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00:00A Michigan conservation officer in District 8 checks on deer hunters on the opening day of
00:14the archery deer season. You don't have any licenses? All right. A D1 officer is on patrol
00:20during the first weekend of the firearm deer season and a look at a unique way to get some
00:25exercise while outdoors. My body is very happy after I do this. Michigan conservation officers
00:32in District 9 monitor people who are enjoying time on the water during summertime in the state.
00:37Where are you guys coming from? I'm out. So you live out here and you don't know the rules? Do me a
00:42favor, okay? Just make sure that you have some more slack because the engine's here, okay? Don't
00:45want to take your toes off. Wild animals and wild places. They're more than a picture. They're
00:53inspiration, excitement, and adventure. Patrolling and protecting these natural resources is a
01:00first-class band of peace officers. These are the wardens dedicated to the preservation of our great outdoors.
01:23Michigan's borders touch four of the five great lakes and the state boasts an abundance of inland water
01:36as well. Winters in the state can turn harsh quickly, so when the weather warms, many Michigan residents,
01:42as well as visitors, hurry to take advantage of a wide variety of water activities. In the state's District 9,
01:49it's the second Saturday in August and Conservation Officers Brad Solori and Martin Lawrence are working
01:58from a DNR vessel. They are slated to monitor a large boat party called Raft Off. While they are on their
02:05way to where the party takes place, CO Solori observes a jet ski that is about to cut him off when he has the
02:11right-of-way. Yeah, you were continuing to go in front of me. You got your boat or safety card on you? Okay,
02:17can you get it out?
02:25Rae! Conservation Officer Rae Gardner is on a jet ski and assists CO Solori in checking this woman's paperwork.
02:39When did you take border safety? Huh? When did you take border safety? Uh, a couple days ago.
02:44A couple days ago? Okay. So they went over the, they went over the rules of the road on when you're
02:49operating a boat, when you have to give way. Okay. So just- I call it, it's just like my cup of time.
02:55I gotcha. Just out here, there's boats coming from every which way, so just make sure you're paying
02:59attention because I don't want you to end up getting hit and hurt, okay? So, are you heading over to
03:05Muskemood or where you going? Oh, my people are right there. Okay. All right, have a good day.
03:10Thank you, you too. Yep, thanks. While they're still on their way to the large gathering of boats,
03:15CO Solori notices a boat that's going too fast. That's a huge boat. Sit down.
03:31Come down. Come down. Come down. Down.
04:00Come down. Down, down, down, down.
04:11Just go ahead and put it in neutral. Are you guys aware of the wake violations on the river?
04:17I'm sorry, sir.
04:25You're going to have to shut your motors up. I can't hear you.
04:27He said he thought you had to be 250 feet offshore.
04:33Okay. Do you know how far you were?
04:38No.
04:39You can't even operate in this stretch on plane, let alone make any wick with the size of your vessel.
04:45So, where are you guys coming from? Our house. So, you live out here and you don't know the rules?
04:50Well, obviously, we're mistaken. Okay. So, if you're over 26 foot in length, you have to be 600 feet away from any dock or shoreline.
04:59We just bought a house on the water last summer.
05:03Okay. I gotcha.
05:05So, you got your ID and registration for the vessel?
05:07Yes, sir. Okay.
05:09Yeah, you shouldn't listen to other people. You should look up the lawn.
05:20Well, obviously, I've got to cover the horse's mouth now, so I'm certainly good.
05:22Yeah, right.
05:25Big problem in this area is, you know, people are taking a lot of damage because of the higher waters.
05:30So, and then if you can just hold up a couple life jackets, a throwable, and a fire extinguisher for me.
05:38All right. We're going to go ahead and pull off right here.
05:40You guys are going to receive a citation for a wake violation, civil infraction.
05:43We'll explain it to you when we get back, okay?
05:45Just go ahead and maintain your course in the middle of the river here.
05:47You can just stay idle if you'd like, or you can just drift. It's not a problem.
05:52So, we'll be right back with you guys, okay?
05:55In this case for going too fast in a slow, no-wake zone,
05:59this boater was found responsible and paid a court-ordered fine of $140.
06:04Just call the number within three to ten days and they'll tell you what the fine is, okay?
06:08Okay, thank you.
06:09So, in the river here, it's local watercraft control.
06:15Any vessel over to 26 feet in length has to be 600 feet away from shore.
06:21So, this stretch in the river right here,
06:23it's not wide enough for any vessel over 26 feet to operate at all above slow and awake speed.
