# questions for DNRE Director



## DANIEL MARK ZAPOLSKI (Sep 23, 2002)

just ducky said:


> Just as a point of clarity, the federal guidelines have permitted 2 hens for several years now (not sure how many...one of the CWAC members could probably say). But it's been the CWAC recommendation that we only allow 1 in the bag. So that's not something the Director can change...it's the CWAC recommendation, which then goes to the waterfowl workgroup, which then goes to the NRC, that comes out to us as a regulation.


thats correct, but the gov appoints rebbeca and nrc therefore we have the politics of this issue which lies in the hands of the nrc. if becky makes the push for it, the gov would back her hand and like you said it ends up on the nrc's table and they don't have to make the law on the recommendations of the cwac now do they? i would much rather they go along the lines of the usfw and thats a very good point of an argument for the 2 hens becoming law


----------



## Grayphase (May 11, 2010)

Not a question but more lets say educating the woman. OUTLAW ALL MOTORIZED MECHANICAL DECOYS PLEASE. STATEWIDE for the obvious reasons. Time for MI to be a leader for a change.


----------



## DANIEL MARK ZAPOLSKI (Sep 23, 2002)

Grayphase said:


> Not a question but more lets say educating the woman. OUTLAW ALL MOTORIZED MECHANICAL DECOYS PLEASE. STATEWIDE for the obvious reasons.


:lol::lolh yes, it's obvious, you don't like them:yikes:


----------



## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

just ducky said:


> Gene,
> 
> I think you and Shiawassee Kid need to have an old-fashioned shoot out on Saginaw Bay sometime this fall...ya know, kind of an O K Corral situation :evilsmile


You could call it zone 12345 or whatever, as long as I close around the same time we do now. Then push Lsc etc... back a week after that. I just don't want an earlier close for the Bay, don't care what it is called.


----------



## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

Grayphase said:


> Not a question but more lets say educating the woman. OUTLAW ALL MOTORIZED MECHANICAL DECOYS PLEASE. STATEWIDE for the obvious reasons. Time for MI to be a leader for a change.


Um...nah, I'd better shut my yap :evilsmile


----------



## montrose trapper (Nov 14, 2006)

come on now you cant shut down the spinners. especially since i just bought 2 more. THis makes an even dozen. Can't wait to run them at fish point this year.:evilsmile


----------



## anon12162011 (Jun 9, 2009)

Here are my top 5 questions in no particular order:

1. With the adoption of the new Recreation Passport for funding our State Parks, when can we expect to see similar legislation for a license package? Or , when can we see legislation for a "stateland license" that would require all the nongame and non hunting users to purchase it if they intend on using our State Game Areas that are funded solely through hunter's dollars.

2. When can we expect to see a permit for Sandhill Cranes? Mute Swans?

3. With so much emphasis, money, and direction being focused on the Maple River SGA and future plans to expand to other areas such as Allegan and Saginaw Bay, what decisions and factors are being considered for these site selections and why doesn't the public, other agencies, or waterfowl groups have any comment period to these decisions. There are areas that are not up to their biological potential and instead there are areas that don't need improving that are being re-worked.

4. What plans do you have to ensure the DNRE Wildlife Division along with its volunteers, fulfill the USFWS' quotas for waterfowl banding, particularly ducks? With staff spread so thin as it is, aren't there some unreal expectations handed down, especially considering the sole use of volunteers has been so restricted in banding efforts?

5. With programs like "Archery in the Schools" showing so much success, why doesn't the DNRE examine the possibility of increasing public awareness, public acceptance, and public involvement in hunting, by introducing a "becoming a sportsman" program or something similar. Just because you put a bow in their hand, doesn't ensure they are going to pursue the harvest and take of animals.


