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The first priority is gonna be safety.
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This is how fist fights start out here.
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Before you start chewing him out, why don't you think
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about you being... Hey, watch it!
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It really kind of grinds my gears a little bit
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because, you know, they're out there breaking the rules on purpose.
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Same guy, three different spots.
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-That's our place.
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This is self-incrimination at its finest right here.
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Wild animals...
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and wild places. They're more than a picture.
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They're inspiration, excitement, and adventure.
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Patrolling and protecting these natural resources is
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a first-class band of peace officers.
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These are the wardens, dedicated to the preservation
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of our great outdoors.
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Watch Online Movies and Series for FREE
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Michigan's District 4 is home to Silver Lake State Park.
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The park is nearly 3,000 acres in size and borders
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Lake Michigan to the east.
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Inside the park is a large sand dune that is broken up
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into three sections.
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The first section is a private concession that allows for
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tours via Mac Wood's dune rides.
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The middle section is a pedestrian-only area.
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The northern section is 430 acres of sand dunes
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dedicated to off-road vehicles.
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That is the only sand dune riding area for ORVs
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east of the Mississippi.
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So we get a lot of visitors from states
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all around the area.
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Park rangers typically handle enforcement of
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park rules and regulations.
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During the busy summer season, particularly holiday weekends,
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Michigan Conservation Officers rotate in to help manage
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the swelling crowds.
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Their training in general law enforcement allows them to
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handle more serious violations.
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Whoo!
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Going out, obviously, the first priority is
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gonna be safety.
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Shouldn't be driving like that out here.
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-Two things. -Watch it.
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Do you at least have a driver's license so I can write down
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that I spoke with you? - Absolutely.
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What did all those signs say that come up through?
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But if someone else comes in and this rolls over,
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they have no protection.
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CO Ben Shively has been working
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out of Oceana County in District 4
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for the last two years.
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When you find that job where you wake up and you don't
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lean over and hit the snooze button or lay in bed and think,
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"Man, I want to call in sick to work today,"
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that you've really found what your calling is,
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and that's what I find with this job.
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I don't wake up and not want to go to work.
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You get in November 14th, and that's more or less like
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Christmas Eve for me.
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In the state of Michigan, November 15th is
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the opening day for whitetail firearm season.
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More than 1.3 million deer licenses were sold
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in Michigan in 2016.
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On this day, he's patrolling the ORV section of
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the sand dunes.
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His main concerns are keeping the park alcohol-free
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and making sure ORV operators are being as safe as possible.
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We're gonna go out and make sure everyone
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is operating safely.
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We're gonna check some high-volume areas.
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We're gonna be looking for alcohol.
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We're gonna make sure that people have their seat belts on
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and helmets and everyone has their flags.
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These living sand dunes are constantly changing
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with the weather and human usage.
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It takes a watchful eye to keep the crowds under control.
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The park entrance is a no-passing zone.
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Heading up the ORV entrance ramp, Officer Shively notices
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a dirt bike that is not abiding by the posted park laws.
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I see a dirt bike that's making his way up,
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passing one vehicle and cutting back in, and then
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continually passing about four or five vehicles behind me.
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Obviously, it's posted about four different spots
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through there that there's no passing on the up ramp,
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and it's a safety issue.
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That's a very narrow road that comes up through there.
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How you doing?
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-Pretty good. -Good.
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Two things -- first of all, helmet's not done up.
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It does you no good, correct, if you hit and that
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falls off and everything.
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OK, second of all, what did all those signs say
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that come up through?
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- Do not pass. - Do not pass.
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And how many vehicles do you think you passed,
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or at least that I watched you pass as you
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came up through there? -Four.
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OK.
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You understand the resaon why you do not pass through there?
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No.
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OK, it's very narrow, it's one lane.
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So if someone's trying to avoid a bump
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or something like that, they come across into you,
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or you would throw sand up on them as you pass around.
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HAve you been here before?
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Yeah.
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Okay, so you're familiar with the rules asd regularions
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that require to have your driver's license on you
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-at all times, OK? -Absolutely, Absolutely.
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What's your first name?
