Common Yellowthroat

#addBirder
#bird #birds #birdwatching #birdphotography #birder #birding #letsgobirding #canonwildlife #bird #michiganbirds #michiganwildlife #commonyellowthroat #warbler #naturephotography #bestbirdshots #canon

“Kissing would BE nice no??” — Prince Naveen of Maldonia from Disney’s The Princess and the Frog 🐸 👸😏💋

#wildlife #wildlifephotography #frog #nature #Michiganwildlife

Lover’s Lane 🐰🐰💖🐾

#nature #naturephotography #wildlife #wildrabbits #matingseason #michiganwildlife

Wildlife experts remove a plastic lid that was stuck on a Michigan bear's neck for two years

Two years of plastic prison ended for a Michigan bear! Wildlife experts successfully removed a stubborn lid from its neck, a heartwarming rescue. #MichiganWildlife #BearRescue #HappyEnding 🐻❤️

American Robbin 🪶
#americanrobbin #birdwatching #wildlife #nature #beauty #michigan #michiganwildlife #naturephotography

Whatcha lookin at stranger…??😤👀🥰

#wildlife #wildlifephotography #nature #wonder #thenaturalworld #michigan #michiganwildlife #critters #becurious #appreciatenature

Spread your wings and simply live…

#michiganwildlife #moth #naturephotography #nature #wildlife #beauty #becurious #life #explore #appreciatethenaturalworld #lifelesson

I spy with my little eye something…adorable and long eared..🐇👀💖

#nature #beauty #wildlife #rabbit #michigan #michiganwildlife #naturephotography #wonder

Scouted this poor,lone wild turkey hiding behind a neighbor’s AC unit. Don’t know if it’s injured or simply nesting…??🤔🥺🙏🏽🦃

#michigan #michigander #michiganwildlife #wildlife #nature #natureswonders

Wolverine — Detroit Zoo, May 3, 2025.

#Wolverine #DetroitZoo #WildlifePhotography #ZooAnimals #WolverineWatch #NaturePhotography #PredatorsOfTheNorth #DetroitPhotographer #ZooWildlife #CarnivoreCapture #MichiganWildlife #AnimalPhotography #WolverineSightings

A tiny baby blue-tailed skink I just found next to the shed. The last photo has my finger for scale. 🦎

#skink #bluetailedskink #lizard #lizards #wildlife #babylizard #babylizards #cute #michigan #northernmichigan #michiganwildlife #animal #animals #reptile #reptiles #tiny #wiltonwanderlust

Wolverine — Detroit Zoo, May 3, 2025.

#Wolverine #DetroitZoo #WildlifePhotography #ZooAnimals #WolverineWatch #NaturePhotography #PredatorsOfTheNorth #DetroitPhotographer #ZooWildlife #CarnivoreCapture #MichiganWildlife #AnimalPhotography #WolverineSightings

Collage of five floral, landscape, and wildlife images with overlaying text reading "Matted 8x12 Prints."

Collage of two floral and landscape images with overlaying text reading "Canvases."

Come stop by from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and support an amazing cause with us!

➡️Love for Lily: Hope for #PDCD Market
➡️ Fulton St. Market in #GrandRapidsMichigan
➡️ Sunday, May 4, 2025
➡️ 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

