Raccoons, elk and the Pure Michigan Hunt

In this episode of the Wildtalk Podcast, we’ll shine our wildlife spotlight on the dark-eyed junco, find out what habitat work is happening in the Southwest Lower Peninsula, hear listener questions answered in the mailbag segment and get a sample of conservation officer activity reports from the field. 

Questions or comments about the show? Contact the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-9453 (WILD). You can also email dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov, and even send your question as a sound file that you record on your phone to be played on the air!

Episode Hosts: Hannah Schauer and Rachel Leightner
Producer/editor: Eric Hilliard
Assistant Producer/editor: Caleb Edge
Law enforcement segment host: Katie Gervasi

• Wildlife Spotlight Links
  • Raccoon 
• Elk Season Recap
  • Michigan.gov/Elk
• Mailbag Links
  • Michigan.gov/Deer
  • Pure Michigan Hunt
• Conservation Officer Reports
  • Conservation officer bi-weekly reports

Questions or comments about the show? Contact the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-9453 (WILD) or email dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov.

Transcript

Hannah:

Raccoons. Raccoons. Raccoons, yeah. Also known as the trash panda.

Announcer:

You know what that sound means? It's time for the Michigan DNR'S Wildtalk podcast. Welcome to the Wildtalk Podcast. For representatives from the DNR'S Wildlife Division, shoot the fat, and shoot the scat about all things habitat, feathers, and fur. With insights, interviews and your questions answered on the air, you'll get a better picture of what's happening in the world of wildlife here in the great state of Michigan.

Hannah:

Welcome to Wild Talk. I'm your host Hannah Schauer, and with me today as always is Rachel Leightner.

Rachel:

Hi Hannah. How are you today?

Hannah:

Doing all right. How are you?

Rachel:

I'm chilly. It's winter all of a sudden, and it is cold outside.

Hannah:

Yes, indeed. It very much is.

Rachel:

It always seems to come faster than you think it should be here. But alas, here we are in our December episode. Isn't that crazy? The year's almost over.

Hannah:

It is. It's so crazy. I can't believe it. It went by so fast.

Rachel:

Me neither. Well, in this month's episode we'll be answering some of your questions from the mail bag hearing some conservation officer reports from the field. And sometime during the show, we'll be revealing the winners of our Wild Talk podcast camp mugs, and you'll find out how you can win one too.

Hannah:

We're also going to give you an update on the first elk hunt, but before we jump into all that, we're going to shine our wildlife spotlight on the raccoon.

The raccoon is well known for the dark rings on its tail and the black mask on its face. Total body length for an adult raccoon is usually 28 to 36 inches, so somewhere in the two to three foot range, and they can weigh anywhere from 13 to 30 pounds, sometimes even more. So they can get quite hefty in the weight range.

Rachel:

Now these raccoons can be found throughout most of North America and are found statewide in Michigan. They can be found in just about any habitat type, though they do often prefer forested areas near bodies of water or wetlands. Now the individual home range size can vary significantly from smaller sizes in more suburban areas like close to our homes to larger in more rural areas.

Hannah:

And raccoons are typically active between sunset and sunrise, but you can occasionally see them out and about during the day, especially if there are food sources available. One of my favorite stories about raccoons, when I worked at a nature center in the mornings, we'd go out and fill all the bird feeders kind of in a regular pattern. You'd start at one and move to the next each time. And we had an adult female and her young ones who would come out, wait for you to fill the bird feeders, and then make their way around to each one as you filled them to get the freshest bird seed each morning. So they know what's up, and they know what the schedule looks like.

Rachel:

Yes, opportunistic is how I would label a raccoon.

Hannah:

Absolutely. Now raccoons, like many nocturnal mammals, have a more developed part of the eye, tapetum lucidum I believe is how you would say that. And this aids in low light vision. And this is also what gives raccoons and other animals the appearance of having eyes that glow in the dark when the light reflects off them.

Rachel:

Interesting. Now, these raccoons have solitary resting spots in trees, and they may occasionally use old woodchuck burrows or similar locations to rest in.

