Flying deer, frogs, herons and Southeast Michigan habitat

In this episode of the Wildtalk Podcast, we talk to Nate Levitte about all things habitat in the Southeast Lower Peninsula region of the state, fly away with a discussion about the Great blue heron, and we wrap up the episode with a chat about wood frogs. Pete Kailing also stops in to talk about hunting and trapping opportunities and more that are available in the month of April. 

Episode Hosts: Rachel Lincoln and Eric Hilliard
Producer/editor: Eric Hilliard

• All things habitat
  • State Game and Wildlife Areas
  • Managed waterfowl areas
  • What is prescribed fire?
  • Subscribe to DNR emails
• All things feathers
  • Great blue heron
• All things fur (herp takeover)
  • Wood frog
  • Vernal pools
  • Gourdneck SGA frog walk (April 26)
  • MSU springtime frog walk (April 10)
• For Pete's sake
  • Hunting regulation summary booklets

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

Transcript

Announcer:

The Michigan DNR Hunt Fish App is your digital connection to all things hunting and fishing in Michigan. Buy, store and display your hunting and fishing licenses, check your points and chances for elk and bear, apply for the draw and view drawing results, access all the hunting and fishing regulations, view your hunter safety certificate, and report your harvest, all from within the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish App. Just click the app banner at the top of the page for download instructions at michigan.gov/hunting.

You know what that sound means. It's time for the Michigan DNR's Wild Talk Podcast. Welcome to the Wild Talk Podcast, where representatives from the DNR's Wildlife Division chew 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.

Rachel:

Welcome to the Wild Talk Podcast. I'm your host, Rachel Lincoln. Joining me today to bring you this episode is my brother in banter, Eric Hilliard.

Eric:

Yay, we're siblings. All right, I'll bring the potato salad to the family reunion.

Rachel:

That sounds great, but no raisins in it, please. I'm not a fan of that. I'll bring hot dogs.

Eric:

That's gross.

Rachel:

That's a thing. That's a Midwestern thing. People put raisins in their potato salads and it's a Midwestern thing. It is an abomination.

Eric:

Really? I don't know that I've ever had potato salad with raisins in it, thankfully.

Rachel:

I get my Midwesterner card revoked a little bit by not liking it because that's how my family makes it, at least.

Eric:

Maybe it's your family is the only family that does it, and they just always told you, "Oh, this is the way that they do it in the Midwest." I don't think when I'm in the grocery store and I look at that pre-bought potato salad, I never see potato salad with raisins in it, unless maybe they expect you to add the raisins, like BYOR. After you get the potato salad, you've got to sprinkle in your own raisins.

Rachel:

Well, enough about my family's weird food habits. We do have a really exciting episode for you today. We'll be starting it off by bringing you some breaking news. There has been a new species of winged white tailed deer that have been discovered. According to some of the latest research, this new species has sprouted these tiny translucent wings from their backs, which is really unusual and never seen before in cervidae or deer species.

Now it appears that these newfound wings allow deer to fly. Often times, they will fly up into the tops of the tree canopies to not only eat and forage for vegetation on the forest floor, but also now to reach the leaves at the top of mature trees, changing diet and behavior in ways we have never seen before. It's super cool research to learn about. They've also found that in some locations, they're actually observing deer build nests up in the tops of these trees, which helps them to avoid ground predators. And get this? Fawns are developing larger dew claws to help them climb down the tree until their wings have fully formed.

How incredible is that, Eric?

Eric:

It's insane. It also takes deer droppings to a whole new level, both literally and figuratively. I think I'm going to start walking through the forest with an umbrella, just to be on the safe side.

Rachel:

Not a bad idea. Deer pellets do have some substance to them too, so you might even consider a hard hat.

April Fool's! I am sure we've got some of you, but I think our listeners are pretty smart. As soon as we started talking about winged deer, they probably knew what was going on.