----------



## Steelfishin (Jan 16, 2003)

Man you mean I haft to have a permit to shoot all these rib-eye's in the sky? Damn, just when I was getting so good at hitting those noisy things too......:lol:


----------



## Grayphase (May 11, 2010)

just ducky said:


> Um...nah, I'd better shut my yap :evilsmile


Why dont you give us all a sample of questions you might ask ? ? While we're are at it 2) Make the opener a digit instead of sat only 3) Get Sag bay out of zone III 4) Get rid of jan split 5) Southern Mi needs a teal season or open end sept with an oct 10 split (Det Free Press Oct 2009 Eric Sharp) 6) Get rid of CWAC they havent done anything to improve MI waterfowling since I stepped down 15 years ago. 7) Make Great Lakes open water zone 5 with its own set of regs (see option 8) 8) Get someone with balls and no agenda to deal with the Feds or better yet find someone that knows what the hell their doing to run Mi waterfowl. Last Fed-DNR waterfowl meeting I attended was a joke. I could go on but you may be in over your head as it is. And to the fellow thats worried about habitat restoration. This state is broke. Phragmite control is around $200 acre. Forget the dikes. Maybe your local DU chapter will spring for the $$$$ Good Luck


----------



## Swamp Boss (Mar 14, 2003)

I also want cormorant recipes listed on next years waterfowl regs!


----------



## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

Grayphase said:


> Why dont you give us all a sample of questions you might ask ? ? While we're are at it 2) Make the opener a digit instead of sat only 3) Get Sag bay out of zone III 4) Get rid of jan split 5) Southern Mi needs a teal season or open end sept with an oct 10 split (Det Free Press Oct 2009 Eric Sharp) 6) Get rid of CWAC they havent done anything to improve MI waterfowling since I stepped down 15 years ago. 7) Make Great Lakes open water zone 5 with its own set of regs (see option 8) 8) Get someone with balls and no agenda to deal with the Feds or better yet find someone that knows what the hell their doing to run Mi waterfowl. Last Fed-DNR waterfowl meeting I attended was a joke. I could go on but you may be in over your head as it is. And to the fellow thats worried about habitat restoration. This state is broke. Phragmite control is around $200 acre. Forget the dikes. Maybe your local DU chapter will spring for the $$$$ Good Luck


Wow...all I can say to all of that is...have a nice day :evilsmile


----------



## Shlwego (Sep 13, 2006)

Grayphase said:


> Why dont you give us all a sample of questions you might ask ? ? While we're are at it 2) Make the opener a digit instead of sat only 3) Get Sag bay out of zone III 4) Get rid of jan split 5) Southern Mi needs a teal season or open end sept with an oct 10 split (Det Free Press Oct 2009 Eric Sharp) 6) Get rid of CWAC they havent done anything to improve MI waterfowling since I stepped down 15 years ago. 7) Make Great Lakes open water zone 5 with its own set of regs (see option 8) 8) Get someone with balls and no agenda to deal with the Feds or better yet find someone that knows what the hell their doing to run Mi waterfowl. Last Fed-DNR waterfowl meeting I attended was a joke. I could go on but you may be in over your head as it is. And to the fellow thats worried about habitat restoration. This state is broke. Phragmite control is around $200 acre. Forget the dikes. Maybe your local DU chapter will spring for the $$$$ Good Luck


Did anybody else laugh out loud when they read this? Grayphase, my friend, there is no need for all the vitriol! It's apparent from your post that you do not believe that there is any desire on the part of the DNRE to do anything constructive for waterfowl in Michigan. You appear to be so cynical and jaded from all your "experience" that all you can do is complain that things aren't done (and never will be done) the way you believe they should be. If that's your belief (and you're certainly welcome to it), why bother posting at all? 
JD is offering us a chance to ask the director of the DNRE (who IS an avid waterfowler by the way) direct questions about how the agency manages or plans to manage our waterfowl and the habitat resources involved. This is *not* an opportunity to tell her how to do her job. Many of the questions posed in this thread are valid and constructive, and I for one, look forward to reading the answers when the next issue of The Waterfowler comes out. Sorry for the hijack.....:evilsmile


----------



## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

DANIEL MARK ZAPOLSKI said:


