President: Jeff Powers

Vice President: Bruce Beaudoin

Secretary: Jacque LaFreniere

Treasurer: Mark LaFreniere

Newsletter editor: Jacque LaFreniere

Directors: Phil Wyckoff, Bill Detwiler, Gary Mor-gan, Don Tritsch, Bob Tidmore, Tina Morgan. Shirley Detwiler

Board of Directors

April 2015

P.O. Box 103 Beaver Island, MI 49782

Volume 8 Issue 1

Beaver Island Wildlife Club

for early successional forests leaving all

mast/fruit bearing trees and shrubs, all

dead trees and anything 2" dia. and

smaller. Almost seven acres were cut this

winter using Beaver Island volunteers

and 20 acres were contracted to a new

Beaver Island contractor, B&M Tree Ser-

vice and was completed on April 11, 2015.

The locations are picked that provide

for suitable habitat in out of the way loca-

tions, where the stand has little or no

commercial value, and yet is accessible

for those who don't mind a little hiking. It

should be noted that not only did this

project bring about habitat improvement,

but also brought the equivalent of 1/3 of

an annual full time job to the island.

The Beaver Island Wildlife Club would

like to thank Eric Ellis, Eastern Great

Lakes Regional Biologist and Grant Writ-

er, for all the work and effort he contrib-

uted to get us to this point. We also want

to thank our MDNR Wildlife Gaylord

folks, Brian Mastenbrook and Jennifer

Kleitsch. The Beaver Island volunteers

included Gary and Tina Morgan, Bill and

Shirley Detwiler, Mark and Jacque

LaFreniere, Dalton and Ruthie Cothran,

Grant Funded Clear Cuts on State Land

For many years, the Beaver Island Wildlife

Club (BIWC) has funded different projects

and programs to benefit fish and wildlife on

the island, particularly focusing on deer and

turkeys and walleye.

Logging activities, once the "life blood" of

reforestation and generator of critical young

forest habitat on the island, have dwindled

during the past 30 years. Beaver Island’s

State owned forests continue to mature at an

alarming rate.

The Wildlife Habitat Grant Program

(WHGP), which began in October 2013, is

funded with a portion of the revenue from the

hunting and fishing licenses sold each year.

The Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS), RGS

works with landowners and government

agencies to develop critical habitat utilizing

scientific management practices.

The RGS, partnering with the BIWC, was

awarded a WHGP grant titled "Priority

Young Forests Project WH15-607. The grant

called for 27 acres of lowland mixed forest,

paint marked by MDNR Forestry personnel

in March of 2014, to be non-commercially cut

Eric Naranjo, Craig Gregory,

David and Dave Schwartzfish-

er, Tony Connaghan, Carl Ver-

tican, Phil and BJ Wyckoff,

and Jim Wojan. B&M Tree

Service, (owner/operators Dil-

lon Butler and Brett Maudrie)

did a great job on the contract-

ed portion. Special thanks to

Steve Juday/ Beaver Island 6

for access to cutting areas.

BIWC is already working with

the MDNR Wildlife staff for a

similar project next year.

Page 2 Beaver Island Wildlife Club Page 2 Beaver Island Wildlife Club

School Garden Project

The Wildlife Club as agreed to help

Beaver Island Community School with

a school garden project which will

eventually include trees propagated

from cutting of old orchards on Beaver

Island and other trees. Initially the

school garden will focus on a pollinator

garden and mast/fruit tree nursery.

Gun Range

Matt Hall from Charlevoix Rod and

Gun Club, presented to the BIWC this

winter, the possibility of creating a

gun club on Beaver Island. Generally

the idea was to create a shooting

range for siting rifles and a target

range which could draw people to the

island. Some discussion was had about

whether or not the club should get

involved in such a large venture which

would include purchasing property,

running the “business” of a gun club

complete with employees and potential

liability. The idea is currently on the

table, but needs more work to be con-

sidered feasible.

Tree Plantings

Several species of seedling trees and

shrubs will arrive on the island for

island property owners to plant. White

and Burr Oaks, American Hazelnut,

Black Cherry, American Chestnut, and

Serviceberry have been obtained from

the Conservation Resource Alliance,

Wexford and Manistee County Conser-

vation Districts. The seed-

lings/transplants will not only be

planted around the island, but also at

the school in its newly formed school

garden. The goal is to introduce other

mast/fruit trees and shrubs for wild-

life. Trees will need to be protected by

fencing and watered until well estab-

lished. Contact BIWC (231-448-2220)

to check on the availability and dates

when they will arrive on island.

2015 Rifle Raffle, Dinner and Tickets

The Annual Harold Lounsberry Hunter’s

Dinner will be held Nov. 16, 6-8 p.m. at the

Shamrock.

The Rifle raffle will be for a Weatherby

Vanguard 2 30.06 Bolt Rifle with scope.

Additional Grand Prizes include a GPS

and Binoculars. Many other prizes, includ-

ing the engraved knives from Baron Indus-

tries, will be raffled as well. A ticket gets

you entry into the drawing for all the priz-

es. Tickets ($10 each or 11 for $100) will be

available soon and can be purchased from

Phil Wyckoff or Jacque LaFreniere. Send

checks payable to BIWC, Box 103, Beaver

Island, MI 49782. If sending in, please let

us know if you have a preference for one of

the Grand Prizes over another and if you

want us to mail your ticket stubs to you.

This is our only fundraiser for the year.

