MARQUETTE—The DNR is reminding snowmobilers of changes to the snowmobile trail signage system on state trails, including the addition of five new sign types and the elimination of 10 sign types used in past years.

The Ice Hawks squirt team took 2nd place out of 13 teams in the Marquette Holiday Tournament held Dec. 14-16.  Pictured are, front Andy Fredrickson; second row, from left, Ryan Piwarski, Nolan Anderson, Drew Alexa, Cole Alexa, Raul Padilla; back row Bink Cline, assistants coach Ken Jager, Drew Hebert, Holden Ross, Isaiah Jager, head coach Jim Anderson, and Danielle Polzin.  Not pictured assistant coach Mary Ann Cline. (Anderson photo)

This truck and angler fell through just upstream of the Bone Lake access site in northeast Iron County during a very cold February a couple years ago.  Some ice is never safe. (Ziegler photo)
By Bill Ziegler for the Iron County Reporter
IRON COUNTY— With many people coming home or to their cabins in Iron County for the Christmas holidays, many outdoors enthusiasts want to know if it is safe to go out on the ice.

MARQUETTE—    DNR Wildlife Division staff will hold furbearer registration hours at the Wakefield and Stephenson field offices on specific dates and times.

Benji Wood of Iron Mountain holds a splake taken last year on an Iron County splake lake. (Ziegler photo)
By Bill Ziegler for the Iron County Reporter
IRON COUNTY—  A splake is a hybrid between a lake trout and brook trout. Splake have been used to produce popular trout fisheries in inland lakes that have excessive fish community competition and will not support a strong brook trout and rainbow trout fishery. Splake can compete in what are called two story lakes. In typical two story trout lakes fish species like bass and bluegill or walleye inhabit shallower warmer waters in the summer, and the splake inhabit the cold oxygenated deeper water. Splake have also produced good trout fisheries in near shore waters of the Great Lakes that are accessible to smaller boat anglers and ice anglers.

CRYSTAL FALLS—Landowners in Iron County have a new forest management resource.
The Forestry Assistance Program (FAP) was created by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to encourage more active management of non-industrial private forest lands.

KINGSFORD—    Do you wonder what you can do with your woodland for improving wildlife habitat? Have you thought about what you can do to improve the value of your woodland? Are you interested in what the land will be like for future generations?

LANSING—The Archives of Michigan today announced that the original survey maps of Michigan’s 1,400 individual township parcels have been scanned and are now available to search, browse and print at www.seekingmichigan.org.

LANSING—The DNR reminds hunters that the 2012 muzzleloader season for deer is open in Zone 1 (Upper Peninsula) and Zone 3 (southern Michigan). The season runs for 10 days in the U.P. and 17 days in southern Michigan.

Volunteers haul materials for the 2012 building of the habitat crib reefs. (Ziegler photo)
CRYSTAL FALLS—A fish habitat crib reef is being constructed at the Michigamme Reservoir off WE Energies Site 19 (Challancin’s Landing) during January 2013.