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Wardens of the North - Season 5 Episode 8 -
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00:00A Michigan conservation officer in District 8 makes contact with people doing other things
00:14besides hunting on the opening day of archery season.
00:17You ready?
00:18No, no, no.
00:19Yeah, but you got alcohol in there and you're driving suspended while you're on probation.
00:23And a D7 officer checks on hunters during the opening day of the firearm season.
00:28Somebody's spying on me.
00:30Yeah, me.
00:31A look into a program where hunters work with the state's DNR to donate their deer to those in need.
00:36It's a good feeling to know that there's a lot of people that care about the hungry in this state.
00:40A Michigan conservation officer in District 5 patrols off-road vehicle use during a busy spring weekend.
00:47So we've had between like two and four to drink tonight.
00:49So is it two or is it four, be honest with me.
00:51A visit to a Detroit suburb where the DNR places leg bands on ducks.
00:56That banding effort also allows us to expand hunting opportunities if we can show that populations are doing really, really well.
01:03And he also looks into a case of a buck being shot during a coyote hunt.
01:08That's like the one thing you should know from hunter safety class.
01:10Like if you sleep through the whole class, at least know what the heck you're going to shoot.
01:13Wild animals and wild places, they're more than a picture.
01:18They're inspiration, excitement, and adventure.
01:22Patrolling and protecting these natural resources is a first-class band of peace officers.
01:28These are the Wardens, dedicated to the preservation of our great outdoors.
01:34Whitetail deer hunting is usually the activity that gets the most hunters into the woods in the state of Michigan.
02:01The archery season for deer opens on October 1st, and the firearm season opens on November 15th.
02:07This is the time of the year that is usually the busiest for conservation officers.
02:11They frequently start their shifts before sunrise and oftentimes work for several hours past dark.
02:17They may deploy decoys on private land where there have been complaints about poaching,
02:21or they may simply spend the majority of their work week responding to calls or looking into issues that they observe while patrolling their counties.
02:29Sometimes, even though deer hunting season is open, they might be checking on people who are enjoying Michigan's natural beauty
02:35by pursuing activities that don't have anything to do with deer hunting.
02:39In the state's District 8, Officer Todd Thorne begins his shift on the archery opener by checking on anglers in the state's capital of Lansing.
02:50From across the river, he watches a man land a fish.
02:53He's got a fish.
02:57I think that's a salmon.
03:02We've been getting complaints of people snagging salmon in Lansing.
03:08We don't get a heavy run of salmon, but we do get some, and this year a few more than we have the last few years.
03:17So we had gotten started kind of before daylight, and usually the fishing is heaviest right around sunrise.
03:27So while we were in Lansing, I wanted to hit some of the popular spots.
03:31So it's definitely a salmon.
03:33So what we'll do is we'll go talk to him and look at the fish and see if it's got any marks on it,
03:41where it might have been foul hooked, and we'll look at his line and see if it's legal.
03:46So let's go up here and we'll see if anybody else is fishing.
04:01I don't see anybody else.
04:03After crossing to the other side of the river, C.O. Thorne makes contact with a fisherman.
04:09Pardon?
04:11I don't have a license.
04:13Oh, you don't have a license?
04:15I don't have a license.
04:17Okay.
04:18Conservation officer, just so you know.
04:21Okay.
04:22Well, I appreciate you being honest with me.
04:24Yeah.
04:25Do you have an ID with you?
04:27Yeah, I do.
04:28Okay.
04:29Let me check that.
04:30Did you catch any fish?
04:31I did.
04:32Okay.
04:33When we made contact with him, he saw us, kind of looked down at the ground,
04:39and then said, oh, you got me.
04:40I don't have a license.
04:41I knew I was taking a chance.
04:43You know, I mean, they didn't water this, you know.
04:46Okay.
04:47It's the first time I ever caught here.
04:48I've been fishing this place for 20 years.
04:50And you caught a salmon.
04:51And it's the first salmon I've ever caught here.
04:53You know, I've caught catfish here.
04:55I've caught bass here.
04:56You know, never in my life have I caught a salmon here.
04:58I've just caught this fish 10 minutes ago.
05:00Yeah.
05:01We watched you over there.
05:02Oh, did you?
05:03Yeah.
05:04Okay.
05:05Yeah, like 10 minutes ago I just caught it.
05:06I didn't even see you over there.
05:07Yeah.
05:08Well, we're sneaking.
05:09So we're going to take a picture of it and let it go, since it's still alive.
05:12That's fair.
05:13Yeah.
05:14It's nice to see the salmon.
05:15We were able to let it go because it was still alive, which is good.
05:19So it didn't get wasted.
05:21And the guy got a ticket, but he knew what he was doing was wrong.
05:25And I think he was just kind of playing the game and trying to get away with it as long as he could.
05:31Do you have a smartphone?
05:33I got an Android phone.
05:35Yeah.
05:36Yeah.
05:37So you can buy a fishing license right on that if you want to continue fishing.
05:41You know, I just got my disability.
05:42Can I do that?
05:43I'll do that right now.
05:44While C.O. Thorne fills out the citation, this man uses his phone to begin the process of purchasing a license online.
05:51I like to give a lot of breaks to people if I think they legitimately don't realize that they're supposed to have a license.