#michiganart
#michiganexplored
#grandrapidsmi
#michiganwildlife
#michiganbeaches

More black bears seen in Lower Michigan. Here's how to avoid them, DNR says Black bears are expanding their territory in Michigan's Lower Peninsula and as they roam about, state officials say the best way for residents and bears to both stay safe is to ensure they can't find a reliable snack in their human neighbor's backyard. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources said while bears have long been a fact of life in the state's Upper Peninsula, they've been venturing farther south and west over the past two decades, including into the Traverse City, Grand Rapids and Midland areas. The state estimates 2,000 bears now call Lower Michigan home. The DNR has received about 285 bear complaints per year over the past two decades, including 303 in 2024. Counties with the most such complaints were Marquette (41), Houghton (29), Otsego (26), Chippewa (25), Delta (24), Charlevoix (19), Leelanau (16) and Grand Traverse (13). About half of those calls came from residents who saw a bear in their yard and wanted the DNR to remove it. However, state officials say a bear simply passing through one's property doesn't necessarily warrant action from state officials. Black bears are an important part of the state's ecosystem, said Jared Duquette, a DNR wildlife biologist who specializes in human-wildlife interactions. “Bears eat a variety of fruits, berries and nuts, making them terrific seed dispersers,” Duquette said. “Their droppings help spread seeds across large areas, promoting plant growth and forest regeneration. As opportunistic omnivores, bears help control populations of small mammals and insects. They also scavenge on carrion, which helps recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem.” Please don't feed the bears As long as they can't find a meal, bears are not likely to hang around in someone's yard for an extended period of time. To keep the hungry mammals moving along, DNR has two main recommendations: * Limit or eliminate access to bird feed, including suet, which "is like fast food to a bear." The animals can smell the feed from up to a mile away and remember where it is year after year, DNR said. * Keep other possible food sources secure. A bear will likely keep moving if there’s nothing tasty around, including unsecured garbage or a food-splattered grill. If a bear has already helped itself to a tasty birdseed or trash dinner, the DNR will typically recommend the resident remove the food source and give the bear at least two weeks to stop visiting the premises. Other options include replacing bird feeders with bird baths, securing household trash in a garage or shed, using bear-resistant trash cans (and bear-resistant dumpsters for businesses) and protecting beehives with an electric fence. “We had a homeowner who wanted us to trap a bear because it was coming by their home every day,” said Stephen Griffith, a DNR biologist for the Traverse City area. “But if a bear is coming by every day, there’s a problem. You need to fix the problem. Bears have a very, very good memory.” Griffith said two other residents in the Traverse City area decided to leave food out for the bears every day and even named them. This might seem kind, he said, but it's actually dangerous to the bears, which risk getting shot by other residents or euthanized by animal control officers if they continue to frequent areas populated by humans. “As the saying goes,” Griffith said, “a fed bear is a dead bear.” The DNR can help remove a bear from a property by scaring it off with rubber buckshot or pyrotechnics. The state can also trap and relocate the animal if it becomes problematic or potentially threatens public safety. A captured bear can be relocated to a more suitable habitat in the woods of northern Michigan but that habitat is becoming scarcer as more land is developed, state officials said. “You can take a problem bear somewhere else, but then you run the risk of it becoming someone else’s problem,” said Kowalski, whose office relocates about six bears a year. Don't play dead, don't run away The black bear is the only species of bear found in the Michigan wild. Despite its name, it can come in three different colors: black, brown and cinnamon. They can weigh anywhere between 100 and 500 pounds. They generally prefer to avoid people, state officials said, but may defend themselves if they're surprised or feel threatened. Deaths caused by black bears are very rare, with only 61 such deaths across North America since 1900, according to the nonprofit North American Bear Center. If someone does encounter a black bear, the DNR said, they should not play dead (that will only work on a grizzly) and they should not run away (that can trigger the animal's chase response). Instead, stand your ground, back away only when the bear stops its approach and make yourself look bigger by raising your arms and jacket, and/or standing on a rock or stump, state officials suggested. One can also yell at the bear loudly and always provide a clear, unobstructed escape route for the bear. If the bear makes contact with you, fight back, the DNR advises, by hitting, kicking and using anything available like a knife, sticks, rocks, binoculars or a backpack. mreinhart@detroitnews.com @max_detroitnews This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: More black bears seen in Lower Michigan. Here's how to avoid them, DNR says

More black bears seen in Lower Michigan. Here's how to avoid them, DNR says #BlackBears #MichiganWildlife #DNR

A mute swan swims in a golden pond

Last one for today and for a long time in general: Mute Swan 🦢 Photographed at #KensingtoMetropark in #Michigan.

pabitelphotography.etsy.com/listing/1890...

