November 19, 2023 • 39 mins
This week Cal sits down with Steve Windom to discuss what the Michigan United Conservation Clubs is doing for wildlife and outdoors folks in the Mitten State.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
From Mediators World News headquarters in Bozeman, Montana. This is
Cal's Weekend Review, presented by Steal Steel products are available
only at authorized dealers. For more, go to Steel Dealers
dot com. Now here's your host, Ryan cal callahan.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Hey, special episode Cal's Week in Review. So before we
get to our special guests this week, I'm gonna want
to fill you in on my week, of course, and
my week actually a little more than a week was
spent in the frank Church Wilderness, which is a very
special place to man no surprise to all of you
(00:44):
if you're a longtime listener. It's also my birthday trip
right so turned forty one in there this year, pounded
the joints and lost at least a lot of water weight.
Difficult conditions this year, real rainy, real warm, kind of
the way it is across a lot of the West
right now, so we don't have those cold temps and
(01:06):
the deep snow that really move the deer around. We
did see a lot of deer, and one of the
interesting observations that I had was that despite finding lots
of old deer, big old guts, kind of dented in
hips horse faces, they had less impressive racks than the
younger bucks, which was really interesting to me. So I
(01:29):
was wanted to reach out to some biologists, but at
first I thought I'd throw it out on this show
as to does that make sense for deer that winter
in the same area to have that much disparity.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
It's a great grass.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Season, but that winter season could it affect an age
class more than another age class? I assume I know
the answer to that. But in this case, you have
young deer and old deer wintering in the same spot.
Old deer do not put on very pressive horn growth
or antler growth. Young deer did, and then there they
(02:05):
are living side by side, old deer, tiny horns, antlers
pushing around young deer. So that was one thing that
we had to deal with. Another thing that we had
to deal with was, ah, this is a rant. Okay,
it's just a rant warning for everybody. Came across a
dirty campsite in the wilderness Capitol, w dirty ass, gross campsite.
(02:31):
I picked up latex gloves. I picked up you know,
like the really tough bathroom tissue, like wet white type
stuff that doesn't biote grade. Lots and lots of partially
burned peak ref fuel, backcountry meals, and it's just heartbreaking,
Like this is a well off the beaten path, tough
(02:54):
spot to get to, doesn't really make sense for stock.
It is remote, and it is in just exemplary, unbelievable
mule deer country. You can't write up better mule deer country.
It is absolutely wonderful. Again, Christine and some piggies came
(03:16):
in there, camped and they were so badass that they
couldn't pack out trash, little bits of trash. And keep
in mind, this is the frank Church, right there's no
grizzly bears, which is the only time I kind of
give the green light to just burning trash in the
back country. But then you pack out, You sift through
(03:39):
and pack out your ashes. That's the only way to
do it. There is literally no excuse for this. There
is no excuse whatsoever. I don't care if it's a
hunt of a lifetime kid dying of cancer, and you know,
a medical emergency situation, like you pack out your trash.
(04:00):
If you got your tense out of there, you got
yourself out of there, you pack your freaking trash out
of there. This is like just the absolute most disgusting
human behavior. It deeply affects me. It is horrible, horrible.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Horrible behavior.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Good news is And this might be premature, but because
I picked up latex gloves and I need your help,
audience members, I want you to reach out to all
your friends in law enforcement and see if it were
possible to get DNA out of the inside of an
old latex glove. And then we're gonna find these people
(04:38):
and we're gonna have a nice public shaming shame, which
is less than they deserve shame shame in these cases.
I am very much pro capital punishment, and that's what
they deserve, a public capital punishment, some physical abuse plus shaming,
(05:00):
and then maybe like a mountain of trash then gets
dumped on their yard and stadium seating set up around it,
and we all get to watch them pick up trash,
and then we get to go through and find like
the micro trash and the grass and be like, huh,
here's a piece. Oh, there's a piece. You guys get
what I'm saying, So right in as k c al
(05:23):
Askcal at the meat eater dot Com, and let's see
if we can't identify these little piggies. Huh, backcountry abusers, disgusting.
Another thing that happened in there, I did shoot a deer.
It was kind of a case of mistaken identity. Let's say,
I can't say it's a bad deer. Every deer is
(05:45):
a great deer. It's just not what I really went
in there for. But in situations like this, the words
of the outfitter ring clear in my mind when he
would say, Pard, that old boy deserves better than that.
And he's right. So I probably packed out a small
mule deer buck way too far through lots lots of
(06:07):
elevation changes, and a lot of that country is just
straight up and down. And I'm packing this buck straight.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
Up this mountain.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
It's about seven point thirty at night. It's the first
like crystal clear night.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
That we have.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
And I'm making these tiny little baby steps, right because
that's how you move a dead deer up a mountain.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Fact. I wrote a song about it. I'll share with
you later.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
And I pause and turn my headlamp off and look around,
and three sixty view down to the tips of the
trees and the ridge lines and the mountains all the
way around me are stars. It's just as clear as
you could possibly see the stars. I was just surrounded, enveloped.
(06:55):
In fact, I did some hiking without the headlamp on,
which was not productive, but it was super pretty and
one of those experiences where you know you're in a
lot of pain, physical discomfort, you've exerted yourself heavily, and
you're trying to get home to your tent, but you
just can't help but stop and like, look at that scene,
(07:18):
those stars coming down to the mountain, and realize just
how darn and lucky you are, how fortunate you are
to be there. And I'm not going to go back
and talk about the pigs with the dirty campsite shitting
up the place, because now I'm onto more positive things.
And you know, while I'm sitting there staring up at
the stars, I had this thought that if I were
to ever get abducted by an alien, it would be
(07:39):
right then. And if I had the opportunity to ask
those folks as to why they chose me, I think
they would just say the same thing that I was
thinking about the stars, right, They'd be like, well, we
could just see you really well, you know, thoughts you
have on the mountain while packing out bucks, A little
taste of the song, I wrote, think of it like
a music. How do you get a dead dear rep
(08:02):
of Moutain? Tiny little baby steps? What kind of steps?
Little baby steps? Tiny little baby steps, baby steps, baby steps.
Don't stop, walk gang, don't stop walk gang. If you stop,
you'll be here next spring. On anyway, shopping that one
(08:32):
out to some labels.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
We'll see.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
I'll keep you guys posted on that.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
Okay, special edition.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Steve Windham, Michigan United Conservation Clubs mucc AS. I said
we were gonna have this series where we dip in
talk to conservation organizations across the country. Let you know
what's out there, sometimes that club that's right behind you
in the Mitten State, like the NUCC. So take a list,
(09:00):
enjoy and remember to write in to ask c Al
that's Askcal at the meeteater dot com and let me
know what's going on in your neck of the woods.
All right, we got another special edition of Cal's Week
in Review. As promised, we are going to occasionally reach
out to conservation groups, both state and national groups, international
(09:26):
groups based in conservation that you should be involved in,
or at least know why they exist and what projects
they're working on. Even though you buy your hunting and
fishing license. That's just not enough these days. And there's
people like our guest today is Steve Wyndham, who's out
(09:46):
there working even when you're not. It's like that's seven
eleven analogy. They may not be doing business, but they're
always open. So Steve, what does the MUCC do?
Speaker 4 (09:58):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (09:59):
Thanks cal Michigan United Conservation Clubs or MUCC. We were
founded in nineteen thirty seven by a group of nineteen
conservation hook and bullet clubs that wanted to insulate our
natural resources policy away from political agendas and the changing
whims of Lancing. Since our founding, for over eighty six
years now, we've united people to conserve, protect, and enhance
(10:20):
our natural resources, outdoor heritage. We've got four main pillars
of education, communication, policy, and habitat and so we're the
leading conservation organization in Michigan, which is nonspeciated. So we're
covering everything and making sure that everybody has an outlet
to have their voice heard in Lancing, but also get
hands on with conservation to some of our public land work,
(10:41):
you know, make sure that next generation of students falls
in love with the outdoors to are youth camp that
we run as well, but also making sure you're up
to date and know where when there are things happening
that affect your outdoor heritage, your ability to hunt, fish, trap, shoot,
recreate here in Michigan.
Speaker 4 (10:57):
So mucc's leading conservation organization we bring together.
Speaker 5 (11:00):
They're over two hundred different conservation clubs from around the
state as well as we have our individual membership opportunities.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
So just like a Ducks Unlimited or an MDA, you
can sign up as.
Speaker 5 (11:09):
An individual member if you're not part of a local
conservation club or hook and bullet club or shooting range
that is part of the MUCC already. So we're able
to represent every average conservationist out there across the state
of Michigan, from the west side of the up down
to the southwest corner of the Southeast corner. If there's
conservation issues, their natural resources issues going on in the state,
(11:30):
we're usually leading the fight and making sure that everybody
is aware, up to date, has an opportunity to give
back to the land, but also instill the outdoor heritage
of the next generation.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
We offer education.