05:57And then I'll try to get them to buy the license right away on their phones.
06:01Use it as an education experience instead.
06:05But in this case, the guy knew and he said he'd been fishing for quite a while and didn't have his license.
06:13So if you know what you're doing is wrong and you're trying to get away with it, I think a ticket's coming.
06:17I don't feel bad either.
06:18You know, I don't feel bad.
06:19You know, I know you're doing your job and you're giving me a break.
06:22Yeah.
06:23And like I said, I knew I was taking a chance and I just got my disability, you know, yesterday and I should have bought it before I came out here this morning.
06:30I really should have.
06:31Okay.
06:32And I accept, you know, what I did was wrong, you know, and I got nothing to respect with that.
06:42You're taking a chance.
06:43Usually people get away with it, but sometimes they don't.
06:46It's the opening day of Michigan's archery deer season and Conservation Officer Todd Thorne is checking on a hunter who's just leaving the woods after his morning hunt.
06:55Just checking your hunting license.
06:57Give me one second.
06:58Yep.
06:59Okay.
07:00Did you see anything?
07:02I did not see anything before.
07:05There's a bunch of turkeys right here when we pulled up, right by your truck.
07:10Did you get wet?
07:12Not too wet.
07:13Yeah.
07:23You got your tags?
07:25Yep.
07:26Let me see those.
07:27Yeah, and your driver's license.
07:30Take me a second.
07:31That's all right.
07:32Not in a hurry.
07:33There you go.
07:34There you go.
07:36All right.
07:37Thanks a lot.
07:38You're welcome.
07:39Take care.
07:41Later in the day, while driving, C.O. Thorne notices a truck on the side of the road without a license plate.
07:58Do you have a valid license?
07:59Do you have a valid license?
08:00I don't, actually.
08:01No?
08:02Are you suspended?
08:03Oh, yeah.
08:04I think so, yeah.
08:05Yeah?
08:06Do you have any warrants?
08:07No.
08:08No?
08:09No.
08:10Okay.
08:11All right.
08:12All right.
08:13Just hold tight.
08:14All right.
08:15Do you mind if I look in the vehicle real quick, and then you can sit in there?
08:20Yeah, go ahead.
08:21Is that all right?
08:22You got any weapons?
08:24No.
08:25Okay.
08:26Watch.
08:27Just stand in front there first.
08:28I'm sorry.
08:29Go ahead.
08:30My dad's just down the road.
08:31Okay.
08:32He's telling me to drive it home and bring it back.
08:35Have you been drinking?
08:38No?
08:39Who's is this?
08:40Probably his.
08:41Your dad's?
08:42Yeah.
08:43This man says that the liquor bottle is not his, and he was just borrowing the truck so
08:48that he could transport a used appliance that he'd recently acquired.
08:57You can't have that in a vehicle, you know that?
08:59All right, yeah.
09:00I didn't think I was an athlete.
09:01Okay.
09:11Well, you can sit in there, try to get your dad to come help you out, but you can't drive
09:18it, obviously.
09:19Yeah.
09:20And I'll figure out what else is going to happen.
09:24Okay?
09:25Yep.
09:29So, he was stuck on the side of the road there.
09:34He doesn't have a driver's license.
09:36He's suspended, and he gave me consent to look in there, and he had some open alcohol.
09:42So, we'll figure out what else is going on.
09:44No plate on the vehicle.
09:46Conservation Officer Carter Woodwick is on patrol on the second day of the firearm deer season
10:01in the state's District 7.
10:06Officer Woodwick is in a tree stand where he has permission to be.
10:09He is observing the adjacent property during the last hour of daylight to see what sort
10:13of hunting activity, if any, is taking place.
10:16Approximately 10 minutes before the end of legal shooting hours, Officer Woodwick observes
10:22an off-road vehicle heading towards the residence of the property.
10:25The driver of the ORV has a firearm with him that is not in a case.
10:29Officer Woodwick proceeds to the front of the property.
10:32He meets the hunter in the front yard.
10:34Hello.
10:35What up?
10:36What up?
10:37State Conservation Officer.
10:38What do you got in your hands?
10:39Oh, it's unloaded.
10:40It's unloaded?
10:41It's still got to be cased up.
10:42Oh, I'm sorry.
10:43You got your ID on you?
10:45Yes, sir.
10:46You shut your quad off for me?
10:52Any luck?
10:53The old man, he got one.
10:56Did he?
10:57What'd your dad end up shooting?
10:59Four point.
11:00Four point?
11:05You end up getting anything yet this year?
11:07No.
11:08The one he got I actually saw this morning.
11:11Okay.
11:12Just get those all teeny.
11:14You can get those put in there.
11:16We'll hang out, wait for your dad to show up up here in just a second.
11:21A short time later, another man comes to the front yard from the hunting area behind
11:25the house.
11:26Can you shut it off?
11:28Yes.
11:29It's a state conservation officer.
11:31How are you?
11:32Real good.
11:33I got your tag right in my pocket.
11:34All right.
11:35Why don't you have it on the deer yet?
11:36I can't.
11:37It's too cold.
11:38Okay.
11:39He has shot a deer but does not have a tag on it.
11:42Michigan Sportsman Against Hunger is an organization that works in conjunction
11:46with the Michigan DNR to donate wild game to the needy.