06:31So, with a boat like that, he's almost 49-foot, almost a 50-foot boat.
06:40So, he had to come down. He was on full plane going.
06:44People tend to stay away from this side and then they forget about the houses over here.
06:52In recent years, another event in southeast Michigan has been taking place eight days after
06:57raft-off and approximately 40 miles to the north.
07:02The Port Huron Float Down first started more than 40 years ago.
07:07Sergeant Seth Rohde and Conservation Officer Cody Bourgeois are working this event.
07:12Today's the 45th Float Down. It's an unsanctioned marine event that happens every year
07:17where individuals, they launch at the county park up here in Fort Gratiot,
07:22float down the St. Clair River, down to Marysville where they exit the river.
07:28Our mission here today is make sure everyone's safe, assisting anyone that needs help.
07:35Everyone's going to be on cheap rafts and blow up inner tubes, so they might be springing leaks and
07:42provide medical assistance if needed. So that's kind of what we're going to be focusing on today,
07:48is just making sure everyone's able to participate safely.
07:51The St. Clair River is part of the border between the United States and Canada.
07:55Although most of the people participating in float down access the water from the U.S. side,
08:00the officers do observe some activity on the Canadian side as well.
08:04Regardless of entry point, some of the apparatus used to navigate the river does not offer a bit of amusement.
08:09What do they got, a bull on that raft?
08:12Yep. Bull riding.
08:14Nice. Perfect. He's going to ride the bull down, that's awesome.
08:19This guy's got flippers on.
08:25Oh, there's a good one coming. Is that like a seahorse?
08:29Yeah, those are the ones from Canada.
08:32Our big duck. Big duck coming down.
08:35Oh, it's a car.
08:38The white one is?
08:39Yeah.
08:39Nice.
08:42So we build a 4x8 platform and put 20 people on it.
08:50A lot of people got life jackets today, so that's good.
08:56The river is open for all the participants for floating down. All boat traffic has been stopped
09:01for the event and part of our job will be making sure no boats are entering the exclusion zone during
09:09the event, which is slated to run for about eight hours from noon to 8 p.m. tonight.
09:15In the middle of their patrol, the officers catch some radio traffic to be on the lookout
09:19for a certain person on the water.
09:21The white male, we're going to have a white blue raft. It should be just self-micropark for our crawler now.
09:31Guys, we have these, uh, just coming in front of the hollyhock right now.
09:35We got a photo in front of them.
09:39We got them in front of the hollyhock.
09:50Approximately two hours southwest of where Float Down takes place is the Pinckney State Recreation Area.
09:56With more than 11,000 acres, visitors can enjoy a wide variety of activities.
10:02One unique offering is classes where participants perform yoga exercises.
10:06Begin to observe how long you are breathing in for and how long you are breathing out for.
10:11On stand-up paddle boards.
10:13I came here to the Pinckney Rec and I spoke with Chuck, the manager, and I said,
10:20can I juice up yoga? And he said, absolutely.
10:22At our state parks for the past decade or so, we've offered, um, different, um, exercise
10:28opportunities for what traditionally would have been an indoor, um, type of activity like yoga or
10:33Pilates or Zumba, we're now offering at an outdoor venue. So several of our parks offer those.
10:39We have beach yogas. We have, um, stand-up paddle board yoga.
10:42And so it's a great opportunity for other businesses to come. We just have them fill
10:47out our typical use permit and it gives our, um, our visitors just another opportunity to enjoy the
10:52outdoors, um, in a different way. Begin to notice the water beneath you. Allow it to carry the concerns,
11:00the to-do list, the worries away. Allow yourself to feel connected. You can't get this inside.
11:08It's totally different when you are on the board. I also teach paddle fit, which is an exercise class,
11:13and it's the same thing. You're out in nature, you're getting the fresh air, you're hearing the
11:17sounds, the birds, the frogs, you're feeling the water underneath. So even when you're floating,
11:22you can feel connected. I discovered Ruth's classes, um, when I was taking yoga from her when she
11:29taught at the Wellness Center. And I really like her style. And then I found out she was doing paddle board
11:34yoga, which I've never tried, but kind of combines two of my favorite things, being on the water and
11:40yoga. Tried it the first time, loved it. Went out and bought a paddle board. Um, not very good at the
11:45paddle board part yet, but I love yoga and like to try something new. And it's a whole different
11:51experience practicing yoga outside. I've actually been doing it for years and my dad found
11:57Rue. She was doing a class close by, uh, during the pandemic. And that was when I really wanted to
12:04do more outdoor workout classes. And so I, uh, I just found her at that time. I haven't fallen in yet
12:11this year, but I have fallen in before, but you know, on a beautiful day, um, even if it's a little
12:17chilly, that that's okay. That's kind of a fun thing too. Get out in nature. Maybe you're just gonna float and
12:24do some arm exercises. I'm okay with that. I don't judge. I meet you where you're at.
