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00:00A Michigan conservation officer in District 7 checks on waterfowl hunters utilizing public
00:14land in the winter. I've got three in here right now so then obviously I can throw the fourth in
00:19here. And he also joins his D7 partner in the summer to patrol boaters and anglers. Your fishing
00:25license? What do you think? Also a look at efforts made by the DNR to introduce outdoor experiences
00:32to some of the state's fourth grade students through its Nature Awaits program. Two Michigan
00:37conservation officers in District 3 investigate a trespassing case during deer season. Sir would
00:43you happen to have seen this gentleman? Another D3CO catches up with someone he was on the lookout
00:49for years earlier. You're just burning natural materials that's one thing. And a chef who's
00:54passionate about foraging shares some of his knowledge with others. Just getting back to
00:58your land is really important. Wild animals and wild places. They're more than a picture.
01:07They're inspiration, excitement and adventure. Patrolling and protecting these natural resources
01:13is a first class band of peace officers. These are the wardens dedicated to the preservation
01:21of our great outdoors.
01:30One nickname for the state of Michigan is the Great Lakes State since it borders four of the
01:49five great lakes. Additionally, it also has thousands of inland lakes and tens of thousands of miles
01:56of inland rivers and streams. With so much water and winters that can be harsh, lots of people can
02:02frequently be found utilizing the water during pleasant summer days, particularly on weekends and holidays.
02:08In the state's District 7, conservation officers Carter Woodwyke and Sam Schlickbeer are patrolling
02:16some of the waterways in their area on the last Saturday in July.
02:20Hello. Are you able to put it in neutral?
02:26All right.
02:32Oh, gotcha. We're stopping you. We just don't see a registration, like a valid registration decal.
02:36We see your numbers.
02:37I know. It's on the right side.
02:38It's on the right side.
02:39Okay. You guys do it that way, too?
02:41All right. I guess since we've got you here, I see some people got life jackets on, but you got another one, two, three, four?
02:51Can you pull four of them up, then? Pull four of them up for me?
02:56Yep.
02:58Do you want to?
03:03Okay.
03:04Do you want to throw it in reverse for me, Captain? We'll just back up out of this guy's way.
03:08Are you guys headed out into Lake Michigan?
03:10Yeah, yeah. I had to stand by.
03:14Cool, cool. So that's three. Is that three, or do you have another at fourth one?
03:19Okay, cool. That works. You said the registration's on the other side?
03:32Okay. When's it expire?
03:36Oh, they're reading your registration numbers.
03:40Okay. Yep. Cool. That works. We'll call that good. I appreciate it.
03:48Take care.
03:50Yeah.
03:51Two, three, seven.
03:53Hello. State Conservation Officer.
03:57I was going to check a fishing license quick a minute, if you could hold it up for me.
04:00That's the battery.
04:03That'll work. I appreciate it.
04:06And your partner over here in the black, you got a fishing license?
04:09Yeah.
04:10Can you pull it out for me?
04:11Yeah.
04:12You catch anything today?
04:13Can you jump in the water or not?
04:15No, just hold it up.
04:16You catch anything at all today?
04:27Not today.
04:28Not today. You got a fishing license.
04:29Yeah.
04:30Yeah, that's your driver's license.
04:31Oh, you got my fishing license?
04:32Yeah.
04:33All right.
04:34Yeah.
04:35All right.
04:36All right.
04:37Here.
04:38I hope you can see it.
04:39That'll work.
04:40All right.
04:41I appreciate it.
04:42All right.
04:43You're welcome.
04:44How long have you guys been out here?
04:45A couple of hours.
04:46A couple of hours.
04:47Did you walk all the way from Oval Beach?
04:49Yeah.
04:50Yeah.
04:51You walked from the beach over there?
04:52Yeah.
04:53Wow.
04:54That's quite the trek.
04:55You have one?
04:56Yeah.
04:57So if we grab your name and run it, it'll come back with one?
04:58Sure.
04:59What's your last name?
05:03And what's your date, your birthday?
05:05I'm going to run them here a minute just to make sure they come back.
05:08Your fishing license?
05:10Yeah.
05:11What do you think?
05:12What?
05:13What do you think?
05:14I don't know.
05:15If you're fishing in Michigan, do you think you need a Michigan fishing license?
05:19We live in Indiana.
05:20We live in Indiana.
05:21Right.
05:22That's what I'm asking.
05:23If you're fishing in Michigan, do you think you need a Michigan fishing license?
05:25Yes.
05:26So do you have a Michigan fishing license?
05:28No.
05:29Just Indiana?
05:30Yeah.
05:31Okay.
05:32So if you have an Indiana fishing license, you can't fish in Michigan without a Michigan
05:34fishing license.
05:35No.
05:36So you want to hook those up, and unless you buy one, I would suggest not.
05:43Hang those up for the time being.