#mittenstate
#michiganexplored
#michigancharm
#michiganspring
#michiganwildlife
#michiganbirds

Michigan state panel expected to consider year-round coyote hunting proposal Thursday The Michigan Natural Resources Commission is expected to weigh a return to a year-round coyote hunting season at a meeting Thursday. The commission — a seven-member body appointed by the governor — voted more than a year ago to close the coyote season from mid-April to mid-July, which is when coyotes typically care for pups. A new Wildlife Conservation Order Amendment, proposed by Commissioner John Walters, would remove the three-month closure. The proposal is on the agenda for the Natural Resources Commission's Thursday meeting at 9:30 a.m. at Lansing Community College West Campus. The commission regulates the taking of game and sportfish, designates game species and establishes the first open season for animals. Representatives of two hunter groups said the coyote season was closed because of "social pressures" and noted game management decisions should be "rooted in science." But animal rights advocates argued it is inhumane to kill coyote parents while they are raising their young. "Hunting during this time hugely increases the possibility that you're going to orphan a pack of pups, and they're going to starve to death," said Naomi Louchouarn, the program director for wildlife partnerships at Humane World for Animals. The amendment comes as the Michigan United Conservation Clubs and the Michigan Trappers and Predator Callers Association are suing the Natural Resources Commission over its decision in March 2024 to shorten the season. The decision was "not based in any need to manage coyotes for any management or biological reason," said Justin Tomei, policy and government affairs manager for Michigan United Conservation Clubs. Walter, the commissioner who advanced the year-round hunting plan in February, declined to talk about the measure, citing the pending litigation. He said, though, he hopes the amendment gets a vote on Thursday, but doesn't know for certain it will. The commission has gone back and forth on allowing a nine-month hunting season for coyote versus a year-long one. The 2024 vote, which was 4-2, reversed a previous decision made by the Natural Resources Commission in 2016, when the board made the season year-round. A DNR document from January 2024 said that there is “concern about social perception and future loss of management tools if the open season continues to allow coyotes to be taken when there are dependent young present.” There were an estimated 50,131 licensed coyote hunters in Michigan in 2021, according to the Small Game Harvest Survey Report from the Department of Natural Resources. asnabes@detroitnews.com This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Michigan state panel expected to consider year-round coyote hunting proposal Thursday

Michigan state panel expected to consider year-round coyote hunting proposal Thursday #CoyoteHunting #WildlifeConservation #MichiganWildlife

Even on a cloudy day, nature surprises! 🌳 Spotted a pair of pileated woodpeckers hard at work, plus the usual turkeys and a curious raccoon. Kensington Metropark is always an adventure! 🦩 #WildlifePhotography #KensingtonMetropark #PileatedWoodpeckers #NatureLovers #MichiganWildlife #ExploreMichigan