Speaker 5 (11:41):
Opportunities, women's learn to hunt programs, family fishing days, as
well as our policy work, which is really our bread
and butter, and lansing Michigan, which is our capital, to
make sure that we don't lose certain seasons, method of take,
or even be able to name new game species hopefully
in the future with some of the projects that we're
working on.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
If you're a member of one of these two hundred
plus hook and Bullet Conservation clubs in the state, how
would you be aware of MUCC.
Speaker 5 (12:11):
Yeah, So the clubs affiliate with us and then they
get daily, well weekly communications from MUCC, so all the
members of their club will get the information that we
disseminate through our email system, through our website, through our
text alerts and call to action. So those clubs submit
a roster to us and we get that information, we
add them into our database, and we make sure that
they're updated and aware. So we're actually representing over forty
(12:34):
thousand outdoors men and outdoors women here in Michigan. And
so if you had, you know, to be able to
speak up and have a voice, it's really powerful throughout
the state.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
So does that imply that like MUCC is lobbying on
behalf of these groups or are you just getting information
out to the individual clubs.
Speaker 5 (12:55):
Yeah, we actually have legislative priorities and we're lobbying on
behalf of some of the issues. So the great thing
about UCC in the structure that we have is that
every member is able to submit a resolution to our
Conservation Policy Board. It's a group of forty people throughout
the state that review and vet the resolutions, and so
our policy and legislative issues are set by our membership.
(13:16):
We have an annual convention every year where we come
together and vote on these resolutions. They're vetted through the
Conservation Policy Board before they get to the convention.
Speaker 4 (13:24):
But we're doing this because there's somebody in the up
who sees an issue.
Speaker 5 (13:27):
There's somebody in the northeast corner of the Lower Peninsula
season issue, and so our membership brings forward these issues.
Like back in the early two thousands, we changed the
law to allow you and I to decide when young
people get to join us in the field. So when
I was a kid growing up in Michigan, you had
to be twelve years old to take your hunter safety class.
Speaker 4 (13:44):
You had to be fourteen years old to carry a rifle.
Speaker 5 (13:47):
And now because MUCC we had a member who is
an electrician out of Door, Michigan, south of Grand Rapids.
He wanted to choose when he took young people into
the woods when they were ready and not.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
They had the state choose that for him.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
And Door mission again. He had a lot of political
clout and power right.
Speaker 5 (14:03):
Tons tons in that town of a one stoplight. But
it's a great place to have something bubble up from
an outdoorsman who said, I want to change this. He
brought it to MUCC the first time that convention had
actually failed. He talked to some people, came back, got
more information that passed unanimously, and then we went to work.
NUCC did to change the law, and that guy from Door, Michigan,
who's actually our vice president of our board of directors
(14:25):
right now, he got to go to a bill signing
with the governor and change the law that now we
have a youth mentor license in Michigan. We have an
apprentice license and then you have to move on and
get a hundred safety certified after so long, but my
three children, I have a thirteen, a ten year old,
and a six year old. All of my kids have
used that mentor youth license and they were using it
before I was even aware of MUCC myself. So we're
(14:46):
able to have grassroots policy come from our membership get
vetted by those who are really in the know. We
work with the DNR and they're biologists. They're always able
to see what resolutions we're working on, and then they
come to our convention and that sets our legislative priorities,
which this year we had a bill that was criminalizing
non reporting of your dear harvest.
Speaker 4 (15:03):
Now we believe in the reporting of it.
Speaker 5 (15:05):
We're neutral on the reporting aspect, but we shouldn't be
criminalized if you forget to do it, or if your
app's not working in the back country or you run
out of time. So we actually won that we got
to decriminalize. We're working on a minornizing a commercial fishing
bill right now. We're working with a lot of different
things that are making sure that the state and our
natural resources are protected for generations to come.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
Excellent.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Yeah, just so everybody's aware. Steve has been a very
consistent participant in the Weekend Review. He's always been on
top of sending in Michigan issues and we appreciate that
that's the way things are supposed to work. But one
of these issues has come up recently on commercial fishing.
(15:51):
We've covered it on the podcast for those who don't know.
In the state of Michigan and several of the greatly
great Lake states, there are commercial fisheries for freshwater fish,
walleye being arguably the most famous or maybe most political,
and the Lake Sperior whitefish would be another one. But Steve,
(16:16):
why don't you tell us what's going on there and
how that works.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (16:20):
House Bill fifty one eight is the bill we're talking
about in Michigan. The legislator is I think done for
the year, so it doesn't seem it's going to move
before the new legislative legislative session comes in in twenty
twenty four. But essentially, this bill would allow commercial harvest
of walleye perch and some other of our game fish
SPCs through gilnetting. And it's not something that we believe
(16:41):
is beneficial to anyone. We had a bill like this
come up many many years ago, and we were able
to knock it back then. We have a bill, like
I said, that actually wants to modernize the commercial fishing
industry and not this fifty one O eight that really
would be detrimental to the entire stock and fishery of
the Great Lakes. There's some you know, miscalculations around the
(17:03):
reporting and how often gilnetts have to be in the water.
We want to make sure that we're not allowing fish
that are stocked and reared with you know, licensed dollars
to be taken at commercial benefit for the commercial industry.
Speaker 4 (17:14):
And so we are definitely on in tune.
Speaker 5 (17:16):
With what the industry could need and it could benefit from,
but we are also fighting back against the fact that
we are not allowing them to take our game fish species.
When we sent the actional alert out here in Michigan,
we sent over fifty seven thousand emails to legislators, and
we actually had some of the sponsors, after our legislative
meetings with them, stepped down and remove their name from
the bill after we were able to educate them and
(17:37):
help them understand what this bill could potentially do to
our fisheries.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
Sure, and let's not just skip over the easy layup
of a double dipping fishing on tundra type of joke
there too, right, So, licensed dollars are paying for fish
hatcheries to get opportunities on the ends of lines for
anglers out there should those same dollars support individuals or
(18:06):
companies that are then taking those public funds in the
form of fish and they get to then sell those
back to folks across the country, or at least they're
in the Great Lakes area, right, It's a it's an
interesting question.
Speaker 4 (18:22):
Yeah, you know, we monitored all the Great Lakes.
Speaker 5 (18:25):
You know, we're working to fight the algae booms in
Lake Eeary to make sure that the fisheries are healthy
all over. We were in a Mekai in the Great
Lakes consent decree, which you guys covered as well on
the podcast, to make sure that you know, there's not
gilnets reintroduced into some fisheries around the Great Lakes.
Speaker 4 (18:39):
They haven't seen them in forty years. So there's lots
going on with the Great Lakes right now.
Speaker 5 (18:43):
We're happy and proud to be kind of leading most
of the fights with some of our partners like Coalition
to Protect Michigan's Resources and some of the Charterble Associations
and fishing associations that really stepped up to make sure
that we're you know, we're doing right by our fisheries
and our natural resources.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
And I hope i'm not putting my foot in my
mouth here, Steve. But it's a great thing to bring
up because there was an additional opportunity added to Michigan
fishing recently in the form of spearfishing. So I'm not
sure how muc C weighed in on that, but.
Speaker 4 (19:16):
Yeah, we we help with that too.
Speaker 5 (19:18):
So Jonathan Dirka a great guy who kind of helped
bring it up, a member of ours at NUCC with
the Michigan Spearfishing Association, love filing his stuff on Instagram
to see him down under the water getting walleye through spearfishing.
So another new opportunity that NUCC had a hand in
to make sure that we can you know, our membership
is really getting done what they want us to get done.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
Oh yeah, And I think it's just a great example
for the nation too, right, Like, here's an additional opportunity
that we can throw in there and kind of celebrate
amongst the talk of losing opportunities for other species or
potentially losing opportunities for other species. How much is membership
(20:03):
for MUCC.
Speaker 5 (20:04):
Yeah, so muccs right on standard with most of the
other national organizations. But when you join with us, you
can know that Michigan work is getting done in the
Great Lakes, you know, at the heart of the Great Lakes.
Speaker 4 (20:12):
We're getting everything done here.
Speaker 5 (20:14):
It's thirty five dollars for one year or sixty dollars
for a two year. With that membership, you're going to
get all of our communications, our week our bi weekly
Conservation Insider, our OTG Are on the Ground program newsletter.
You're going to get our magazine, which is quarterly. It's
Michigan's premier outdoor journal. Michigan Outdoors Magazine tells all the
great stories of hunters and anglers and trappers and all
(20:34):
of our outdoor recreation shooting in the state of Michigan.
You're going to get digital access to the website as
well as camp registration opportunities to get your kids to
our summer camp as well as get outdoors for our
volunteer programs that take place on public land, like the
one we did with Mark Kenyon and his Working for
Wildlife tour. We do all kinds of public land work
throughout the year with you know, over twenty five events
(20:55):
around the state for all ages, from river cleanups to
treat planting and basive specie removal. Native dollinators in trees.
So you're gonna get connected into Michigan's conservation community. And
if you're looking to join a club too, we've got
over two hundred to refer you to. If you're looking
to join like Chelsea Rotten Gun Club or the you know,
North Ottawa ron and Gun Club, or any of our
all species conservation stuff, we can get connected to those two.
