- 4 months ago
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00:00Michigan Conservation Officers in District 8 look into some suspicious deer hunting activity.
00:15Now that you've lied to my face, you'll be in the report just so you know which is a misdemeanor.
00:19And a pheasant hunt for military veterans.
00:22The best therapy for these guys is to all be together.
00:25Sometimes it's the only time they ever open up for anything.
00:27Michigan Conservation Officers in Districts 2 and 7 check on waterfowl hunters during the early teal and geese seasons.
00:35Sometimes you just need to say, hey, do you have one of the guides right here so we can look at this together and see what licenses I need.
00:40The DNR joins other agencies in making repairs and cleaning up after excessive rain causes massive flooding in the state's Upper Peninsula.
00:49It was like Colorado River springtime on each side, I mean, just...
00:52And a D2CO checks bear hunters on opening day.
00:56You're hunting on the spot, you're responsible for it.
00:59Wild animals and wild places.
01:03They're more than a picture.
01:05They're inspiration, excitement and adventure.
01:09Patrolling and protecting these natural resources is a first class band of peace officers.
01:15These are the Wardens, dedicated to the preservation of our great outdoors.
01:22Michigan's firearm deer season is typically the most popular time for hunters to hit the woods.
01:47As a result, the state's 250 conservation officers are also very active during this time.
01:54The season lasts 16 days, but opening day and weekends are usually the busiest.
02:00In District 8, Officer Chris Reynolds is on patrol during the last weekend of the regular firearm deer season.
02:08This morning we'll be doing some basic patrols.
02:10It's the last Saturday of Michigan gun season here in Hillsdale County.
02:15We have some baited sites that have been watching, some people taking some deer over some heavily baited areas, check on some of that stuff.
02:23We're going to do some trespass complaints as well.
02:26We have an individual that possibly had taken two deer off another individual's property, so we're going to do some follow-up on that.
02:34Early in his shift, C.O. Reynolds checks on a spot where he noticed illegal bait earlier in the season.
02:39This is one of our Michigan hat properties where the state pays landowners some money to lease their property.
02:48Kind of like state properties, it's just a CRP field that's a pretty unique property that anybody can hunt.
02:53But the area we are looking at is behind the hat property and onto some private ground that I noticed one day when I was walking the hat property.
03:01Officer Reynolds doesn't see anyone hunting near the bait.
03:04After returning to his patrol truck, he spots a man who is not wearing a seatbelt while operating an ORV.
03:11Good morning, how are you doing today?
03:13State Conservation Officer, you realize why I stopped you?
03:17No, not really.
03:20Well, you know the county roads here and hills are open to ORV use, right?
03:24Yeah.
03:25But along with that, you have to abide by state law.
03:28And?
03:29Which means you have to have an ORV sticker and wear your seatbelt.
03:33Obviously, you've got a roll cage here, you weren't wearing your seatbelt, and you don't have an ORV sticker.
03:38My insurance guy says as long as it's on the farm, I don't have to have an ORV sticker.
03:43As long as you are on the farm, but when you're on the roads...
03:45Oh, well, see, you didn't tell me that.
03:48All right, well, you got your ID on you, sir?
03:50Yeah.
03:51I appreciate it.
03:52I do.
03:53You do?
03:54Yeah.
03:55I do.
03:56Normally, I don't carry it with me.
04:01So, what you out doing this morning?
04:03I went up to see my brother and put a belt on.
04:05I just got done doing my chores and he wasn't home, so I come back home.
04:08All right.
04:09So, is it farm related?
04:10Well, yeah.
04:11If I don't have my belt on, it ain't going to move.
04:14All right.
04:15I just took my buckets and everything out of here.
04:17All right.
04:18Well, sounds good.
04:19I mean, if you're doing farm related work, then you are exempt.
04:22I'm not going to jam you up if you're out.
04:25I'm not going to lie to you.
04:26You know, I do use it for the farm every day.
04:29Well, I mean, obviously, you've got a farm here.
04:32So, all right.
04:33Well, sounds good.
04:34I'm just going to check your name and whatnot if you just hang out here.
04:36Sure.
04:37It would be great.
04:38Thank you, sir.
04:39So, basically, here in Hillsdale County, all the roads are open to ORV.
04:42You say, he passed an ordinance several years ago, but along with that, you have to abide
04:47by state law, which is the ORV sticker, seat belt, everything else.
04:51Obviously, this gentleman's a farmer.
04:54We pulled into a large farm here.
04:56He's just out getting some stuff done this morning.
04:58So, I'm just going to check his license, make sure everything's on the up and up, and
05:03we'll just educate him and give him a warning.
05:06I'll just give you a warning on that.
05:07Obviously, you're out doing some farm work this morning.
05:12I'm not going to issue any citations, but if you are going to use this for pleasure or
05:17anything not farm-related, you need the ORV sticker.
05:20Got it.
05:21Also, you need to be wearing your seat belt.
05:24Farm-related duties are different.
05:26Actually, I'll grab you a book.