12:30Participants in these classes enjoy the benefits of both being physically active as well as spending
12:35time in the outdoors and enjoying nature at a Michigan DNR facility. It is so relaxing doing
12:41yoga on the water and it's kind of the same as doing it in the studio. I mean, and normally I do like
12:46three or four classes a week in the studio, but somehow on the water, it's a completely different
12:51experience. I just feel so much better afterwards, both physically and mentally. I have a stressful job.
12:57And so just doing something that's for myself, uh, where I'm stretching, I'm relaxing, being outdoors,
13:04just everything. Like my body is very happy after I do this. We actually belong in nature. We're part of
13:10nature. We forget that. So hopefully I can remind them of that, give them a little sense of peace by
13:17bringing them back out here and feeling comfortable. Some people are no longer comfortable in nature.
13:24Michigan Conservation Officer Sergeant Seth Rohde and Officer Cody Bourgeois
13:29are on patrol during a water event known as Float Down. They've heard on their radios that someone
13:35may need help. As it turns out, the radio chatter is regarding someone with whom they just spoke.
13:43You all set? Yep, all set. Okay.
13:49The guy that we talked to?
13:52Uh, this is DNR 9103. We just checked on that guy a minute or two ago. He's floating alongside his
13:59raft. He said he's all set. No problems.
14:08Sergeant, copy, sir.
14:11During their time patrolling Float Down on this day, Sergeant Rohde and CO Bourgeois do not observe
14:16or encounter any situations that require warnings or citations.
14:20It was mild this year from what I've heard. There wasn't many calls for assistance from
14:26the folks on the rafts and stuff. A couple, uh, quick medical calls are handled by other agencies,
14:33but it was kind of cloudy, a little cold this year, and the guys that have worked it before said that
14:41they figured activity or participation was probably about half of what it normally is, but no major events.
14:47Um, nobody got injured or anything, so it was a good year. Uh, everyone's getting down safe to the launch,
14:53so that's what we want.
15:08Safe for the day.
15:09Approximately five hours after the first flotation devices entered the water,
15:18they do assist a man on an inner tube.
15:19Did you have a good day today?
15:21Oh, it's great out here.
15:22You come by yourself?
15:23Yeah, no, family.
15:25Where are they at?
15:25They're right up the river. My, my cousin, you know, he was about five feet away from me,
15:31but he didn't have, I told him he had to paddle, but he ended up, you know, way up there.
15:39All right, do me a favor, okay? Just make sure that you have some more slack,
15:41because the engine's here, okay?
15:43Yeah, yeah, yeah, I see that.
15:43Don't want to take your,
15:44No, I don't want to be that kind of slow.
15:45Don't want to take your toes off.
15:46Don't want to be, you know, that might be more, you know,
15:52Maybe we should go a little faster.
15:54Faster?
15:55You know, like, let's go do a little inner tube.
15:57You know what I'm saying?
15:59Like, oh, up and down here.
16:01Let's go to Canada, boys.
16:06My cousin, man, it's like, just up here.
16:09Oh, that's where you dropped in at?
16:10Yeah.
16:10Okay.
16:10It's up and down, you know.
16:13I mean, too, can you take me all the way back up there?
16:16Nah, I think we're going to drop you off here.
16:19You can paddle from here.
16:23Yeah, it's getting pretty shallow, so I'm going to take this back
16:25back to you.
16:26All right.
16:27Thanks, guys.
16:27Half the distance for you.
16:29I appreciate it.
16:30Conservation officers who are working from personal watercraft
16:33also assist tubers in getting to shore when they're closer to the middle of the river
16:37than they planned.
16:38They get down by the launch and they don't bring a paddle with them.
16:42Sometimes it's hard for them to get over to shore, so we'll assist them over to the launch
16:47so they don't get swept down the river.
16:50In addition to Sergeant Rohde and Officer Bourgeois,
16:53another officer working this event is C.O. Brad Solori.
