview with Joseph Heywood from "Discovering" Episode 105 from October 14th.

FULL INTERVIEW with retired DNR Wildlife Biologist Jim Hammill to talk about whitetail deer management and biology here in the U.P. and the threats we are facing to our tradition and culture of deer hunting. Jim gives his ideas for deer hunting regulations, his thoughts on predators and we talk a lot more about habitat loss, the habitat work group and winter weather. We also talk about the decline in hunters and why, buck age structure in the U.P. and more.

On "Discovering" Episode 94 I interviewed Jordan Hoover about the Deer Management Initiative and the new deer hunting regulations the Natural Resources Commission voted on for changes to the 2024 deer season. None of the U.P. DMI's recommended regulations were approved by the NRC. This is my FULL INTERVIEW with Jordan Hoover who wrote the final U.P. DMI report that was submitted to the DNR. I will be talking to more people in the future about deer management and the state of our deer population here in the Upper Peninsula.

The Natural Resources Commission (NRC) recently voted on recommended changes for the upcoming 2024 Michigan Deer Season. The NRC rejected all of the U.P. Deer Management Initiative (DMI) team's recommendations. The NRC & DNR created this team (and one in the lower) for the purpose of improving deer management in the state and to hear voices from hunters and those outside the agency and stakeholder groups. This is my full interview with Chad Stewart, Deer Management Specialist of the Michigan DNR Wildlife Division, about the new regulations for 2024, and the Deer Management Initiative's recommendations that were not taken.

Audio from a tour of the Slate River Forest Reserve, a beautiful and diverse 10,000 acre forest in Baraga County. The property was purchased by The Nature Conservancy in 2021. TNC Forest Managers give us a tour of this working forest and tell us about some of their forest management plans for timber harvesting, carbon sequestration, old growth and more. This is a longer audio version of "Discovering" Episode 92 from 7/1/24.