Speaker 4 (21:16):
If you're looking to build out your community.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
Yeah, And I like to remind folks that there's a
lot of retirees that are members of rotten gun clubs,
and retirees love to talk and if you're a good worker,
you can often come away with good hunting and fishing
spots by joining these rotten gun clubs. So yeah, yeah,
there's a lot of benefits to getting plugged into conservation work.
(21:42):
And you know that expanding the network in the community
is a is a big one obviously. So what would
be like the hallmark issues of m u c C
right now or possibly in the in the future.
Speaker 4 (21:59):
Yeah, I mean right.
Speaker 5 (22:00):
Now with our legislative priorities. As I said, there's the
commoditizing commercial fishing. We just got through a commercial guiding
bill that we just it's on the Governor's desk right
now to be signed. To really put some regulation around guiding.
We had a bunch of really reputable guides come to
us and say, hey, there's really no regulation in the
state of Michigan. So there's some things we've added to
(22:20):
make sure that our guides are able to provide top notch,
you know, customer service and that they're not just bad
actors out in the woods. Here in Michigan's people can
learn to live and enjoy our outdoor heritage like we do.
Speaker 4 (22:31):
You know, we have people coming to the state.
Speaker 5 (22:33):
Michigan has an eleven point two billion dollars hunting and
fishing industry, so we want to make sure that stays
strong and keeps those jobs flowing. There's lots of great
companies here in Michigan that are produced out of this
state that are outdoor equipment. But for us, it's really
just building our membership. We need a louder voice in Lansing.
We already know that there's a bill being shopped around
that would remove the NRC. We have a Natural Resources
(22:54):
Commission here in Michigan that you know, dictates our game species,
our method of take names our game species as well.
There is a bill being shot by one of the
prominent animal rights organizations that is trying to strip the
nr SEA of their ability to name game species as
well as put the designation of game species and the
sole authority of the legislature. And we've seen how that's
(23:18):
gone wrong in other states where legislators can just vote
to take away or ballot box science. You know, we
are here to make sure that our natural resources are
managed on a science based program. To you know, the
North American Wildlife Model has been a huge success. We've
already worked on a lot of different things. You know,
we have some things in the pipe that we're really
dreaming about with maybe some sandhills or just wolves is
a big issue in Michigan right now. So we're on
(23:39):
the both Advisory Committee. There's lots that we're doing. So
we need members. We need people to get plugged in,
get their membership, use your voice at ten convention. Help
us do more and more acres of public land. Send
your kids to camp. We have lots of scholarship for camp.
You can get your child one hundred safety certified. They're
going to learn twenty two's and archery they're also going
to learn a college and North America Wildlife Model and
(24:01):
other things like that too, So we need to instell
that next generation. Really, you know, we've been here for
eighty six years and we have no intention of going anywhere.
But we're seeing a lot more fights now than we
ever did, and with declining hundred numbers, there is a
community out there I know that people can get tapped
into and NCC can be the throat oft for that.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
So what what are you doing on the education side
of things?
Speaker 3 (24:22):
Right?
Speaker 2 (24:22):
So you MUCC is out there lobbying, which is something
anybody can do, but it is intimidating. There's a process
to it that isn't a front and center for your
electricians from Door County, right, or your dry wallers from
(24:44):
Lansing or anybody else, you know. So what are the
steps that NUCC kind of provides for someone who gets in,
checks it out, and wants to put forward referendum or
an initial live at the state level.
Speaker 5 (25:02):
Yeah, we have a great little guide called path to
Policy and so what it does is members can get
that document, that guide, and when they have an issue,
they would submit it to one of our quarterly Conservation
Policy Board meetings one of our different committees, whether it
be Wildlife or Fisheries, parks and Trails. We have these
different committees built out in there. They'll help you review
(25:22):
at whatever committee falls underneath, and then it goes to
a vote to be able to go to convention. And
so every member gets this informations on our website readily available.
Our actual policy guide. Justin Tomay, who you know we
quoted last week on the fifty one oh eight bill.
He's an expert at all of this and can help you.
We used to have a camera at the Capitol day.
We're going to hopefully bring that back in the future.
(25:44):
My job is development directors to build those partnerships out
with companies, businesses, individuals.
Speaker 4 (25:49):
Who want to support the mission.
Speaker 5 (25:50):
But everybody gets that ability to understand our path to policy.
You can join the Conservation Policy Board, you can be
a board member of the organization. We're building out committees
that have regional committees that are popping up, so there's.
Speaker 4 (26:03):
Lots of ways to get involved and get hands on
with the organization.
Speaker 5 (26:06):
Or if you know you have a young person who
wants a summer job, we need camp counselors. Our education
program is huge because we're out there doing family learn
to Fish days where it's not just a young person,
the whole family learns to do it together.
Speaker 4 (26:17):
They get the equipment to take home.
Speaker 5 (26:19):
We're out there doing women's learn to hunt women on
the wing stuff. They we're a great partner in this area.
Speaker 4 (26:24):
Of the state. And then also the Kids camp is huge.
It's eight weeks of camp.
Speaker 5 (26:29):
We run it for six to sixteen year olds and
it's helping them get educated with in our Tracks magazine,
which is really neat as well. It's for fourth through
sixth graders and it's eight issues throughout the school year.
One subscription is eight different issues. It's all Michigan species,
so there's a consumptive and a non consumptive species. There's
all kinds of great quizzes and stories and helps people
understand and connect to the natural resources. But really it
(26:51):
is even an issue. The best place to do is
just reach out, email us, call and we'll walk you
through the process and get you a set up. If
you have something that can help.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
You organization, that's awesome, that's great. Yeah, just thinking about
this het. We have BHA Rendezvous in Minneapolis this year
or next year rather so you guys should come out
and set up set up booth or a table and
make sure that folks who attend know who you are
and how to be involved.
Speaker 5 (27:17):
So yeah, we've actually got some of our board members
that sit on the Michigan Chapter board of BHA as well,
So you know, MUCC is great at doing the partnerships.
You know, Ducks Unlimited comes to us for a lot
of Michigan based policy issues. We don't hire the engineers
and the earth movers and the biologists. They kind of
do that, so they trust us to do the lobbying
and the hard work in the capital to get that
funding get those programs and projects. Point mouly A is
(27:39):
a great, great example that we went and did some
wetland restorations with Ducks Unlimited and the Autobon Society, So
two people we might not actually think with partner while together,
MUCC was able to bring all of us together and
get some really great wetland work done down in the
southeast part.
Speaker 4 (27:52):
Of the state.
Speaker 5 (27:53):
But for us, it's it's just it's community through collaboration.
So conservation through collaboration is just a big part of it.
So we're nonspece we you know, Cousins, Forever, NDA, Ducks,
and Limit. They're all affiliate members of NUCC here in
Michigan just because of our ability to get things done
and make sure that we do live up to our
mission to protect our natural resources.
Speaker 3 (28:12):
That's great. That's great.
Speaker 5 (28:15):
And I've got my tickets to the live show in Detroit,
so I don't know if you're making it to that.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
One, but I'll be at that one.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
Nice guys, I think, yeah, the Royal Oak, I think
I'm missing that one, all right. I'm trying to do
something really good for everybody on hoof disease in Oregon. Yeah,
hopefully that balances things out in people's opinion. It's not
not am not giving the big Michigan Hello to everybody.
Speaker 5 (28:42):
And we give that at the office almost every day,
so it's okay, all.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Right, Yeah, Jordan, do you have any any questions.
Speaker 4 (28:53):
I'm good. I did notice that you guys do a
lot of stuff with kids. You said you had kids.
Speaker 5 (28:58):
Can can you talk a little bit about just the
importance of that and reaching the next the next generation?
Speaker 4 (29:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (29:05):
You know, for us, our education is one of our
main pillars, and you know it's in our it's in
our mission really to the outdoor heritage and so instilling
that and you know, our purpose, we say, is to
protect our natural resources while educating the next generation of
conservation stewards. Our Kids Camp has been going for seventy
five years now. Currently it's in the Waterloo State Wreck
(29:26):
Area out near Chelsea, Michigan. So people in Wyoming might
not know where that is, but our Michiganders will. So
it's in near Chelsea and this year we put two
hundred and twenty five kids through camp. COVID hit us
pretty bad when the COVID lockdowns and shutdowns came through. Uh,
we've been building back and we're going to be at
full service hopefully next summer twenty twenty four has some
(29:47):
really really great weeks planned to be able to get
kids outdoors in the conservation connection, fabulous fishing, wetland wonders, hunting, heritage,
and counselors and training. So we know that there's students
who would love to come back and be a counselor
when they're in college and help you other young people
experience and enjoy the outdoors. Young people at a certain
age can get their hunter safety certification when they come
(30:08):
to camp, so they can leave camp. They do archery
and twenty two's and for us, it's knowing that they
fall in love when they actually get to experience. We've
had kids some of our scholarships are from the urban setting,
from Detroit or Flint or surrounding Jackson areas where these
kids live in a very urban setting.