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While running his driving record,
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CO Shively finds that this rider was ticketed
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for another violation just a few hours before.
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Come to find out it was, he had already been stopped
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earlier today for operating out of bounds and he was issued
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a citation on that.
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Sit tight, back with you in a sec, OK?
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The rider's earlier ticket for operating out of bounds is
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a civil infraction and carries a fine of $110.
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Officer Shively then writes him a second ticket for passing on
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the park entrance ramp, which is another
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civil infraction and a fine of $130.
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All told, it's a total of $240 in fines
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for this dirt bike rider.
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This is how fist fights start out here.
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People passing, paddle tire throwing sand up on
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another person's vehicle and everything like that,
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or collisions happening up there, OK?
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How late are you staying up here tonight?
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Probably just until the fireworks, then leaving.
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OK, well, understand, you do not have a headlight
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or a taillight on this. -So you can't ride at night?
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You can't ride at night, how are you supposed to see?
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I'm trying to save you an extra ticket right now
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and everything, OK, so...
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basically it's a --
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it starts getting dark, you need to be loaded up in the back
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of a truck, or you need to be down a lot and ride up
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with your buddies or something. Do me a favor,
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putting your sunglasses on, loop that helmet up
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like what we talked about, OK?
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That was one of the other reasons that I had
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that I had stopped him, his chin strap was not done up,
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and unfortunately, out here, if you're involved
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in an accident especially on a dirt bike
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where you're ejected from that, if that safety strap is not done
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underneath the helmet,
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that helmet comes off in a heartbeat.
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Not saying that you're wiping out
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or anything, but if someone hits you
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and you go flying and that brain bucket goes off,
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that's not what we want. So, good to go, man.
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All right, have a good 4th. Be safe.
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Almost every vehicle that comes out here has got some form of
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aftermarket on it, whether it be rims and tires,
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exhaust, engine,
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body lifts or something to that extent.
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So you have to stay up, especially when you're looking
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at the four-wheelers.
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They have the spark arresters that are required by law
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in order to be operated up here on the four-wheelers.
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This one does not have the roll bar that's above and beyond
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the heads of the rear occupants.
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Hi, how we doing? Good.
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Here's the deal -- you don't have a roll bar
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that's above and beyond their heads,
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so they actually have to wear helmets.
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You have a driver's license and everything on you?
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And it's the main thing is safety, folks.
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You know, I'm not saying that you guys are operating poorly
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out here or anything like that, but if someone else comes in
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and this rolls over, they have no protection,
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so that's why we require the helmets and everything.
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So give me just a second.
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I'll be right back with you guys, OK?
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Here's your license back for you and everything.
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Like I said, it's just a safety issue.
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They've got to have it. When you come up
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through checkpoint, they should, if you have your kids
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riding in the back, they should have told you
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that the helmet needs to be on and everything.
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When you're operating up around here,
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you've got to have them on if they're going to be --
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even if you're punching along the beach here and everything.
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So if you guys want to drive back over, grab the helmets
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and everything, you're good to go then.
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Is there an age limit for that?
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No, it's all ages and everything.
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You're required to have a helmet on if they do not have
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a roll bar that's above and beyond their heads
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in the rear of the vehicle, just to give that crash
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or rollover protection. OK, guys, have a good 4th.
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A lot of it is education.
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If you can educate the individual and have them
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actually change their habits operating out here, point out
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to them what the circumstances might happen if they continue
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to operate like that,
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if they're driving fast and not watching where they're going,
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the injury that might result from a collision and civil
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liability and things like that, and you start throwing injuries
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and civil liability into it, that really starts to tend to
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catch people's attention.
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If you can do that and get your point across
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without writing a citation, in some cases,
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that's the best approach to take.
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Later in the day, Officer Shively meets up with
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lead park ranger Andrew Lundborg.
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The COs and park rangers work in conjunction patrolling
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the park under the old adage of two sets of eyes
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are better than one.
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Silver Lake State Park is state-owned and everything,
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but we have the law enforcement division
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and parks and recreation division have
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a very good working relationship.