11:50What we do is we tie in wild game processors with hunters that want to donate game that
11:57they take specifically deer to any of our participating processors.
12:02And when they bring the deer in, they don't have to pay anything.
12:05Just donate the whole deer to feed the hungry in the community.
12:09And we pick up the tab for the processing.
12:11For Adam Eller, he has in-depth knowledge and experience with how this operation runs so
12:16smoothly.
12:17He is a dedicated hunter and also a deer processor who stays busy during the hunting season.
12:22So we've been a participant in the program for approximately 10 to 12 years.
12:27And it's just grown exponentially each year.
12:31On the first year, I remember doing just under a thousand pounds and thinking, wow, you know,
12:35that was pretty incredible.
12:37You know, people are willing to, you know, basically sacrifice that meat on their end of it.
12:42And so we can get our hands on it and turn it over to these food banks.
12:45The wild game that is donated remains in the community where it is processed.
12:49Like Smith's processing here.
12:52It's all the deer that are processed here.
12:55And the venison burger stays within this community.
12:58It helps out the communities a lot.
13:01And we get a lot of cards, a lot of letters thanking us for that.
13:04We're 10, 12 years into the program.
13:06And now we do a number that's just staggering when I look back.
13:09Nearly 5,000 pounds of venison donated to these local pantries.
13:14MSAH, VETS processors, before they're approved for the program,
13:18they must be insured and properly licensed.
13:21The effort to provide food for people in need is a great alliance between processors,
13:26the Michigan DNR, and Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger.
13:29From the DNR's perspective, having an opportunity to harvest game,
13:34be able to provide food for families in need is just a great thing for us.
13:39We have an abundance of deer and we have a lot of hunters,
13:43but there's also a lot of other people that can benefit that may not be out in the woods.
13:47So it's an awesome thing for us.
13:49It's a good feeling to know that there's a lot of people that care about the hungry in this state
13:52and they want to see them benefit from channeling our precious resources.
13:57We had one lady here this year. It was a really neat experience for me.
14:02We've been doing it for several years and had a lot of grateful people.
14:06But this lady actually asked me if it was okay to give me a hug,
14:09and she had tears rolling down our cheeks.
14:13And, you know, to see that amount of gratitude that she had towards this program,
14:17I mean, it would touch anyone's heart.
14:20Michigan Conservation Officer Todd Thorne has pulled up behind a stopped pickup
14:30that doesn't have a license plate on it.
14:32Upon asking for and being granted permission to search the vehicle,
14:36C.O. Thorne found an open bottle of liquor.
14:39The driver of the truck has a driver's license that is suspended.
14:42Sir, step out and come back here.
14:50You've got a warrant for your arrest, okay?
14:53So I'll explain it in a minute, but I want you to lean forward,
14:56turn that way, lean forward, put your hands behind your back like this.
14:59Lean forward and look that way.
15:01What's all this stuff in here?
15:03Uh, pardon me.
15:06You don't have any drugs or anything on here, right?
15:08No, no, I'm on probation.
15:10Yeah, but you've got alcohol in there,
15:12and you're driving suspended while you're on probation, right?
15:15Yeah.
15:18So you just borrowed the truck?
15:22Well, we bought this washer and dryer, and we got both.
15:26Yeah.
15:27So he wanted me to drive home, like, right at the guy's house.
15:30Okay.
15:31And it just, the clutch just went out, didn't it?
15:34Yeah, as soon as I hit those tracks, it just stopped.
15:36Yeah.
15:37Because you were still rolling when I pulled up.
15:41All right, so you just hold tight for a second.
15:44I'm going to put these on your seat, okay?
15:47The location of this traffic stop is more than 25 miles away
15:51from the county that has a warrant out for him.
15:53Since this particular warrant is only for pickups within a 25-mile radius,
15:57this man will not be taken to jail as a result of this stop.
16:00Sir, you're not going to jail.
16:02They already told me that they don't want you, okay?
16:06You can go get one of them to sit in the truck,
16:09and then you can push it off the road, I guess.
16:11But just don't leave until I tell you, okay?
16:14Yep.
16:15And I'll find out the information further on this warrant.
16:20All right?
16:21Yeah.
16:22I know it's out of Lansing.
16:25Oh, yeah.
16:26I know it's a 25-mile pickup.
16:28I was in Lansing one day, my buddy.
16:30I let him drive, and I had to pee real bad.
16:32And there's a road, just two more blocks.
16:35I hopped out of the car, and I had one feet out of the building.
16:38Oh, jeez.
16:39Somebody saw you?
16:41Oh, yeah.
16:42Apparently, there's a truck right behind us.
16:44Oh, wow.
16:50All right.
16:51Good?
16:52This is your warrant, and it's for unsanitary action.
16:56Yeah, yeah.
16:57So that's better than them writing you for public indecency or whatever.
17:02This man has issued two citations, one for driving with a suspended license, and one
17:08for having an open container of alcohol in his vehicle.
17:11I almost gave him a warning for the opening talks until he told me that when he saw me,
17:15he put a sweatshirt over the whiskey, and he said, oh, S.
17:21So at that point, I knew he was trying to hide it.