Speaker 4 (30:26):
They come out.
Speaker 5 (30:26):
We've had kids tell us they didn't know what crickets were,
and they didn't know what that sound was. Kids that
have never seen stars, ever caught their first fish. We
had one young man who came to our camp when
he was seven or eight years old, and it went
on to start his high school bass fishing team because
he fell in love with fishing at our camp for
the very first time. Our current president of the Board
of directors is a camp alumni. And when I wear
(30:49):
miamucc shirt around a lot, that's amazing how many older
people will tell me they're an alumni of our camp
and how they still love the outdoor heritage. They didn't
know that we've moved a couple times, or they didn't
know it still going on. We're always trying to reconnect
with those you know that are three principle of reconnecting
and reactivating. But it's a great place to send kids
for a Christmas present if you want to get tracks
for a kid, and as a gift. That education, that
(31:12):
connection back of the land is one of the biggest
things for all of us. And I know, you know,
we all grew up in the woods, usually with our
dads or uncles or whatever, but some kids don't, and
so the camp allows them the connection of the natural
resource and to learn how it's important to manage game,
how it's important to protect our fisheries, and how ecology
works into our wetlands. And so it's a whole variety
of things, and we're trying to make sure that people
(31:33):
understand that you fall in love with a young age,
you know, hold onto it forever.
Speaker 3 (31:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
I like it because you know, it's obviously it's a
lot of different pieces of the puzzle here, right, And
the odd part that we know about recruitment is we're
pretty good at getting kids interested in the outdoors and
then we kind of lose them later on in life
and smaller percentage kind of comes back.
Speaker 5 (31:56):
So yeah, and for us, that connection, you know, if
you can really get a kid immersed, hopefully that connection
will hold on through those later teen years and when
they're able to, you know, whether they're in college, or
they're strapped for a budget or they just don't have
the time, they're starting the family, those early core memories
and that ability to have, you know, that experience will
hopefully hold on through and even if they're not actively
(32:17):
participating in the sport itself, they understand it and they're
not you know, they're not anti hunting, they're not anti trapping.
They understand the importance of it.
Speaker 4 (32:24):
They understand the memories they have.
Speaker 5 (32:26):
Maybe they don't do it anymore, but there is still
that connection that they have to it to where it's
not a hard line no for them, but they get
the management of the resource and the utilization of the
resource that we're able to highlight.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
Yeah, I mean that's that's a great point and certainly
one that we've made often.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
Right.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
I don't need everybody to do what I do. In fact,
I don't want everybody to do what I do, but
I definitely want them to understand why I do what
I do.
Speaker 5 (32:52):
Yeah, I just wanted to tune in, Just tune in
and take it. You know, we make it so easy.
Are our call to actions for legislative issues. You literally
click a link, scan a QR code, or you get
a text or whatever, and you put your first, last
name and address in the form and it sends it
to you. You can edit it if you want to
add a little exposed day to the end of it,
but it's a form letter, and it looks up who
your legislative You know who your legislators are, It looks
(33:15):
up the spill sponsors. Without all you got to do
is put your info in and hit send, And that's
how we were able to hit you over fifty thousand emails,
So these inboxes that really made some noise and let
people know that fifty one oh Waight was something that
we do not need to have go forward. And we
think that in its current form it is dead. It's
going to maybe be a vehicle to take some amendments
(33:35):
and change it up and move forward, but in its
actual form right now, we believe that it's a dead
bill just because of the ability that we were able
to jump all over it.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
No, that's a great example. Especially with a lot of
the political wins and the marketing abilities of the political machine,
the message out there is unfortunately watered down to like
why would you even try. And so anytime that we
can get these good examples out there of like you said,
not even necessarily like minded individuals, but individuals who do
(34:06):
understand the value of these things, coming together on a
united front can make these changes. And that's extremely important,
right Like, that's that's the way she's supposed to work.
Speaker 5 (34:17):
So we're happy to help people understand that just the
species they chase isn't the most important species. You know,
it's tough to get dear guys to care about fish sometimes,
or to care about turkeys, or to you know, get
trappers to worry about other there's a lot of you know,
just because.
Speaker 4 (34:31):
Of the attacks we're under most of the time.
Speaker 5 (34:32):
But NUCC really allows us to be nonpartisan, so we
work with both sides of the island. You know, Michigan
right now is a majority of one one party that
they control all three chambers of the state legislature. But
with NUCC here, you know, we're not seen as a
place to kind of take over and have things change
too much. We want to make sure we stay nonpartisan
and we bring all of our outdoors men and women
(34:54):
together not just for one topic, but for the natural
resources as a whole because we have the abundance of
it here in Michigan. We're the second largest state with
percentage of public land east of the Mississippi, and you know,
we're really finding hard to protect that against some other other
things as well.
Speaker 2 (35:09):
That's great to hear. So one more time, how do
folks get a hold of MUCC.
Speaker 5 (35:14):
Yeah, just MUCC dot org. From that web page, you
can find all of our on the ground, our OTG programs.
The other cool thing I like to mention is OTG Junior.
It's an elementary and high school program that we have
a grant for that we provide the bus, sing, we
provide lunch.
Speaker 4 (35:30):
We're able to get young people out and.
Speaker 5 (35:32):
Hands on with conservation with age appropriate public land activities.
And then they also learn a skill at the end
of the volunteer opportunity, so they can learn archery or
navigation and compass, orienteering. Lots of cool things to get
people outdoors as well. But for us, it's NUCC dot org.
Get there, Get get a membership, Get signed up the
two years as the best deal. Sign up for our newsletter,
(35:55):
The Conservation Insider, goes out every two weeks.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
You're going to get a regular update.
Speaker 5 (35:59):
Of what's going on in our state, making sure that
we're protecting our natural resources and outdoor heritage. So just
mucc dot org. You can follow us on all the
social media channels as well. Muc CE nineteen thirty seven.
Because you know, eighty six years now we've been protecting
our right to hunt, fish and trap.
Speaker 3 (36:14):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
Yeah, let's not skip the fact that the OTG and
your program, you get get a kid or two enrolled
in there, Mom and dad can go fish or hunt
on their own.
Speaker 4 (36:25):
Yeah, we'll take it over to day.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
Yeah, don't have to spend all day baiting hooks and
tying tying on extra lurs.
Speaker 5 (36:32):
So yeah, when my friends ask do why fish? I say,
my kids fish? And then I sit there. So yeah,
once set the beta.
Speaker 3 (36:39):
Lurd darn right. Well, thank you very much, Steve.
Speaker 2 (36:42):
And it's it's only thirty five bucks a year, but
you may as well go for two check out muc cee,
he said.
Speaker 3 (36:49):
The newsletter is is free.
Speaker 5 (36:52):
Yeah, you can go to the MUCC dot org and
right on their landing page you can sign up for
updates and alerts and just our new our conservation insider.
Speaker 3 (36:59):
Right.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
But if you don't want to take our word for it.
Right now, you can sign up for the newsletter, which
is something I recommend to everybody. Sign up for the newsletter.
See what strikes you. I guarantee that there's going to
be an action item that MUCC sends out that is
going to get you fired up and you're going to
want to get more involved. That's how it works, so
please do. Michigan United Conservation Clubs, thank you very much.
Speaker 5 (37:25):
Awesome, thank you, and Kathy Win Trivia soon make sure
to think of us.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
All right, We'll do all righty, thank you, Steve. That's
all I've got for you this week. Couple of housekeeping pieces.
Check out the Mediator YouTube channel. The Aberdeen Pheasant episode
was just up well, snorta kiss was kicking butt on there.
Big nod and thank you to the folks in Aberdeen
and to Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever who helped out
(37:51):
a ton on that episode, but also helped out a
ton with the habitat ethos that grows big bucks, big
birds and big bugs, so big thank you on my part.
And then there's a Kansas waterfowl episode that's coming up
here too. Besides that and This is just fair warning
because it's got obnoxious. It's super obnoxious. But if you're
(38:15):
looking for deals on stuff, it's that horrid time of
year again, Black Friday through Cyber Monday. We used to
call it Thanksgiving and it was fun and we'd go
hunt and eat great food, which is what I'm gonna do.
But there are lots of online opportunities at the meat
Eater dot com on game calls and decoys and knives
(38:38):
and all sorts of cool things that if you are
in the need, you should grab right now. So that's
all I got for you this week. Thank you so
much for listening. Remember to write in ask c Al
that's Ascal at the meat Eater dot com and let
me know what's going on in your neck of the woods.
You know, I appreciate you big thanks on Thanksgiving just
(38:59):
for you. And last, but not least, go visit your
local knowledgeable steel dealer. Have a cup of coffee, talk chainsaws.
They're gonna get you set up with what you need,
they won't send you home with what you don't, and
they're gonna make sure you look like a pro while
you do it. That's a www. Dot steel Dealers dot com.
Speaker 3 (39:17):
Thanks again.
