“Summer’s end’s around the bend, just flying,” – John Prine — — — MARQUETTE — The afternoon couldn’t make up its mind between sunny skies, cold winds and clouds threatening rain. I decided to spend those hours traveling gray-graveled backroads, looking for some respite ...

LANSING — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer this week gathered with state, retail and nonprofit representatives of Michigan’s outdoor recreation industry to showcase the industry’s value and preview the move, this October, to officially join the Confluence of States. The Confluence is a growing ...

LANSING — Hunters around Michigan are getting ready to get outdoors. Sunday marks the statewide start of hunting season for cottontail rabbit, snowshoe hare, ruffed grouse, fox and gray squirrel. Woodcock season, also statewide, follows less than a week later on Sept. 21. Before hitting the ...

“Swimming in the big lake, taking it easy, taking any comfort we could find,” – Bob Seger — — — MARQUETTE — With a splash and swift turn in the water, the brook trout at the end of my line broke the top of the water’s surface and jerked hard toward the bottom of the ...

MARQUETTE — An update on white-nose syndrome in bats, a presentation about the state’s parks and trails systems, and recognition for the efforts of former commissioner J.R. Richardson, Michigan United Conservation Clubs Upper Peninsula staff and former Michigan State Parks Advisory ...

IRON MOUNTAIN — The recent washout of a culvert along West Pond Road at the Groveland Mine Recreation Area in Dickinson County will leave boating access sites to the East and West ponds inaccessible until further notice. Michigan Department of Natural Resources staff is working to obtain ...

“Sometimes the best words are left unspoken, sometimes the best words are left unsaid,” – Marshall Crenshaw — — — MARQUETTE — From where I sat in the cool grass, I could look up to see the smoke roiling into the sky – tumbling and twirling. The night had begun to fall ...

HERMANSVILLE — District 3 of the U.P. Trappers Association will be meeting at the Wildwood Restaurant on Thursday Sept. 12 in Hermansville at 5:30 p.m. Central Time to pick up trash along the highway. The group will then go to the Anderson’s Sportsman’s Club for the regular meeting at ...

Little Bay De Noc: Had fair walleye fishing with the best action in the evening when trolling a crawler harness or jigging crawlers along the weeds on the First and Second Reefs. During the day, anglers were jigging crawlers in 10 feet along the east bank off Kipling. Good to excellent ...

LANSING — Michigan residents have until Aug. 31 to help the Department of Natural Resources decide which state forest roads will be open or closed to off-road vehicles in 2020. The DNR updates its online forest roads map every year on April 1, indicating which roads are open to ORV use. ...

MARQUETTE — For me, getting rid of an old pair of cowboy boots is like getting rid of an old pickup truck, it’s a hard thing to do. I’ve got an old pair of western boots now that I’ve been slowly inching toward the trash can for a few months. Even though I bought a replacement pair, I ...

Little Bay De Noc: Walleye anglers reported fair catches off Gladstone Beach when trolling or jigging crawlers in 14 to 25 feet or the Kipling reefs in 12 to 30 feet however most of those fish were undersize. Perch catches were fair between the First and Second Reef with crawlers or minnows in ...

MARQUETTE — The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is scheduled to apply herbicide treatments at four sites in the Charley Lakes area of southern Marquette County in preparation for red and jack pine planting. DNR pesticide applicators are licensed and trained in the safe use of these ...

LANSING — Since its inception in 2014, the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program has allocated over $18.5 million in grants to universities, non-profits and units of government to prevent, detect and manage invasive species in Michigan. Now, you can see all 112 grant-funded projects in ...

“MARQUETTE — I was whipping along on the highway when I glanced off the road to my right to see a scene that slowed my sense of timing down dramatically. It was as though things started to move in slow motion – with the view out the passenger-side window passing by in still photographic ...

Little Bay De Noc: Walleye action picked up for those trolling or jigging in 14 to 30 feet along the reefs. There are still a lot of undersize fish in the area. The best catches were near the “Fingers,” Minneapolis Shoals in 18 to 26 feet or near Round Island in 10 feet when trolling ...

LANSING — Michigan residents and out-of-state visitors looking for an off-road adventure can explore the state’s 3,700 miles of off-road trails and five scramble areas during Free ORV Weekend Aug. 17-18. “This is the perfect opportunity to see and experience Michigan’s off-road ...

GLADSTONE — On Aug. 1, Hiawatha National Forest Supervisor Cid Morgan and representatives of Delta County Nonmotorized Trails (DCNT) signed a cost share agreement providing volunteer ski trail grooming and minor trail maintenance at Rapid River National Cross Country Ski Trail. Signing for ...

MARQUETTE — As easy as a melody, our little raft floated across the top of the water, pushed gently onward by a warm summer breeze. There was no need to paddle, only to drift and to coast. No need for a jacket, not even a windbreaker, sunshine warming my face. Light puffs of smoke rolled ...

GLADSTONE — Hiawatha National Forest has partnered with OnCell to launch a mobile app for visitors. Visitors can use the OnCell app on their personal mobile devices to take self-guided tours of natural and heritage sites at several US Forest Service locations across the nation, including the ...