17:24He did give me consent to search, but I don't think he thought I was going to find it under the sweatshirt.
17:29So when they start hiding things, I'm less likely to give them a warning.
17:34Get the vehicle off the road as soon as you can, okay?
17:36The dirt should be coming.
17:37Yeah.
17:38And then I advise you to call Lansing and get that warrant taken care of.
17:42Yeah.
17:43It's only a $300 bond, so it'd be better to take care of it than have to look over your shoulder all the time.
17:50Sure.
17:51All right?
17:52All right.
17:53Take care.
17:54Michigan Conservation Officer Carter Woodwick is on patrol of the second day of the state's firearm deer season.
18:09He has contacted two hunters on the same hunting property.
18:12One of them was riding an off-road vehicle with a firearm that was not in a gun case.
18:16The other man shot a deer, recovered it, and brought it up to his house,
18:20but did not have it tagged when C.O. Woodwick made contact with him there.
18:24So you know when you shoot a deer, you know, the old saying goes, tag it before you drag it?
18:30Oh, okay, yeah.
18:31You got to make sure you tag it immediately.
18:33That's the one I use, right?
18:35Yep, that's the one you're going to have to use.
18:37Did you hear what I was saying there in terms of tagging it?
18:40Yeah.
18:41Yeah?
18:42Does that make sense?
18:43Yeah, I used to, but I always...
18:45So is there any reason when you were driving up here after you shot your deer that you don't
18:49case your gun up or lock it up like it's supposed to be?
18:52I had it down there.
18:54When you were coming in on your gator?
18:57Uh, I had, uh, it was unloaded.
19:01Right, and it was sitting on your lap?
19:03Yeah.
19:04Yeah.
19:05That's the issue.
19:06It's got to be locked.
19:07It either has to have a...
19:08Somebody's spying on me.
19:09Yeah, me.
19:10So, uh, even if it's on your own property, the firearm has to be?
19:15Yeah, there's no exception to it.
19:17Yep, no exception.
19:19Doesn't matter if you're on private property, public land, driving down the road, it's got
19:23to be...
19:24You either have to have a, uh, locking device that locks the trigger, like a mechanical key
19:29locking device, or it has to be locked in something or completely cased up.
19:34As soon as you get it right in the bucket, don't bring it all the way up to the house and
19:37then decide to tag it later.
19:39Is this gonna affect me buying a license next year?
19:42Nope, it shouldn't.
19:44Nope, I don't plan on going for any kind of, uh, license revocation or anything, but obviously...
19:50No, I just want you guys to learn from it, and...
19:53Oh, I learned a lot, yeah.
19:54In this case, for operating an ORV with an uncased firearm, this man pled guilty and paid
20:00a court-ordered fine of $275.
20:04His dad faced the same charge of having an uncased firearm and was also charged with failing
20:09to immediately put a kill tag on his deer.
20:12He pled guilty to both charges and paid $275 for the uncased firearm and $325 for the untagged
20:19deer.
20:20As a result, his grand total in court-ordered fines was $600.
20:25If you have a locking mechanism that will go over your trigger, like a, you know, like
20:30they have on pistols sometimes, if you put that on it, then you're good to, yeah, put
20:35it on there or carry it on your lap.
20:37If I don't have that, they'll get one of those at the top.
20:41As long as it's fully encased.
20:43If you've got a piece that goes on the backside here and you can fully encase it in there,
20:47then you're good.
20:48All right.
20:49As long as it's unloaded.
20:50Like I said, remember to tag it before you drag it and case up the firearm's unloaded
20:54and you won't have any issues.
20:56Obviously, you guys are wearing orange, you're good there.
20:58As long as you're not baiting back there, then we won't have any issues moving forward.
21:03For many Michigan residents, winter in the Great Lakes state seems to linger on for much
21:08longer than a quarter of the calendar.
21:10While there's a wide array of outdoor activities for people to pursue when it's cold outside,
21:15many Michiganders prefer to wait for all the snow to melt and for the ground to thaw completely
21:20before they venture outdoors to really soak up the state's natural resources.
21:25One way that some people have fun outside is by utilizing off-road vehicles on some of the
21:31state's designated ORV trails.
21:34In Michigan's District 5, it's Memorial Day weekend and Conservation Officer Josh Russell
21:41is monitoring ORV users who are taking advantage of the long weekend to venture outside and bask
21:46in the unofficial start of summer.
21:48Things we look for for ORV safety is, first and foremost, people who are operating either a dirt bike
21:54or a quad, have some sort of helmet on.
21:57Or if they're in a side-by-side, they have a roll cage and their seatbelt on because they don't have
22:01either one of those, then they have to wear a helmet.
22:03Also looking for goggles for eye protection.
22:05Just trying to make sure people are just operating safely.
22:07Then we're also looking for ORV stickers, which is their registration to be on the roadways.
22:12That allows them to leave private property and be on the roadways.
22:15And we're also looking for trail stickers if we're actually on the ORV trails.
22:18You got ORV stickers on?
22:19You do?
22:20Okay, perfect.
22:21I couldn't see them.
22:22Okay, no problem.
22:23I apologize.
22:24They go to, too.
22:25They do, too?
22:26Okay.
22:27Just want to double-check.
22:28They're hard to see on those machines.