Hannah:

And raccoons do store up some fat reserves for winter and may stay in their den for prolonged periods during times of inclement weather when it's not as friendly outside. But they do not hibernate or lower their body temperature like other species do. Raccoons can be active all year round.

Rachel:

Now when you think of an example species for the word omnivore, the raccoon would be an excellent representative species. As we mentioned, they're very opportunistic. Raccoons will eat just about anything organic, though they are more selective when food sources are abundant. Some will feast on berries, cherries, acorns, corn, soybeans, oats, and even crayfish. But they'll also eat on various worms, insects, rodents, birds, snake, turtles, frogs, fish, eggs, anything that's kind of a nutrient source, a raccoon will indulge in.

Hannah:

Now, breeding season typically occurs February through March, and babies are born in the spring. A single litter of two to six young are born annually. Now young raccoons' eyes will open at about three weeks of age, and they'll start eating solid foods after about nine weeks. But they will take a while before they're fully weaned. And as the young raccoons get older, they will start going with their mother on foraging trips. And the young from the spring will usually stay with their mother for their first winter until that next breeding season begins, and then they will disperse from there.

Rachel:

Speaking of foraging trips, my most favorite/most interesting raccoon story included a foraging trip. I was camping last summer and did not properly store my bag of marshmallows. And when I say not properly stored, I had put them in a plastic container. And then I zipped them into my canvas backpack, and then I stored it high up in a tree thinking that would be a safe place away from critters, and they couldn't find the smells. But I was wrong because in the middle of the night I heard a zipping sound. And I went out of my tent to find the mama raccoon had unzipped my backpack, found the bag of marshmallows, dropped them out of the tree, and then was dragging my bag of marshmallows deep into the woods. And I did not get to it before she scampered off. The next morning we found the Ziploc bag of marshmallows completely annihilated, and they had gorged themself on like a full pack of jet puff marshmallows. So they will eat just about anything, and you should really think about where you store your food when you're camping. Let this be a lesson to you.

Hannah:

Oh, I love that story. And yes, marshmallows very smelly, very tasty. What mother wouldn't want to provide a tasty snack for her children?

Rachel:

I can only imagine that was quite the belly ache for that family of raccoons because it was a lot of marshmallows. Well, the average lifespan for a wild raccoon is two to three years, but some could make it into their teens. Raccoons have a wide range of natural predators, including large owls, wolves, coyotes, foxes, and bobcats. Humans also hunt and trap raccoons for their pelts and for their meat.

Hannah:

Yep. So here in Michigan, hunting and trapping seasons for raccoons are open October 1st all the way through March 31st.

Rachel:

Now various diseases and car collisions can also cause mortality in raccoons. In fact, you might even see an increase in roadkill raccoons in the late winter when those young raccoons are dispersing from their mother's territory and as male raccoons are moving around looking for mates. So be careful on the roadways this time of year. Lots of critters are moving.

Hannah:

Now with winter approaching, keep your eyes open for tracks in the snow. Raccoon tracks are pretty unique. They have five fingers and five toes. The front paws look very hand like in shape, and the hind feet are a little more elongated, but will still have those five toes, so they're usually pretty easy to identify if you see them. And kind of fun always to look for tracks in the snow, and see what critters might be hanging around your area. All right, so next up, we are going to talk a little bit about the elk hunt. So stick around.

Announcer:

Pure Michigan Hunt applications are on sale now. If you want your shot of what is considered Michigan's ultimate hunt, pick up a $5 application or two. There's no limit to the number you can buy. If you're one of the three lucky winners, you'll get a hunting prize package worth thousands as well as licenses for elk, bear, spring and fall turkey, antlerless deer and first pick in a managed waterfowl area for a reserved hunt. Purchase anywhere hunting licenses are sold or online at michigan.gov/pmh.