16:56He was patrolling from a different vessel on Raft Off,
16:59which typically occurs eight days earlier and around 40 miles south of float down.
17:04After encountering some boaters on their way to the main event,
17:07Officers Solori and C.O. Martin Lawrence arrive at the spot
17:10where hundreds of boaters gather most years.
17:17Officers Solori and Lawrence hear a call over the radio they'd like to investigate.
17:21West of the yellow balloon, the back cove of the...
17:27Well, we'll follow these coasties.
17:28We just called out for about 30 individuals fist fighting,
17:35so we're going to head over there and take a look to see what we can find.
17:38Is there a fight?
17:40There ain't no reason to lie.
17:41There was a fight.
17:42Somebody was hitting my ant.
17:44Okay.
17:45Where are they at?
17:45I have no idea where they went.
17:47We took off because we didn't want to fight.
17:49They left.
17:49We told them to leave.
17:51Someone was hitting your ant?
17:52Someone was hitting my ant, yes, sir.
17:54All right.
17:55Well, his ant, but that's like my brother, so...
17:57Okay.
17:58We all kind of just left because we didn't want to be any part of it.
18:01Were you guys involved at all, no?
18:03Involved at all.
18:03No.
18:04No, I was.
18:05I was.
18:05I was.
18:06Okay.
18:06We're like, .
18:07All right.
18:08Okay.
18:09We're just going to sit tight so we can figure out what's going on.
18:11All right?
18:12Yeah.
18:13Did you hit anybody?
18:14Yes.
18:15Did you get hit?
18:16Yes.
18:17Okay.
18:18Where'd you get hit at?
18:19Yeah, we were right next to him.
18:20Like in the back.
18:21In the back?
18:21Okay.
18:24Michigan Conservation Officers Brad Solori and Martin Lawrence are looking into a report
18:35of a large group of people fighting during a summer boat party.
18:38Guys, I'm not involved in this.
18:40I had her on my shoulder.
18:42I was like, I'm not fighting nobody.
18:43What was the start of it?
18:44We weren't even there for her.
18:46We were walking through out of the car.
18:47You just saw someone was messing with your family?
18:49His uncle sent someone in his hand.
18:51And I was walking through and I was like, not even buying.
18:54All right.
18:55But I didn't touch no fun.
18:56I got you, man.
18:57Yeah.
18:57Yeah.
19:00So all I remember and the only thing I've seen was one dude leaking out of his face and I'm
19:04like, I don't want no parking.
19:06Here's what I'm going to have you do.
19:07Uh, you've been drinking?
19:09I had a couple drinks, yeah.
19:11Okay.
19:12Um, you're good to drive?
19:14Yeah, I'm 100% good.
19:15Just back out out here, right in between all these boats.
19:19Just get into a clearing, okay?
19:20What are we doing?
19:21You got to get out and you're going to drift in the boat, so we got to get you out of here.
19:25So go ahead and start your boat.
19:26We're going to push off.
19:27Look at me.
19:28Back right out here in the open of water, okay?
19:30Okay.
19:30Thank you guys so much for your help.
19:32After talking with some people who saw the fight and were involved in it, the officers
19:36learned that no one is pursuing legal action.
19:39All right, guys, so whoever was involved, you guys, uh, who was hit?
19:44You said he was hit?
19:46None of us on my boat.
19:47Okay, so nobody's pressing charge and you guys can go.
19:50Okay.
19:51Drive safe, all right?
19:52Earlier in the day, Officer Solori issued another boat or a citation for a slow no-wake violation.
19:58Where are you guys coming from?
19:59Our house.
20:00Our house.
20:01So you live out here and you don't know the rules?
20:03As he's steering his DNR boat toward shore, C.O. Solori encounters the same vessel again.
20:10Again?
20:13So who has the right-of-way in that situation?
20:17I do.
20:19Because you're bigger doesn't mean you have the right-of-way, right?
20:22So you should have yielded to me.
20:25I shouldn't have to slow my course, right?
20:30You're right, you do.
20:31So maybe you should get on that, right?
20:35Or maybe look up the laws.
20:37It's not who has the bigger boat gets the rule on this lake.
20:40Okay.
20:41All right, get home safe, all right?
20:44Michigan's deer seasons draw the most hunters to the woods.
20:48The state offers a wide variety of white-tailed deer hunting options from mid-September,
20:53when some special seasons take place for youth and disabled hunters,
20:57through New Year's Day, when deer hunting season in Michigan typically concludes.