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We pull up next to Officer Lundborg, and as we were
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sitting there, talking, I had a black Chevy Avalanche that
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went by us at a high rate of speed next to my patrol truck,
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I'd say within 3-4 feet, probably about
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35-40 miles an hour. So we allowed Lundborg
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in the Razor, since it operates a little bit better than
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a full-sized vehicle out here,
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to catch up to the individual and we stopped and conducted
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a traffic stop on him also.
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Any idea why I might be stopping you?
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No.
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Did you happen to see where I was sitting?
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No.
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Did you see the other patrol vehicle I was sitting next to?
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I saw a patrol vehicle, that one right there.
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- Yeah. - It was my truck.
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Three foot off of, four foot off of, going by
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at a high speed.
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-Remember that? - Yeah, right there?
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-Yeah. - I didn't know that was you, I'm sorry.
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Shouldn't matter if it's me or not.
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Shouldn't be operating like that up here because of
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the conditions that can happen
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from a sudden jerk of the wheel or something, he's colliding
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into another vehicle.
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-How fast were you going? - Probably 40.
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Yeah, I'd say you were...
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- I can't go fast in this. -...probably at least 40.
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And I mean, obviously, you didn't even
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realize that it was two patrol vehicles sitting there.
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So things can happen quick out here.
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You're driving on sand. You hit the brakes.
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Vehicles don't stop like they do on pavement.
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So somebody comes out in front of you or whatever,
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I don't want anybody getting run over.
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So just be careful and safe, all right?
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I appreciate it.
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The 4th of July holiday weekend
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is one of the busiest at the off-road vehicle area
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inside Silver Lake State Park.
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Some of the sand rails, high travel buggies that
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you see out here are approaching
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00:12:40,767 --> 00:12:43,467
$60,000, $80,000 a piece.
258
00:12:43,634 --> 00:12:45,867
Corvette engines in them, custom paint jobs,
259
00:12:47,066 --> 00:12:50,867
all the way down to the $200 special that someone has made
260
00:12:51,033 --> 00:12:53,834
and trailered in here in order to run up here in the dunes.
261
00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:57,266
More importantly, COs must be comfortable and confident
262
00:12:57,266 --> 00:13:00,467
with the firearms they carry, which is why they spent a week
263
00:13:00,634 --> 00:13:02,834
training with their newly issued patrol rifles
264
00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:06,600
at Camp Grayling, a military base in northern lower Michigan.
265
00:13:11,266 --> 00:13:14,867
This is a rifle that we carry with us every day for patrol,
266
00:13:14,867 --> 00:13:17,000
since you never know what you're gonna encounter,
267
00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:19,734
so you're ready for any situation that may come up.
268
00:13:19,900 --> 00:13:21,767
In addition of their conservation efforts,
269
00:13:21,767 --> 00:13:24,500
COs also provide general law enforcement duties
270
00:13:24,667 --> 00:13:26,000
in the areas they serve.
271
00:13:26,166 --> 00:13:28,000
We've had some of our guys dealing with bank robbers
272
00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:30,834
where they've actually had robbery suspects that they
273
00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:33,667
pulled over and had to engage in arrest.
274
00:13:33,667 --> 00:13:37,300
We want to be as prepared and as trained as possible,
275
00:13:37,467 --> 00:13:41,900
so when one of those encounters do occur that we take care of it
276
00:13:42,066 --> 00:13:46,266
efficiently and quickly so nobody else gets hurt.
277
00:13:49,266 --> 00:13:52,967
And sometimes, officers are also called on to save a life.
278
00:13:53,133 --> 00:13:56,266
Within four minutes of arrival, CO Kovach successfully applied
279
00:13:56,266 --> 00:13:59,300
a combat application tourniquet to the wound,
280
00:13:59,467 --> 00:14:00,734
stopping the bleeding.
281
00:14:00,900 --> 00:14:03,567
When that happens, the department honors the CO
282
00:14:03,567 --> 00:14:06,200
with the Lifesavers Award. -They're very humble.
283
00:14:06,367 --> 00:14:07,867
They're very proud of what they do,
284
00:14:08,033 --> 00:14:10,567
but they also understand, they feel that it's their duty
285
00:14:10,567 --> 00:14:11,967
to do darn near anything.
