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Smoke on the water

“Smoke on the water, a fire in the sky,” – Deep Purple There’s a smell I occasionally get a whiff of when the damper on the fireplace is open and I’m sitting on the short couch in the living room. It’s the smell of charred wood – an aroma that’s pleasant around a campfire or ...

DNR’s Western UP Citizens’ Advisory Council to meet July 20 in Delta County

ESCANABA — At its July meeting in Escanaba, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Western Upper Peninsula Citizens’ Advisory Council is scheduled to learn practical tips for a safe and enjoyable state park experience, receive an update on charter boat captain requirements and consider several resolutions addressing bat research, fishing and climate change and guiding on the Great Lakes in winter months. The meeting will take place from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. EDT (5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. CDT) Monday, July 20 at the DNR Pocket Park classroom, located on the U.P. State Fairgrounds ...

Upper Peninsula fishing report from the DNR

The information contained in this article comes from the larger state-wide fishing report published by the DNR on July 15. Little Bay de Noc: Yellow perch anglers reported catching some fish near the Escanaba River and the reefs in the upper bay, though overall fishing was slow. Walleye anglers were able to find some fish near the weed beds. Some anglers headed south out of Escanaba in search of salmon. Chinook salmon anglers reported good fishing in Green Bay in water depths exceeding 100 feet. Spoons and trolling flies produced the best results. Munising: Anglers who fished near the ...

DNR doubles deer habitat grant funding in local counties

LANSING — The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced in a release yesterday that it is funding 14 projects across the Upper Peninsula that will improve hundreds of acres of white-tailed deer habitat. The nearly $200,000 in grants provided through the Deer Habitat Improvement ...

Upper Peninsula antlerless access permit update

LANSING — In a press release published yesterday, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced that antlerless deer hunting access permits will not be available for the Upper Peninsula in 2026. This change comes from the Natrual Resource Commision (NRC) 2026 and 2027 regulation changes approved May 15 of this year. Hunters planning to harvest an antlerless deer in the Upper Peninsula should be aware that universal antlerless licenses may only be used in the designated low-snowfall deer management units (DMUs): 022, 122, 255, 155, 121 and 055. These units cover ...

Ash Elegy

Ashes (Fraxinus spp.) have never been a large part of the Michigan forest landscape. At most, about three percent of the volume was occupied by a combination of white, black, and green ash. Yet, black ash (F. nigra) was sometimes the only tree species that could grow in wetlands. The elms used to be co-inhabitants, but we all know what happened to the elms. With the loss of the ashes, many forested wetland habitats will become open wetlands. Green ash (F. pennsylvanica) cultivars were very common street trees, resistant to most maladies, but over-planting ash in municipalities ...