Well, back to our regularly scheduled program now. It is in fact April, and despite what the weather tells you, it is now spring. To tell us about the spring happenings in Southeast Michigan, our special guest, Nate Leavitt will be here to tell us about the fascinating work Wildlife staff have been up to this time of year. We'll also have on wildlife biologist Pete Kailing, who's back to tell us about the April hunting and trapping opportunities. Then we will shift gears to chat about one of the biggest species of birds we have here in Michigan, the great blue heron. Then one of the smallest forest critters, the wood frog. You'll want to stay tuned throughout the episode, as there will be a chance to win the Wild Talk Podcast camp mug.

But before we dive back into the podcast, let's hear a word from our forests.

Announcer:

Trees provide for the wellbeing of our state, that's why we work so hard to keep our forests healthy and abundant. So wildlife has a home and so do people. So that there's clean air and water for everyone. So Michigan's economy can be as strong as the trees that support it because every branch of forestry ensures that future generations will always have a tree for life and forests for a lifetime. To learn how sustainable forestry benefits your life, visit michigan.gov/forestsforalifetime.

Rachel:

We are joined by Nate Levitte, the field operations manager in Southeast Michigan, who's here to give us an update on all things happening in the Southwest region. Thanks for taking the to join us today, Nate. Can you tell us a little bit about your position with the Wildlife Division?

Nate:

Sure. My name is Nate Leavitt, you already covered that, but I'm the field operations manager and I cover the northern portion of Southeast region. I cover Bay, Saginaw, Huron, Tuscola, and Sanilac counties, and the areas and folks that work with Wildlife Division in those counties.

Rachel:

Excellent. Well, we're super happy you're here to chat with us. We'll spring into it. What projects are your staff working on this time of year?

Nate:

Well, I'm not going to answer that question right away because I want to start with a quick congratulations to both you and Eric, for your recent advancement to the finalists for the 2024 Golden Post Awards. Congrats.

Eric:

Thanks, Nate.

Rachel:

No, thank you. That's really appreciated. We really enjoy the podcast and we're happy that other people do as well.

Nate:

Right now, and a lot of this is based on the weather we had last week not so much what we have currently, but we're getting ready to do some prescribed fire as it comes up for habitat work on the areas. A lot of folks within Southeast region were prepping for that. Finishing up some last minute trainings, getting the fields ready. It may entail putting in new burn lines, getting the equipment ready, and just last minute preparations for that. Now with this recent snow, we've had that pushed back just a little bit. But eventually, it will be spring, and eventually we'll have some prescribed fire hitting the ground I think.

Rachel:

Very good. With your prescribed fire, are there any particular habitat types you're planning to burn and why those habitat types?

Nate:

Right. In my part of the world, a lot of what our work is for prescribed fire, it's centered around grassland work. Primarily warm season grasses, a lot of that happens up in the thumb. The work is a lot of times directed towards providing better pheasant habitat, but a lot of other birds also benefit from that. Our primary, we do some oak burns as well, oak forested burns. We also do a fair amount of wetland burns. You can imagine with the work around Saginaw Bay, we'll do some burns over cattails and sometimes over phragmites to help reduce that invasive species.

Eric:

When you're burning in those wetland areas, are you basically burning them right up to the water's edge, all the way into the water basically?

Nate:

Yeah. Ideally they will burn all the way into the water. If you have the right conditions, we can carry it over top of the water, through some of those plants. The phragmites, which is dormant, and the cattails, which are dormant at this time of year. Sometimes those wetlands are pulled down, so they're in a draw down state through staff bringing them down so that we can conduct these burns. They'll be brought back up for the spring. In an attempt to, in some cases, hold back some spring runoff, they do a wonderful job of flood control for us. A lot of our managed areas serve as dual purpose, and one of those purposes is to help with flood control so they're going to hold water there. That's something that, in some cases, we can utilize that spring water to help in particular kill off some of that phragmites. As a wetland plant, it's unusual in that you can drowned it out.

Eric:

Wow, that's interesting. I would have never thought about drowning out an aquatic plant like that.

Nate:

You've got to get the conditions just right but it's possible.