05:28I do have a couple extra ORV books.
05:30That way you can see all the-
05:32I didn't have one on there until he told me I didn't have to have one.
05:35Yeah, your couple years expired on that.
05:37Yeah, just a few.
05:40I'm just glad to see you guys out doing your job.
05:43I appreciate it.
05:44God, I'm telling you, there's been so much crap that goes on down this part of the country.
05:48It ain't funny.
05:49That's why I'm down here quite regularly.
05:51I see you guys back here the other night.
05:54I thought, what the heck?
05:56I look back there, I see the lights flashing.
05:58That guy's got to be DNR.
05:59It's dark.
06:00Yeah.
06:01This morning, we've been kind of zigzagging around.
06:04Not too many hunters out this morning.
06:06We do have a trespass complaint where an individual possibly had taken two deer from a railroad bed,
06:11not on his property.
06:13We're going to kind of zigzag our way up there.
06:16It was a complaint that came in yesterday, so we're going to head up there and see what the individual has to say and go from there.
06:24It's originally shot over here.
06:26Officer Reynolds begins his investigation at the railroad tracks where the deer were allegedly shot illegally.
06:31I don't know if the deer crossed the railroad and that's when he shot at him.
06:35I don't know where else he'd shoot at him from here.
06:37Yeah, there's boot tracks all over through here.
06:39This could be when the other couple people came to help him.
06:42So I think the buck is actually still further down that way.
06:45All right.
06:46That's a boot track for sure.
06:47Yeah.
06:48Hard to explore it all day.
06:49Yeah.
06:50It doesn't take them long to find evidence, including blood that appears to be from a deer and a gut pile.
06:56You got a gut pile?
06:57All right.
06:58So there'll be a casing somewhere.
07:03There's hair, big old clump of hair.
07:09Then they go to chat with a man who lives in the area to see if he witnessed anything that could be helpful for their case.
07:22Do you hear any shots out back at all?
07:24Not really.
07:25I hear them.
07:26I don't hunt.
07:27Okay.
07:28And my neighbors own all this land and I don't think they let anybody hunt either.
07:32Yeah.
07:33So I watch the pickups go by.
07:35Right.
07:36You know, people from Detroit come around here.
07:39No, I don't help anybody.
07:40Okay.
07:41I don't like people hunting around here.
07:43Okay.
07:44Yeah, because somebody shot a deer on the other side of the tracks yesterday and then it crossed the tracks onto their property here.
07:51Okay.
07:52He tracked it across, got the deer, drug it up onto the railroad grade, shot another deer off the railroad grade.
07:59And then the complainant saw him dragging it right down the railroad tracks right back towards the road.
08:06I didn't see anybody dragging anything.
08:08Okay.
08:09All right.
08:10I wish I could help you.
08:12No, that's all right.
08:13Then they talked to the landowner.
08:15Somebody was hunting south of the railroad track.
08:17Yeah.
08:18They shot a deer.
08:19Yeah.
08:20Across the railroad track, went onto your property.
08:21Yeah.
08:22They then went over the railroad track, went onto your property, got the deer, drug it back up the railroad track, and then shot another deer that was coming through your property.
08:33Shot another deer, recovered that one, and then drug them both out to the road.
08:38So...
08:39What time was it?
08:40In the morning, like 9, 10 o'clock.
08:43Okay.
08:44Did anybody call you yesterday morning?
08:45She said nobody has permission to be out there.
08:47No, nobody has permission to be out there.
08:49And you want individuals prosecuted if we can track them down?
08:52Sure.
08:53Okay.
08:54Later in the day, CO Reynolds checks the records of deer that have been brought in at one processor and then another.
09:00You guys got all your records out here still?
09:02Yeah, it should be.
09:03All right.
09:04Sounds good.
09:05I'm just going to do a quick check real quick.
09:08Just got a couple names I'm looking for.
09:11Just running through records again, trying to figure out if individuals brought their deer here.
09:17Or our suspects.
09:19Officer Reynolds also heads to a DNR check station to see if he can get any info regarding who shot a deer while trespassing.
09:28Any of that ring a bell?
09:29I don't think so.
09:30All right.
09:31I didn't think so.
09:32All right.
09:33I didn't think so.
09:34There was nothing in records the last two days.
09:37They had a stack of paperwork like that from just the last two days.
09:40So I don't think that the names weren't in there, so I didn't assume we went here.
09:47The only thing that we've had from the 12 is going quite a ways east of deer, but nothing now that rings a bell.
09:54All right.
09:55Well, sounds good.
09:56Well, appreciate it.
09:57Yep.
09:58No problem.
09:59We're not investigating any suspects on Saturday and working another case past dark.
10:03CEO Reynolds is working the same case the next morning.
10:06So we're just finishing up on this complaint we started yesterday.
10:09A wrecked trespass, railroad trespass on the railroad bed.
10:14We've narrowed it down to a couple suspects.
10:17Talked with a couple contacts that I have in the area here in Hillsdale County.