> thats correct, but the gov appoints rebbeca and nrc therefore we have the politics of this issue which lies in the hands of the nrc. if becky makes the push for it, the gov would back her hand and like you said it ends up on the nrc's table and they don't have to make the law on the recommendations of the cwac now do they? i would much rather they go along the lines of the usfw and thats a very good point of an argument for the 2 hens becoming law


I don't see the NRC going completely against the CWAC recommendations. After all, that is at least partially why the CWAC was created in the first place...because the NRC was supposedly not listening to the constituents. So for either the NRC or the Director, or both, to disregard the wishes of the CWAC, which supposedly represents all interested parties, to me isn't going to happen. 

My suggestion for you, if this is really what you want, is to lobby the CWAC members who represent you, either through the organizations you belong to (MDHA, DU, etc.) or the at-large members, to propose that to the CWAC as a whole.


----------



## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

montrose trapper said:


> come on now you cant shut down the spinners. especially since i just bought 2 more. THis makes an even dozen. Can't wait to run them at fish point this year.:evilsmile


Better get ready to travel to FP or Nayanquing.


----------



## Sampsons_owner (Dec 30, 2005)

I would ask her (since it was stated she is a waterfowler) which youth waterfowl hunt will she make an appearance at this year? Shiawassee or Gibraltar. :evilsmile Steve


----------



## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

Shlwego said:


> ...JD is offering us a chance to ask the director of the DNRE (who IS an avid waterfowler by the way) direct questions about how the agency manages or plans to manage our waterfowl and the habitat resources involved. This is _not_ an opportunity to tell her how to do her job. Many of the questions posed in this thread are valid and constructive, and I for one, look forward to reading the answers when the next issue of The Waterfowler comes out. Sorry for the hijack.....:evilsmile


Okay I have to jump on my soap box for just a second. To say "get someone with balls in there..." is ludicrous! You won't find a better person to get this new department moving in the right direction. Anyone who has talked personally one on one with Becky, or heard her talk to a group of waterfowlers, will understand that she gets it...I can't imagine a Director in state government who is more in tune with the agency they lead. She also has a mess to deal with. Not only are we in probably the toughest economic times since the great depression, which directly affects what a state agency can do, she is also forced to deal with merging two drastically different cultures of employees into one, harmonious organization. All of this while state employees are under constant assault from our legislators, the Governor, etc. to take concessions and "do more with less". Basically, she's in a no-win situation of the toughest kind. If you know someone who could possibly do a better job, I'd love to know who it is. 

Now having said that, the fact that she agreed to do this interview to me speaks volumes of her dedication to us waterfowlers. She didn't have to do it...could've easily ducked the request (as many Directors would do). So let's give a little credit where credit is due.


----------



## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

Sampsons_owner said:


> ...And I would ask her (since it was stated she is a waterfowler) which youth waterfowl hunt will she make an appearance at this year? Shiawassee or Gibraltar. :evilsmile Steve


That's a great question Steve, and I'll ask her when we talk. Also, just sent you a pm.


----------



## Ken Martin (Sep 30, 2003)

Can the DNRE influence expansion of the bottle bill to clean up our environment, wetlands and tremendous trash collectors, and add the monies raised to the something like the Natural Resources Trust Fund?

Ken


----------



## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

Ken Martin said:


> Can the DNRE influence expansion of the bottle bill to clean up our environment, wetlands and tremendous trash collectors, and add the monies raised to the something like the Natural Resources Trust Fund?
> 
> Ken


Now see Ken there's the kind of question I was thinking about...more than just the typical question a hunter or angler would ask. However I did tell her the focus of the interview would be what the average waterfowler could expect to see from the new organization. But it's a really good question, and I'll put it on the list.


----------



## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

With our economy in shambles.. "When will we get a spring subsistence season like Alaska"


----------



## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

beer and nuts said:


> ...I think if we had a local waterfowl group pop up around here I'd be more inclined to join that and support it.