Rachel:

I would have never thought you can burn a wetland. It seems not feasible, mixing fire and water.

Nate:

It sounds counterproductive or counterintuitive, but yeah, sometimes you can bring the fire over top of a wetland area and it's still serving its purpose in reducing that biomass over the wetlands. In some cases, it's cattails. In many cases, for us unfortunately, it's phragmites.

Eric:

And unfortunately because that's an invasive species, correct?

Nate:

Right, right.

Rachel:

With phragmites, is the goal to just knock it back and slow the growth and the spread of phragmites?

Nate:

Yes. Essentially, in many cases, we're just trying to draw a line in the sand. On our managed areas in particular, we try to keep them almost phragmites free if possible. Some areas more than others. I'm thinking of the managed waterfowl areas. In those, we try to do our best to keep it out. When you start looking at larger expanses of that, it's almost impossible. But when you deal with just the acreage within the managed units, sometimes we can keep it at bay.

Rachel:

What makes the phragmites bad for an ecosystem? It's an invasive species because it's not native to Michigan, but what is the issue with having phragmites in these wetland ecosystems?

Nate:

Well, it dominates. It takes over the wetland ecosystem and there's almost nothing else that grows where you have phragmites. It becomes a monotypic environment and not the best for wildlife.

Rachel:

Okay. Well, thanks so much for enlightening us on phragmites and the good projects you guys have going on currently.

Now if we're looking ahead, what's next on the horizon for your team? Any exciting projects in the pipeline you guys are itching to dive into?

Nate:

Oh, it's always fun in the springtime, as we get into the aerial surveys for waterfowl, that's coming up. A number of our staff in Southeast region, of course across the state, the survey happens across the state, so a lot of folks are going to help out with this. They'll be doing some flights and counting waterfowl across the state.

Southeast region, it's kind of a big deal for a number of us, we really enjoy it. We've got some concentrations of waterfowl in the area or in the region. We have a good time with it. I know we have a lot of folks that are looking forward to that part of the year.

Rachel:

Yeah. We always look forward to seeing the photos that come from those aerial surveys. We've talked about them a couple times on the podcast because it's just crazy that many thousands of ducks will form these huge rafts, and then to see them from the sky, which you never get to see them from the sky, it makes for the most amazing photos. Are there any species in particular you'll be looking for, for the aerial survey?

Nate:

No. In general, we're looking for all species. We're also going to be monitoring wetlands. As we're flying, we're going to look for wetlands, we're going to get a count, and a count by type of wetlands. As we see birds, not only are we IDing those birds, we're also going to be IDing those wetlands and get the count on those as well.

Rachel:

Do you know, based on previous aerial surveys, do you have an idea of how many species do you expect to ID, or number of birds you expect to count?

Nate:

No, I don't really have that. You have to keep in mind though, when we do these breeding surveys, it's the birds that are actually breeding in Michigan. We typically are running later. We have good numbers showing up now, in a lot of our areas of migrating waterfowl. We're not so much focused on the ones that are migrating through, we're focused on the ones that are going to be here and raising their young here.

The common ones typically are, as you might imagine, Canada geese, and mallards, and wood ducks.

Rachel:

Wood ducks are a particularly favorite duck species of mine. They're really pretty, they also have really sharp claws.

Reflecting back on all the great work your team has done recently, what would you say is the biggest accomplishment your region has tackled this quarter?

Nate:

It's hard to group it up in a quarter, but one of the biggest things that I've been working on, and a lot of our team has been working on, and I'm pretty happy with is that we've been filling some positions recently. In the last few years, we've had a lot of folks that have taken advancements, taken other jobs and retired, so we've had a lot of vacancies to fill. I'm happy to say that, in Southeast region, we're really, really close to being full staffed again and it feels good. It's really nice to not walk around wondering, "Whose going to cover this, and whose going to cover that," and keep everything in line.