10:21We've narrowed it down.
10:22We've got a nickname of our third suspect, which would be the shooter.
10:26So we're going to do some follow-up interviews and see what we come up with.
10:31Later, Officer Reynolds makes contact with a suspect on the phone and makes plans to meet him at a job site.
10:37All right.
10:38Sounds good.
10:39I'll come over that way.
10:40He says 207.
10:41All right.
10:42And then heads there.
10:43My partner talked to one of your boys and actually we had a complaint on some guys trespassing just down from where I met you there.
10:58Yeah.
10:59The other day by the railroad bed.
11:00Yeah.
11:01Do you have any idea who that would have been?
11:03On the railroad bed?
11:05Yeah.
11:06I was on the railroad bed.
11:07I didn't shoot no deer, but I was on the railroad bed.
11:09All right.
11:10Did you know who shot him?
11:12I did.
11:13I mean, I did.
11:15You shot the deer?
11:16Yeah.
11:17Chuck Connell and his wife, Joan, operate a hunting preserve called Tails O' Wagon Acres.
11:31Around 15 years ago, they wanted to help out a handful of military veterans by offering them a chance to chase pheasants on their property.
11:38The idea has grown considerably in the intervening years and also now includes first responders such as police officers, firefighters and emergency medical personnel.
11:49One of my kids come up with a couple of Vietnam vets that were in rough shape from Agent Orange and they wanted to go bird hunt.
11:57So we took them out and and no big plan, you know, just in the next year there was, you know, half a dozen of them.
12:05And after that, there was 40 or 50.
12:07And as the word got out, we turned it into a veterans program and picked the child picking a date out.
12:15And so we could get everybody out.
12:17And it's just grown since then gives everybody an opportunity to get out to the do a little hunt where I come from.
12:25We haven't had pheasants in years and gives you a chance to do something you haven't done in a long time.
12:31The veterans hunt is now a four day affair that includes 400 hunters.
12:36The many volunteers that help coordinate and run this event are integral in making it flow smoothly.
12:41Among the volunteers are conservation officers and others from the DNR who see the benefits for the participants that go beyond the opportunity to hunt upland game birds.
12:51This is a situation where everyone here is a veteran or a police officer or firefighter, someone who is seeing things that maybe they have trouble dealing with and coping with.
13:01And a lot of these folks have also been through it.
13:03So they're able to talk back and forth on how and what they've done to cope with what they've experienced.
13:08And you know again it's a great opportunity for some fellowship and to start some healing.
13:12A good friend of mine is a retired psychologist and he said the best therapy for these guys is to all be together like they sit around waiting to go out.
13:21And they're sometimes the only time they ever open up for anything.
13:26Ready for the shot.
13:27Yeah.
13:28Yeah.
13:29Woo.
13:30Yeah.
13:31Woo.
13:32Cool.
13:33Safety on.
13:34Here.
13:35Already is.
13:36Angle here.
13:37Okay.
13:38Good job.
13:39Here, here, here.
13:40Come on.
13:41What do you enjoy the most of this sort of event?
13:44Just the camaraderie.
13:45We've met a lot of different individuals from all over the state, all over the United States.
13:54And you get to kind of talk to all of them and get their points of view on things.
14:01It's really rewarding to be able to see individuals who may not have been able to hunt for a few years,
14:07whether they've got some mobility issues or even our first time hunters getting out who have never experienced it.
14:13I was talking with a gentleman who went hunting the first time three years ago.
14:18And now he's got his own dog.
14:19And he's coming back and he's trying to, you know, help and run some guiding in some of our fields.
14:24So it's really great to see individuals get hooked on upland bird hunting and just start giving back themselves.
14:30Tucker, find them.
14:31Find them.
14:32Find the birds.
14:33Find them.
14:34Everybody range.
14:35Walk up to Tucker.
14:37Both dogs are on point.
14:40Both dogs are on point.
14:41Quickly keep walking.
14:42Keep walking.
14:43Keep walking.
14:44Keep walking.
14:45Keep walking.
14:46There it goes.
14:47No, no bird.
14:48No bird.
14:49No bird.
14:50No bird.
14:51No bird.
14:52No bird.
14:53That was a perfect example of the rise in the dog's safety.
14:56Thank you very much for not shooting, gentlemen.
14:58It just works, you know.
15:01If I had to put it in writing how this thing goes on and works, you couldn't do it.
15:04You know, be here at this time and do this and that.
15:07It just flows.
15:08And that's because of all the good helpers.
15:10I do truly believe that this is a good Lord's idea because I didn't see it.
15:14I didn't say, I want to get 400 hunters out, veterans someday.
15:18Along with it, he sent all the best helpers in the world.
15:21I just, I don't have to do hardly anything anymore.
15:24Of course, I'm 70 years old.
15:25I don't want to do everything anymore.
15:27It's just a really good opportunity to give back to those who serve the community and the country by putting out birds,
15:35whether it be, you know, setting birds for people or helping out with the track chair,
15:39or just cleaning up, trashing it around the area.