05:44If you have a phone, you can go online and buy one?
05:47Yeah, yeah.
05:48That's what I do.
05:49Yeah.
05:50Okay.
05:51So yeah, you can do that in Michigan.
05:52You can get a one day for 10 bucks, if that's what you want to do.
05:54Or you can do a week long for 70, or you can do a year long for 76.
05:59Okay.
06:00So before you actually start fishing, make sure you get one of those.
06:03Okay?
06:04Yeah.
06:05Like I said, you can go on your phone online and do it.
06:07Michigan.gov backslash DNR.
06:09You're young enough, you'll be able to sort through there and figure out where the licenses
06:12are and everything, but make sure you get that before you drop a line in the water.
06:15Okay.
06:16All right?
06:17Yeah.
06:18Cool.
06:20A little more than six months before he was monitoring boats and anglers with his partner,
06:23Michigan Conservation Officer Carter Woodwyke was checking waterfowl hunters who were utilizing
06:28the Elegant State game area in early January.
06:31Anything flying for you guys really?
06:33Ducks.
06:34Just ducks.
06:35There's a little bit of shooting going on somewhere over this way.
06:38Just going to check licenses and firearms here, quick a minute.
06:43There it is.
06:44Cool.
06:45That's good.
06:46Yep.
06:47And then I'm just going to have you put a signature across the stand.
06:50Okay.
06:51Just remember in the future you got to do that.
06:54I'm going to double check the rest of your shells.
07:01You got just a box of shells in your bag here.
07:04Yeah.
07:05Here.
07:06What do you normally shoot out of this gun?
07:12Threes or three and a half?
07:14Three and a half.
07:15Three and a half.
07:16So I can't find them on it.
07:18Right.
07:19So we ran into this issue down the way there too.
07:23When you have threes, you can get four of them in here.
07:26In that way?
07:27Yeah.
07:28I don't know if you saw that.
07:29I've got three in here right now.
07:30So then obviously I can throw the fourth in here.
07:32So technically it's considered an unplugged firearm.
07:35I see.
07:36I didn't even know I should that way.
07:38Normally.
07:39I mean, that's why I ask.
07:40Because I've run into this a lot lately for whatever reason.
07:43Because a lot of people normally will shoot the three and a half,
07:46and you can only get two up in there then.
07:48But once you drop down to the threes for whatever reason,
07:51they plug it, I think, just for three and a half.
07:54So then as soon as you start shooting threes,
07:56they all wind up going in there.
07:59I just wanted to make sure I couldn't get a fourth one in there.
08:02This man has a gun that's plugged for shells that are bigger than what he's using.
08:11As a result, more of the smaller shells that he's using
08:14will fit in the gun than what's permitted.
08:17The man and his friends cobble together a makeshift plug
08:21that puts him in compliance with federal regulations.
08:24As a result, C.O. Woodwike does not issue a citation in this case.
08:29Seen anything flying other than a couple ducks yet?
08:33I haven't seen nothing.
08:34Nothing?
08:35No.
08:36Shoot.
08:37I'm just going to check licenses and firearms here a minute.
08:40Okay.
08:41Hello.
08:42Hello.
08:43Looks good.
08:44Give you that back there.
08:45Would you mind if I grab your firearm and check that out?
09:02Cool.
09:04So here's your third shot.
09:06You got two in the magazine there.
09:09You can go ahead and load it up if you want.
09:11And then you can slide that third one back in there.
09:14But you just got the shells here.
09:16Yep.
09:17Mind if I pop one of these ones out and double check it?
09:19Go ahead.
09:20Awesome.
09:21Awesome.
09:22Very good.
09:25Is this your grandson or someone over here?
09:28Just a kid.
09:29I've been mentoring the last four years.
09:32All right.
09:33We'll go check him out and see how he is.
09:35Do you have the actual hard copy of the federal duck stamp?
09:40No.
09:41I don't know.
09:42You don't know?
09:46Do you have another shell there?
09:48Yeah.
09:49Do you know if the gun is plugged?
09:52I'm pretty sure I put one in it because I lost my one and I'm pretty sure I put one in it.
09:56I don't know if I put it in right there, but I'm pretty sure this one is.
09:59Okay.
10:00Because I was able to slide those three up in there, meaning I could obviously get a fourth in here.
10:04Yeah.
10:05So it shouldn't be able to do that.
10:06Okay.
10:07Do you know how to check to see if there's a plug in this one?
10:10I don't, no.
10:11Okay, I'm not going to try and pull it all apart because I don't want springs flying everywhere,
10:15but here, I'll give you that.
10:16And you said you don't have the copy of your state waterfall?
10:30Not the hard copy, no.
10:31So I'm double checking with our dispatch in Lansing so that they can pull stuff up on a
10:37computer so it comes through a little bit better.
10:41But when I scanned his driver's license, it doesn't look like he has a state waterfall hunting license.