With the recent Wildlife assistant hire, I currently have a full staff up on my end of the region, and I know Terry is one or two positions away from getting that done as well, so we're getting there. Almost there. While that may not be confined to just the quarter, it's still a big accomplishment in my opinion.

Rachel:

Oh, certainly. More staff means more work gets done for Wildlife, so we're super excited to have those people on staff as well. Now are those positions wildlife biologists, wildlife technicians? What positions have you recently hired?

Nate:

In the last couple of years, I have filled a wildlife biologist position on my end of the region. I've also filled a technician and a couple wildlife assistant positions.

Rachel:

Terrific. We love to see great people get hired into the division to do great work, so I'm glad you guys have had success in finding really awesome people to fill those roles in Southeast.

Nate:

I wanted to mention quickly, a lot of the managed waterfowl areas are beginning to host a good number of migrating waterfowl or migrating birds in general right now. We are planning, although I don't have all the dates, we are planning to do some spring open houses at those areas and they should be coming up soon.

Rachel:

That's excellent. Yes, lots of great spring birding opportunities, but especially migrating waterfowl and songbirds in those parts. I'm sure we will put the information on the website. We will also probably do some email promotion for those open houses as well, so it's a good idea to sign up for DNR emails if you haven't already so you can make sure to stay up-to-date and check out those events as they happen.

Well, Nate, thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us. It's been awesome to hear about the work your staff have been doing and exciting plans that they have in store. We really appreciate you taking the time to chat with us today.

Nate:

Well, thank you.

Rachel:

All right, folks, don't fly away or you'll miss All Things Feathers, coming up next.

Speaker 6:

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Rachel:

Today, we're diving into the world of the great blue heron, a magnificent bird that graces our wetlands and waterways with its presence year round.

Now great blue herons are some of the tallest bird species that we have here in Michigan. They stand between 38 and 53 inches tall, which is the average height of a six-year-old so they're very tall birds. They have this striking blue-gray plumage that looks a little shaggy. They look like they have a bit of a messy hair day, usually. They have a dagger-like orange bill and really long orange legs.

Eric:

Yeah. I'd really hate to face off against a dagger-like bill.

Rachel:

No kidding. They actually do use it to fish and they will stab the dagger-like bill into larger fish, and that's how they'll catch them in the water.

Eric:

They're like the Tom Hanks of the bird world, stranded on a desert isle. They just spear the fish so they can eat.

Rachel:

Yeah.

Eric:

Castaway, Heron Edition.

Rachel:

That's what I was thinking of. Yeah, Castaway.

Eric:

"I have made fire!" I'll tell you what, if blue herons ever learn how to make fire, we're in trouble.

Rachel:

All right. Well, Eric, did you know that they have these specialized feathers on their chest that can actually trap air? It'll provide them extra buoyancy when they're hunting in the water, so it's like they have this life vest on their bodies at all times. Life vests, stalky long legs, dagger-like bill, really unique.

Eric:

Triple threat.

Rachel:

Yeah, triple threat. Really unique bodies on these birds. Their wingspan is also enormous and it can reach up to six feet in length. But shockingly, they only weigh a few pounds. They're mostly just all feather and lightweight bones.

When it comes to diet, the great blue heron is a skilled hunter. With patience and precision, it stalks its prey which usually includes fish, frogs, insects, and it can even include small mammals. They're amazing hunters and will stalk slowly in the water, peering down at their unsuspecting prey before using its sharp beak like a spear. It's the most useful tool they have and they are very good at standing still for very long amounts of time. So much so that their legs often look like reeds or plants coming up from the bottom of the water body, so fish will swim between their legs, frogs have no idea that these birds are there until they meet their end.

Eric:

I guess you could say the bill comes due.

Rachel:

Oh! Now these versatile birds can be found in a variety of aquatic habitats, from coastal shores and marshes, to rivers, lakes, and even backyard ponds. As long as there's water and an ample food supply, you'll likely spot a great blue heron nearby.

