Week 18: Fish and four-wheelers

Recruits spend the week at Camp Grayling, learning to identify fish and operate ORVs.
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Conservation Officer Academy Blog

Fish and four-wheelers

Week 18: May 1-7

The 17 returning recruits, now over 75 percent through the Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officer academy, met at Camp Grayling late Sunday afternoon for week 18 of training. The Michigan National Guard training base – the largest in the United States – spans 147,000 acres in Crawford, Kalkaska and Otsego counties. The week covered fish identification and off-road vehicle training. It was a mixture of hands-on training, an abundance of information on everything fish, and a great deal of time outdoors in the woods and waters of northern Michigan.

Recruits began their week Sunday evening, engaging in a military-style physical fitness routine that included shuttle-run, pushups, situps and more.

Fish identificationName that fish

The next morning, recruits reported to an on-base classroom for all-day fish identification training, instructed by Cpl. Marv Gerlach. More than 70 fish, including different species of fish and adult, juvenile, male and female fish of the same species, were set out on large tables.

“Fish identification is a big part of the job for any conservation officer,” said Cpl. Mike Mshar, recruit school staff. “When checking anglers, officers must be able to identify any fish, including those that have been laying in coolers for several hours, which could result in color changes.”

Recruits reviewed intricate details on all common Michigan fish species, including fin appearance, lateral lines, body coloration, inside gum coloration, teeth and more.

“Recruits must know the difference between species that look similar, such as King salmon and Coho salmon or Atlantic salmon and brown trout,” Cpl. Mshar said. “There are certain characteristics that give clues to the differences in these and other species.”

The fish on the classroom tables – which were gathered in part from commercial netters and anglers for the training – had corresponding numbers. Recruits were tested on each fish, going through the line to identify and write down the species.

Later in the day, recruits again were tested. Instructors put 20 fish in a cooler of darkly colored water and each recruit, in front of his peers and instructors, dug inside the cooler to randomly draw a fish, put it on a table, and identify it. Recruits also had to point out the characteristics of the fish that led them to their conclusions.

Fish identificationFish laws

Fish identification and enforcement instruction continued through Tuesday. In addition to more hands-on fish identification training and practice, the recruits learned the laws pertaining to fishing regulations, types of fishing gear and equipment commonly used by anglers, and what kind of equipment is illegal to use and why. The day ended with a comprehensive exam on all things fish.

Contacting anglers

That evening after dinner, recruits took part in two fish-related training scenarios. Each recruit individually made contact with an angler, played by a conservation officer. The trainees had previously been given the date and time the angler was in possession of the fish. From this information and from checking the fish, recruits determined if there were any violations and identified the species. The next scenario was similar, with new information and a different fish species to identify.

Enforcement efforts

Cpl. Shannon Van Patten, an expert in tribal fishing and commercial fishing enforcement, led Wednesday morning’s instruction. Cpl. Van Patten works closely with tribal enforcement officers and conducts enforcement for commercial fishing. Recruits learned about trap and gill nets and how to recognize them by their buoys on the water’s surface.

For the remainder of the morning, recruits learned proper enforcement procedures for Great Lakes fishing.

“There’s a proper technique for checking anglers on the Great Lakes that is different from inland lake enforcement,” Cpl. Mshar said. “Anglers on the Great Lakes are typically trolling rather than anchored and fishing off the side. They’re also more likely to have larger boats and more lines in the water. Recruits learned how to make contact without interrupting the anglers’ setups.”

ORV training begins

That afternoon, recruits settled back into the classroom for the beginning of off-road vehicle (ORV) laws and regulations training, taught by conservation officers Brian Bacon and Chuck Towns. Recruits learned DNR policy and procedures pertaining to the use of ORVs while on the job, the different types of ORVs and the proper techniques and safety procedures of operating their machines.

After the PowerPoint, recruits headed outside for ORV familiarization training. They learned about and put on their helmets, eye protection and hand protection – which is always required when riding on the job – and then inspected their ORVs. They turned them on, learned how to operate the controls and went on a short familiarization ride within a controlled area.

Most, although not all, conservation officers are issued ORVs. It depends on the frequency of use, which varies according to county. Conservation officers in highly populated counties are less likely to use ORVs.

Midnight swimChilly wakeup call

Lights out, as always, is at 10:30 p.m., but Wednesday night, sleep didn’t last long. A surprise wakeup call sounded shortly after lights out, and the recruits were quickly up and dressed in workout gear. After a 4-mile jog to nearby Lake Margrethe, located near Grayling in Crawford County, the recruits did calisthenics on the beach. As night temps dipped into the low 40s, the recruits, in formation, were instructed to run into the chilly lake and submerge themselves. More calisthenics on the beach followed, and then it was back into the water. Afterwards, the recruits were transported back to base.

Riding ORVs

The entirety of Thursday was committed to ORV operation. The day began with a ride to the designated operating point – home base for the day – where recruits worked on cone serpentines. Essentially, they zigzagged through cones, practicing the skill of weight distribution on the ORV while making turns. Obstacle avoidance was another skill practiced. Recruits learned to distribute their weight on the ORV to avoid objects in their path. They practiced turning, breaking and moving forward and backward.

ORV videoBy late morning, recruits transitioned to a nearby sand hill, where they practiced proper maneuvers needed to climb, move across and descend a hill.

View a short video to see recruits in action.

“Operation in different conditions, such as sand, mud and hard dirt, requires different skills and maneuvers,” Cpl. Mshar said. “At Camp Grayling, recruits have a variety of conditions and an expansive area to practice all these needed skills.”

Thursday wrapped up with a 20-mile ORV ride through wooded trails. The ride encompassed different terrains and obstacles, such as downed trees and large hills. The loop landed the recruits back at the base, where they ended the day.

Maintenance

The more technical aspects of machine maintenance encompassed Friday. Recruits learned to check and change the oil in their machines and perform basic maintenance. After instruction, they cleaned their machines, practiced loading and unloading them onto a trailer and did their final load-up, securing their machines down with ratchet straps.

The week at Camp Grayling had ended and it would be back to the Michigan State Police training facility in Lansing for week 19, where recruits would spend the majority of their time on the outdoor firing range at Chief Okemos Sportsman’s Club in Dimondale.

Subscribe to the weekly conservation officer academy blog, which also is posted weekly on the Michigan DNR Facebook page. View past blogs from Recruit School No. 7.

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/Photo details: Accompanying photos are available below for download. Caption information follows.

Fish identification 1.jpg: Recruits spent considerable time learning to identify various features of game fish common to Michigan’s waters.

Fish identification 2.jpg: More than 70 fish were laid on tables for recruits to identify. This included different species and male, female, adult and juvenile fish of the same species.

Midnight swim.jpg: Near midnight, when the temperature was in the low 40s, recruits finished their 4-mile jog to Lake Margrethe, where they did calisthenics on the beach and then ran in formation into the water.

Morning drive.jpg: Proceeding in a line, recruits traveled to their base camp for the day, where they completed a number of off-road vehicle exercises.

Sand hill practice.jpg: Recruits practiced proper maneuvers needed to climb, move across and descend a hill on their off-road vehicles./


The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.

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