Rachel:

Well, elk hunt period one proved to be successful for 80% of early season elk hunters this year. The elk hunt takes place in northern Michigan every year, and it is certainly an exciting time. The first hunt period happened in late August through early October. Now there were 98 state hunters who took to the field over those 12 days, and those hunters harvested 24 bull elk and 52 antlerless elk including six calves. Now additionally, two Pure Michigan Hunt winners also harvested bulls. That is a great way to start off the first hunting period of our elk season.

Hannah:

So of the 100 elk hunters issued elk licenses for this hunt period, there were 70 antlerless and 30 any elk licenses. 76% of antlerless hunters and 87% of any elk hunters were successful in their pursuit. And just to give you an idea, this season's success rate is comparable with previous seasons as well.

Rachel:

This season spanned 12 days through late summer into early fall, so from August to September and into early October. And during that time the weather conditions were pretty stable. It was mostly warmer days with a few cooler nights, pretty ideal conditions for elk hunters that time of year.

Hannah:

Now, this early elk season is designed to remove elk living outside of the designated elk management area, which is primarily the Pigeon River Country State Forest. And coming up the second hunt period will begin December 10th for about 160 elk hunters.

Rachel:

Yes, hunters are going to take to the field here pretty soon for, again, a short period, a short amount of time that'll run through the 18th. And then once the season has begun on December 10th and 11th, if you're interested in chatting with some of those elk hunters and seeing their successful harvest, there will be an elk pole at the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce on the opening weekend. So December 10th and 11th, everyone is welcome to come chat with some really happy hunters. DNR staff will be there if you want to chat with them or bring any of your hunting questions or just see these magnificent animals. You should, I definitely recommend checking it out.

Hannah:

Awesome. Sounds like a fun time. Now if you are interested at your shot at an elk tag, the application period runs annually from May 1st to June 1st, and you can also have a chance through the Pure Michigan Hunt drawing, which we'll touch on in more detail during the mail bag. So stick around for that. If you want to learn more about elk, visit michigan.gov/elk.

Announcer:

The Michigan DNR's hunt fish app puts access to outdoor recreation right in the palm of your hand. Purchase and store your hunting and fishing licenses right in the app so you always have them with you. Are you ready to report your harvest? Save time by reporting with the app. Want to have access to the most up to date hunting and fishing regulations even without internet connectivity? Sounds like you need the app. Just search for Michigan DNR Hunt Fish in the app stores of your Apple and Android devices.

Hannah:

Welcome back to Wild Talk. Now let's dig into the mail bag, and answer some of your questions.

Speaker 5:

One, two, three.

Hannah:

So first up, David asks, during the late antlerless firearm season, can I use my deer or deer combo license to harvest an antlerless deer? So yes, the deer or deer combination license can be used to harvest an antlerless deer throughout all deer hunting seasons in the mainland, lower peninsula, including during the late antlerless firearm deer season. The late antlerless deer season will run from December 12th through January 1st and is only open on private lands in the Lower Peninsula Deer Management Units. All Upper Peninsula Deer Management Units are closed to the late antlerless firearm season. And hunting regulations regarding the season can be found on page 52 of the Hunting Digest. How about you Rachel? Did you get any mail bag questions?

Rachel:

Yeah, I have a couple questions for us today. First one came in from Jerry who wrote in to ask, when is the last day to purchase an application for the Pure Michigan Hunt? Pure Michigan Hunt, we mentioned when talking about the elk story, because that's something you can win if you win the Pure Michigan Hunt. The Pure Michigan Hunt really is the hunter's dream. So you can win licenses for elk, bear, spring and fall turkey antlerless deer, and your first pick at a managed waterfall area for a reserved hunt in addition to a pretty sweet prize package that will include just about everything you'll need to get hunting. Now the last day to apply for the Pure Michigan hunt is December 31st. So you have a couple more weeks to buy those applications, which are $5, and you can purchase as many applications as you'd like. Those licenses can be purchased through the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app, online at michigan.gov/dnr licenses or at any license retailer.