22:29I'm on the other side.
22:30Other side?
22:31Okay.
22:32Right there?
22:33You're good?
22:34So you guys are just sticking to the roads then, not going down trails?
22:37No, we're going down the trail here.
22:39Well, you're not sticking, you're not going to ORV trails?
22:41No, no, no.
22:42Okay.
22:43Okay, just the State Force 2 tracks then?
22:45That's correct.
22:46Okay, perfect.
22:47Awesome.
22:48All right, guys.
22:49I'll let you get back to it.
22:50You're good.
22:51All right, thank you so much.
22:52Not a problem.
22:53Just wanted to make sure you had them.
22:54I didn't see them.
22:55No, no, I appreciate it.
22:57All right.
22:58Have a good one, guys.
22:59Hey, you do the same.
23:00Thanks.
23:01After conducting several checks on riders, their equipment, and their DNR stickers, Officer Russell
23:02is called to the scene of an accident.
23:04Fire is here.
23:05I'm still requesting medical attention from EMS.
23:08Do you have any idea what happened?
23:11Did someone realize that they hadn't got that far yet?
23:13I didn't know who was operating the machine.
23:14I was coming up to the corner.
23:16They were coming around.
23:17I saw them come up.
23:18It went over like four times.
23:19Oh, yeah.
23:20Back on the trail.
23:21It's still back there?
23:22Oh, yeah.
23:23Yes, sir.
23:24Okay.
23:25That's all you knew what color machine it was?
23:26It's blue and black.
23:27It's silver and black.
23:28It's silver and black.
23:29It's silver and black.
23:30Yeah.
23:31It's crazy.
23:32Everybody else seems fine.
23:33Another couple miles up, then, you think, are on that bend?
23:34Okay.
23:35We should go find Dad, then.
23:36Should I head up there?
23:37Yeah, I'll head up there.
23:38Maybe underneath the hood, here.
23:39Maybe underneath the hood, here.
23:40Maybe we popped the hood, tried to find the VIN quick?
23:41Yeah.
23:42Okay.
23:43We cleared one or the accident, which was a 17-year-old who got caught underneath the
23:45side-by-side.
23:46And as we were finishing the investigation on that, we got a call for a second.
23:49A personal injury accident on an ORV just north of us, a couple miles here, right at the Jonesville
23:56Trailhead.
23:57So this is the machine?
23:58Yep.
23:59Okay.
24:00That's all she did to it, then?
24:01Yeah, it's that's it.
24:02Okay.
24:03The subject seems to be a little bit different.
24:04I don't know.
24:05I don't know.
24:06I don't know.
24:07I don't know.
24:08I don't know.
24:09I don't know.
24:10I don't know.
24:11I don't know.
24:12I don't know.
24:13I don't know.
24:14I don't know.
24:15I don't know.
24:16I don't know.
24:17I don't know.
24:18Okay.
24:19The subject seems to have a broken arm.
24:20Looks like they just went off the trail and hit the side, blew a tire out and broke their
24:25arm, or injured their arm in some sort.
24:26They're loading up in the ambulance now and headed to the hospital.
24:30After clearing the two ORV accidents, CO Russell notices an off-road vehicle that's
24:35on a trail that's currently closed.
24:38How's it going?
24:39Good.
24:40So, did you miss the signs where you're not supposed to be in here with these?
24:43Oh, no.
24:44Oh, no.
24:45How'd you get here?
24:46Um, by...
24:47What's it?
24:48Oyster Lake?
24:49Off of Chapel Dam?
24:50Off of Chapel Dam.
24:51Okay.
24:52So, you came in for off...
24:53Oyster.
24:54So, you came in off Chapel Dam and dumped into here?
24:56Yeah.
24:57Yeah.
24:58There's a big old red sign that says no ORVs and there's a big...
24:59Oh, no.
25:00I didn't see...
25:01Yeah.
25:02Yeah.
25:03How much have we been drinking tonight, ladies?
25:04I can smell it.
25:05So, let's be honest.
25:06We had like two.
25:07Two or four or is it six?
25:08Two or four.
25:09Two or four?
25:10Okay.
25:11How many have you had?
25:12That's the big issue.
25:13Probably about two or four.
25:14Two or four?
25:15Somewhere in there?
25:16Okay.
25:17You got your ID on you.
25:18Go ahead and turn the machine off for me if you would.
25:19Yeah.
25:20So, you've had between like two and four to drink tonight?
25:22So, is it two or is it four?
25:24Be honest with me.
25:25I don't know.
25:26It didn't count.
25:27It didn't count?
25:28Okay.
25:29Any empties back here at all?
25:30Okay.
25:31Got one couple?
25:32No.
25:33All right.
25:34No crazy wandsworns?
25:35Nothing I need to know about?
25:36Nothing.
25:37Okay.
25:38All right.
25:39Sit tight for me, okay?
25:40Okay.
25:48Michigan's DNR strives to place leg bands on 2,000 mallards and 450 wood ducks each year.
25:54As a result, different regions of the state use different techniques to place bands safely
25:59and efficiently.
26:00One spot where they put bands on mallards is in a suburb of Detroit in a busy residential
26:05neighborhood.
26:06We moved here.
26:07It was a new house about eight years ago.