10:45Just the, he's got the federal E stamp, which at this point it's expired.
10:52So like the hard copy should have been mailed to you.
10:55Okay.
10:56And I don't know if you have that at home or tucked away somewhere else in your wallet,
11:00but as soon as that one expires.
11:03I went to DNR and I paid for it.
11:05In Kalamazoo.
11:06They were going to, like, mail it to me.
11:08But I don't know.
11:09My mom handles all the mail so I don't know.
11:10Okay.
11:11But it comes through in a pretty official envelope.
11:14I mean, it wouldn't look like junk mail, so.
11:16Right.
11:17It shouldn't, it shouldn't get tossed.
11:19But we'll see, we'll see what they come back with on the radio here.
11:30Michigan's Department of Natural Resources wants all of its residents and visitors to enjoy the outdoors,
11:42especially the areas that are managed by the DNR.
11:45This includes all of the 103 state parks.
11:49One way to introduce young residents to some of the state parks is through the Nature Awaits program.
11:55Good morning, good morning.
11:56Hi.
11:57It's offered to fourth graders throughout the state and includes a 90-minute experimental educational program.
12:03Nature Awaits is a free program put on by the DNR with the goal of getting every fourth grader in the state of Michigan out on a free field trip to a state park.
12:13Our hope is to get kids outside.
12:16We live in a world now where we're very reliant on technology.
12:21There's a lot of kiddos that are playing lots of video games, which is super fun and great.
12:26Technology has been really supportive for our world.
12:29But we want to balance that with some outdoor education to really encourage our kiddos to go outside.
12:35Each group that we have is different.
12:37And while we teach the same curriculum on the trails, it might be maybe the same trails.
12:42It might be slightly different trails depending on the park.
12:46But I love just getting to teach kids about nature.
12:49There are several important points that park interpreters want students to take home with them after visiting a state park through the Nature Awaits program.
12:57We introduce them to the fact that the parks are here for them, that they belong to, the parks belong to the kiddos.
13:05Who do the parks belong to?
13:07Everyone.
13:08Everyone.
13:09So you were right.
13:10They belong to all of us.
13:11We first start with making observations.
13:13So they learn the basics of going outside and just using your senses.
13:18So we have sight, owl eyes.
13:21Show me your owl eyes.
13:22Hearing, deer ears.
13:24We have touch, bear claws.
13:27We have smell, rabbit nose.
13:30And taste.
13:32Lizard tongue.
13:33Lovely.
13:34Do you think we're going to taste anything in nature today?
13:38No.
13:39No, we're not going to taste anything in nature today.
13:41Our robin that migrates south, what do you think happens if all of a sudden it's warmer in February?
13:48What do you think?
13:50Warmer in February, they start coming back.
13:53They come back earlier, right?
13:55And then we also have a moment of just complete quiet.
14:00And that's what those sit spots were.
14:03So they pick a little spot for themselves.
14:06And they go through all of the observation tools that we went through previously.
14:13And they hopefully get a chance to hear the birds if there's not too much shuffling around.
14:19But they draw a picture around their person on the page.
14:24And it hopefully just helps them to practice that habit of going outside and making observations and connecting.
14:32Truly connecting with nature.
14:33That's our goal.
14:34And I love the part of our program where we do like a sit spot activity.
14:39So we just get to pause.
14:40We just got to take a moment either to sit or stand and just kind of observing either those finer details.
14:46But like a lot of kids got to listen to birds.
14:48So like it was a nice spot just to like sit and relax and be calm, but still notice all the surroundings.
14:55So a lot of kids really liked listening to the birds.
14:58So just kind of taking those moments just to enjoy nature and just have some peace and quiet.
15:03It's really sweet.
15:04If you are feeling stressed, you can go outside and you can find your sit spot.
15:09And you can practice like we just did now of observing nature and you can feel that relaxing feeling again.
15:15Or maybe just go on a nice walk in nature.
15:17Take a look at some leaves.
15:19Feel them in your hands.
15:20And I guarantee you will definitely feel more calm than you did when you started.
15:25I hope that kids live the rest of their lives outdoors having fun exploring the state parks.
15:31This is a great age in particular for kids to get out and explore and just to lay that foundation of being future nature lovers.
15:40And whether that is hiking or fishing or boating or even hunting, just like sparking that passion early.
15:49So they become lifelong explorers and lovers of nature.
15:53I agree.
15:54So this looks like Michigan.
15:56Does anyone know what kind of tree this is from?
15:59Search for the nest.
16:00Yes.
16:01Sassafras.
16:02Is that what you're going to say?
16:03Yes.
16:04So this is from a sassafras tree.
16:05I love this program.
16:06Just really happy to do it.
16:08I care about it.
16:09Our whole team is just really passionate about this job.
16:13This what we get to do.
16:14So it is half fungi, fungus and half algae.