Should Michigan return to year-round coyote hunting? State panel to decide Michigan's Natural Resources Commission is considering returning to a year-round coyote hunting season for the state, a proposal some hunting advocates say would fix "a grievous error," while animal rights proponents argue is unethical. The commission — a seven-member body appointed by the governor that regulates the taking of game and sportfish, designates game species and establishes the first open season for animals — voted more than a year ago to close the coyote season from mid-April to mid-July, which is when coyotes typically care for pups. But the commission is reconsidering that decision. A new Wildlife Conservation Order Amendment, proposed by Commissioner John Walters, would make coyote hunting season year-round again. The proposal is on the agenda for the Natural Resources Commission's Thursday meeting in Lansing. The proposal comes as two hunter organizations, the Michigan United Conservation Clubs and the Michigan Trappers and Predator Callers Association, are suing the commission over its decision in March 2024 to shorten the season. The two groups said the season was closed because of "social pressures" and noted that game management decisions should be "rooted in science." They said the coyote population needs to be managed so it doesn't grow too large. The decision to shorten the season was "not based in any need to manage coyotes for any management or biological reason," said Justin Tomei, policy and government affairs manager for Michigan United Conservation Clubs. But animal rights advocates said the nine-month hunting policy won't reduce the coyote population and argued it's inhumane to kill coyote parents while they are raising their young. "Hunting during this time hugely increases the possibility that you're going to orphan a pack of pups, and they're going to starve to death," said Naomi Louchouarn, the program director for wildlife partnerships at Humane World for Animals. Walter, the commissioner who advanced the year-round hunting plan in February, declined to talk about the measure, citing the pending litigation. He said, though, he hopes the amendment gets a vote next week, but doesn't know for certain it will. Breeding season Breeding season for coyotes — which are common all over Michigan and found in all 83 counties — is from January to March. People are most likely to see and hear coyotes during that period, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. If there is a den nearby, people might also see adult coyotes throughout the summer as they care for their pups. In Michigan, coyotes have between four and seven pups. As fall approaches, pups begin dispersing from the den to create home ranges of their own. Coyotes are active day and night, but their activity peaks at sunrise and sunset, according to the DNR. Stanley Gehrt, a professor at Ohio State University and the principal investigator of the Cook County Coyote Project, which studies coyotes in the Chicago metropolitan area, said coyote hunting usually won't lower the coyote population statewide, as there aren't enough hunters to affect the population. But from "an ethical standpoint," he said he can see why some animal rights groups would want to restrict the hunting of coyotes in the spring, which is when coyotes reproduce. "A lot of coyote management is dictated by politics more than biology or ethics," Gehrt said. There were an estimated 50,131 licensed coyote hunters in Michigan in 2021, according to the Small Game Harvest Survey Report from the natural resources department. Figures for 2022, 2023 and 2024 weren't available. Last year's decision The Natural Resources Commission has gone back and forth on allowing a nine-month hunting season for coyote versus a year-long one. The 2024 vote, which was 4-2, reversed a previous decision made by the Natural Resources Commission in 2016, when the board made the season year-round. Tom Baird, a former commissioner who chaired the panel during that March 2024 vote, said at the 2024 meeting that hunters and trappers proposed the change to a nine-month season. Animal rights advocates supported their proposal, and some turned out to the March 14 meeting. Baird said the Natural Resources Commission is always looking at stakeholder preferences, "whether or not they have biological impact." "We're always looking at public interest and public input and public trust, knowing that wildlife in Michigan is sort of owned by all of us in Michigan, not just one group or another," he said, "and we take so-called social or non-scientific considerations into account all the time." A DNR document from January 2024 said the majority of the Furtaker User Group — an advisory body to the Natural Resources Commission — supported the proposed regulation change and shortening the coyote hunting season to nine months. The DNR said several trapping and hunting groups and individuals had requested the department change the coyote hunting season “due to public perception and potential future impacts to their hunting and trapping opportunities.” The department had also been contacted by some predator callers who were opposed to the change. The DNR noted that there is “concern about social perception and future loss of management tools if the open season continues to allow coyotes to be taken when there are dependent young present.” Baird, the commission's former chair, said the coyote population in Michigan is stable and not increasing, and the effect of lengthening the season was "none, basically." The DNR does not list an estimated population for coyotes. He also said nuisance hunting for coyotes would still be allowed on private property year-round. Walters, one of two commissioners who opposed the hunting season change last year, said at the 2024 meeting there is a "lot of gray area" on nuisance hunting. For example, it's up to the hunter to identify whether there's a nuisance. "We are essentially then putting all the weight in the off-season on the hunter and on the conservation officers to make the right call," Walters said at the meeting. Hunter groups support proposal The MUCC's Tomei said his organization exists to keep game management decisions "rooted in science, rooted in biology, and not in political pressures or social pressures or any other real significant factor." "And so when the commission voted last year … to partially close the season for those 90ish days, the justifications given were purely based on assumptions of social pressure or fear of something may happen through some other avenue to restrict opportunity, and not based in any need to manage coyotes for any management or biological reason," he said. The MUCC sees returning to year-round hunting as "kind of fixing a grievous error," Tomei said. After the hunting season was shortened, the Michigan United Conservation Clubs and the Michigan Trappers and Predator Callers Association — who were not among the hunters and trappers who asked to shorten the season — both filed lawsuits against the commission, and those cases have since been combined. Tomei said they are waiting for an Ingham County judge to either order oral arguments or rule just on the briefs that have been filed. Merle Jones, the public relations director for the Michigan Trappers and Predator Callers Association, said hunting coyote is "no different than enjoying hunting any other species." "We are part of the animal kingdom, and it's part of our nature to hunt," Jones said. "That's why we enjoy the sports of hunting because, again, it fulfills part of our human nature. Jones said most hunting for coyotes is done at night, and hunters try to attract coyotes by making vocal noises such as the sound of a rabbit in distress or another coyote. "Essentially, at that point, the hunter has become the hunted, because now they're hunting you," he said. "So there's a fair amount of challenge there, trying to go through that process to your end result." Jones argued that coyote hunting and trapping is "primarily a management tool." Ohio State's Gehrt said while hunting and trapping are often effective management tools for most other species, it is "not so much for coyotes," unless it is to remove a specific coyote that is causing conflicts. 'Just inhumane' Mitchell Nelson, the Michigan state director of state affairs for the nonprofit Humane World for Animals, said the proposed return to year-round hunting isn't "the result of a public mandate or public push or anything like that." "There's a very small but very loud minority in the hunting community who's advocating for measures like this," Nelson said. Jill Fritz, the senior director of wildlife protection for Humane World for Animals, said hunting and trapping adult coyotes while they are raising their pups in their den is "just inhumane." Coyote pups are born in the spring, and they depend on their parents for several months, she said. But Jones disputes that year-round hunting leaves more coyote pups motherless. When hunters call coyotes in the spring, he said mothers generally won’t respond to the calls and will remain in their dens while their pups are dependent on them. Only males and females that aren’t raising young would respond to the calls, Jones said, and those are the animals that would get killed. “If the coyote comes to our calls, the odds of it being the mother of dependent young in their den are extremely, extremely low,” he said. How Michigan's season compares Even if the commission rejects the proposal to return to year-round hunting, the coyote season would "still be one of the most liberal seasons in the state, open for nine months," according to a 2024 DNR report. Gehrt said Indiana is the only other Midwestern state that has some limitations to the length of the coyote harvest, but it's only for public lands. Hunting on private land can happen year-round. He said some northeastern states, such as Massachusetts and New York state, limit the season. Gehrt said coyote hunting in general doesn't help lower the numbers of coyotes, Gehrt said. However, he said the most effective time to achieve that goal is the spring. At the local level, hunting coyote parents in the spring can temporarily reduce a coyote population because the parents' litter won't survive, Gehrt said. But it doesn't have any "long-term effect" on coyote numbers, he said. "And it definitely wouldn't have any effect statewide," Gerht said. Nelson of Humane World for Animals said his organization is letting its volunteers know about Thursday's meeting. “And we're talking to other organizations and really want to make sure that we have a strong voice in the room" for opponents of this proposal, he said. asnabes@detroitnews.com This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Should Michigan return to year-round coyote hunting? State panel to decide