286
00:14:12,133 --> 00:14:14,667
I'm an avid outdoorsman, so I love protecting
287
00:14:14,834 --> 00:14:16,300
and being in the outdoors,
288
00:14:16,467 --> 00:14:20,834
but I also love that we're police officers, so I back up
289
00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:23,367
my local departments and domestics in other
290
00:14:23,367 --> 00:14:26,567
situations where we're protecting our resources
291
00:14:26,734 --> 00:14:28,367
and protecting the people in our community.
292
00:14:28,367 --> 00:14:30,266
It's a lifestyle, it's a passion, and it just
293
00:14:30,266 --> 00:14:33,100
means that we're there to protect the resource.
294
00:14:33,266 --> 00:14:35,400
Our officers are very unique.
295
00:14:35,567 --> 00:14:37,400
They many times are first responders, especially in
296
00:14:37,567 --> 00:14:39,867
the rural parts of Michigan, where the law enforcement
297
00:14:40,033 --> 00:14:42,734
groups, smaller forces, smaller departments.
298
00:14:42,900 --> 00:14:44,100
And so they're very much integral parts
299
00:14:44,100 --> 00:14:46,834
of those departments. They're part of the community.
300
00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:47,967
They live and work in the community.
301
00:14:48,133 --> 00:14:49,100
They support the community.
302
00:14:50,100 --> 00:14:53,400
They deal with recreational safety.
303
00:14:53,567 --> 00:14:55,767
They deal with recreational enforcement.
304
00:14:55,767 --> 00:14:56,934
They're very important to us.
305
00:14:56,934 --> 00:15:00,166
They're fully commissioned police officers, and those are
306
00:15:00,333 --> 00:15:02,834
just marvelous attributes to have, especially in
307
00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:04,400
the rural parts of our state.
308
00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:08,667
It's been a busy 4th of July for CO Ben Shively
309
00:15:08,834 --> 00:15:11,100
and Park Ranger Andrew Lundborg.
310
00:15:11,100 --> 00:15:14,100
More than 300 vehicles have entered the off-road vehicle
311
00:15:14,266 --> 00:15:17,867
area of the sand dunes between 8 and 9 PM, all looking to
312
00:15:18,033 --> 00:15:19,367
find a spot to watch the fireworks.
313
00:15:20,367 --> 00:15:22,567
CO Ben Shively is standing
314
00:15:22,734 --> 00:15:25,100
near his patrol car when an out-of-control rider
315
00:15:25,266 --> 00:15:27,000
nearly collides with a passing jeep.
316
00:15:34,166 --> 00:15:36,400
Hey!
317
00:15:36,567 --> 00:15:38,667
Before you start chewing him out, why don't you
318
00:15:38,834 --> 00:15:41,000
think about you being -- hey, watch it.
319
00:15:42,567 --> 00:15:44,600
You're the one that just jumped blindly over a hill.
320
00:15:44,767 --> 00:15:48,200
Yeah, you were airborne, not in control of your vehicle.
321
00:15:48,367 --> 00:15:50,667
Before you start cussing this gentleman out right here,
322
00:15:50,834 --> 00:15:52,300
please understand, you are the one
323
00:15:52,467 --> 00:15:55,834
that is at fault. You understand that?
324
00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:57,567
-Yep. - OK, do you have
325
00:15:57,567 --> 00:15:58,867
a driver's license on you, sir?
326
00:15:59,033 --> 00:16:00,567
Back at my car, cause I ain't got no pockets.
327
00:16:00,734 --> 00:16:01,967
-Have you been here before? -Yes, I have.
328
00:16:02,133 --> 00:16:03,467
Are you familiar with the rules and regulations?
329
00:16:03,634 --> 00:16:05,100
-Yes, I am. - OK, so then you know
330
00:16:05,100 --> 00:16:06,834
that you're supposed to have your driver's license on you
331
00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:08,300
at all times up here.
332
00:16:08,467 --> 00:16:10,467
Yeah, if I had a backpack on me, I'd understand that,
333
00:16:10,634 --> 00:16:12,767
I just forgot my bag. -That wasn't my question.