16:20And it forms what's called lichen.
16:22Have we heard of lichen before?
16:23No.
16:24Yeah.
16:25Okay.
16:26Well, you're learning it today.
16:27I've seen it, but I haven't heard it.
16:28There's lots of lichen in the forest.
16:30Get set.
16:31Go.
16:32Don't feel like running.
16:33I don't either.
16:34Repeat after me.
16:35I will.
16:36I will.
16:37Spend more time outside.
16:38Spend more time outside.
16:39Enjoying the outdoors.
16:40Enjoying the outdoors.
16:41Enjoying Michigan's waters.
16:42Enjoying Michigan's waters.
16:43Woods.
16:44Woods.
16:45Woods.
16:46And wildlife of Michigan.
16:47And wildlife of Michigan.
16:48And wildlife of Michigan.
16:49That belong to me.
16:50That belong to me.
16:51My friends.
16:52My friends.
16:53And my family.
16:54And my family.
16:55I am proud to be a Junior Park Ranger.
16:58I am proud to be a Junior Park Ranger.
17:22Michigan Conservation Officer Carter Woodwyck has encountered a waterfowl hunter whose gun
17:30isn't plugged properly to hold a maximum of three shells.
17:34This hunter also doesn't have a state waterfowl license.
17:37Does it come in the mail with this?
17:39Yeah, that's a...
17:40So it comes in the mail with this?
17:42Go ahead.
17:43Yeah, so this is your actual federal stamp.
17:45Oh.
17:52Okay.
17:53Clear.
17:55Okay.
17:56Yeah, so there's...my dispatch is saying that you don't have the state waterfowl.
18:08So when you go in to purchase these things versus saying, hey, I'm going waterfowl hunting,
18:15get me what I need, if you either look in the book or I'm sure if you ask your partner over
18:21here, what all do I need?
18:23He'll be able to explain it to you.
18:24But you need the state waterfowl, the federal stamp, which you have, and then when you go
18:30through and do that, they have you take the migratory bird hunting survey.
18:34Okay.
18:35That's something that you have to have on your license too, but it's something you can't...
18:39You can't get the state license without taking that survey.
18:42Okay.
18:43So it's like a hand-in-hand type thing.
18:44The hip survey.
18:45Yeah, the hip survey.
18:46Yep.
18:47And then obviously your firearm has got to have some type of a plug in it.
18:55With being able to get those three in there and then obviously getting another one up in
19:00there, you got to plug it to be able to hunt with it.
19:05Right.
19:06And then the other thing, when this stamp comes to you in the mail, you got to sign it across
19:14the...
19:15Can't really hold it all up with the firearm.
19:17You got to put a signature across the face of it somewhere.
19:20You got to have your signature on here basically to claim it as yours.
19:23Oh, okay.
19:24So basically I'd be able to match your signature up with your ID and the signature on your ID
19:29and be like, okay, yep, that's us.
19:32I guess what I'm going to end up doing, I'm going to end up issuing a citation today.
19:46Mostly because, I mean, there's a handful of different issues.
19:50I'm not overly concerned about the signature being on here.
19:53I mean, I'm going to have you sign it here when we're all said and done, but not having
19:57the state license and then not having to plug in the gun here.
20:00All right.
20:01I'll just issue one citation versus three or four or whatever we got going on.
20:06In this case, for hunting waterfowl without a state waterfowl license, this man paid a
20:10court-ordered fine of $235.
20:13You could go on your phone right now.
20:16If you know how to do that, go on your phone and buy the state license.
20:19And then if you find a way to get this gun plugged, you can keep hunting.
20:24But that's going to be the caveat is you'd have to be able to get this gun plugged somehow.
20:28All right.
20:29And if you don't know how to pull this all apart, I mean...
20:33I know I took that off.
20:34I don't know how to get to where the plug would be or anything.
20:36Normally, you're...
20:37And like I said, I'm not going to do it because I don't want to lose springs.
20:40I mean, if you do it and springs go flying, obviously that's on you.
20:42But normally when you pull this off, there will be a spring in there and sometimes like another cap.
20:49Yeah.
20:50And I'm sure he's seen it before that you end up pulling out.
20:54And then you can shove like...
20:57I'm trying to see if there's any decent sized sticks around here.
21:00I don't know if you go to one of these trees back here or something.
21:04I mean, that's up to you.
21:06I mean, it's a nice gun.
21:07I don't know if you want to be shoving a stick in there or not.
21:09Or if you want to pack your stuff up and call it a day and figure it out some other time.
21:13Obviously, that's up to you guys.
21:15Michigan's firearm deer season lasts for two weeks and typically results in a flurry of activity for the state's conservation officers.
21:23Although deer can be hunted during other dates on the calendar, the last two weeks of November, when the firearm season takes place, is usually during the rut and brings the most hunters into the woods.