I know this sounds like a broken record, but it only takes one, two or a handful of people to start meeting and working towards some goal. Heck, that's how I first got roped into DU back in the 80's, and MDHA in the early 00's. Does it take your time? Heck yeah. I can't tell you how many hours I've put into various groups and project over the last 25 years. The MDHA state board has recently been approached by a couple local groups about starting chapters in their areas, just like you talk about being needed in your area, and their focus will be local wetlands. So if you have some friends up there with a common interest, it just takes someone to get the ball rolling. MDHA is a perfect place to start (yes, I'm biased as hell and proud to admit it :evilsmile)


----------



## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

Cardinal said:


> Well how'd it go?


Not until next week. The outcome will be in the next edition of The Michigan Waterfowler.


----------



## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

beer and nuts said:


> Well that map really proves my point and what others are saying with DU and the DNR...the sqeaky wheel gets the oil holds true. Is it just poor leadership with the local DU chapters in NLP? Or just the lack of private individuals not ponying up some matching money??
> 
> DU I know basically matched donations for work on private lands and I think thats what your seeing on the map, it looks impressive until we break down the size of work, each red duck isn't some big wetland, hell it could be a 1 acre pond project...so its misleading a little.
> 
> I think if we had a local waterfowl group pop up around here I'd be more inclined to join that and support it.


I think we also have to remember that some areas get more attention and money, not because they are sqeaky wheels, but because they are traditional staging areas where $1 spent there has 100 times the benefit of $1 spent in a place that is not a traditional staging/nesting area. Some times it has to be bang for the buck.


----------



## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

TSS Caddis said:


> I think we also have to remember that some areas get more attention and money, not because they are sqeaky wheels, but because they are traditional staging areas where $1 spent there has 100 times the benefit of $1 spent in a place that is not a traditional staging/nesting area. Some times it has to be bang for the buck.


Such as the Shiawassee Flats area, which if you combine both the state and federal sides, comprises one of the largest remaining contiguous wetland complexes east of the Mississippi. The St. Clair Flats area, encompassing Harsen's, Dickinson and other islands, or parts of Saginaw Bay like the middle grounds area, are other areas that are naturals for protection and habitat work. Sorry to say it, but fair or not, these areas are huge for nesting/production/resting/transition of waterfowl, and will naturally get more priority.


----------



## waxico (Jan 21, 2008)

We appreciate all you do for us, and keeping us informed.


----------



## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

waxico said:


> We appreciate all you do for us, and keeping us informed.


Electronic transfers are gladly accepted. :evilsmile

Seriously, we all know areas of the state that could use help on habitat projects. But personally I'm encouraged by how many projects we do have going on, or have grants being applied for, right now. The DNRE gave us some statistics at our last Shiawassee Flats meeting, and Michigan is very high in the running for a boatload of money compared to other states in our region, thanks to the work of our DNRE staff. So as bad as it is right now to get funding, we're still doing fairly well compared to those states around us.


----------



## waxico (Jan 21, 2008)

Can frozen Mergies be wire transferred?


----------



## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

waxico said:


> Can frozen Mergies be wire transferred?


Ummm...duck BBQ! When we're in Nodak and we need to eat a ton of duck, I've even dropped spoonies, ruddy's, buffies, and most any other waterfowl into the crock. So sure...ship a couple my way. My EFT # is 1-800-eat-s#$% :lol: Back at you Waxi my friend


----------



## BFG (Mar 4, 2005)

> the best idea i've seen yet as to when to open was North Dakota's opening day for deer season. It opens at 12 Noon...after seeing it work, i think its crazy to open any other way. It cuts down on accidents due to itchy trigger finger crazies and it spreads people out on a cluster of a mess opener.


Wsconsin opens their season at 9:00am. It eliminates an awful lot of problems from what I am told.

I agree with an above poster. Keep limits where they are, give me season dates that correspond to movement and concentrations of birds, and let me do the rest. I also like Kev's suggestion about the possession limit. 

Too many guys get hung up on things they cannot control (weather, crowding, etc. etc.)


----------