You've also probably witnessed their graceful yet prehistoric looking flight overhead. They're very noticeable and the sky because of their six-foot wingspan. They also have a flight pattern that really resembles a pterodactyl. It's a very slow and efficient flight pattern that helps them fly great distances. They'll tuck their necks in and so you really just see wings, their legs are behind them, and then their heads are tucked in near their body, as opposed to a sand hill crane or a goose, which keeps its neck elongated during flight. That's how you can tell these big birds apart.

During the spring and summer months, great blue herons engage in these really elaborate courtship displays that include aerial acrobatics and these really intricate rituals. The male great blue heron will collect much of the nest material, so they'll gather sticks from the ground and nearby shrubs and trees, and from unguarded and abandoned nests. They can be nest thieves and take really excellent materials that they need, they'll forage for them and they'll bring them back to their own nests. Then they will present them to the female. She then, if she is wooed and if she is interested, will then weave a giant platform, a saucer-shaped nest, it's very large, in the tops of the trees, and she will line it with pine needles, and moss, and reeds, and dry grass, and twigs. She will essentially decorate. He presents her with the foundational materials, she then creates the nest and decorates it to her liking.

Eric:

That's basically like the human equivalent would be dropping a pile of lumber, and deck screws, and stuff in front of a potential mate, and then that mate takes and builds a deck, or gazebo, or whatever.

Rachel:

Or an entire six-bedroom home, and then procures all the decorations for it.

Eric:

Yeah. It's a lot of work. That seems like a lot of work for something that may or may not work out. I'm glad we don't do that as humans.

Rachel:

Yeah, I suppose I'm not either. I'd much rather be presented an entire well-decorated, furnished home, but birds are different.

After building the nest, both male and female will raise their young with care and dedication. Those fledglings will spend all of their time with the parents in the nest until they are about the same size of the parents and that's when they'll finally leave the nest. That is a whole lot of large birds in one nest. You can imagine just how big those nests must be, to have between five and six birds that stand the height of a six-year-old with a six-foot wingspan. Big birds in a small in space.

Eric:

Big bird in a little space.

Rachel:

I feel like birds that are sunning their wings also spread their wings out and dance around in the sunlight, like he's got a jacket on and it's just too little for him.

Eric:

I can totally see that.

Rachel:

We got to make that video. Put it on the list, Eric.

Now these breeding birds will gather in colonies, or heronries, whichever word you prefer to use, that often have 100 or more birds. These nests are built at the tops of trees, and often times there will be 100 or so nests in one spot, where all of these birds are then going to raise their babies. Individually, they don't care for each other's babies, but they will all have them in the same spot. It can look really intense to notice that you are in a colony with all of these large nests up in these trees.

But there's a good chance you know that you're walking into a heronry, because they're an extremely vocal species and you can hear them from great distances away. Especially during the breeding season, because they will greet their partners with extremely loud squawking noises. They call them the landing call, so when male and female, when one of the parents are landing and arriving back to the nest, they will be so loud. I've heard this only one time and had no idea what the noise was. I had to go home and look it up because it is a terrifying noise if you don't know what it is. It's like this very guttural, prehistoric gull. When I heard it, I thought it was a hog. It's almost similar to a pig or a hog's grunting noises. Very distinct and it's very loud.

Eric:

Is it kind of like?

Rachel:

That has a little more bullfrog tone to it, but you're not far off. Do it in a row, row, row pattern. Yeah, there. There we go, that's the noise. Listen for that noise and you'll know you have ... That's excellent. Well done.

Eric:

I feel like I need to go out in the woods now and start calling some great blue herons.

Rachel:

Yes, please do.

Eric:

They'll accept me as one of their own and welcome me into the heronry. Was that it?

Rachel:

Heronry, yeah. Well, how tall are you?

Eric:

I am five-foot 10-and-a-quarter-inches.

Rachel:

That's a little big to fit in one of their nests, but maybe if you just hold up a dagger to your face and paint your legs orange, it would be enough to disguise and camouflage yourself.

Eric:

What if I decorated myself as a wingspan? I was just a set of wings.