Help us maintain enough funds for our

current projects and to fund future projects

as well.

The annual Cormorant training ses-

sion for Beaver Island participants

will familiarize the participants with

gun safety, proper bird identification,

boat safety and reporting require-

ments. This years participants are

Bill and Shirley Detwiler, Tina and

Gary Morgan, Phil Wyckoff, Craig

Gregory, Jeff Powers and Bob Tid-

more. The purpose of the program is

to harass the cormorants to prevent

them from feeding on the fishery of

Lake Geneserath and the Harbor of

Beaver Island. This is especially

critical for Lake Geneserath as the

Wildlife Club has an yearly program

to stock with lake with Walleye fin-

gerlings.

Cormorant culling training

Walleye Pond

The Walleye pond is being prepared

for the arrival of the Walleye fry

late in April. The pond needed to be

pumped dry from the winter water

and then refilled and ready for

stocking. Within several weeks, the

fry will be transferred to the inland

lakes. Hopefully the weather will

cooperate and provide good condi-

tions for their growth.

Birder’s Weekend

Warblers on the Water is the theme

for this year’s birding weekend, May

22-24 on Beaver Island. Besides nu-

merous field trips including a night

bird search, there will be guest speak-

ers: Kay Charter “Saving Birds

through Habitat”, Dr. Greg Butcher

“Michigan’s connection to the tropics”

and Dr. Nancy Seefelt “Avian re-

search on the Beaver Island Archipel-

ago”. Reservations are suggested for

the field trips. Go online:

www.beaverislandbirdingtrail.org to

register.

The Little Traverse Conservancy has

started a new program of volunteers

entitled “EcoStewards.” This program

is open to all. Basically, the volunteer

submits ideas, such as monitoring for

invasive species, planting for wildlife,

explore, collect, research, restore and

much more. The LTC will help you get

whatever skill needed through train-

ing and learning opportunities and

provide the land (preserves). This will

help the LTC better steward their pro-

tected lands. You can contact LTC

through their website for more infor-

mation at landtrust.org.

Please check your address label.

There will be a date or LT (lifetime) on

the label to show when your member-

ship is due.

Your membership dues help to support

all of the many projects of the Beaver

Island Wildlife Club. Please renew

now!

Page 3 Volume 8 Issue 1

NAME

____________________________________

Address :____________________________

City/

State_______________________________

Zip _______________________________

Would you like to help the wildlife club

fund its many activities? Join now:

Youth (under 16): $10

Adult one year: $25, 5 yr.: $75

Family: $35, 5 year: $110

Lifetime: $250

Would you like email updates from the

Wildlife Club? Yes No

Email: _____________________________

Return to:

Beaver Island Wildlife Club

Attn: Treasurer Mark LaFreniere

P.O. Box 103

Beaver Island, MI 49782

Membership

Membership Renewals

Changes in Dues

Avian Pox and

Turkeys

The BIWC board decided it was time

to restructure dues as it had been a

very long time since it had done so.

Effective June 1, 2014.

A family category was added to in-

clude spouses and underage chil-

dren.

Dues were raised slightly and we

kept the 5 year rates available as

well as the lifetime.

The club uses its funds to maintain

the wildlife of the island through

feeding programs, the walleye pond

stocking program, cormorant control

training and much more.

This winter two turkeys were iden-

tified with Avian (Turkey) Pox.

Both were shot and sent to Lansing

for necropsy. The results were posi-

tive for Turkey Pox and Lymphopro-

liferative Disease Virus. Both of

these diseases create yellow-brown

tumors on the head of the bird. The

first bird was almost completely

blind because of it.

Neither LPDV nor Pox are conta-

gious to humans and the meat can

be consumed safely. It is particular-

ly contagious among birds, and can

be transmitted by mosquitoes.

There is no cure, nor prevention

other than to remove affected birds

from the flocks.

If you see such a bird, call Mark

LaFreniere, who has a permit, to

cull the bird and we will send it

Lansing for necropsy.

Club Officers At the January meeting, Jeff Powers,

Mark LaFreniere and Jacque

LaFreniere were re-elected to their

current positions. Bruce Beaudoin

was elected to Vice President and

Shirley Detwiler was elected to the

board.

EcoSteward program

The 2014 Rifle raffle grand prize win-

ners were: Dan Sparks (Gun), Susan

McFall (binoculars) and Bud Martin

(GPS). There were many other winners

of a variety of raffle prizes as well.

Rangefinder- Keith Bales

Engraved Knives- John Haggard, Mark

Welke

Flashlights: Don Tritsch, Myles Re-

hkopf, Eric Hodgson, Chuck Marshall

Knives: Bill Brott, Mark LaFreniere,

Rex Dowling, Robert Atchulson

Headlamps: Bob Tidmore, Bruce

Beaudoin, Charlie Creasser (2), Sally

Lounsberry

Worklight- Tom Whitman

Folding saw- Mike Meany

Scent repellant kit- Don Tritsch

Whitetail hats- Tom Graham, Myles

Rehkopf, Jason Darwin, Bob Tidmore,

Keith Brothers

50/50 raffle winners: Colleen Martin and

John Haggard, Jr.

Rifle Raffle Winners

Beaver Island Wildlife Club

P.O. Box 103

Beaver Island, MI 49782

Big Buck Contest

Dan Cruickshank won the big buck contest 2014,

actually bagging two big bucks, one scoring 95.5!

The prize was $265. Congratulations Dan!