21:01Along with a variety of weapon options for hunting deer, and the variety of weather that can occur during these seasons,
21:08Michigan's conservation officers can also encounter a lot of people who are enjoying the outdoors.
21:14In the state's District 1, CO Jenny Hansen is on the lookout for deer hunters during the first weekend of the state's firearm deer season.
21:26Today we are patrolling in the Porcupine Mountains, which is a state park in Michigan, on the far west end of the UP.
21:34So we're just going to look for some hunters today, maybe see some successful hunters, and spend a beautiful fall day in the park.
21:46Officer Hansen notices a deer hanging from a tree and stops to check it out.
21:50How's it going?
21:51Good.
21:51Good.
21:52Good.
21:52This is your deer?
21:53Good.
21:53My nephew's.
21:54Okay.
21:54I was going to say congratulations.
21:57Is it yours?
21:58No.
21:59Oh.
22:00Is nephew here?
22:02No.
22:02No, he's out hunting.
22:03He's out hunting?
22:04Okay.
22:04Why aren't you guys hunting?
22:06I'm cooking.
22:07Yeah?
22:07It's time for lunch.
22:08What are you making?
22:08Uh, Elmont, I call it.
22:11Hamburger and mashed potatoes and corn.
22:14Nice.
22:14Got two extra plates for us.
22:15A good rib stick, right?
22:16Yeah.
22:17Yeah.
22:17Awesome.
22:18Beautiful deer.
22:19So where's your deer?
22:20Down in the woods.
22:22Still running around.
22:22Right.
22:23They're still running around.
22:23Same thing for next year.
22:24All right.
22:25Yeah.
22:25Awesome.
22:28When did you get it?
22:28Opening day.
22:30Okay.
22:31Here in the park?
22:32Yep.
22:32Yep.
22:33Okay.
22:34Cool.
22:34Will you guys have licenses?
22:35Mind if I just check them while I'm here?
22:37I do.
22:41So you guys going to get out and hunt today?
22:42Try and squeeze one more hunt in?
22:44I did this morning.
22:45No?
22:45Like I said, I'll suck now, so.
22:47Oh, okay.
22:49And you're heading home tomorrow?
22:51In the morning, yeah.
22:51And where's home for you guys?
22:53Cowlice.
22:54Okay.
22:54Down there, West Range.
22:55Okay, sure.
22:56He's from Fort Deer.
22:57Okay.
22:58They got a hike.
22:59Yeah.
23:02Do you guys hunt at home then?
23:03You got land down there?
23:04I got land down there.
23:06Oh, okay.
23:06I have 40 acres of Delaware.
23:08Okay.
23:09Yeah.
23:09Pulls a little down.
23:10Okay.
23:11Awesome.
23:11There you are.
23:13Cool, guys.
23:13Well, safe travels back tomorrow.
23:16Yeah.
23:17Michigan's archery deer season starts approximately six weeks before the firearm opener.
23:22More than 500 miles by automobile to the south, from where C.O. Hansen is patrolling.
23:28Officer Chris Reynolds is working on the opening day of the archery season in the state's District 8.
23:33It's October 1st, opener archery season.
23:39Um, just getting fired up this morning.
23:42Gonna go out and check some areas where I had some suspected poaching activity in the past.
23:48Uh, just, uh, listen for some gunshots.
23:50Possibly catch somebody, uh, shooting, uh, shooting a deer with a firearm this morning.
23:55Um, this time of year, it's kind of tough to, to pick out hunters, obviously,
24:00because hunter's orange is not required.
24:03So we'll just kind of drive around, check some areas, and, uh, see what happens.
24:07C.O. Reynolds sees some parked vehicles that he believes probably belong to hunters.
24:12When possible, he's not going to rush to their exact hunting location to disturb their time in
24:17the woods without a good reason to do so.
24:19It's basically just grabbing this plate real quick.
24:21Uh, I'm gonna run the vehicle, find out the registered owner.
24:25Then I'm gonna cross-reference that to our sales system and make sure this guy's got a license.
24:30It should be a 2017 pickup truck.
24:37Clear, thank you.
24:40So just, I've got the return on this truck, uh, just running the individual, um, in our sales system.
24:47And he bought his combo license the other day, so he's, he's good to go.
24:51So we'll just keep on moving.
24:54Indiana plate.
24:55I can't get higher.
24:56I can't get over the beans enough to get the plate.
25:00Uh, grabbing a plate, or trying to find the plate on that vehicle.