21:34COs look into a wide variety of issues and usually stay extremely busy.
21:39In Michigan's District 3, Conservation Officer Dan Listenfeltz is meeting up with his partner to investigate a potential trespassing case.
21:51So we got called out here to a wrecked trespass issue.
21:54Landowners here have a person dragging a deer off the property and they actually have them on camera doing it.
22:00And it sounds like the deer was shot on the private property.
22:03So we're just going to go back and check it out and see where it happened and get the pictures of the person dragging it out and just start our investigation from there.
22:11We are just going to take a look at the photos on the SD card.
22:15He got photos of this person hopping the fence over here.
22:22Hello.
22:27It looks like it's going to be yesterday morning.
22:34It's just a little thing, huh?
22:38I couldn't tell what it was.
22:39It looked like either a doe or a bug or something.
22:41Maybe a little spike.
22:42I think it's got a spike.
22:43What are the odds?
22:44The camera was right there.
22:45Well, he climbs over and looks right at it.
22:46Looks right at it, yeah.
22:47Usually people see the camera and think it's all right.
22:48So the caretaker here is going to take us to the fence line where the trespass occurred.
23:01When we get down there, we're going to check out a couple camps that are on state land just on the other side of the fence.
23:09Odds are it's probably one of those subjects that did the trespassing.
23:14So we're just going to work our way over there and see who we can run into and start our interviews there.
23:24Hello, conservation officer.
23:26Hello, anybody inside the tent?
23:30Hello, conservation officer.
23:32Hey.
23:33How are you?
23:34Good.
23:35Talk to you out here for a second?
23:37Yeah.
23:38Yeah.
23:39Okay.
23:40Are you hunting with the big group here?
23:43No.
23:44You're all by yourself?
23:45My brother-in-law.
23:46Okay.
23:47Who's your brother-in-law?
23:48He's over that way thick.
23:50We're camping over there.
23:51Okay.
23:52There's two campers back there.
23:53You guys have one straight back to the north here?
23:56Yeah, that way.
23:57Is he driving a minivan?
23:58Yeah.
23:59Okay.
24:00Where's he hunting at?
24:02I'm right up behind the camp, actually.
24:04There's nobody in there.
24:05Isn't that blind?
24:06Yeah.
24:07Was he in the camper?
24:09Nobody answered.
24:10Nobody answered.
24:11Okay.
24:12Okay.
24:13How old is he?
24:14Two years younger than me, so 52, 51, somewhere.
24:17Okay.
24:18All right.
24:19Is this him?
24:20No.
24:21No.
24:22No.
24:23We've seen that guy.
24:24Is he in a truck?
24:25Could be.
24:26Possibly.
24:27We've seen him earlier today, way down.
24:29You know, we're lying in the boat.
24:32There's a last cabin right there, and then there's a road that goes back that way.
24:37Okay.
24:38You're talking straight?
24:39It's back to the northwest.
24:40Way back, like, towards Finn Valley Road.
24:42But if you're coming back in this way, there's a smaller cabin, and there's a road that veers
24:49off into the woods.
24:50It's all clear cut back in there.
24:51Right.
24:52On the same land?
24:53Yeah.
24:54We drove through there today.
24:55So we're here now where that blue dot is?
24:57Yep.
24:58Where about this is that clear cut right here?
25:01Yeah.
25:02Right in there.
25:03We drove.
25:04Was it a silver truck?
25:05Yeah.
25:06Okay.
25:07There's the one in the field.
25:08Okay.
25:09All right.
25:10Positive that was him?
25:11No.
25:12Not that I see him.
25:13He was walking.
25:14He was actually getting into his truck.
25:15A silver truck?
25:16Like, newer-ish?
25:17Yes.
25:18Okay.
25:19Newer than mine.
25:20Okay.
25:21All right.
25:22Sounds good.
25:23Well, climb back into your...
25:24That's all right.
25:25We're getting ready.
25:26He's coughing up.
25:27All right.
25:28Well, sorry to interrupt your hunt here.
25:29We're just investigating something, so...
25:30No problem.
25:31All right.
25:32Well, thank you very much.
25:33Have a good night.
25:35Thank you very much.
25:40This happened...
25:41This happened yesterday then?
25:42Right?
25:43Okay.
25:44Yeah.
25:45Wow.
25:46Yeah.
25:47It would match that deer.
25:49Not far from where Michigan Conservation Officers Dan Listenfeltz and Sidney Collins were
25:56looking into a trespassing case in mid-November.
26:00Officer Dwayne Boudreau is on patrol in mid-April, also in the state's District 3.
26:17C.O. Boudreau is working with three of his partners during the spring turkey season.
26:23They're planning to set up a turkey decoy to see if they can put an end to some poaching
26:28that has taken place in the area during the recent turkey seasons.
26:32I think if we look at this spot, it's going to get the most amount of traffic.