26:10And this whole hill was covered with weeds waist high.
26:16And when we mowed down the weeds and saw that there was a creek here and saw a few ducks floating,
26:23I said, oh, this is nice.
26:24Four grew to be 20 and then 50 and then 100.
26:28So now, when the flight ducks come in early August, we have 200, 300 every morning and
26:35every afternoon here just roosting on the hill.
26:41The technique used in this location utilizes a net that's propelled by air over the ducks
26:47after they've been attracted to the area by corn.
26:52Once the net is spread out over the ducks, DNR staff and volunteers from the neighborhood
26:57work in pairs to safely and slowly remove them from the net and take them to two banders.
27:02As they are being banded, the sex and age are noted and recorded.
27:0686 is a juvenile hen.
27:0887, juvenile drake.
27:10This one's a juvenile drake.
27:1283.
27:13JM.
27:14Although the ducks occasionally appear to be struggling while they're under the net,
27:18they are handled extremely carefully and very seldom injured and frequently return to the
27:22area where they were banded right after being under the net.
27:25So here's a duck we just did, right?
27:27We just banded this thing, shot the net over it and it decided that it was comfortable enough
27:31that it just went back in and ate some more corn and got captured again.
27:34So we're just going to let it go since we just put this band on.
27:37But brand new shiny band and yeah, let it go.
27:42Our first concern is always safety for the birds, no matter what we're doing.
27:45If we're banding ducks, we're banding geese, we want the birds to be healthy and safe when we let them go.
27:52It can be a fairly traumatic event for them, but we also just showed that we captured two birds
27:57that we had already caught this morning and handled once.
27:59So if you're doing things really well, it doesn't bother them very much.
28:02So the biggest thing we try and stress to our staff and our volunteers is remaining calm.
28:07Most animals are real receptive to your body language and your excitement level,
28:12waterfowl especially. If you can stay relaxed, it'll help them stay relaxed.
28:17The data collected from banding birds in Michigan is a small part of a much larger
28:21nationwide effort to study waterfowl.
28:23Biologists study the movement, survival and behavior of these banded birds.
28:28This data also helps federal and state agencies set bag limits.
28:32That banding effort also allows us to expand hunting opportunities.
28:36If we can show that populations are doing really, really well, production is high,
28:40we're banding a lot of juvenile birds, we have a lot of birds.
28:43That's what's allowed us to have really liberal goose seasons in Michigan.
28:47And that's, you know, for the flyaway, it's allowed us to expand from it wasn't that long ago,
28:51you could only shoot one wood duck a day in Mississippi flyaway.
28:53And now you can shoot three a day because these production states are showing that,
28:56you know, our wood duck production is really high.
28:58We're putting a lot more ducks on the landscape than we thought at one time.
29:01Banding is a pretty important role in like a broader partnership.
29:05And the partnership expands to, you know, hunters, returning bands,
29:10people that help us out, partners that, you know, participate in this sort of exercise here.
29:16But really the states each have quotas to put bands on ducks,
29:19and that way we can learn more about like migratory patterns
29:23and juveniles versus adults, so production and things.
29:27I've worked with some grouse before and done some radio collaring for telemetry work
29:31and stuff like that, but not banning waterfall.
29:34I've always been aware of it, aware of the program and everything like that,
29:38but never been a part of it actually being implemented, so it was pretty neat.
29:42Pretty dialed in program.
29:43It was very cool, very efficient.
29:44Yeah, it was a neat experience.
29:46Wildlife and law enforcement does a lot of work together,
29:49and yeah, this is definitely a good example of that.
29:51The opportunity to ban ducks in a suburban setting is somewhat unique
29:55and can help foster excitement, enthusiasm, and the spread of information regarding wildlife.
30:00Finding these partnerships where people are already feeding ducks,
30:03they already know where ducks are at, allows us to tap into a huge resource
30:07that wasn't previously being monitored, and that impacts, you know,
30:11our knowledge of how many ducks are on the landscape,
30:13and then whether these urban ducks are going out into rural areas,
30:17are they being harvested by hunters afterwards,
30:19are they then going to other states and, you know, going into different environments,
30:23or are they going right to another urban environment?
30:24It's a whole other question that's interesting to ask.
30:27Approximately six months before he conducted his spring ORV patrol,
30:46Michigan Conservation Officer Josh Russell was checking on late season deer hunters.
30:51Check your gun real quick and your licenses, and I'll let you get warmed up in the car.
30:54How does that sound?
30:55He's in the parking lot of a state game area,
30:57and checking the licenses and equipment of hunters as they return to their vehicles
31:01after their evening hunts.
31:02Is it all unloading all that good stuff?
31:04Perfect, that's what I like to see. Awesome.
31:09Yeah.
31:10Well, I wish I had seen you drag a deer out or something like that.
31:13I could, you know, finish helping you get into the truck,
31:15but I'll let you get back in the truck and get warmed up then, sir.
31:18Alrighty. Well, you guys have a good time.
31:20You as well. Good luck the rest of the season.
31:22Later in the evening, C.O. Russell meets up with Officer Mike Haas to conduct an interview.
31:27They're at the home of a man who has self-reported that he mistakenly shot a deer
31:32while hunting for coyotes and foxes.