25:11Um, it's a little cool this morning.
25:13So the heat off my face and my breath kept fogging in my binoculars.
25:16I couldn't, couldn't quite make out the plate.
25:18It's open in the morning.
25:19Um, I have really no reason to go in there and walk in and maybe bust that guy's hunt up.
25:26So I'll just keep, keep an eye on this guy later in the year and, uh, make sure he's all squared away.
25:31Officer Reynolds stops to check the license plate of a parked vehicle in an effort to
25:35find a hunting license in the state's database that corresponds to the registered owner of the vehicle.
25:40It looks, it looks like a guy's car.
25:53It's, it comes back to a female that hasn't had any purchases in a couple of years, but there's,
25:59there's men's clothing in there.
26:00It looks like the guy's jeans, whatever, uh, changed out this morning.
26:05So it could be a relative or somebody that borrowed the car that, that could possibly have a license.
26:11I'll run some more, more people through our system, see what I can come up with.
26:24Michigan's Department of Natural Resources strives to improve habitat for wildlife in the state whenever
26:30possible.
26:31Oftentimes the best way to do that is to work closely with other statewide and national
26:35organizations.
26:36One organization the DNR frequently teams up with is the Michigan United Conservation Clubs or MUCC.
26:44MUCC, Michigan United Conservation Clubs is a grassroots nonprofit organization.
26:50We're based out of Lansing and we were founded in 1937 with the mission to unite citizens to conserve,
26:57protect and enhance Michigan's natural resources and outdoor heritage.
27:01We are a statewide conservation nonprofit.
27:02We represent about 40,000 members across the state, including 200 rod and gun clubs, sportsmen's
27:07organizations and individual members.
27:09It's my first time working with MUCC.
27:12I'm really impressed with, uh, their ability to, uh, to recruit volunteers and, and get the public out
27:19here on the public land to, to help us.
27:21On the ground, or OTG, is an important program through which MUCC achieves positive results by
27:28planning and executing projects to help outdoor recreational areas and the wildlife and people
27:34who utilize them.
27:35The OTG program has been in place for a decade and its organizers wanted to make their 200th project
27:42something unique.
27:43Sometimes, um, these, these tracks like this, this oak pine barren system, um, have gone so long
27:51without disturbance through timber harvest or periodic fire, uh, that they sometimes need a little bit of
27:57help, um, putting back some of that diversity. So they're coming back in and planting native wildflowers
28:01to help assist with that.
28:02You're probably familiar with forest, uh, a habitat with lots of trees. You're probably familiar with
28:09prairie, a habitat with few or no trees. And in the middle is something called a savannah,
28:14a semi-forested habitat. And there are a whole bunch of different kinds of savannahs. There's pine
28:21barrens, oak savannahs, oak pine barrens. This site here is an oak pine barrens.
28:25Historically, you know, fires used to go through these and kind of maintain, uh, barrens and savannah
28:32type habitat, prairies, um, because we do such a good time, good, good job of suppressing wildland
28:38fires. You know, we don't get that component. So you have to either manipulate them through
28:43forest management, through, um, opening creations, mastication, uh, or prescribed fires.
28:49The 200th on the ground project is taking place in the Huron Manistee National Forest.
28:55For me, this project is going to be pretty memorable, I think, because it is the 200th project and we're
29:01actually on, um, the national forest. So usually a lot of our work is done on state land. Um, so it's kind of
29:08cool to dip our toes into the national forest land. So we've got a wide variety of native wildflowers.
29:15Um, there are a few different species of goldenrod. There's wild blue lupine,
29:20Sanchoreopsis. There are some asters, several different species of milkweed. We really tried
29:26to select plants that would flower throughout the year, so some that bloom in the spring,
29:30some that bloom in the summer, some that bloom in the late fall. The benefits of planting these
29:35wildflowers are far-reaching and impact a wide diversity of wildlife species.
29:40From the National Wild Turkey Federation, um, you know, this makes really, really good brood habitat
29:45for young poults. Um, about 90 percent of a hen's diet going into the breeding season is comprised of
29:50insects. Um, and it's critically important for young poults, especially within the first two weeks.
29:55They're, they're trying to rapidly grow and develop and, and promote that feather growth. So, uh,
30:00having a variety of wildflowers that are going to attract insects is critically important for turkeys,
30:05but it's also beneficial for a ton of other wildlife species as well.
30:08Most people involved in this project don't think it would be nearly as successful without
30:13outstanding cooperation among the many different organizations that are partnering together.
