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Completion Report for Gerrish Township
Higgins Lake Common Merganser Harassment Program April 8 -May 22,zALs
May 22, 2015
Project goalwas to reduce Common merganser (CM) presence on Higgins Lake, Gerrish and Beaver
lethaltake. No harassment
occurred in Lyon Township from the west boundary of the DNR North State Park to the boundary at
Creek Township area through the use of harassment and limited supportive
Town Line road.
Harassment:
Harassment protocol inJofued daily boating of the lake using boat activity and pyrotechnics to move CM
off the lake. Staff training included area geography, pyrotechnics, riparian/public considerations and
project social concerns. First CM observations were on April 8, 2015 (Figure 1.) with 7 CM noted at
Gerrish Township Park and 2 CM near the dam. CM harassment efforts were initiated on April 8, 2015
with the lake ice covered and limited areas of open water near the shoreline. Pyrotechnics were used
to drive the birds from the lake. Warm temperatures and heavy winds on April 18, created extensive
openings in the ice pack enabling boats to be launched in the north end of the lake, Detroit Point, and
FIag point. Seventy five CM were counted that day during harassment activities. Total ice out was on
April 22, 2015 with peak numbers noted on April 24 with 89 CM counted. Harassment efforts were
increased for the next few days resulting in a continual decline in CM numbers. Low CM numbers
(around 10 CM per day) continued through the completion of the harassment effort on May 22,2OL5.
Areas of high CM concentration were found near North State Park, Lakeside, Cottage Grove, Pine Woods
Camp, Gerrish Township Park, Almeda Beach, Surfside, and Treasure lsland.
Lethal Take:
Lethal harvest was included to support and reinforce harassrnent efforts. Extensive training of staff was
conducted throughout the entire project to develop a field flight identification technique for CM. This
field identification technique was based on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service publication "S3E4[SS,AW.
afS!sex.,ldintification of Ducks Vsina YVino Pl.ymag9. written by Samuel M. Carney, United States
Department of the lnterior, Fish and Wildllfe Service, 1992. Daily observation were made of CM and
other waterfowl in flight. These observations included size, general coloration, wing coloration, flight
configuration and pattern. Lethal harvest activities were initiated on April 30, 2015 only after staff had
confidence in accurate CM identification. All staff was instructed to take only positively identified CM.
Northpoint staff solely conducted all lethal and harassment activities and were supported by Frank
Homola Gerrlsh township. No volunteers were allowed to participate due to our stringent training and
safety requirements. Roscommon County Central Dispatch was notified at the start of harassment and
the start of each lethal take.
tnitial lethal harvest was directed at both sexes of CM due to the uncertainty in difficulty in taking CM. lt
hen
was quickly noted that harvest would be easier than anticipated, therefore harvest was directed at
CM to maximize the potential reduction in CM brood production from tliggins Lake.
were
Lethal harvest activities started on April 30th and concluded May 20 2015 {Table 1.). Fourteen CM
harvested on April 30, 4CM were harvested on May 4,4 CM were harvested on May 5, 0 CM were
harvested on May 7, 1CM was harvested on May Ll,and 2 CM were harvested on May 20. Two CM
were counted as part of the total harvest but not retrieved. on April 30,2015 one adult male CM was
shot and dove underwater and on May 4,za]4and adult female CM was shot and dove underwater.
Neither of these were retrieved after an extensive search. All 23 harvested and retrieved CM were
provided to Scicon, either picked up personally, dropped off at their dock or left for pickup at the Gerrish
Township Marina. Allactivities concluded on May 22,20t5.
I
Project Staff:
Steven P. Sendek, Northpoint Fisheries Management, LLC Owner and Project Manager. Fisheries
Biologist with 46 years waterfowl hunting experience in Michigan and North Dakota-
with
Dr. Mark Luttenton, phD. profesgor of Biology and Aquatic Sciences, Grand Valley State University
44 years of waterfowl experience in Michigan.
years of waterfowl
James Andersen, PhD & Brigadier General, Michigan National 6uard ret. with 50
hunting experience in Michigan and North Dakota.
MichaelMcNamara, MS & Lt Colonel, Michigan NationalGuard ret. with 20years of waterfowlhunting
experience in Michigan, North Dakota and Ohio'
year3
Steven S.J. Sendek, student Fisheries and Wildlife, Lake Superior State University with 16
waterfowlhunting experience in Michigan and North Dakota.
of
Nicholas J. Sendek, student Mechanical Engineering, Ferris State University with 13 years of waterfowl
hunting experience.
Submitted by:
Steven P. Sendek
Northpoint Fisheries Management,
930 S. Au Sable Trail
LLC
Table 1,. Common Marganser Counts for Higgins Lake, Gerrish Township, and Beaver Creek Township
Spring 2015
Grayling,
Ml 49738
8-Apr
9-Apr
10-Apr
9CM
11-Aor
12-Apr
13-Apr
5CM
ocM
0cM
27CM
14-Apr
15-Apr
15.Apr
17-Apr
18-Apr
Tqrn
19-Apr
20-Apr
21-Apr
48CM
22-Apr
23-Apr
43cM
70cM
221-Apr
tgcM
25-Apr
25-Apr
27-Apr
49CM
26CM
nrM
)ej{t
44CM
7?rM
29-Apr
30-Apr
1-Mav
1)C.M
Lethal take
15CM
2-Mav
ctal\,
3-May
4-May
13CM
8-May
9-May
out
29CM
28-Apr
5-May
6-May
7-Mav
ice
6CM
5CM
1?CM
Lethal take
tqcM
1.0-May
lqcM
11-Mav
12CM
Lethal take
12-May
13-May
14-May
15-May
15-May
26aM
17-Mav
18-Mav
7CM
8CM
qaM
nrl\t
5CM
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