15:41It's just a great way to give back to the community.
15:43Get up here, guys.
15:44Get up here.
15:45These birds have to hold.
15:46We've got to get up here.
15:47Be ready to go.
15:48Get up here.
15:49Get up here.
15:50Get up here.
15:51Get up here.
15:52Get up here.
15:53Get up here.
15:54Hey.
15:55Let's do it.
15:56Look there.
15:57Elek here.
15:58Tucker.
15:59Run.
16:00Did you shoot?
16:01I'm sure.
16:04Add a boy, Tucker.
16:06Good girl.
16:07Heller here.
16:08Good girl.
16:09Good boy.
16:10Good boy.
16:11Heller here.
16:12Good boy.
16:13Good boy.
16:14Good boy.
16:16Heller here.
16:17Come on.
16:19I love being outdoors.
16:20I love hunting.
16:21So it was a great opportunity.
16:22came up, started helping with it, started making some great relationships and friendships with
16:26some of these folks. I'm not a veteran of any of these services, law or military or any of it,
16:33and I've learned a tremendous amount, you know, having all these guys out here. I'd like to thank
16:38them for all the work that people put in for this. I know it's taken a lot of work by a lot
16:45of people to put this on. I'd like to thank them, and I'm sure everybody else does, and our guides here
16:53and our dogs, especially the dogs, they've been really working hard.
16:58Do you know who shot them?
17:11I did. You shot the deer?
17:15Yeah.
17:16All right.
17:16Michigan Conservation Officer Chris Reynolds has been investigating a case where he believes a deer
17:21was shot on a property where the hunter didn't have permission to be. Shortly after starting his
17:26interview with one man, another man behind him speaks up.
17:29Who was the third person that was with you then?
17:32My brother.
17:34It was your brother? All right.
17:36He just helped me get it out.
17:37All right.
17:38I mean, he didn't. I got to set it down, Chris.
17:40All right. You guys got any weapons, anything here?
17:42Nope.
17:43All right.
17:43The railroad is still owned by a railroad. It's railroad property, so you can't technically hunt railroad
17:48property. If you legally access it and you have property there, then you can.
17:51Okay.
17:52So, basically, then you went down to retrieve the deer. That's where the gut pile is.
17:58Yep. Down at the bottom when you go down the hill.
18:01Okay. Yep. And then, so did you shoot a doe as well?
18:04No.
18:05So, you never shot at a doe that crossed, you didn't shoot, come back on the railroad bed
18:09and shoot back to the west?
18:11I shot one deer.
18:12One deer?
18:13One deer.
18:14Okay. Where's the deer at right now?
18:16Right there.
18:16Okay. Is it down there at Run Road? Is it in one of the barns down there?
18:23All right. Can you guys come down there with me? I'm not going to seize your gun, okay?
18:27I could seize the gun. You being honest with me, I'm going to...
18:30I mean, that's what, that's what, I mean, just, just between me and you, I had a lot of
18:36friends that don't go bust it. You know what I mean? He has in his life. He did, he had
18:41your job for years. And I told him all, don't bull**** him, just tell him the truth. You'll
18:47be further off.
18:48It does, it pays.
18:49You really, I mean, I'm just being honest with you about it, you know?
18:51Yep, it pays.
18:52I'm just being honest with you that it is what it is, and, I mean...
18:59The third suspect is also at the job site, and CO Reynolds makes contact with him as well.
19:04You're on speaker, officer. I wanted to chat with you, so, I don't know. You're on speaker,
19:10officer, if you wanted to chat with him.
19:13Is it your mayor or what?
19:14Yep.
19:16I'm the guy that just stopped you on the road. So, I guess my question is, I asked everybody
19:23that lies to my face this question, but why'd you lie to me?
19:27Guess I figured you didn't need to know at the time.
19:29Uh-huh. Well, I'll tell you this, um, had you been straight up with us, you didn't, you
19:37know, it sounds like you didn't shoot a deer, which is good. Uh, I don't even want to f***
19:41done to shoot a deer.
19:42Brother's the one that shot the deer, you just went and helped him, right?
19:45Yep.
19:46Okay, so, had you been straight up with me, me and officer Reynolds probably wouldn't have
19:50done anything as far as charges with you and your dad, but now that you've lied to my
19:54face, everything like that, um, you'll be in the report for railroad trespass, just
19:59so you know what's the misdemeanor.
20:00Okay.
20:02Okay.
20:02Yep.
20:02That's all I needed.
20:03Okay.
20:04Officer Reynolds goes to another location to gather evidence about the firearm that was
20:09used to shoot the deer.
20:10Officer Reynolds actually met up with the father that had the deer in his possession and we
20:25seized it.
20:25A lot of leg work, a lot of phone calls, a lot of knocks on the doors and, uh, it's not
20:30the biggest deer or anything like that, but follow up with all these and do what we can
20:35do, especially when we get a good complaint like that.
