Up North Progressive

If you missed the latest of two free fishing weekends Michigan offers this year but still want to participate in more DNR-related activities, you can always count the number of wolves living below the bridge.

Since 2014 when the DNR positively identified wolf scat in Emmet County, the number of wolves possibly living in the lower peninsula has remained unknown. Wolves have no barrier to moving into the upper peninsula, but wolves need ice cover on the Great Lakes to make it south. That happened in 2014 when the Great Lakes were 90 percent covered in ice. Currently, there’s only 56 percent total ice cover, but at the Straits of Mackinac, it’s around 90 to 100 percent.

The survey began on February 19, 2019, but there’s still time. The last day to report any evidence of wolves in the lower peninsula is March 15, 2019. The DNR is giving priority to reports north of M 55 and they ask that if you do find evidence of a possible wolf in the area to report it as soon as possible. DNR Biologist Jennifer Kleitch also asks observers to do the following when gathering evidence:

Those who find what they believe are wolf tracks should preserve the physical sign and take a photo of the tracks with a ruler in the frame to indicate size. We’d also be very interested in any recent pictures of a wolf in the Northern Lower Peninsula.

You can call the DNR Atlanta Field Office at 989-785-4251, ext. 5233 or use the Eyes In The Field form at Michigan.gov/dnr.