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America’s Bear
When a pine needle falls in the forest: the eagle sees it, the deer hears it, and the bear smells it. –Saying commonly attributed to Native Americans The American black bear is probably the second most widely distributed large mammal in North America behind the white-tailed deer. This is especially true when one considers the…
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Back to the Basics of Camping II
Back in November of last year, I spoke of the tendency to commercialize and overcomplicate camping trips. Yes, expensive modern equipment is useful and lightweight in many situations. I just wonder if a short-term, recreational camping trip is it. Don’t get me wrong in what follows. I’m not trying to be dogmatic about not using…
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June-August Northern Michigan Search Interest
We are moving into the highest months for Northern Michigan Google Search interest. My forecasts show similar levels of search interest to last year. Upper Peninsula forecasts are actually slightly higher than last year, partly because Upper Peninsula search interest is generally trending upward. Also, weather should be somewhat warmer this summer, especially for July…
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May-July Northern Michigan Search Interest
May-July Google search interest for Northern Michigan places should show an increase to annual peak values. This forecasted peak for July would be a historical high. However, the May-July average search interest forecast is lower than the previous two years’ values. Looking at forecasted temperatures, May and June forecasts are mixed. The average minimum temperature…
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What Goes Around Comes Around
“So you get what we had here last week — which is the way he wants it. Well, he gets it. And I don’t like it anymore than you men.” –Cool Hand Luke This post concerns the adversarial relationship created by wildlife and natural resource law enforcement with outdoor recreationists. While natural resource law enforcement…
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Woodcock Pictures
A while ago, I made a blogpost entitled “An Odd Bird” where I wrote about the characteristics, habitat, and habits of the American Woodcock: https://dataandoutdoors.com/an-odd-bird/ In that post, I had a few pictures of woodcock habitat but no pictures of woodcock. As I described in the post, woodcock are well camouflaged and remain well hidden…
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April-June Northern Michigan Search Interest
For April-June, we see continued forecasts for warm and dry weather. Forecasted search interest is slightly higher from last year with forecasts similar to last month. However, it’s important to note that the Upper Peninsula achieved far lower search interest during March than expected. Seasonal trends for the Upper Peninsula seem more similar to pre-2020…
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Who Decides?
Ever since the days of old Men would search for wealth untold They’d dig for silver and for gold And leave the empty holes –John Anderson The United States is gifted with more public lands, open spaces, wilderness, and clear waters than most developed nations. Our decisions regarding this gift comprise a long history and…
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March-May Northern Michigan Search Interest Forecast
Weather forecasts continue to be warm and relatively dry. If this continues into summer, it may have a more positive impact on Lower Peninsula search interest, especially on the west side of the state where search interest for many places is more sensitive to weather. The impact of warm summers on Upper Peninsula search interest…
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An Odd Bird
The American woodcock is a migratory upland bird that resides in Northern forests and swamps during the summer. Woodcock are plentiful but their population is declining with the habitat they call home. While a common find for those that look for them, all but the frequent woodsman might go their entire lives without seeing this…