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Russ Mason

Russ Mason: Would a simpler licensing structure benefit Michigan hunters?

Featured, Hunting, Michigan, National Hunting, Opinion /

In 1934, the Michigan hunting regulations pamphlet was a single piece of paper folded in half, creating a front, back, and two inside pages.
Today, the document has expanded to 80 pages, and also is electronically available both for convenience and because regulatory changes could occur after printing. No doubt, some of this regulatory increase reflects new challenges and federal impositions (e.g., mandatory hunter education, CWD, sealing of furbearers, increasingly complex federal waterfowl requirements), but mostly, it reflects well-meaning attempts to increase opportunity and hunter recruitment, retention, and reactivation.

Russ Mason: Would a simpler licensing structure benefit Michigan hunters? Read More »

Russ Mason: Are natural resource agencies losing appreciation for paying customers?

Featured, Fishing, Hunting, Michigan, National Fishing, National Hunting, Opinion /

When it comes to conservation and sustainable populations of fish and wildlife, state agencies are doing too much with too little.
“Doing more with less” is an unrealistic euphemism. More to the point, it’s inequitable given the “some-users-pay” model that currently is the foundation for most state-based conservation. And yet, being impractical (and fiscally unsound) doesn’t mean existing trends won’t continue.

Russ Mason: Are natural resource agencies losing appreciation for paying customers? Read More »

Wildlife councils spread positive message on hunting, fishing, but does it work?

Featured, Fishing, Home Page News, Hunting, Michigan, National Fishing, National Hunting, Opinion /

Michigan and Colorado recognize that the future of hunting and fishing depend on the goodwill of Americans who don’t hunt or fish (and are unlikely to start).
Both have legislatively established wildlife councils that promote the economic and ecological benefits of hunting and fishing with funding provided by a surcharge on every license sold. Both councils are making a difference.

Wildlife councils spread positive message on hunting, fishing, but does it work? Read More »

Russ Mason: Wildlife councils succeed in educating public on merits of hunting; why not employ a similar approach on R3?

Featured, Fishing, Hunting, Michigan, National Fishing, National Hunting, Opinion /

Arguably, the time is coming when most state fish and wildlife agencies won’t have the expertise to effectively promote hunting and fishing. The consequences are profound, not only for hunters and anglers, but also for the future of conservation.

The reasons for this decline boil down to an ever-increasing emphasis on representation. Reasonably enough, agencies want employees with a wide diversity of backgrounds that reflect the diversity of the general public. The perspective is that diversity is a key to relevance, which is why diversity is a pillar of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Relevancy Roadmap. It’s been an uphill climb.

Russ Mason: Wildlife councils succeed in educating public on merits of hunting; why not employ a similar approach on R3? Read More »

A little love for the coot

Featured, Featured, Features, Home Page News, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Michigan, Minnesota, National Hunting, Nature Page & Night Sky, Ohio /

It was a Monday like most Mondays during waterfowl season for the past decade. I hunted the Shiawassee State Game Area southwest of Saginaw, Mich. Ducks weren’t flying, even though the day started out rainy and finished with winds in the 12- to 20-mph range (albeit from the southwest). We ended up with just five ducks on an otherwise quiet afternoon.
Although the ducks were scarce, stale, or both, we saw coverts of coots tootling around doing whatever it is that makes coots happy.

A little love for the coot Read More »

Commentary: Realign research priorities to focus on game

Featured, Hunting, Michigan, National Hunting, Opinion /

When it comes to science-based decision-making, agencies have always struggled to source relevant usable information.
Initially, the challenge was a lack of capacity. In 1939, when Aldo Leopold’s wildlife management program was established at the University of Wisconsin, the field had few scholars, no other departments, no recognized experts, and, at best, somewhat rudimentary methods of research.

Commentary: Realign research priorities to focus on game Read More »

Russ Mason: Recent report is good news, but falls short on ‘proof’ that CWD can’t infect humans

Featured, Home Page News, Hunting, Michigan, National Hunting, Opinion /

Several weeks ago, a published abstract entitled: “Rare and Fatal Brain Disease in Two Deer Hunters Heightens Concerns about CWD” appeared in the journal Neurology.

Not surprisingly, it was picked up by the popular press and created quite a stir. In the end, it turned out that the data didn’t really warrant “heightened concerns” for a variety of reasons (e.g., CWD was only identified in the hunter’s area after both hunters were diagnosed). Now, another paper, this time in Emerging Infectious Diseases, suggests that the species barrier is so strong that CWD spill-over may be an unwarranted concern.
Without question, these findings are good news. But at the same time (this is important), the data are just “another brick in the wall.” They are not proof that CWD can’t infect humans.

Russ Mason: Recent report is good news, but falls short on ‘proof’ that CWD can’t infect humans Read More »

Commentary: Traditional fish and wildlife management is under attack

Featured, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Home Page News, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, National Fishing, National Hunting, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Opinion, Opinion, Opinion, Opinion, Opinion, Opinion, Opinion, Opinion, Opinion, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin /

The region’s outdoorsmen need to pay attention.
In Kentucky, the state’s Senate recently considered a bill to move the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources from the Governor’s Tourism Cabinet to the Department of Agriculture.
Senate Bill 3 also would’ve given Agriculture the ability to appoint the members of the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission. With the recent close of the general session, the bill effectively died, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t re-emerge.

Commentary: Traditional fish and wildlife management is under attack Read More »

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