Rachel:

One more tidbit for you about great blue herons. Just in case you haven't had your daily dose of gross yet today, we've got you covered. Parent herons will feed their babies like most birds. They will eat and partially digest the food, and then deliver it the baby via beak-to-beak, that's normal. Here's where it gets a little weird. The chicks will then contribute to the safety of the family by leaning over the edge of the nest and spitting up half of the digest fish on any potential intruders. There's not a lot you can do when you're a baby to help protect the safety of your home, but one thing you can do is regurgitate half-digested fish to keep intruders away. Well, great blue herons are an awesome bird that we have here in Michigan, with ample opportunities to go check out. Next time you're out by a body of water or a wetland, take a look at these long-legged stalky creatures.

If you want to stay fine as frog hair, stick around because coming up next is All Things Fur.

Speaker 7:

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Rachel:

Fine as frog hair is an expression, but there are some frog species that have a hair-like structure and we can imagine that it is indeed fine, but we don't have those species of frogs here in Michigan.

We thought we'd remix this segment to bring you some spring information about frogs, and a species that can find themselves in a pretty hairy situation with a great blue heron. Today we're talking about a species that's making an awful lot of noise right now, the wood frog.

Eric:

These wood frogs, are they made of cedar? Are they made of elm, hickory?

Rachel:

Actually, they're made of croak.

Eric:

That's so funny.

Rachel:

Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week. Back to wood frogs. Wood frogs are really little forest critters that are about an inch-and-a-half in size. They come in various brown, tan and rust colors because they need to blend in with the dried leaves on the forest floor. Now they look very similar to western chorus frogs and they're singing about the same time, but chorus frogs live in wetlands, while wood frogs live in the forests.

But when it comes to wood frogs, there's more than meets the eye. These little amphibians might not have flashy colors of some tropical frogs, but what they lack in glamour, they make up for in resiliency and adaptability. One of the most remarkable things about wood frogs is their ability to survive freezing temperatures. They stay here year-round, through all of the cold winter months.

Two episodes ago, you may remember we had a Mug Me quiz question about this topic. When the frigid winter arrives in Michigan, these frogs will get cozy in the forest leaf litter or burrow into the soil, and they will survive the freezing temperatures by reducing large amounts of glucose in their bodies, which will act like a natural antifreeze in their cells, which causes ice to form in the extracellular spaces rather than within their body cells. They may be really cold, but they can survive those cold temperatures who totally freezing.

But it's not just their winter survival skills that make wood frogs stand out. These little frogs live in one of the most unique wetland types that we have here in Michigan, it's called a vernal pool, which are also scientifically referred to as wicked big puddles and the coral reefs of northern forests.

I like to refer to them as verpal nools, because why not?

Eric:

Yeah. Verpal nool as opposed to vernal pool, I like it. I can dig it.

Rachel:

Vernal pools are small, shallow pools of water scattered through forests and fields. These small wetlands are called vernal pools because they're typically filled with water in the spring, which means vernal, but they usually dry up and disappear during the summer so they're just temporary wetlands, temporary puddles that happen in these terrestrial, forested areas. Because they regularly dry up and are usually isolated from other wetlands and water bodies, vernal pools cannot support permanent fish populations, so there's no fish. There's no fish predators. Due to the lack of predators, vernal pools provide critical habitat for animal species that rely on a fishless habitat for survival and for reproduction. Species like fairy shrimp, which are a small invertebrate, spotted salamanders, blue spotted salamanders, and you guessed it, the wood frog. The next time you come across one of these forest puddles, just stand on the edge of it and watch because you will be amazed at all of the life you'll see within.

Now back to wood frogs, they use these vernal pools as breeding grounds, which makes them an excellent place to go see and hear wood frogs. They have a very specific call and when there's multiple wood frogs calling at the same time, it sounds like a bunch of chickens clucking. If you just follow the clucking chicken noises in the forest, they'll often take you to a vernal pool where you can see these frogs. They do this to attract mates and to pass on their genetic information to keep our forests populated with these little froggy friends.