The other question I received came in from Jean who is interested in hunting from a tree stand on public land during the muzzleloader season and wants to know if her stand needs to have some kind of identification listed on it. That's a good question. And yes, it does need identification. If you hunt on public land, your tree stand must be portable, and your name and address, complete Michigan driver's license number, or DNR sport card number must be affixed that can be easily read from the ground. And also if you're putting up a tree stand, just remember that hunting platforms cannot be affixed or attached to any tree by nails, screws, bolts. However, a T bolt or a similar device supplied by a tree stand manufacturer can be used because they don't perforate into the tree. A safety harness or some type of falling prevention system is also recommended.

You do not want to fall out of a tree stand, so please be safe. Screw in tree steps are also illegal on public stands. You cannot use anything that perforates the bark of the tree. And remember, it is unlawful to use any item that penetrates through the bark of the tree in the construction or afixing of any device to assist in climbing a tree. Good things to know. Of course, all of this is listed in the Hunting Digest, so if you haven't downloaded and looked at the 2022 Hunting Digest, we recommend that you do so. Everything you need to know to get into the field is in there for you. Now as we zip this segment to a close, remember if you have questions about wildlife or hunting, you can call 517 284-wild or email us at DNR-wildlife@Michigan.gov. Your questions could be featured here on the mail bag.

Speaker 4:

A base license for $11 is a fair fare to go hunt hare or even a squirrel or two if you care. You hunted deer last month, the license is already there. So no more money from your pocket or your billfold square. To get your share of squirrel or hare to eat yourself or share with flair and fanfare with a nice set of flatware at a table you prepare, just bundle up warm with something to wear, and don't miss when you shoot or you're liable to swear and possibly despair if you see no more signs of hide nor hair. So happy hunting to all, and y'all take care.

Rachel:

Now is your opportunity to win a Wildtalk Podcast camp mug. As a thank you to our listeners we'll be giving away a mug or two every episode.

Hannah:

Our November mug winners are Mandy Mollenkamp and Noah Fraser. They answered the question, turkeys are an example of a precocial species. What does precocial mean? And this means a young bird or other animal that is hatched or born in an advanced state and able to feed itself and move independently almost immediately. So good examples of this are turkeys or chickens. Now I'd also like to mention that species with precocial young tend to lay more eggs, and also incubation times are typically longer for precocial species. And that seems to make sense because they're more developed once they hatch, so they'll probably take longer to incubate.

Rachel:

To be entered into the drawing this month, test your wildlife knowledge and answer our wildlife quiz question. True or false? Many bird species can see ultraviolet wavelength or UV light, and some may also have ultraviolet markings.

Hannah:

Email your name and answer to us at DNR-wildlife@michigan.gov to be entered for a chance to win a mug. Be sure to include the subject line as mug me, and submit your answer by December 15th.

Rachel:

Good luck. Now back to the show.

Katie:

Roger that. This is Katie Gervasi with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division. Here with more conservation officer biweekly reports from the field. Conservation officer Tom Oberg worked a complaint more than a year ago regarding a tree stand placed on state land that appeared to be overlooking a food plot that was also on state land. After multiple attempts of checking the stand, Oberg never witnessed anyone hunting it. He checked the stand over the summer and noted that the subject failed to remove his tree stand from state property. Oberg checked the stand again during October and finally located the subject hunting. The officer addressed multiple violations such as hunting over bait, constructing a food plot on state land, no name or address on a tree stand, and failing to remove the tree stand by March 1st.

Oberg issued tickets to the subject for hunting over bait as well as failing to remove his tree stand by March 1st. Warnings were given for other violations. Tune in next month to hear more about what conservation officers have been doing to protect Michigan's natural resources for future generations. To read more conservation officer biweekly reports, visit michigan.gov/conservation officers.

Hannah:

Well, that wraps up the December show. We wish everyone a happy holiday season. And we'll see you back here in January.

Rachel:

Wow.

Announcer:

This has been the Wildtalk Podcast, your monthly podcast airing the first of each month and offering insights into the world of wildlife across the state of Michigan. You can reach the Wildlife Division at 517 284-9453 or DNR- wildlife@michigan.gov.