26:36We know...
26:37I mean, it's cold.
26:38It's miserable.
26:39Guys aren't sitting tight right now.
26:40They're going to be out cruising around looking for birds, hopefully.
26:42And so I think if we can find a more highly-traveled area, you know, high-traffic zone, we're more
26:51likely to be able to find some guys that are intentionally out looking.
26:56What do you think?
26:57Yeah.
26:58I think that'll be good.
27:00This is what...
27:01When I first looked, this was the area that I had in mind.
27:04You good?
27:05That'll work.
27:06That's good.
27:07All right.
27:08I'm good with that.
27:09All right.
27:10Go ahead, draw me right in.
27:14Can you make them gobble?
27:17After spending a couple of hours watching the turkey decoy and not encountering
27:22anyone trying to take a shot at it, Officer Boudreau turns his attention to other springtime
27:27activities.
27:40Well done.
27:41Thanks.
27:42You act like you've done it once or twice.
27:59Uh, yeah.
28:00Beautiful fish.
28:01Hey, how are you doing?
28:02Good.
28:03Don't keep them, huh?
28:04You just catch a release.
28:05Yeah, pretty much.
28:06Still doing the same thing.
28:07Good man.
28:08Beautiful fish.
28:09Very good.
28:10Very good.
28:11Very good.
28:12Very good.
28:13Very good.
28:14You're good.
28:15And I'm good.
28:16Beautiful fish.
28:17Awesome.
28:18I'm good.
28:19I'll get my license off.
28:20I know, I'm good.
28:21Good.
28:22Don't keep them, huh?
28:23Catch a release.
28:24Yeah, pretty much.
28:25Still doing the same thing.
28:26Good man.
28:27Beautiful fish.
28:28Very good.
28:29Very good.
28:41Nice. Nice release.
28:43How you doing? Good. Good.
28:45Hanging in there? Yeah. Good deal.
28:47Can I take a look at your fishing license quick?
28:49You still live local? Yeah, I still live in Boyne.
28:59Yeah? Okay. I moved here about like eight years ago.
29:02Okay. Yeah. Good deal.
29:05This is unhealthy.
29:19I'm guessing nobody's home.
29:25I don't know what he's got burning in here.
29:38A little bit of everything.
29:44C.O. Boudreaux has discovered a campfire
29:46that is not being tended to and appears to be fueled,
29:49at least in part, by materials that are not legal to burn.
30:13Michigan's Department of Natural Resources
30:15encourages state residents and visitors to spend as much time outside as possible,
30:20particularly on state land.
30:22One often overlooked outdoor activity, however, is foraging.
30:25Morel mushrooms are probably the most sought-after foraged food,
30:29but many other things can be harvested from Michigan's forest.
30:32This is what we had to do originally for food in the first place
30:36before industrial agriculture came along and all that.
30:39So I think it's just getting back to your land is really important,
30:42not only for me, but then also to teach that as well to other people,
30:46I think needs to become a more common thing.
30:48Chef Danny Pasha is leading a foraging hike at the Discovery Center
30:52at the DNR's Waterloo Recreation Area in early September.
30:57Probably just go around to say each other's names and why you guys are either interested in foraging,
31:02what you guys do.
31:03Yeah, I guess I'll start with you.
31:05You can't buy this at the grocery store.
31:07And even if you could, it's probably highly processed,
31:10it's probably ten times the amount of money that you'd ever want to spend
31:12because it's free out here.
31:14Nature gives us something that we've just never really,
31:17a lot of people nowadays just haven't really experienced before,
31:20and I think that's kind of what has gotten me hooked personally.
31:23So I hope to teach you guys a little bit more about that today.
31:26If you've ever accidentally ran through a patch of stingy nettles, it hurts.
31:31But it is an extremely versatile edible plant
31:35and the really only thing that you need to do to render these stingers
31:39basically useless or just not harmful to you is just boil them.
31:44This is almost like nature's wild spinach aside from lamb's quarters.
31:49And typically when I'm picking stinging nettle in the late springtime, early summertime,
31:58I'm picking the meristem, and the meristem is just the top young growth of a plant,
32:03and that's going to be your most edible part of the plant.
32:08I mean, when you get down to these older leaves, when you do boil them,
32:14it will still be okay, but I sometimes find it's still a little bit fibrous.
32:18Right down here is mullein.
32:21So mullein is more of a medicinal herb, not really something that you would eat more so,
32:26but it is really good for respiratory health.
32:29So you can either dry it and turn it into a tea, mix it with nettle,
32:35make a nice nettle and mullein tea, add some good flavor to it.
32:38Yeah, you can smoke it as well, which I think is a little ironic.
32:45No, and that was the main indigenous use was for it, was for respiratory health for the most part.
32:53And it does get confused sometimes with lamb's ear.
32:56I'm not sure what the true botanical difference is between the both of them.