20:37Yeah, definitely, uh, a lot of times these, these complaints, you don't have any avenues
20:42to, to go in any direction for interviews, um, suspects, whatever.
20:47Uh, thankfully, some people that I know in this county knew the individuals and, and gave
20:53me some pretty good information that, that they probably did do it and we felt pretty confident
20:58going into these interviews that, that we would probably find out who did it and, and
21:04it all worked out in the end.
21:05Early September is not deer season in Michigan, but it's still a time of year that offers options
21:11for outdoor enthusiasts to pursue wild game in many parts of the state.
21:15Though most bear licenses require preference points, the first bear season typically opens
21:20shortly after Labor Day.
21:22Other popular animals for hunters to pursue during this time of year are Canada geese and
21:26teal in blue winged and green winged.
21:28In District 7, Conservation Officer BJ Goulet is among a team of officers on a group patrol
21:37during opening day for geese and teal in and around a public hunting area.
21:41So, Grand Haven State game area covers a little over three miles of the Grand River, uh, just,
21:46just, uh, upstream of Grand Haven and Spring Lake.
21:49Um, it's surrounded by semi-developed area, but it's, uh, a lot of marshland, some islands
21:55in the middle of the river that, uh, gives a good bit of wild space in the, kind of in
22:01the middle of, uh, suburban area, and, uh, but it's a, a big destination for our waterfall
22:07hunters on, on the west side of Michigan.
22:09While some officers headed out in kayaks before first light, CEO Goulet patrols from a boat.
22:15He starts his shift by observing hunters from a distance.
22:19One thing he's paying attention to is when he hears gunshots, as the legal shooting hours
22:24for these two game birds have different starting times.
22:27A half hour before sunrise for geese and at sunrise for teal.
22:31Monitoring whether people are shooting too early, if they are shooting at that earlier
22:35time, are they actually targeting geese, are they targeting teal, um, trying to decipher
22:41that a little bit.
22:42Um, it's just better, kind of, for that first amount of time to sit back, um, see what, what
22:49people are shooting at and when, and then also listening for a number of shots to try to
22:55hone in on if there's any areas that, that might be people using unplugged guns, if there's
22:59an exorbitant amount of shooting going on and not reasonably that many people to go with
23:03that many shots.
23:04After getting a good idea for where most of the hunters are near him in the Grand Haven
23:08State game area, CEO Goulet heads out to make contact with some of them.
23:13How's it going guys?
23:17This guy's tucked in here real nice.
23:19Hey big guy, what's the word?
23:21Well, you know.
23:22I heard you coming in, I was doing emails, cause you know some of us gotta work too.
23:26I'm going, who the hell's sneaking up on me?
23:29And now I know you guys, just me.
23:33Well, you didn't have any luck so far?
23:37I can't even say, well that's not true, I've seen Teal, but, uh, I am not even shot.
23:48Well I guess, well, why don't you just go ahead and show me you can't get more than three
23:52in there.
23:53One in the chamber, two in there, here's the fourth one.
24:01Gotcha, perfect.
24:04I don't know if you want to do it or.
24:07Clear on that.
24:08No, you can go ahead and just show me you can't fit more than two in your magazine.
24:11No, no, no.
24:16Perfect.
24:17Alright.
24:18So did you have any, did you get any birds?
24:21Just that?
24:22Okay, there you go.
24:24Perfect.
24:25Alright.
24:26Well.
24:27Well, beautiful day.
24:28I could have had more, but, I mean, they got it coming in at a right front and by the
24:33time I go, they'll fly this way, so I didn't want to shoot.
24:36Alright.
24:37You know, it's just beautiful to get out here.
24:39Oh yeah, it's a great day for it, that's for sure.
24:42Michigan's early teal season runs for the first 16 days of September and is open statewide.
24:57Approximately 300 miles north from where C.O. Goulet is patrolling in the state's District
25:022, Officer Todd Simbera is also on the lookout for waterfowl hunters.
25:09Started with the waterfowl in the morning, trying to hit some of the fields, looking
25:13for goose hunters.
25:14Made it down to a marsh just off of the St. Mary's River, northern Chippewa County on
25:20the east side, and came up on the vehicle, goose decoys in the back, figured he was probably
25:28doing some teal hunting too.
25:30Tending to get a high population of teal hunters in that area.
25:33C.O.
25:34Simbera notices a truck that appears to be lying to a waterfowl hunter.
25:38Since he must navigate some shallow water to reach the hunter, C.O. Simbera heads off
25:43in his hip boots.
25:44Teal season, shooting hours are sunrise to sunset, so half hour later than typical, you
25:49know, goose hours.
25:50And it's just teal right now, so ID is huge.
25:53You get a lot of widget in, some shovelers through there, so you look at the wings, you
25:58know, yeah, it can look similar, but teal are very small birds.
26:02So, the guys that know their ID can pick them apart.
26:05But if you don't know your ID, I kind of recommend guys not go out if you're not comfortable with
26:11it.
26:12How's it going?
26:13Good, how are you?