Speaker 2 (39:18):
I'll talk to you next week.
From Mediators World News headquarters in Bozeman, Montana. This is
Cal's Weekend Review, presented by Steal Steel products are available
only at authorized dealers. For more, go to Steel Dealers
dot com. Now here's your host, Ryan cal callahan.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Hey, special episode Cal's Week in Review. So before we
get to our special guests this week, I'm gonna want
to fill you in on my week, of course, and
my week actually a little more than a week was
spent in the frank Church Wilderness, which is a very
special place to man no surprise to all of you
(00:44):
if you're a longtime listener. It's also my birthday trip
right so turned forty one in there this year, pounded
the joints and lost at least a lot of water weight.
Difficult conditions this year, real rainy, real warm, kind of
the way it is across a lot of the West
right now, so we don't have those cold temps and
(01:06):
the deep snow that really move the deer around. We
did see a lot of deer, and one of the
interesting observations that I had was that despite finding lots
of old deer, big old guts, kind of dented in
hips horse faces, they had less impressive racks than the
younger bucks, which was really interesting to me. So I
(01:29):
was wanted to reach out to some biologists, but at
first I thought I'd throw it out on this show
as to does that make sense for deer that winter
in the same area to have that much disparity.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
It's a great grass.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Season, but that winter season could it affect an age
class more than another age class? I assume I know
the answer to that. But in this case, you have
young deer and old deer wintering in the same spot.
Old deer do not put on very pressive horn growth
or antler growth. Young deer did, and then there they
(02:05):
are living side by side, old deer, tiny horns, antlers
pushing around young deer. So that was one thing that
we had to deal with. Another thing that we had
to deal with was, ah, this is a rant. Okay,
it's just a rant warning for everybody. Came across a
dirty campsite in the wilderness Capitol, w dirty ass, gross campsite.
(02:31):
I picked up latex gloves. I picked up you know,
like the really tough bathroom tissue, like wet white type
stuff that doesn't biote grade. Lots and lots of partially
burned peak ref fuel, backcountry meals, and it's just heartbreaking,
Like this is a well off the beaten path, tough
(02:54):
spot to get to, doesn't really make sense for stock.
It is remote, and it is in just exemplary, unbelievable
mule deer country. You can't write up better mule deer country.
It is absolutely wonderful. Again, Christine and some piggies came
(03:16):
in there, camped and they were so badass that they
couldn't pack out trash, little bits of trash. And keep
in mind, this is the frank Church, right there's no
grizzly bears, which is the only time I kind of
give the green light to just burning trash in the
back country. But then you pack out, You sift through
(03:39):
and pack out your ashes. That's the only way to
do it. There is literally no excuse for this. There
is no excuse whatsoever. I don't care if it's a
hunt of a lifetime kid dying of cancer, and you know,
a medical emergency situation, like you pack out your trash.
(04:00):
If you got your tense out of there, you got
yourself out of there, you pack your freaking trash out
of there. This is like just the absolute most disgusting
human behavior. It deeply affects me. It is horrible, horrible.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Horrible behavior.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Good news is And this might be premature, but because
I picked up latex gloves and I need your help,
audience members, I want you to reach out to all
your friends in law enforcement and see if it were
possible to get DNA out of the inside of an
old latex glove. And then we're gonna find these people
(04:38):
and we're gonna have a nice public shaming shame, which
is less than they deserve shame shame in these cases.
I am very much pro capital punishment, and that's what
they deserve, a public capital punishment, some physical abuse plus shaming,
(05:00):
and then maybe like a mountain of trash then gets
dumped on their yard and stadium seating set up around it,
and we all get to watch them pick up trash,
and then we get to go through and find like
the micro trash and the grass and be like, huh,
here's a piece. Oh, there's a piece. You guys get
what I'm saying, So right in as k c al
(05:23):
Askcal at the meat eater dot Com, and let's see
if we can't identify these little piggies. Huh, backcountry abusers, disgusting.
Another thing that happened in there, I did shoot a deer.
It was kind of a case of mistaken identity. Let's say,
I can't say it's a bad deer. Every deer is
(05:45):
a great deer. It's just not what I really went
in there for. But in situations like this, the words
of the outfitter ring clear in my mind when he
would say, Pard, that old boy deserves better than that.
And he's right. So I probably packed out a small
mule deer buck way too far through lots lots of
(06:07):
elevation changes, and a lot of that country is just
straight up and down. And I'm packing this buck straight.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
Up this mountain.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
It's about seven point thirty at night. It's the first
like crystal clear night.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
That we have.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
And I'm making these tiny little baby steps, right because
that's how you move a dead deer up a mountain.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Fact. I wrote a song about it. I'll share with
you later.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
And I pause and turn my headlamp off and look around,
and three sixty view down to the tips of the
trees and the ridge lines and the mountains all the
way around me are stars. It's just as clear as
you could possibly see the stars. I was just surrounded, enveloped.
(06:55):
In fact, I did some hiking without the headlamp on,
which was not productive, but it was super pretty and
one of those experiences where you know you're in a
lot of pain, physical discomfort, you've exerted yourself heavily, and
you're trying to get home to your tent, but you
just can't help but stop and like, look at that scene,
(07:18):
those stars coming down to the mountain, and realize just
how darn and lucky you are, how fortunate you are
to be there. And I'm not going to go back
and talk about the pigs with the dirty campsite shitting
up the place, because now I'm onto more positive things.
And you know, while I'm sitting there staring up at
the stars, I had this thought that if I were
to ever get abducted by an alien, it would be
(07:39):
right then. And if I had the opportunity to ask
those folks as to why they chose me, I think
they would just say the same thing that I was
thinking about the stars, right, They'd be like, well, we
could just see you really well, you know, thoughts you
have on the mountain while packing out bucks, A little
taste of the song, I wrote, think of it like
a music. How do you get a dead dear rep
(08:02):
of Moutain? Tiny little baby steps? What kind of steps?
Little baby steps? Tiny little baby steps, baby steps, baby steps.
Don't stop, walk gang, don't stop walk gang. If you stop,
you'll be here next spring. On anyway, shopping that one
(08:32):
out to some labels.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
We'll see.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
I'll keep you guys posted on that.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
Okay, special edition.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Steve Windham, Michigan United Conservation Clubs mucc AS. I said
we were gonna have this series where we dip in
talk to conservation organizations across the country. Let you know
what's out there, sometimes that club that's right behind you
in the Mitten State, like the NUCC. So take a list,
(09:00):
enjoy and remember to write in to ask c Al
that's Askcal at the meeteater dot com and let me
know what's going on in your neck of the woods.
All right, we got another special edition of Cal's Week
in Review. As promised, we are going to occasionally reach
out to conservation groups, both state and national groups, international
(09:26):
groups based in conservation that you should be involved in,
or at least know why they exist and what projects
they're working on. Even though you buy your hunting and
fishing license. That's just not enough these days. And there's
people like our guest today is Steve Wyndham, who's out
(09:46):
there working even when you're not. It's like that's seven
eleven analogy. They may not be doing business, but they're
always open. So Steve, what does the MUCC do?
Speaker 4 (09:58):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (09:59):
Thanks cal Michigan United Conservation Clubs or MUCC. We were
founded in nineteen thirty seven by a group of nineteen
conservation hook and bullet clubs that wanted to insulate our
natural resources policy away from political agendas and the changing
whims of Lancing. Since our founding, for over eighty six
years now, we've united people to conserve, protect, and enhance
(10:20):
our natural resources, outdoor heritage. We've got four main pillars
of education, communication, policy, and habitat and so we're the
leading conservation organization in Michigan, which is nonspeciated. So we're
covering everything and making sure that everybody has an outlet
to have their voice heard in Lancing, but also get
hands on with conservation to some of our public land work,
(10:41):
you know, make sure that next generation of students falls
in love with the outdoors to are youth camp that
we run as well, but also making sure you're up
to date and know where when there are things happening
that affect your outdoor heritage, your ability to hunt, fish, trap, shoot,
recreate here in Michigan.
Speaker 4 (10:57):
So mucc's leading conservation organization we bring together.
Speaker 5 (11:00):
They're over two hundred different conservation clubs from around the
state as well as we have our individual membership opportunities.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
So just like a Ducks Unlimited or an MDA, you
can sign up as.
Speaker 5 (11:09):
An individual member if you're not part of a local
conservation club or hook and bullet club or shooting range
that is part of the MUCC already. So we're able
to represent every average conservationist out there across the state
of Michigan, from the west side of the up down
to the southwest corner of the Southeast corner. If there's
conservation issues, their natural resources issues going on in the state,
(11:30):
we're usually leading the fight and making sure that everybody
is aware, up to date, has an opportunity to give
back to the land, but also instill the outdoor heritage
of the next generation.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
We offer education.