Should Michigan return to year-round coyote hunting? State panel to decide #CoyoteHunting #MichiganWildlife #HuntingSeason

A pretty cool turkey vulture I came across yesterday #turkeyvulture #vultures #birdsofbluesky #wildlifephotography #michiganbirds #michiganwildlife #birding #birdphotography #nature #naturephotography #birdwatching #bird #birds 🪶

A pretty cool turkey vulture I came across yesterday

#turkeyvulture #vultures #birdsofbluesky #wildlifephotography #michiganbirds #michiganwildlife #birding #birdphotography #nature #naturephotography #birdwatching #bird #birds 🪶

A pretty cool bullfrog I came across this past weekend! He was just sunning himself in the grass and let me get a few shots in #bullfrog #frog #frogs #amphibian #frogphotography #naturephotography #wildlifephotography #nature #wildlife #michiganwildlife

A pretty cool bullfrog I came across this past weekend! He was just sunning himself in the grass and let me get a few shots in

#bullfrog #frog #frogs #amphibian #frogphotography #naturephotography #wildlifephotography #nature #wildlife #michiganwildlife

Close-up photograph of an American Robin foraging among melting snow and fallen leaves. The bird's vibrant orange breast contrasts beautifully with its gray-brown back feathers. Patches of snow and early spring greenery are visible in the background, while the robin appears to search for food among thawing ground and wet leaves.