31:34I got your call in the middle of the night last night,
31:36and then I had a bunch of other complaints to get to today,
31:38so you were the next one on my list.
31:40So I guess I'm just trying to figure out exactly everything that went down.
31:44While we were out cow hunting,
31:47so there was a fox back there,
31:49and said he always comes from the left.
31:52Come out in that hill right there,
31:54where that deer was, looked like a fox sticking through.
31:59I just shot and dropped the gun a little too early.
32:03Okay. Were you calling or anything?
32:05I had a call going.
32:07Okay. Was he hunting with you then?
32:09He was not directly sitting with me.
32:11He was on the other side.
32:13Okay. How many guys were hunting, I guess, with you?
32:15Five of us.
32:16And what did you shoot it with?
32:17Six-five grand now.
32:18Okay. Did you have that here?
32:19I do have that.
32:20Can I get some information off?
32:21I'm not saying I'm taking it or anything.
32:23I'm just going to get some information off.
32:24Unloaded and everything?
32:26Yep.
32:27How long have you had this?
32:28Ooh.
32:30Two years?
32:32Okay.
32:33So you've been hunting coyotes then and stuff for at least two years?
32:37I don't know.
32:38I don't know.
32:39For a couple of years.
32:40Okay.
32:41It's registered to you and all that good stuff?
32:42Like I said, there's nothing in the chamber right now?
32:44No, there's nothing.
32:45Okay.
32:46I'll get some information off of it.
32:47Like I said, then I'll come bring it back to you.
32:48I'll talk with my partner here.
32:49Like I said, I'm not taking it or anything.
32:50Because you call, you did the right thing by self-reporting.
32:54But I guess ultimately, it's kind of a, when most people are going to see a deer and a fox
33:00and you put them side by side, there's quite a...
33:03Yeah.
33:04So I want to make sure you're like, man, I got my deer tags to fill.
33:06There's a nice deer.
33:07And then you shot a deer and it wasn't like, it wasn't anything crazy like that?
33:10No.
33:11Okay.
33:12Michigan Conservation Officer Josh Russell has encountered an ORV that was operating
33:17on a trail that was closed.
33:19Upon making contact with the vehicle's occupant, C.O. Russell smelled alcohol and saw empty
33:24beer cans in the back of the vehicle.
33:26You're going to do a few tests to make sure you're not, you know, over the legal limit
33:29and you're able to drive this machine.
33:30Okay.
33:31You feel comfortable with that?
33:32Yeah.
33:33Okay.
33:34Let me step to the front of the machine here.
33:37Do me a favor and take your glasses off.
33:40Okay.
33:41All right.
33:42So the first test I'm going to do is going to be testing your eyes.
33:44All right.
33:45So do me a favor.
33:46Feet together, hands to your side, and watch the tip of my finger.
33:48All right.
33:49Just follow your eyes only.
33:50All right.
33:51Eyes only.
33:52You're going to take nine heel to toe steps, right?
33:53So it's going to be one, two, three, et cetera, until you get to nine, right?
34:09Then you take small steps to turn around, and you're going to walk back 10, 11, 12, and
34:16so forth until you hit 18.
34:18Okay?
34:19Mm-hmm.
34:20Does that make sense?
34:21Mm-hmm.
34:22Do you understand those instructions?
34:23Come back to 18.
34:24Yep.
34:25Exactly.
34:26So go ahead and get back in the start position.
34:27And when you're ready to begin, go ahead and begin.
34:30One.
34:31Two.
34:32Three.
34:33Four.
34:34Five.
34:35One thousand.
34:36Four.
34:37One thousand.
34:38Five.
34:39One thousand.
34:40Six.
34:41Yep.
34:42Keep going.
34:43Keep going.
34:44Seven.
34:45One thousand.
34:46Eight.
34:47One thousand.
34:48Nine.
34:49Ten.
34:50One thousand.
34:51Eleven.
34:52One thousand.
34:53Thirteen.
34:54Good.
34:55All right.
34:57Well, they're saying zeroes.
34:59I don't know how you've had two to four beers and you're not blowing anything, but that's
35:02good for you, right?
35:03That's over a matter of time.
35:06Yeah.
35:07You probably haven't drank while you've been driving then?
35:08No.
35:09Okay, so you've probably.
35:10No.
35:11I stopped it.
35:12Well, it's fine.
35:13Just verify and everything, all right, so that's good because I didn't want to have
35:16to haul you to jail tonight anyways, right?
35:18Oh, no.
35:19I appreciate that.
35:20several tests. Officer Russell determines that the driver of the ORV is not too
35:25impaired to drive, but he does issue her a citation. In this case, for operating an
35:31ORV in a prohibited area, this woman was found responsible and paid a court
35:36ordered fine of $240. This whole area here is off limits to ORVs. It's actually the
35:41Gladwin Field Trial Area. It's actually a state game area, so there's no ORVs
35:44allowed at all unless it's plated, which your vehicle is not plated, right? So we
35:49got that issue with this as well. So we're just going to go check out the
35:52campground and buzz back home, or what was the game plan of the day? Yeah. Well, I have
35:57friends that just bought property up here on Dutcher Road. Oh, okay. So I'm like, do you
36:02know what's back here? So I was just taking them for a ride to show them, and they
36:07turned around, went back, and I was just like, well, let's just see the rest of it.