I actually love frogs very much. I wanted to be a herpetologist my entire life. My childhood bedroom was decorated in the most obscene frog décor. Now I just look for ways to talk about frogs because I feel like I get to live out my childhood dream a little bit.

Back to the topic at hand, if you want to continue to learn about wood frogs, there are several frog events happening across the state this month. If you're in Southwest Michigan, you can join me and the City of Portage. I will be at the Gourdneck State Game Area on Friday, April 6th to host a frog walk. You can find registration information on the City of Portage's website, where we'll also link to it in the show notes. If you're in the mid-Michigan area, Michigan State University Extension is going to host a frog evening on April 12th for their springtime frog walk at the Bengal Wildlife Center. All ages are welcome and it will require some hiking. You'll get to see and hear frogs there as well. The event is free and registration is required. Again, you can find the registration for that event in the show notes.

But if you're not close to either of those locations, there are frog walks happening all over the state through local nature centers and community organizations. There's always a ton because now's the time to see and hear frogs. You can reach out to your local community centers or nature centers and see if they're hosting any frog events. Many different frog species will be calling, from last month in March, all the way through July and August. We have 13 different species of frogs and toads here in Michigan, so you can hear those critters now throughout the rest of the spring and summer. You can take yourself out on a frog walk. Venture out to a wetland around dusk and make sure to stay extra quiet, and move really slow because you don't want to disturb frogs because the reason that they're calling right now is because they're in their breeding season and you don't want to disturb breeding behavior. You can enjoy and listen from a distance.

Eric:

On these frog walks, do people have to walk like a frog?

Rachel:

It's not a requirement but is encouraged.

Eric:

Probably helps with the slow walking, though I imaging thighs might start burning just from the workout of a slow, squatted walk.

Rachel:

We really try to maximize the experience at a frog walk. You also can try and make a few frog calls, if you like. We heard your great blue heron call earlier. Maybe you also have a wood frog call you would like to demonstrate for us?

Eric:

What do they sound like?

Rachel:

They sound like a chicken.

Eric:

Let me see here.

Rachel:

Yeah! Wow, excellent. Well done.

Eric:

There you go.

Rachel:

Like I'm podcasting with a wood frog right now. What could be better? Well, that's all for this frogalicious segment. We hope that next time you find a forest puddle or a wetland, you'll take a moment to pause and appreciate the intricate ecosystems and the life within it. Stay tuned for more wildlife fun, coming up next.

Speaker 8:

Michigan.gov/dnrtrails is your destination for trail maps, trail etiquette and trail closure information. Trail information for biking, cross country skiing, horseback riding, hiking, off-road vehicle riding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing and even water trails for kayaking and canoeing are available. While you're there, remember to check out information about pet friendly recreation, track chairs, and the Iron Bell Trail. All available at michigan.gov/dnrtrails.

Pete Kailing:

"It was an April morning, fresh and clear. The rivulet, the lighting in its strength, ran with a young man's speed, and yet the voice of waters which the winter had supplied was softened down into a vernal tone," so said the esteemed English poet, William Wordsworth.

I am Pete Kailing, DNR wildlife biologist, bringing you the April calendar for outdoor sporting action. Small game season is now behind us, having ended March 31 statewide. However, spring turkey hunting is the hunter's highlight for April. Gobblers are already proclaiming spring, be it snow or sun, sounding off just after dawn. Turkey hunting starts in some units on April 20. If you missed the turkey drawing for permits, check for leftover permits on our DNR website. Take a new hunter or friend along. Turkey hunting can be a waiting game like deer hunting, or run and gun as they say, sneaking up on vocal toms to close the gap. It's a safe bet to sit and call on public land, however safety first.

Serious deer hunters know that early spring is the best time to prepare for next fall. Melting snow yields a snapshot of last November's action, with ground scrapes, antler rubs and easy to see deer trails networked on the snow-flattened forest floor. Keep an eye out for shed antlers and morel mushrooms as you mosey through the spring forest. Pro tip, morel mushrooms prefer air temperatures of at least 60 degrees, with soil temperatures between 45 and 50 degrees to sprout the tasty morels.