Close-up photograph of an American Robin foraging among melting snow and fallen leaves. The bird's vibrant orange breast contrasts beautifully with its gray-brown back feathers. Patches of snow and early spring greenery are visible in the background, while the robin appears to search for food among thawing ground and wet leaves.

Close-up photograph of an American Robin foraging among melting snow and fallen leaves. The bird's vibrant orange breast contrasts beautifully with its gray-brown back feathers. Patches of snow and early spring greenery are visible in the background, while the robin appears to search for food among thawing ground and wet leaves.

In southeastern Michigan, a robin pauses between snow patches, bringing a 'warm' smile to winter-weary faces. They really do listen for worms! Research confirms they use both sight AND sound to locate their wiggly meals. #NatureMoments #MichiganSpring #MichiganWildlife

Cougar cubs spotted in Michigan wild for first time in 100 years

Michigan's wilderness welcomes back its elusive cougar cubs after a century-long absence! 🐾 A truly wild and wonderful comeback story. #MichiganWildlife #Cougar #Conservation #WildlifeRecovery

Cougar cubs spotted in Michigan wild for first time in more than 100 years A Michigan resident in the western part of the Upper Peninsula recently discovered something not seen in Michigan for more than a century — cougar cubs in the wild. State biologists on Wednesday confirmed the sighting of two spotted cubs, believed…

A Michigan resident in the western part of the Upper Peninsula recently discovered something not seen in Michigan for more than a century — cougar cubs in the wild.





State biologists on Wednesday confirmed the sighting of two spotted cubs, believed… #CougarCubs #MichiganWildlife #Conservation

That cone-shaped beak isn't just for show - it generates crushing force of up to 50 pounds per square inch to crack open seeds and nuts! #MichiganWildlife

Trail camera view of a fallen log crossing a reflective forest pool, with the Great Horned Owl perched, its large talons visible, on the right side.

The same scene moments later shows a cautious squirrel on the log considering whether to cross, with the owl visible at the left end of the log.

This savvy squirrel knows its odds: a Great Horned Owl's talon grip is stronger than a guard dog's bite! While the owl's eyes are fixed in its skull, those 500-pound crushing talons rarely miss. #MichiganWildlife #TrailCamCritters 🐾

A trail camera captured a groundhog (woodchuck) in its natural habitat beside a muddy creek bank. The chunky brown rodent is surrounded by lush green summer vegetation, with fallen logs crossing the water in the background. The scene shows the groundhog's preferred environment, woodland edges near water sources. Groundhog Day stems from the German tradition of Candlemas Day, when the clergy blesses and distributes candles. German settlers in Pennsylvania chose the groundhog to continue their European hedgehog-based weather prediction customs.

2/2/2025 Move over, Punxsutawney Phil! 🌿📸 This chunky #MichiganWildlife celeb opted for a *permanent* summer home by a muddy creek. No shadow-checking here—just log lounging & leafy lunches. Did you know #GroundhogDay stems from German Candlemas lore? (First official fest: 1887!) #TrailCamCritters 🐾

'Excuse me, but have you seen my spring catalog? I heard the crocuses are having a pop-up sale.' Spring may not be here yet, but clearly, someone got the memo! #MichiganWildlife #SquirrelAntics #SpringIsComing #WildlifePhotography

@michigandnr.bsky.social

#MichiganWildlife #Wildlife #WildlifePhotography #Squirrel #snowy #Michigan

Midnight freight train spotted in Michigan woods! All aboard the Raccoon Family Express, these masked bandits are practicing their balance beam routine. #MichiganWildlife #TrailCamCritters

Michigan Wildlife A collection of Michigan wildlife photos and videos created by a lady that loves nature. 🐾

I have started a 2nd channel and I'm very excited about it! I love being with nature, and if you do too, I hope you enjoy it! www.youtube.com/@MichiganWild #MichiganWildlife
#nature #wildlife