30:18Partnerships are what make the magic happen. So working with other organizations today,
30:23we're out here with Turkey Federation, Forest Service, and DNR Wildlife Division. Without kind of
30:27collaboration, the funding isn't there and the manpower isn't there. So working together helps
30:33get the projects done. If you think about, like, how long it would take to plant 2500 plugs with one or
30:38two people, um, you know, from an agency and you think, you know, you get volunteers and you can do
30:44a whole bunch of work in a short period of time. So it's, I think it's super important that, uh, we have
30:50programs like even UCC and, um, you know, volunteers get out and want to do some, you know, on the ground management.
30:58For MUCC and their partners, a key component to being productive when there is a lot of labor to do
31:03is having volunteers that are willing to work alongside professional biologists. Everyone
31:09involved is glad to help improve this part of the national forest. I like spending time on things
31:14I care about and I care about wildlife habitat, I care about hunting, I care about native species,
31:20so this is kind of all of that wrapped into one. It's a good way to spend a Saturday. I think it's a real
31:25good chance to, for the public, talk to the professionals and some of the leadership and,
31:32uh, have a one-on-one, um, interaction with them, not just what you might have read somewhere.
31:41It's easy to sit back in an armchair and, uh, be a Sunday afternoon coach or a quarterback,
31:47but getting out here and actually making a difference, that gives you some worth,
31:50that gives you some being, makes you feel like you're doing what you're supposed to be doing.
31:53Um, it's, once you get out here, you're happy you are. Sometimes setting time aside to do it,
31:58it's hard to do, but once you get out here, you really feel good about it at the end of the day.
32:01It's, it's important and it's fun to do.
32:03I've got my boys with me here, Braden and Easton. They're my executive assistants here helping us out
32:09today. They were really excited about the opportunity to come because they could wear their gloves,
32:13they got to play with shovels and plant some flowers. And then, uh, when Mr. Sean with MUCC told
32:18them about pizza, I think it was pretty much a slam dunk for them. So they're, they're excited, having fun.
32:33Michigan Conservation Officer Jenny Hanson is working on the first weekend of the state's firearm deer season.
32:39Although she hasn't yet observed or encountered any people or situations that require enforcement
32:44action, she continues to patrol her area to check on hunters that she sees and be prepared for whatever
32:50situation may arise. All right. Well, thank you. You're welcome. And I'm assuming when you are out
32:57hunting, you do have orange with you? Oh yeah. Okay. I see your orange hat in there. Yeah, I've got an orange
33:02jacket. It's just like this in two verses. Okay. Okay, good.
33:09All right. Thank you. So I see you got one buck already. Yep. Okay. That's a second day. Nice. Um,
33:26where's that at? At John's camp. Okay. How's, um, how's the hunting been there? I mean,
33:32have other people been successful? Uh, that was the first year in coal. Okay. Very cool. Well,
33:37I'll let you get back to your walk.
33:46Officer Chris Reynolds is patrolling on the first day of Michigan's archery deer season.
33:51He's spotted a parked vehicle adjacent to some hunting grounds. Upon running the license plate,
33:56he cannot identify a licensed hunter who is likely related to the registered owner of the car.
34:01When someone emerges from the woods, C.O. Reynolds approaches him.
34:07How's it going today?
34:10State Conservation Officer.
34:15Have any luck out there this morning?
34:19Well, check your licenses real quick.
34:21And, uh, I just come back.
34:24All right. Where do you live?
34:27Donut Group.
34:28All right. What's your name?
34:30All right. Do you have licenses?
34:33I was just getting ready to go get them. I just went out.
34:35You don't have, you don't have any licenses?
34:37No, I didn't.
34:37All right. Do you have your driver's license on you?
34:40Yeah.
34:41Here. You got, you got the arrow sticking into your backpack. Is there a broad head on that?
34:44It's serious. Do you want me to grab it?
34:45I don't want you to back into your car and, uh, all right. I'm just going to pull it out real quick.
34:51All right. We'll set it on your tailgate. You got some blood on your hand, on your thumb.
34:59Did you shoot one?
35:00No.
35:01All right.
35:05My mom's actually right up there in that house, if you want to know.
35:08All right. Sounds good.
35:11How old are you?
35:1217.
35:1317. All right.
35:17So, have you ever bought any hunt licenses in the past?
35:21Yeah.
35:22All right. Sounds good. So, you got any other weapons on you?