26:14Transportation officer.
26:15Your shotgun in there too?
26:20Yeah.
26:21Perfect.
26:22You just want to bring everything up here?
26:23Yeah.
26:26Just came out by yourself today?
26:28Yeah.
26:29Yeah, I don't have class until 11, so.
26:31Perfect.
26:32Why not?
26:33Yeah?
26:34Oh yeah, nice bird.
26:36I think that was a group two there, but I saw you, so I was a little distracted.
26:41Real nice bird.
26:46Has your stamp arrived in the mail yet?
26:52No.
26:53Not yet.
26:54I just bought my license like a day before the season, I believe.
26:57Okay.
26:58Perfect.
26:59We're all set there, sir.
27:02Wounded shore if you don't mind, where it's a little more dry.
27:08Check your shotgun that you're not dropping anything in the water.
27:10Fair enough?
27:11Yeah.
27:15Put as many as you can in the mag.
27:16Just go until you can, okay?
27:22Perfect.
27:23You're good there.
27:25Nice bird.
27:29First one of the season then, eh?
27:31Yeah, I got one back home, but first bird ever up here, actually.
27:34Good.
27:35Where are you from?
27:36Standish.
27:37Okay.
27:38I do most of my hunting on Saginaw Bay.
27:39Pretty good hunting down there, too.
27:40It's a lot better than up here.
27:41Yeah.
27:42Spoils you.
27:43He was pretty good with his ID.
27:44A lot of mallards flew over, picked up his mallard call, tried calling him in, no luck.
27:50Then as I approached out to make contact, Teal flew between he and I, and he dropped it.
27:56So, he ended up taking a hen and blue wing.
28:00Good identification on his part.
28:02We don't always come across that in that area, so it was kind of shocking.
28:06But a successful hunt for him and really good to see.
28:09All right, I won't keep you all.
28:10Let's get back to your hunting and look like you were picking up decoys.
28:13I was gonna, but I think now that after I saw that one in the other group, I'll probably
28:16just pick up the geese and stick it off a little bit.
28:19There you go.
28:20Okay.
28:21Well, good luck to you.
28:22If you're in class, right?
28:23That's right.
28:24That's right.
28:25Yeah, good luck to you.
28:26Later that day, since it is opening day of the first bear season, Officer Sombera heads
28:31towards a bait site that he first spotted in June to see if anyone is hunting over it.
28:36Along the way, he sees two off-road vehicles.
28:39He continues towards the bait he is already aware of, but doesn't find any hunters.
28:43CO Sombera heads back down the trail away from the bait site and takes a closer look
28:48at the ORVs.
28:49Went back to their ORVs that were on site and two of them, two of them there.
28:54So, noticed a crossbow case on the back of one of the ORVs.
29:00So, I knew that would put them a little bit closer to the bait site.
29:03And, once I made that second trip back down there, I just went into some thicker cover.
29:08On the east side of that bait station.
29:12When he goes back towards the bait site a second time, Officer Sombera spots a hunter
29:17in a tree stand.
29:18Conservation officer.
29:19How you doing?
29:25You want to come down there for me?
29:27That's not your barrel?
29:29No?
29:30Just been putting feed in it?
29:32Just been putting feed in it?
29:33Okay.
29:34This hunter says he didn't set up the bait site.
29:37Let me see the crossbow.
29:40And then just take your sidearm, point it in a safe direction.
29:43And then unload it for me, alright?
29:45Mag in chamber.
29:46You can leave the mag full, but...
29:49What's in your waistband in the back?
29:51That's here.
29:52You have to put through the empty holster.
29:53Empty holster?
29:54Yeah.
29:55Okay.
29:56I just put it up here so I won't get that.
29:57Okay.
29:58Alright.
29:59Let me see it.
30:01I'll give you your...
30:02Can I pick that up?
30:03Yep.
30:04You can pick that stuff up.
30:05Hang on to that.
30:06No other firearms, weapons, anything like that on you?
30:08I'm fine.
30:09I love you.
30:10Okay.
30:11Alright, man.
30:12Leave this open.
30:13Put your ammo in your left pocket.
30:14Yeah, that's fine.
30:15That's fine.
30:16And then take me to your partner art.
30:17And that's down to the highway, 41, and that's all wiped out there.
30:46The sound was indescribable.
30:48My house was shaking.
30:50Just the noise of it all.
30:52When I walked outside, oh my God.
30:55Unbelievable.
30:56Torrential rainstorm that occurred on Saturday night and Sunday morning on June 16th and 17th.
31:03Six, seven inches plus in the Copper Country area.
31:07When torrential rain pounded parts of the western end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, local
31:12residents were left to pick up the pieces and try to regroup.
31:15Multiple divisions of Michigan's DNR also teamed up with local authorities to help.
31:20Several state-owned snowmobile and ORV trails had large sections wiped out and would require considerable labor to function again.
31:28It's absolutely devastating to these towns that these trails are closed.
31:34It's horrible.