Speaker 5 (11:41):
Opportunities, women's learn to hunt programs, family fishing days, as
well as our policy work, which is really our bread
and butter, and lansing Michigan, which is our capital, to
make sure that we don't lose certain seasons, method of take,
or even be able to name new game species hopefully
in the future with some of the projects that we're
working on.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
If you're a member of one of these two hundred
plus hook and Bullet Conservation clubs in the state, how
would you be aware of MUCC.
Speaker 5 (12:11):
Yeah, So the clubs affiliate with us and then they
get daily, well weekly communications from MUCC, so all the
members of their club will get the information that we
disseminate through our email system, through our website, through our
text alerts and call to action. So those clubs submit
a roster to us and we get that information, we
add them into our database, and we make sure that
they're updated and aware. So we're actually representing over forty
(12:34):
thousand outdoors men and outdoors women here in Michigan. And
so if you had, you know, to be able to
speak up and have a voice, it's really powerful throughout
the state.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
So does that imply that like MUCC is lobbying on
behalf of these groups or are you just getting information
out to the individual clubs.
Speaker 5 (12:55):
Yeah, we actually have legislative priorities and we're lobbying on
behalf of some of the issues. So the great thing
about UCC in the structure that we have is that
every member is able to submit a resolution to our
Conservation Policy Board. It's a group of forty people throughout
the state that review and vet the resolutions, and so
our policy and legislative issues are set by our membership.
(13:16):
We have an annual convention every year where we come
together and vote on these resolutions. They're vetted through the
Conservation Policy Board before they get to the convention.
Speaker 4 (13:24):
But we're doing this because there's somebody in the up
who sees an issue.
Speaker 5 (13:27):
There's somebody in the northeast corner of the Lower Peninsula
season issue, and so our membership brings forward these issues.
Like back in the early two thousands, we changed the
law to allow you and I to decide when young
people get to join us in the field. So when
I was a kid growing up in Michigan, you had
to be twelve years old to take your hunter safety class.
Speaker 4 (13:44):
You had to be fourteen years old to carry a rifle.
Speaker 5 (13:47):
And now because MUCC we had a member who is
an electrician out of Door, Michigan, south of Grand Rapids.
He wanted to choose when he took young people into
the woods when they were ready and not.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
They had the state choose that for him.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
And Door mission again. He had a lot of political
clout and power right.
Speaker 5 (14:03):
Tons tons in that town of a one stoplight. But
it's a great place to have something bubble up from
an outdoorsman who said, I want to change this. He
brought it to MUCC the first time that convention had
actually failed. He talked to some people, came back, got
more information that passed unanimously, and then we went to work.
NUCC did to change the law, and that guy from Door, Michigan,
who's actually our vice president of our board of directors
(14:25):
right now, he got to go to a bill signing
with the governor and change the law that now we
have a youth mentor license in Michigan. We have an
apprentice license and then you have to move on and
get a hundred safety certified after so long, but my
three children, I have a thirteen, a ten year old,
and a six year old. All of my kids have
used that mentor youth license and they were using it
before I was even aware of MUCC myself. So we're
(14:46):
able to have grassroots policy come from our membership get
vetted by those who are really in the know. We
work with the DNR and they're biologists. They're always able
to see what resolutions we're working on, and then they
come to our convention and that sets our legislative priorities,
which this year we had a bill that was criminalizing
non reporting of your dear harvest.
Speaker 4 (15:03):
Now we believe in the reporting of it.
Speaker 5 (15:05):
We're neutral on the reporting aspect, but we shouldn't be
criminalized if you forget to do it, or if your
app's not working in the back country or you run
out of time. So we actually won that we got
to decriminalize. We're working on a minornizing a commercial fishing
bill right now. We're working with a lot of different
things that are making sure that the state and our
natural resources are protected for generations to come.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
Excellent.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Yeah, just so everybody's aware. Steve has been a very
consistent participant in the Weekend Review. He's always been on
top of sending in Michigan issues and we appreciate that
that's the way things are supposed to work. But one
of these issues has come up recently on commercial fishing.
(15:51):
We've covered it on the podcast for those who don't know.
In the state of Michigan and several of the greatly
great Lake states, there are commercial fisheries for freshwater fish,
walleye being arguably the most famous or maybe most political,
and the Lake Sperior whitefish would be another one. But Steve,
(16:16):
why don't you tell us what's going on there and
how that works.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (16:20):
House Bill fifty one eight is the bill we're talking
about in Michigan. The legislator is I think done for
the year, so it doesn't seem it's going to move
before the new legislative legislative session comes in in twenty
twenty four. But essentially, this bill would allow commercial harvest
of walleye perch and some other of our game fish
SPCs through gilnetting. And it's not something that we believe
(16:41):
is beneficial to anyone. We had a bill like this
come up many many years ago, and we were able
to knock it back then. We have a bill, like
I said, that actually wants to modernize the commercial fishing
industry and not this fifty one O eight that really
would be detrimental to the entire stock and fishery of
the Great Lakes. There's some you know, miscalculations around the
(17:03):
reporting and how often gilnetts have to be in the water.
We want to make sure that we're not allowing fish
that are stocked and reared with you know, licensed dollars
to be taken at commercial benefit for the commercial industry.
Speaker 4 (17:14):
And so we are definitely on in tune.
Speaker 5 (17:16):
With what the industry could need and it could benefit from,
but we are also fighting back against the fact that
we are not allowing them to take our game fish species.
When we sent the actional alert out here in Michigan,
we sent over fifty seven thousand emails to legislators, and
we actually had some of the sponsors, after our legislative
meetings with them, stepped down and remove their name from
the bill after we were able to educate them and
(17:37):
help them understand what this bill could potentially do to
our fisheries.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
Sure, and let's not just skip over the easy layup
of a double dipping fishing on tundra type of joke
there too, right, So, licensed dollars are paying for fish
hatcheries to get opportunities on the ends of lines for
anglers out there should those same dollars support individuals or
(18:06):
companies that are then taking those public funds in the
form of fish and they get to then sell those
back to folks across the country, or at least they're
in the Great Lakes area, right, It's a it's an
interesting question.
Speaker 4 (18:22):
Yeah, you know, we monitored all the Great Lakes.
Speaker 5 (18:25):
You know, we're working to fight the algae booms in
Lake Eeary to make sure that the fisheries are healthy
all over. We were in a Mekai in the Great
Lakes consent decree, which you guys covered as well on
the podcast, to make sure that you know, there's not
gilnets reintroduced into some fisheries around the Great Lakes.
Speaker 4 (18:39):
They haven't seen them in forty years. So there's lots
going on with the Great Lakes right now.
Speaker 5 (18:43):
We're happy and proud to be kind of leading most
of the fights with some of our partners like Coalition
to Protect Michigan's Resources and some of the Charterble Associations
and fishing associations that really stepped up to make sure
that we're you know, we're doing right by our fisheries
and our natural resources.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
And I hope i'm not putting my foot in my
mouth here, Steve. But it's a great thing to bring
up because there was an additional opportunity added to Michigan
fishing recently in the form of spearfishing. So I'm not
sure how muc C weighed in on that, but.
Speaker 4 (19:16):
Yeah, we we help with that too.
Speaker 5 (19:18):
So Jonathan Dirka a great guy who kind of helped
bring it up, a member of ours at NUCC with
the Michigan Spearfishing Association, love filing his stuff on Instagram
to see him down under the water getting walleye through spearfishing.
So another new opportunity that NUCC had a hand in
to make sure that we can you know, our membership
is really getting done what they want us to get done.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
Oh yeah, And I think it's just a great example
for the nation too, right, Like, here's an additional opportunity
that we can throw in there and kind of celebrate
amongst the talk of losing opportunities for other species or
potentially losing opportunities for other species. How much is membership
(20:03):
for MUCC.
Speaker 5 (20:04):
Yeah, so muccs right on standard with most of the
other national organizations. But when you join with us, you
can know that Michigan work is getting done in the
Great Lakes, you know, at the heart of the Great Lakes.
Speaker 4 (20:12):
We're getting everything done here.
Speaker 5 (20:14):
It's thirty five dollars for one year or sixty dollars
for a two year. With that membership, you're going to
get all of our communications, our week our bi weekly
Conservation Insider, our OTG Are on the Ground program newsletter.
You're going to get our magazine, which is quarterly. It's
Michigan's premier outdoor journal. Michigan Outdoors Magazine tells all the
great stories of hunters and anglers and trappers and all
(20:34):
of our outdoor recreation shooting in the state of Michigan.
You're going to get digital access to the website as
well as camp registration opportunities to get your kids to
our summer camp as well as get outdoors for our
volunteer programs that take place on public land, like the
one we did with Mark Kenyon and his Working for
Wildlife tour. We do all kinds of public land work
throughout the year with you know, over twenty five events
(20:55):
around the state for all ages, from river cleanups to
treat planting and basive specie removal. Native dollinators in trees.
So you're gonna get connected into Michigan's conservation community. And
if you're looking to join a club too, we've got
over two hundred to refer you to. If you're looking
to join like Chelsea Rotten Gun Club or the you know,
North Ottawa ron and Gun Club, or any of our
all species conservation stuff, we can get connected to those two.