33:02I think they're in the same family, I do believe.
33:04But yeah, once it's, I want to say this is probably on its second year.
33:09This is a pretty big plant.
33:11But yeah, once it starts, like really getting some like big shoots, I've seen it grow 10 feet tall.
33:17For me as a chef, I think, and any chef really, like we're always just looking for like the next best thing.
33:23Like we're looking for something new, something creative to really just, you know,
33:27kind of turn on our customers or our diners pallets.
33:30And when you talk about wild food that, you know, when someone hasn't had an ingredient before,
33:36and like today we're going to be trying autumn olives, and that tart apricot taste really blows people away.
33:43Always be 100% sure of what you're collecting is what you think it is.
33:49This is basically nature's wild oregano.
33:52And you can try it right now.
33:54I love it.
33:55It's got a nice spice to it.
33:56And it is in the mint family.
33:58You would never think that nature would grow a square stem ever.
34:02It just seems unnatural, I guess, at least to me.
34:05But that is a really key identifier to knowing that you have wild bergamot on top of the smell.
34:12Yep.
34:13Okay.
34:14And yeah, I'm not joking.
34:15I've not grown oregano for three years because I just use this now.
34:19Anything that you would put oregano, I like to do a nice, you know, like a roast chicken.
34:23Put that in the braise.
34:25Oh, wow.
34:26Yeah.
34:27A little spicy.
34:28It's oregano.
34:29Look at that.
34:30Ideas popped up yesterday.
34:31Yeah.
34:32Seriously.
34:33Five years ago when I was walking down a forest trail, I probably couldn't name two things to you.
34:37Now I'm just like, I notice everything.
34:39You know, and it just makes you feel just so much more connected to this natural world that I think we all just need a little bit more of.
34:46And, you know, maybe just put down the phone for a few hours.
34:57Michigan Conservation Officers Dan Listenfeltz and Sidney Collins are working during Michigan's firearm deer season.
35:04They've obtained pictures of a man who crossed a fence and moved a deer across a fence from a property where he wasn't allowed to be.
35:11Are you out here with a big group of people?
35:13No.
35:14You just out here by yourself?
35:15Me and my daughter.
35:16You and your daughter?
35:17Yeah.
35:18Okay.
35:19All right.
35:20You've been hunting pretty much right here the whole time?
35:21Yeah.
35:22Okay.
35:23Were you hunting out here yesterday?
35:24Yeah.
35:25Where?
35:26Mm-hmm.
35:27Oh, along the fence.
35:28Along the fence?
35:29Yeah.
35:30Okay.
35:31All right.
35:32You got a deer in the truck?
35:33No.
35:34You don't have a deer in the truck?
35:35No.
35:36Okay.
35:37Have you taken any at all?
35:38I wish I did.
35:39Yeah?
35:40We're looking for somebody specific.
35:41That's why we're just curious if you had anybody else out here with you.
35:45I've seen the vehicles on the road.
35:48Okay.
35:49Have you seen anybody else out here?
35:51Yeah.
35:52I've seen a four-wheeler.
35:54There was a bunch of people on a four, what do you call it?
35:59Side by side?
36:00I guess.
36:01Was it down that way?
36:02Yeah.
36:03There was about three, four people and it was like a John Deere thing.
36:08Okay.
36:09Bob.
36:10Actually, did you see another truck back here at all today?
36:12A white truck.
36:13A white truck?
36:14Yes.
36:15Okay.
36:16Was it down this way or?
36:17Uh, they went that way.
36:20I don't know where, well, I don't know exactly where they're at.
36:24Have you seen this person by chance?
36:29No, I don't think so.
36:31No?
36:32No.
36:33Always obey the laws and stay on this side of the fence.
36:36That's good.
36:38Probably a good thing.
36:41You okay?
36:42Yep, you're good.
36:43So, all right, we're going to let you go then.
36:44So, you're all set, okay?
36:45You guys got any deer yet?
36:47My other buddy that was up here competing.
36:50He was here open.
36:51That Wednesday he got a spike and, no, his son got a spike and he got a dope.
36:55Okay.
36:56What days were they here?
36:57Monday, Monday to Wednesday.
37:00Monday to Wednesday.
37:01Monday to Wednesday?
37:02Yeah.
37:03He had to get back to work.
37:05Gotcha.
37:06Monday to Wednesday.
37:07Monday to Wednesday.
37:08I'm going to turn your brightness up.
37:09I'll bet.
37:10Yeah.
37:11Okay.
37:12Stupid technology, right?
37:13Right.
37:14No, I don't think I've seen him.
37:15Got two six-year-olds a little bit.
37:17Right?
37:18Put your boots on.
37:19Okay, well, we just wanted to make sure, actually, he was okay because we caught when he
37:22came by and there was nobody in that line.
37:23We were like, uh, we should probably just go make sure because we came, we didn't know
37:27there was another one back over here.