31:35We've had person after person, day after day that we've been here, come up to us and ask us, when are the trails going to be open?
31:43Can you guys speed it up?
31:46It's just, this is their livelihood, the tourism industry.
31:50And it's devastating to these towns that these trails are closed.
31:55Hopefully we can just keep plugging away at it and get it open for them.
31:59I don't know if it's been verified yet.
32:01Wouldn't be surprised.
32:02It's like 1.6 inches came down at one point at one point.
32:06Yeah.
32:07Three minutes.
32:08One minute.
32:09One minute.
32:10One minute.
32:11Oh my gosh.
32:12Like a solid water.
32:13Yeah, I do have been.
32:14It didn't wake me up until I heard it go about 10 to 4.
32:17Yeah.
32:18I heard that.
32:19Oh boy, something's not right.
32:20Wow.
32:21It was like Colorado River springtime on each side of me, just.
32:26There was boulders being tossed, just spitting onto water.
32:31Unbelievable.
32:32Yeah.
32:33One of the first tasks after a major event like this is to go inspect the damage and then try to develop a plan for how best to implement solutions.
32:41It's pretty complex because the state ownership, we have the grade itself.
32:48But the damage goes beyond our ownership.
32:52So then you're dealing with multiple ownerships, trying to figure out from an environmental impact aspect what we need to do to stabilize it.
33:02And will the trail look like this when it's done flat or will it take on a new shape or route?
33:08So it's kind of assessing all that stuff.
33:11Snowmobile trails and ORV trails are two DNR resources that were severely impacted by this flood.
33:17To this area, I think these trails are real important.
33:20You know, right now ATV season, I think they still get heavy use.
33:24But in the winter, it's a major snowmobile trail and I think it's a major part of the economy up here.
33:29So I think it's very important that these trails get reopened.
33:33Both shovels and heavy equipment are put to use to improve state trails and lands after this major flood.
33:41Although this natural disaster made things extremely difficult for everyone in the area, one silver lining was the way in which people in these communities banded together to repair so many of the things that had been damaged.
33:55I was helping just down below me yesterday and there was at least 30 volunteers.
33:59It was just unbelievable sight to see a community just pull together like that.
34:03It's a good feeling.
34:04Michigan Conservation Officer B.J. Goulet is patrolling the Grand Haven State game area on opening day of the early season for teal and geese.
34:28After getting a good vantage point before daylight, he observed hunters for a short time as dawn broke.
34:34Then he made contact with hunters in the area.
34:37Okay, I just got this yesterday, so it better be right.
34:41Is there more to it there?
34:43Just the base.
34:45Okay, so that's base.
34:47So last year I got the duck stamp from the post office.
34:56Right.
34:57And I asked Dix, I was like, hey, do you guys do duck stamps here?
35:00And they're like, yeah, yeah, you can come in.
35:01So I'm assuming that's what the volume is.
35:03So that's the federal.
35:04You don't have your state waterfowl license here.
35:07Did you buy that at a different time?
35:08Is it on a different panel?
35:10Is that the migratory bird?
35:13No, so that's just the survey.
35:15So it's zero here for the survey.
35:18Okay.
35:19So it'd be the, the, um, just a regular state waterfowl license would be like 12 bucks.
35:25Oh, would that be for me too then?
35:27You didn't have yours, you didn't get yours either?
35:29Well, I questioned them.
35:31I had like three different people there and she literally, she assured me.
35:35Cause I questioned it cause they're a little different.
35:37They look a little different than last year's.
35:39Right.
35:40And she assured me.
35:41Last year I got the one from the post office.
35:43That's actually like a sticker.
35:44Right.
35:45So that's the federal.
35:46Okay.
35:47Okay.
35:48And then the state waterfowl license, you just buy just like your base license or whatever
35:51else.
35:52And it's the 12 bucks for the, for the state waterfowl license.
35:54Okay.
35:55Um, so yeah, it's not uncommon that you get a license agent.
36:01You go in there and say, give me whatever I need.
36:03That's so annoying.
36:04We were planning on probably going out tonight.
36:06So we can just hop in the car, run there and be like, Hey, this is what we need.
36:09Yeah.
36:10So you need your state waterfowl license and it'll be 12 bucks.
36:13Um, which for years it might be different cause well, did you not turn 17 yet?
36:19No, I might have birthday September 29.
36:21Okay.
36:22So that, that's another monkey wrench in the whole thing is that it's, that's why you're
36:29like, you don't need the federal stamp.
36:30Yeah.
36:31Because you're, you're not 17 yet, but you still need the state license.
36:35Yeah.
36:36There's different license requirements for under 10, as opposed to 10 to 16, as opposed to
36:41over 16.
36:42And today we ran into a couple of those hunters that are making that transition from, you know,
36:47one was still a junior hunter and the other was now an adult hunter.
36:51And they were a little confused on which licenses they were supposed to have.
36:55Or, you know, like a lot of people do walk into whatever license vendor and say, give me
37:01everything I need for this, but maybe you forget to specify their age.