Open water beaver trapping is still an option until April 30th in the Upper Peninsula, and closes April 26th in the Lower Peninsula.

Spring bird migration is a great reason to visit public lands or marsh edges. Any dense cover could hold warblers or other songbirds. A pair of binoculars are handy to spy their fleeting colors in the brush.

Trout season opens last Saturday in April in most waters.

April is busy with wildlife banquets and trade shows for any and all species you enjoy. Frogs and toads will be emerging soon, and you will hear them singing loud and long, free concert for the careful listener. Black bears will be out with a big appetite, so if you don't want them close to your house, time to wrap up the birdseed and suet as bears have a great memory to return to the same feeder where they had a buffet last year.

That's a wrap for April Outdoor Action. Get some mud on your boots, take a friend, but for Pete's sake, try to keep the mud off the carpet. Or blame the dog, if you have one.

Rachel:

That was your opportunity to win a Wild Talk Podcast camp mug. As a thank you to our listeners, we'll be giving away a mug or two every episode. Our March mug winners are Christie Jacobs and Todd Blake. Check your email, as we'll be getting in touch with you soon. They answered the question, "What Michigan species vomits on itself as a defense strategy?"

For the people who responded with, "Your mom" as an answer to this question, I'm sorry but that does not qualify you for a mug. The qualifying answer was the turkey vulture, which does indeed vomit on itself. It does eat carrion, so dead animals, roadkill animals, things that have already died is what it's feeding on, and that's what it's vomiting up on itself. It is truly a worthy defense strategy and nothing really messes with turkey vultures because of it.

We work with people who have been thrown up on by turkey vultures because I guess it's a normal thing that happens to foresters because they're walking through these wooded areas. It maybe is even a rite of passage. It's disgusting. But if you had to choose ...

All right, so here's a would you rather be thrown up on by a turkey vulture or a great blue heron?

Eric:

I feel like a great blue heron, it's not the full stomach contents, it's just a little bit of the stomach contents.

Rachel:

Right. It's half-digested fish, as opposed to a carcass of an animal.

Eric:

As much as I hate fish smell, I think I'm going to have to go with the great blue heron.

Rachel:

I think I would, too.

Eric:

Plus, it's just a nicer looking bird, too. Maybe I just feel better about it because great blue herons are more majestic in appearance. Yeah, they got their little ruffled bad hair day feathers, but turkey vulture heads, I don't want to be thrown up on by a bird head that looks like that.

Rachel:

I get that. I'm not dishing out any hate for turkey vultures though, because they are a necessity in our world because they do keep roadways clean and they do take care of dead stuff that most of the time, we don't want to take care of. They're a pretty awesome bird species that we have here.

Anyways, to be entered into the drawing this month, test your wildlife knowledge and answer our wildlife quiz question. This month's question is what is the oval-shaped membrane that helps a frog to hear? It is especially visible on a green frog. Email your name and answer to us at dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov to be entered for a chance to win a mug. Make sure to include the subject line as Mug Me. If you do not include it as Mug Me, you are immediately disqualified, so include the subject line as Mug Me. Submit your answer by April 15th we'll announce winners and the answers on next month's podcast so be sure to listen in to see if you've won and for the next quiz question. Good luck, everyone.

Announcer0:

Michigan conservation officers are working hard to protect and keep the outdoors safe for current and future generations. If you witness a natural resources violation, you can call or text the Report All Poaching Hotline 24-hours a day at 1-800-292-7800 or fill out the complaint form available at michigan.gov/rap. If you would like more information on becoming a conservation officer, click on Become A CO at michigan.gov/conservationofficers.

Rachel:

Thank you for joining us on this April edition of the Wild Talk Podcast. Remember, if you have questions about wildlife or hunting, you can call 517-284-WILD or email dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov. We'll see you back here in May.

Announcer:

This has been the Wild Talk 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.