37:28Yeah.
37:29I'm just up on the hill right there.
37:30Gotcha.
37:31Okay.
37:32I like mine.
37:33You too.
37:34They were driving this fence line tonight.
37:35Okay.
37:36The club over there.
37:37Yeah.
37:38Okay.
37:39Yeah.
37:40Okay.
37:41Yeah.
37:42Okay.
37:43Yeah.
37:44Yeah.
37:45Okay.
37:46Yeah.
37:47Yeah.
37:48Yeah.
37:49Yeah.
37:50Yeah.
37:51Yeah.
37:52Okay.
37:53And I could hear him going up and down so I quit looking after a while because I hear
37:56stuff and I get up and look to see what's coming.
37:58I seen a Jeep come up here.
38:00Okay.
38:01Like a bluish Jeep, but it just turned around and then went back out.
38:05Okay.
38:06I didn't see who was in it though.
38:08Okay.
38:09Okay.
38:10All right.
38:11Well, I appreciate it.
38:12You guys have a good night.
38:13Enjoy your burgers.
38:14Take care, guys.
38:15In this case, officers Listenfels and Collins did not locate the alleged trespasser and no
38:20charges were issued.
38:22Michigan Conservation Officer Dwayne Boudreau is working the third weekend of April.
38:27After starting his day by deploying a turkey decoy and not observing anyone trying to shoot
38:32at it, he's discovered an abandoned campfire.
38:35He's set out to find the person responsible for the fire.
38:38Officer Boudreau has patrolled Emmett County in Michigan's northern lower peninsula for more
38:43than 20 years.
38:44Like all of the state's conservation officers, he frequently finds things in the woods that
38:49are illegal, but for which he must bide his time to find the person who's responsible.
38:54And early bear bait is one instance in which it can be a challenge to find the culprit quickly
38:59after discovering the violation.
39:01Oh, there we go.
39:03Couldn't pose for a better picture.
39:06And this guy's coming in at 520 in the morning.
39:09Officer Boudreau was disappointed he didn't get a chance to contact the people he captured
39:14on camera.
39:15But he believes he'll have another chance next bear season.
39:17Yeah, unfortunately we weren't able to catch up with our suspects that had established
39:22those numerous baits that we found early.
39:25But they're still on the list.
39:26Officer Boudreau was pretty sure he knew the name of one of the subjects, who was still
39:30on the list, but was unable to cite him.
39:33As it turns out, one of the men who C.O. Boudreau suspected of illegally baiting bears
39:38more than seven and a half years earlier, is connected to the illegal campfire that he
39:42is now investigating.
39:43How are you, sir?
39:44Not too bad.
39:50You got a camper out on state land down?
39:52Yep, I talked to Chad the other day.
39:53Did you?
39:54He talked to you about cleaning it up?
39:55I did.
39:56I went out there today and picked up all the garbage and I gotta hook it up tomorrow
39:59and tow it back here.
40:00Okay, so you were down there today cleaning it up?
40:03Yes, I was.
40:04When did you leave there?
40:11Around noon.
40:12Why is the camper still there?
40:14That's what I talked to Chad about, because my truck don't work.
40:17And then I just moved in here and I have to use her truck to move it.
40:21Okay.
40:22My truck and motor went out.
40:23Okay.
40:24Well, the problem we have is that you left a big fire ripping.
40:31We went through there today and there was a big fire going.
40:34And I see how you had cleaned up the site, but you burned a bunch of stuff you're not
40:38supposed to be burning.
40:39I don't know what that big rubber is.
40:41It doesn't even mine.
40:42Yeah.
40:43Well, you can't burn it.
40:44But that's what I told him.
40:45He told me I had to pick it all up.
40:46There was an air mattress that was laying there for two years.
40:49Yeah.
40:50Yeah.
40:51Well, that's probably what was burning and producing all the black smoke, because whatever
40:55it was was rubber and gray in color.
40:58Yeah.
40:59Yeah.
41:00You can't burn that stuff, so.
41:01In this case, for unlawfully disposing of solid waste, this man pled guilty and paid
41:06a court ordered fine of $400.
41:09Some of that stuff you needed to bag up and haul out of there.
41:12You can't burn the plastics.
41:13If you were just burning natural materials, that's one thing.
41:16I mean, you were doing it right by putting it in a pit, but then you left it.
41:20Yeah.
41:21You can't walk away and leave a fire burning, especially on a windy, dry day.
41:23Okay.
41:24It's a good way to catch the forest on fire.
41:26I did put the fire out when I was there.
41:29So, you do go back and remove the camper off there.
41:33If you can get it out of there by tomorrow, that'd be great.
41:36And then clean up the rest of that stuff that's there.
41:39Okay.
41:40Right on.
41:41Alrighty.
41:42Thank you, sir.
41:43Yep.
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