37:04So there was a little, seemed to be a little confusion.
37:06It's all blue wings today.
37:07I haven't seen any green wings yet.
37:08Really?
37:09Oh, there's a green right there.
37:12Yeah.
37:13Sorry.
37:14You're sneaking them in there on me.
37:15They didn't really seem to be trying to get away with anything.
37:18They were very straightforward about it and seemed a little upset when they found out that
37:23maybe that license vendor didn't give them everything they needed.
37:25So we were, we let them off with a warning today.
37:27Sometimes you just need to say, Hey, do you have one of the guides right here?
37:30So we can look at this together and see what licenses I need.
37:32And it's kind of a way of not directly insulting them, but you can take it out and be like, Hey,
37:36let's look at this together and see, let's, I want to make sure I have everything I need
37:40and pull that table out and, and walk through it with them.
37:45Michigan conservation officer, Todd Sambara is patrolling bear hunters on the opening day
37:50of the first bear season.
37:54In the state's district two, he's encountered a hunter who was hunting over a bait site
37:59that was established more than 31 days before the start of the season, which is a violation.
38:04You just walked back here and found it just like that?
38:06Well, he told us where it was at at the end of the trail.
38:09And then...
38:10Are you state hunter, tribal hunter?
38:12Huh?
38:13State or tribal hunter?
38:14State hunter?
38:15Okay.
38:16CEO Sambara asked the hunter to show him where his hunting companion is hunting.
38:19How you doing?
38:20You want to go and unload that for me?
38:22A couple of violations.
38:23Am I illegal?
38:24I didn't know I was.
38:25The bait, the bait that you're hunting was started in June.
38:29Are you me?
38:30So you're hunting over an illegal bait.
38:32So that one's going to be shut down.
38:34Everything's got to be pulled out.
38:36Okay.
38:37That's not a problem.
38:38I didn't know.
38:39The regs for barrels on state land have to be steel.
38:42You're good there with steel.
38:43Locking lid, right?
38:44Looks like the lid's locked.
38:45Yeah.
38:46A maximum of three holes, one inch diameter.
38:49I didn't know that.
38:50I didn't know that.
38:51Let's take a walk down there.
38:52Check out the barrels here.
38:53Did you make this barrel?
38:54You buy it?
38:55I made it.
38:56You made it?
38:57Okay.
38:58Any chocolate or anything like that in there?
39:00No chocolate.
39:01No chocolate?
39:02Dog food, corn, orange slices.
39:05Looking at about six and a half?
39:07Yeah.
39:10You have to make them legal.
39:11Like I said, no more than three holes, no more than one inch maximum diameter.
39:15Okay?
39:16I will do.
39:17Not in my mind.
39:18I didn't know it was illegal.
39:19I would have never put them out here.
39:20I hunt legally all the way.
39:21Okay.
39:22I didn't know I was against the law.
39:24Okay.
39:25Same exact barrel.
39:26Okay.
39:27June 26th.
39:28Okay.
39:29Okay.
39:30So, August 9th, 31 days prior to season.
39:33August 9th was the first day you could legally bait as a state hunter in Michigan.
39:37Right.
39:38So, that one was obviously active before.
39:40I didn't know it was active before.
39:41I didn't either.
39:42Right.
39:43Regardless though, if I told you about it, you know, and that's what led you down here.
39:48He just told me he had a spot to hunt.
39:50Right.
39:51Down there and hunt.
39:52But you're hunting on the spot.
39:54You're responsible for it.
39:55You know what I mean?
39:57I guess, yeah.
39:59I didn't know.
40:00I personally wouldn't hunt over somebody's spot.
40:02To me, that throws a red flag.
40:04Maybe somebody else is going to come in and hunt it too.
40:06You know, or something's going on.
40:08Especially.
40:09Like this.
40:10Exactly.
40:11So, um.
40:12Yeah.
40:13I just, I'm not going to argue with you about it.
40:15I just, it's.
40:16Okay.
40:17I want to tell you.
40:18I just didn't know it.
40:19In this case, for hunting over illegal baits, these two hunters each paid a court ordered
40:24fine of $215.
40:26I had them shut their, shut their baits down until they got everything up and going.
40:30So, the illegal bait that was started early is shut down completely.
40:33Um.
40:34You know, that one's not to be, to be hunted over this year.
40:37Uh.
40:38Then the other one with just the infractions on the barrels.
40:41Once he gets those squared away, I'm okay if he goes back and hunts those.
40:45I guess they can drop the area.
40:46Now what's wrong.
40:48That's right.
40:50And then people just come in.
40:52If they're scarce you know, what's wrong.
40:57We're torn down and they fall from getting our gods and they can help it out tomorrow.
41:02Definitely.
41:03I guess I am like that.
41:04But you can also do it.
41:05Much you about is too littleandy.
41:06I can not take that one the one with you.
41:07Very good.
41:08And hopefully there is.
41:10Some campuses.
41:11There's some birds on the top.
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