Speaker 4 (21:16):
If you're looking to build out your community.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
Yeah, And I like to remind folks that there's a
lot of retirees that are members of rotten gun clubs,
and retirees love to talk and if you're a good worker,
you can often come away with good hunting and fishing
spots by joining these rotten gun clubs. So yeah, yeah,
there's a lot of benefits to getting plugged into conservation work.
(21:42):
And you know that expanding the network in the community
is a is a big one obviously. So what would
be like the hallmark issues of m u c C
right now or possibly in the in the future.
Speaker 4 (21:59):
Yeah, I mean right.
Speaker 5 (22:00):
Now with our legislative priorities. As I said, there's the
commoditizing commercial fishing. We just got through a commercial guiding
bill that we just it's on the Governor's desk right
now to be signed. To really put some regulation around guiding.
We had a bunch of really reputable guides come to
us and say, hey, there's really no regulation in the
state of Michigan. So there's some things we've added to
(22:20):
make sure that our guides are able to provide top notch,
you know, customer service and that they're not just bad
actors out in the woods. Here in Michigan's people can
learn to live and enjoy our outdoor heritage like we do.
Speaker 4 (22:31):
You know, we have people coming to the state.
Speaker 5 (22:33):
Michigan has an eleven point two billion dollars hunting and
fishing industry, so we want to make sure that stays
strong and keeps those jobs flowing. There's lots of great
companies here in Michigan that are produced out of this
state that are outdoor equipment. But for us, it's really
just building our membership. We need a louder voice in Lansing.
We already know that there's a bill being shopped around
that would remove the NRC. We have a Natural Resources
(22:54):
Commission here in Michigan that you know, dictates our game species,
our method of take names our game species as well.
There is a bill being shot by one of the
prominent animal rights organizations that is trying to strip the
nr SEA of their ability to name game species as
well as put the designation of game species and the
sole authority of the legislature. And we've seen how that's
(23:18):
gone wrong in other states where legislators can just vote
to take away or ballot box science. You know, we
are here to make sure that our natural resources are
managed on a science based program. To you know, the
North American Wildlife Model has been a huge success. We've
already worked on a lot of different things. You know,
we have some things in the pipe that we're really
dreaming about with maybe some sandhills or just wolves is
a big issue in Michigan right now. So we're on
(23:39):
the both Advisory Committee. There's lots that we're doing. So
we need members. We need people to get plugged in,
get their membership, use your voice at ten convention. Help
us do more and more acres of public land. Send
your kids to camp. We have lots of scholarship for camp.
You can get your child one hundred safety certified. They're
going to learn twenty two's and archery they're also going
to learn a college and North America Wildlife Model and
(24:01):
other things like that too, So we need to instell
that next generation. Really, you know, we've been here for
eighty six years and we have no intention of going anywhere.
But we're seeing a lot more fights now than we
ever did, and with declining hundred numbers, there is a
community out there I know that people can get tapped
into and NCC can be the throat oft for that.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
So what what are you doing on the education side
of things?
Speaker 3 (24:22):
Right?
Speaker 2 (24:22):
So you MUCC is out there lobbying, which is something
anybody can do, but it is intimidating. There's a process
to it that isn't a front and center for your
electricians from Door County, right, or your dry wallers from
(24:44):
Lansing or anybody else, you know. So what are the
steps that NUCC kind of provides for someone who gets in,
checks it out, and wants to put forward referendum or
an initial live at the state level.
Speaker 5 (25:02):
Yeah, we have a great little guide called path to
Policy and so what it does is members can get
that document, that guide, and when they have an issue,
they would submit it to one of our quarterly Conservation
Policy Board meetings one of our different committees, whether it
be Wildlife or Fisheries, parks and Trails. We have these
different committees built out in there. They'll help you review
(25:22):
at whatever committee falls underneath, and then it goes to
a vote to be able to go to convention. And
so every member gets this informations on our website readily available.
Our actual policy guide. Justin Tomay, who you know we
quoted last week on the fifty one oh eight bill.
He's an expert at all of this and can help you.
We used to have a camera at the Capitol day.
We're going to hopefully bring that back in the future.
(25:44):
My job is development directors to build those partnerships out
with companies, businesses, individuals.
Speaker 4 (25:49):
Who want to support the mission.
Speaker 5 (25:50):
But everybody gets that ability to understand our path to policy.
You can join the Conservation Policy Board, you can be
a board member of the organization. We're building out committees
that have regional committees that are popping up, so there's.
Speaker 4 (26:03):
Lots of ways to get involved and get hands on
with the organization.
Speaker 5 (26:06):
Or if you know you have a young person who
wants a summer job, we need camp counselors. Our education
program is huge because we're out there doing family learn
to Fish days where it's not just a young person,
the whole family learns to do it together.
Speaker 4 (26:17):
They get the equipment to take home.
Speaker 5 (26:19):
We're out there doing women's learn to hunt women on
the wing stuff. They we're a great partner in this area.
Speaker 4 (26:24):
Of the state. And then also the Kids camp is huge.
It's eight weeks of camp.
Speaker 5 (26:29):
We run it for six to sixteen year olds and
it's helping them get educated with in our Tracks magazine,
which is really neat as well. It's for fourth through
sixth graders and it's eight issues throughout the school year.
One subscription is eight different issues. It's all Michigan species,
so there's a consumptive and a non consumptive species. There's
all kinds of great quizzes and stories and helps people
understand and connect to the natural resources. But really it
(26:51):
is even an issue. The best place to do is
just reach out, email us, call and we'll walk you
through the process and get you a set up. If
you have something that can help.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
You organization, that's awesome, that's great. Yeah, just thinking about
this het. We have BHA Rendezvous in Minneapolis this year
or next year rather so you guys should come out
and set up set up booth or a table and
make sure that folks who attend know who you are
and how to be involved.
Speaker 5 (27:17):
So yeah, we've actually got some of our board members
that sit on the Michigan Chapter board of BHA as well,
So you know, MUCC is great at doing the partnerships.
You know, Ducks Unlimited comes to us for a lot
of Michigan based policy issues. We don't hire the engineers
and the earth movers and the biologists. They kind of
do that, so they trust us to do the lobbying
and the hard work in the capital to get that
funding get those programs and projects. Point mouly A is
(27:39):
a great, great example that we went and did some
wetland restorations with Ducks Unlimited and the Autobon Society, So
two people we might not actually think with partner while together,
MUCC was able to bring all of us together and
get some really great wetland work done down in the
southeast part.
Speaker 4 (27:52):
Of the state.
Speaker 5 (27:53):
But for us, it's it's just it's community through collaboration.
So conservation through collaboration is just a big part of it.
So we're nonspece we you know, Cousins, Forever, NDA, Ducks,
and Limit. They're all affiliate members of NUCC here in
Michigan just because of our ability to get things done
and make sure that we do live up to our
mission to protect our natural resources.
Speaker 3 (28:12):
That's great. That's great.
Speaker 5 (28:15):
And I've got my tickets to the live show in Detroit,
so I don't know if you're making it to that.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
One, but I'll be at that one.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
Nice guys, I think, yeah, the Royal Oak, I think
I'm missing that one, all right. I'm trying to do
something really good for everybody on hoof disease in Oregon. Yeah,
hopefully that balances things out in people's opinion. It's not
not am not giving the big Michigan Hello to everybody.
Speaker 5 (28:42):
And we give that at the office almost every day,
so it's okay, all.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Right, Yeah, Jordan, do you have any any questions.
Speaker 4 (28:53):
I'm good. I did notice that you guys do a
lot of stuff with kids. You said you had kids.
Speaker 5 (28:58):
Can can you talk a little bit about just the
importance of that and reaching the next the next generation?
Speaker 4 (29:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (29:05):
You know, for us, our education is one of our
main pillars, and you know it's in our it's in
our mission really to the outdoor heritage and so instilling
that and you know, our purpose, we say, is to
protect our natural resources while educating the next generation of
conservation stewards. Our Kids Camp has been going for seventy
five years now. Currently it's in the Waterloo State Wreck
(29:26):
Area out near Chelsea, Michigan. So people in Wyoming might
not know where that is, but our Michiganders will. So
it's in near Chelsea and this year we put two
hundred and twenty five kids through camp. COVID hit us
pretty bad when the COVID lockdowns and shutdowns came through. Uh,
we've been building back and we're going to be at
full service hopefully next summer twenty twenty four has some
(29:47):
really really great weeks planned to be able to get
kids outdoors in the conservation connection, fabulous fishing, wetland wonders, hunting, heritage,
and counselors and training. So we know that there's students
who would love to come back and be a counselor
when they're in college and help you other young people
experience and enjoy the outdoors. Young people at a certain
age can get their hunter safety certification when they come
(30:08):
to camp, so they can leave camp. They do archery
and twenty two's and for us, it's knowing that they
fall in love when they actually get to experience. We've
had kids some of our scholarships are from the urban setting,
from Detroit or Flint or surrounding Jackson areas where these
kids live in a very urban setting.