35:25Anything else? All right. So, just, just leave this here real quick.
35:27I'm going to run you real quick and just, just hang tight, all right?
35:31He doesn't have any licenses. Um, he's 17. Um, I'll do some checking, run him real quick.
35:39Let's see if he's bought licenses in the past.
35:45He's got some blood on his hand. He claims he cut himself. I'm not sure. He may have shot a deer,
35:50but I'm not, I'm going to, I'll question him a little more here in a little bit.
35:52Do you have your ID on you? Because, uh, obviously he, at 17, he's still a minor.
35:57Yeah.
35:57I could petition him in court for charges on this. I'm not going to.
36:01Okay.
36:02But, I'm just going to document everything and cut him a break.
36:06I tell you what, if you were a year older, you'd be getting a ticket and it'd be a misdemeanor and
36:09be a big fine. So, did you shoot a deer or not? Be honest with me. You got blood on your hand.
36:14I think so or not.
36:15All right. I, I've done this job a long time and I'm a hunter as well.
36:20Hunters on open in the morning have blood on their hand. If, if, if you got a deer down back there,
36:24things might change because, um, what'd you shoot?
36:31Uh, I took a shot at a deer.
36:33All right.
36:39So, basically, uh, he lied to me when I came, when I came up to him to first check him.
36:43Uh, he obviously doesn't have any licenses. I did see blood on his hand. He said he cut himself.
36:48I knew it wasn't true. I went back and questioned him in front of his mother. His mother gave me
36:51permission to question him. He's only 17. He did shoot a deer this morning. He does not have any
36:56licenses. We're going to go back and, uh, see if we can't recover this deer with him real quick.
37:01The mother has, has given us full consent to go back on the property. We're going to get off
37:05the road here and go back and see if we got this deer.
37:07Michigan conservation officer, Chris Reynolds is working on the opening day of the state's
37:20archery deer season. He's encountered a hunter who does not have a hunting license and has admitted
37:25to shooting an arrow at a deer. All right. I'll just follow you. CO Reynolds follows this hunter
37:32into the woods so that they can try to locate the deer. So why didn't you buy a license, man?
37:39You think she's dead? I don't know. That's my first time
37:46Yeah, you got pretty good blood.
37:52So is that where you found it? That's where it was sitting? Did you stick it in the ground?
37:57I just took it straight up so I could see it. All right. Let's leave that spot for us. All right.
38:04So which way did you run? That way. Straight up. All right. That arrow looks, that looks pretty
38:12good to me. Upon first finding blood, officer Reynolds believes that this deer is probably dead.
38:18Yeah, you got good blood. Yeah, you got good blood. Have you ever tracked a deer before? Yeah,
38:23I hope my dad checked you. All right. So I'll let you take the lead out there. I could see blood.
38:27There's blood up there. I'm not, I'm thinking she's dead. She's, we'll probably find her here in a
38:32little bit. So a lot of times what you'll see when a deer is mortally hit, they will start zigzagging.
38:37They don't, they're looking for a spot to hide. So I'm sure that's what she's doing right now.
38:53Right there. She hit that tree. She hit that tree up there. See it?
39:14There's blood all through here. Just keep following that blood.
39:19All right. So your mother, did she know you were out hunting this morning?
39:26Uh, I think so. Yeah. All right. So at this point, um, I'm going to give your mother citation for
39:32allowing you to hunt without a license. I've got to seize the deer because you did not legally take
39:37that deer. You don't have a tag for it. So that's, that's what we'll do. Okay. So that's, that's what's
39:43going to happen. If a deer wasn't involved, then, uh, I would have just given you a warning personally
39:49and then, then went on my way. All right. This hunter tells officer Reynolds that he has never
39:54field dressed a deer in this case for allowing her son, who is a minor to hunt without a license.
40:00This woman pled guilty and paid a court ordered fine of $230.
40:04Next year at this time, if this was next year, okay, you could get in a lot of trouble for what
40:11happened today. Okay. So I've got young kids. I got kids that are just a couple of years older than
40:17you. So don't do it again. All right. Think about it. Talk to your mom about it. Talk to your uncle
40:23about or grandpa. Yeah. Talk to your grandpa about it. All right. Do the right things because
40:29next year things get serious. Okay. All right. My mom can't do anything next year. Yep. Yep. So,
40:37all right. Well, it was nice to meet you. Nice to meet you too. Make sure you do the right things.
40:40And next year, I'm not going to help you got your deer. It's on you.
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