36:11Yep. Yep. Unfortunately, from Chapel Dam, that gate there, this whole section's all
36:16awful when we stole ORVs. I'm going to help her pan. There you go. She took you for the
36:21ride, right? Exactly. It's only nice of you. Damn it all to hell. We had no idea we were
36:25in the sea shed. We should have cleaned the sea shed. I know. We've got to clean the sea
36:29shed.
36:29approximately six months before conducting this patrol for ORVs, Michigan Conservation
36:44Officer Josh Russell was working a deer case with Officer Mike Haas. They are investigating
36:49a case where a man self-reported that he shot a deer after dark while hunting for coyotes
36:54and foxes. The hunter says that he mistook the buck for a fox. You need to know what your
36:58target is period, right? Yep. And you're supposed to know what's in front of your target, behind
37:01your target, and not like you shoot, and then you walk up on it and realize you just shot
37:05the neighbor's dog or the kid was in a Halloween costume. After interviewing the man at his
37:10home, Officers Haas and Russell head to the hunting property to take a look at the deer and chat
37:15with the landowner who was also hunting in the woods when the deer was shot. So you knew
37:20it was a deer right away when you saw it? I did, yeah. I was over there. And then when
37:24he, when I heard the gunshot, that was the only heat in the field I see in the thermal,
37:28obviously. So I'm like, well, I have another cornfield blocking me. So if the deer, if there's
37:33something that popped out out here, I'm not going to see it in the thermal. Yeah. You
37:36know what I mean? So I'm like, well, maybe. Because you can, because you can't see that
37:38corner. Right. So then I turned the call down and I turned on pup distress, I think for a couple
37:42minutes. And then I turned the call off and I yelled over. I was like, well, what'd you get? And he
37:46goes, I shot a fox. So was he pretty animate right away about like, oh, shoot, what do we do? Do I need to call
37:50this or like what happened? It was an in shock moment for everybody. I'm like, you know what I
37:54mean? And I just, I told him, you know, and I told, I said, well, I said, you know, it's a pickle. I said,
38:00it's got to get, you know what I mean? You need to make a phone call because I said, I've got too
38:03much on the line. And, you know, and I said, it's not, it's not worth it over a deer. These things
38:07happen. You don't make mistakes. You got to own it. You pulled the trigger, you got to own it. You know,
38:11you, you know, and I don't have to preach to you. You got to identify your target at night, you know,
38:15before you pull the trigger. Nobody needs to tell you that. Sounds like the same stuff we told him today then.
38:18So, yeah, yeah. Vision and thermal. There's no reason. I can see if you're just using a light
38:22and some eyeballs, but, you know, you got a front to float. Yep. So this, I mean. Yeah,
38:29I see the deer butt, I think. Yeah, he's within one of these two rows. Yeah, I see him right there.
38:32I think. Yep. That's my thing with the fox and a deer. Their body composition is so
38:37different. Like, how do you, with the neck and everything, I mean, it's, there's nothing about
38:42this looks like a fox. Nothing. I mean. I think he just got excited, but it's, but again, when you,
38:48when you, when you're going to shoot something, you better, you need to know what you're shooting.
38:51I don't think he's going to come to your house and then shoot a deer in front of everybody.
38:54Especially not. I mean, no way. Right. But, but I don't think there was criminal intent,
38:59but that's a, that's a pretty bad mistake to make. You see that neck and the head,
39:04it's very distinct compared to a fox. So that's a big fox. No, and like I said, he's wrong. He just,
39:10I think he made an honest mistake, but it's just, again, he, I don't think he'd shoot a deer
39:16on someone else's property in front of, you know, and so, yeah, I think it was just,
39:20he just got excited. And I just, I don't, for the principle of the matter, I don't, I'm not,
39:24I don't feel very good about it because that's a bad mistake to make to shoot something, whether
39:27it's a deer, a skunk or whatever, you just, you need to know what you're shooting. That's like
39:30the one thing you should know from hunter safety class. Like if you sleep through the whole class,
39:33at least know what the heck you're going to shoot. In this case, after conducting follow-up
39:37interviews with other members of the hunting party who all supported the story of the hunter
39:41and also determining that all of these hunters had clean criminal histories,
39:46officers Haas and Russell decided not to pursue charges against this hunter.
39:50A significant factor in making this determination was that the hunter self-reported his mistake
39:55and did not try to hide it or cover it up. The DNR Law Enforcement Division encourages individuals
40:01to self-report issues that arise so that they can be addressed quickly and with the least amount
40:06of hassle. Although no citations were written or charges pursued, officers Haas and Russell
40:12did issue warnings and they also revisited with the hunter to reiterate the importance
40:17of always positively identifying his target prior to pulling the trigger.
40:22Even if all you see is the thermal or the blob, a deer looks nothing like a fox. So the long neck
40:28on a deer, the, oh well, like I said, it is what it is. He just made it, I think that's what it
40:32comes down to, he made a bad mistake. Like I said, that's why I'm hung up on. The principle of the matter is,
40:36it's, it's, I don't care if it was just a deer or, you know, a chipmunk or a squirrel, it's still a
40:41bullet. It's a live bullet and you send it downrange and you better know what you're shooting.
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