Speaker 4 (30:26):
They come out.
Speaker 5 (30:26):
We've had kids tell us they didn't know what crickets were,
and they didn't know what that sound was. Kids that
have never seen stars, ever caught their first fish. We
had one young man who came to our camp when
he was seven or eight years old, and it went
on to start his high school bass fishing team because
he fell in love with fishing at our camp for
the very first time. Our current president of the Board
of directors is a camp alumni. And when I wear
(30:49):
miamucc shirt around a lot, that's amazing how many older
people will tell me they're an alumni of our camp
and how they still love the outdoor heritage. They didn't
know that we've moved a couple times, or they didn't
know it still going on. We're always trying to reconnect
with those you know that are three principle of reconnecting
and reactivating. But it's a great place to send kids
for a Christmas present if you want to get tracks
for a kid, and as a gift. That education, that
(31:12):
connection back of the land is one of the biggest
things for all of us. And I know, you know,
we all grew up in the woods, usually with our
dads or uncles or whatever, but some kids don't, and
so the camp allows them the connection of the natural
resource and to learn how it's important to manage game,
how it's important to protect our fisheries, and how ecology
works into our wetlands. And so it's a whole variety
of things, and we're trying to make sure that people
(31:33):
understand that you fall in love with a young age,
you know, hold onto it forever.
Speaker 3 (31:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
I like it because you know, it's obviously it's a
lot of different pieces of the puzzle here, right, And
the odd part that we know about recruitment is we're
pretty good at getting kids interested in the outdoors and
then we kind of lose them later on in life
and smaller percentage kind of comes back.
Speaker 5 (31:56):
So yeah, and for us, that connection, you know, if
you can really get a kid immersed, hopefully that connection
will hold on through those later teen years and when
they're able to, you know, whether they're in college, or
they're strapped for a budget or they just don't have
the time, they're starting the family, those early core memories
and that ability to have, you know, that experience will
hopefully hold on through and even if they're not actively
(32:17):
participating in the sport itself, they understand it and they're
not you know, they're not anti hunting, they're not anti trapping.
They understand the importance of it.
Speaker 4 (32:24):
They understand the memories they have.
Speaker 5 (32:26):
Maybe they don't do it anymore, but there is still
that connection that they have to it to where it's
not a hard line no for them, but they get
the management of the resource and the utilization of the
resource that we're able to highlight.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
Yeah, I mean that's that's a great point and certainly
one that we've made often.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
Right.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
I don't need everybody to do what I do. In fact,
I don't want everybody to do what I do, but
I definitely want them to understand why I do what
I do.
Speaker 5 (32:52):
Yeah, I just wanted to tune in, Just tune in
and take it. You know, we make it so easy.
Are our call to actions for legislative issues. You literally
click a link, scan a QR code, or you get
a text or whatever, and you put your first, last
name and address in the form and it sends it
to you. You can edit it if you want to
add a little exposed day to the end of it,
but it's a form letter, and it looks up who
your legislative You know who your legislators are, It looks
(33:15):
up the spill sponsors. Without all you got to do
is put your info in and hit send, And that's
how we were able to hit you over fifty thousand emails,
So these inboxes that really made some noise and let
people know that fifty one oh Waight was something that
we do not need to have go forward. And we
think that in its current form it is dead. It's
going to maybe be a vehicle to take some amendments
(33:35):
and change it up and move forward, but in its
actual form right now, we believe that it's a dead
bill just because of the ability that we were able
to jump all over it.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
No, that's a great example. Especially with a lot of
the political wins and the marketing abilities of the political machine,
the message out there is unfortunately watered down to like
why would you even try. And so anytime that we
can get these good examples out there of like you said,
not even necessarily like minded individuals, but individuals who do
(34:06):
understand the value of these things, coming together on a
united front can make these changes. And that's extremely important,
right Like, that's that's the way she's supposed to work.
Speaker 5 (34:17):
So we're happy to help people understand that just the
species they chase isn't the most important species. You know,
it's tough to get dear guys to care about fish sometimes,
or to care about turkeys, or to you know, get
trappers to worry about other there's a lot of you know,
just because.
Speaker 4 (34:31):
Of the attacks we're under most of the time.
Speaker 5 (34:32):
But NUCC really allows us to be nonpartisan, so we
work with both sides of the island. You know, Michigan
right now is a majority of one one party that
they control all three chambers of the state legislature. But
with NUCC here, you know, we're not seen as a
place to kind of take over and have things change
too much. We want to make sure we stay nonpartisan
and we bring all of our outdoors men and women
(34:54):
together not just for one topic, but for the natural
resources as a whole because we have the abundance of
it here in Michigan. We're the second largest state with
percentage of public land east of the Mississippi, and you know,
we're really finding hard to protect that against some other other
things as well.
Speaker 2 (35:09):
That's great to hear. So one more time, how do
folks get a hold of MUCC.
Speaker 5 (35:14):
Yeah, just MUCC dot org. From that web page, you
can find all of our on the ground, our OTG programs.
The other cool thing I like to mention is OTG Junior.
It's an elementary and high school program that we have
a grant for that we provide the bus, sing, we
provide lunch.
Speaker 4 (35:30):
We're able to get young people out and.
Speaker 5 (35:32):
Hands on with conservation with age appropriate public land activities.
And then they also learn a skill at the end
of the volunteer opportunity, so they can learn archery or
navigation and compass, orienteering. Lots of cool things to get
people outdoors as well. But for us, it's NUCC dot org.
Get there, Get get a membership, Get signed up the
two years as the best deal. Sign up for our newsletter,
(35:55):
The Conservation Insider, goes out every two weeks.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
You're going to get a regular update.
Speaker 5 (35:59):
Of what's going on in our state, making sure that
we're protecting our natural resources and outdoor heritage. So just
mucc dot org. You can follow us on all the
social media channels as well. Muc CE nineteen thirty seven.
Because you know, eighty six years now we've been protecting
our right to hunt, fish and trap.
Speaker 3 (36:14):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
Yeah, let's not skip the fact that the OTG and
your program, you get get a kid or two enrolled
in there, Mom and dad can go fish or hunt
on their own.
Speaker 4 (36:25):
Yeah, we'll take it over to day.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
Yeah, don't have to spend all day baiting hooks and
tying tying on extra lurs.
Speaker 5 (36:32):
So yeah, when my friends ask do why fish? I say,
my kids fish? And then I sit there. So yeah,
once set the beta.
Speaker 3 (36:39):
Lurd darn right. Well, thank you very much, Steve.
Speaker 2 (36:42):
And it's it's only thirty five bucks a year, but
you may as well go for two check out muc cee,
he said.
Speaker 3 (36:49):
The newsletter is is free.
Speaker 5 (36:52):
Yeah, you can go to the MUCC dot org and
right on their landing page you can sign up for
updates and alerts and just our new our conservation insider.
Speaker 3 (36:59):
Right.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
But if you don't want to take our word for it.
Right now, you can sign up for the newsletter, which
is something I recommend to everybody. Sign up for the newsletter.
See what strikes you. I guarantee that there's going to
be an action item that MUCC sends out that is
going to get you fired up and you're going to
want to get more involved. That's how it works, so
please do. Michigan United Conservation Clubs, thank you very much.
Speaker 5 (37:25):
Awesome, thank you, and Kathy Win Trivia soon make sure
to think of us.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
All right, We'll do all righty, thank you, Steve. That's
all I've got for you this week. Couple of housekeeping pieces.
Check out the Mediator YouTube channel. The Aberdeen Pheasant episode
was just up well, snorta kiss was kicking butt on there.
Big nod and thank you to the folks in Aberdeen
and to Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever who helped out
(37:51):
a ton on that episode, but also helped out a
ton with the habitat ethos that grows big bucks, big
birds and big bugs, so big thank you on my part.
And then there's a Kansas waterfowl episode that's coming up
here too. Besides that and This is just fair warning
because it's got obnoxious. It's super obnoxious. But if you're
(38:15):
looking for deals on stuff, it's that horrid time of
year again, Black Friday through Cyber Monday. We used to
call it Thanksgiving and it was fun and we'd go
hunt and eat great food, which is what I'm gonna do.
But there are lots of online opportunities at the meat
Eater dot com on game calls and decoys and knives
(38:38):
and all sorts of cool things that if you are
in the need, you should grab right now. So that's
all I got for you this week. Thank you so
much for listening. Remember to write in ask c Al
that's Ascal at the meat Eater dot com and let
me know what's going on in your neck of the woods.
You know, I appreciate you big thanks on Thanksgiving just
(38:59):
for you. And last, but not least, go visit your
local knowledgeable steel dealer. Have a cup of coffee, talk chainsaws.
They're gonna get you set up with what you need,
they won't send you home with what you don't, and
they're gonna make sure you look like a pro while
you do it. That's a www. Dot steel Dealers dot com.
Speaker 3 (39:17):
Thanks again.
Speaker 2 (39:18):
I'll talk to you next week.
Host
Cal Callaghan
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