334
00:16:12,767 --> 00:16:13,767
I understand what you're saying.
335
00:16:13,934 --> 00:16:15,767
OK. Does the bike belong to you?
336
00:16:15,767 --> 00:16:17,100
-Yes, it does. -OK.
337
00:16:17,100 --> 00:16:20,066
-How long have you owned it? -I just built it this year.
338
00:16:20,233 --> 00:16:21,100
How long have you owned it?
339
00:16:21,266 --> 00:16:23,166
A couple years, like three or four.
340
00:16:23,333 --> 00:16:26,066
Is this reconstructed VIN gonna come back to you?
341
00:16:27,500 --> 00:16:29,567
Any vehicle you purchase or you're required to title
342
00:16:29,734 --> 00:16:30,767
regardless of its year.
343
00:16:32,100 --> 00:16:34,000
So when I run this VIN, who's that gonna
344
00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:36,166
come back to? -I don't know.
345
00:16:36,166 --> 00:16:38,867
Basically, I saw a dirt bike that was airborne that almost
346
00:16:38,867 --> 00:16:40,767
collided with a Jeep that was grinding across
347
00:16:40,767 --> 00:16:42,266
the top of the ridge.
348
00:16:43,166 --> 00:16:46,900
Turned around and then saw the individual proceed to swear
349
00:16:47,066 --> 00:16:49,166
at the other individual that was operating the Jeep
350
00:16:49,333 --> 00:16:51,300
trying to tell him that he was at fault.
351
00:16:51,467 --> 00:16:54,467
So went over there to make sure that nobody was injured
352
00:16:54,467 --> 00:16:57,600
and then quickly pointed out to the individual that was getting
353
00:16:57,767 --> 00:17:01,400
excited and trying to place blame on the Jeep driver that,
354
00:17:01,567 --> 00:17:03,834
in fact, he was the one that was at fault because he was
355
00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:06,000
airborne and not in control of his vehicle.
356
00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:08,500
Before you start cussing this gentleman out right here,
357
00:17:08,667 --> 00:17:11,400
please understand you are the one that is at fault.
358
00:17:11,567 --> 00:17:13,667
-Are you OK? -Yeah, he didn't hit me.
359
00:17:13,834 --> 00:17:15,834
-He didn't hit you? -No, he fell right before.
360
00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:17,867
OK, I saw it come up and everything.
361
00:17:17,867 --> 00:17:19,367
I saw the sand on the side and everything,
362
00:17:19,367 --> 00:17:22,100
and I just wanted to make sure that you were
363
00:17:22,266 --> 00:17:23,233
all right and everything.
364
00:17:23,233 --> 00:17:24,200
Do you happen to have your driver's license?
365
00:17:24,367 --> 00:17:25,967
-Yeah. -OK.
366
00:17:26,133 --> 00:17:27,867
Now we're just making contact with all the different
367
00:17:27,867 --> 00:17:30,900
individuals involved and sort out what we're gonna
368
00:17:31,066 --> 00:17:32,767
end up doing here.
369
00:17:33,967 --> 00:17:36,000
He is at fault, obviously, not for you guys,
370
00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:39,367
but when he is airborne and is not in control of his vehicle,
371
00:17:39,367 --> 00:17:40,600
that's careless operation.
372
00:17:40,767 --> 00:17:42,367
So that's what I'm gonna deal with here and everything.
373
00:17:42,367 --> 00:17:44,000
You guys are running how you're supposed to
374
00:17:44,166 --> 00:17:45,834
across the top of the ridge and everything.
375
00:17:46,767 --> 00:17:48,266
He's blindly jumping, not knowing
376
00:17:48,433 --> 00:17:49,467
what's on the other side,
377
00:17:49,467 --> 00:17:51,066
so we will take care of that issue there.
378
00:17:51,233 --> 00:17:52,834
So I just want to make sure you guys are all set
379
00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:55,266
and everything, no sand or damage to the vehicle
380
00:17:55,266 --> 00:17:57,300
or anything like that. OK, very good.
381
00:17:57,467 --> 00:17:58,767
Thank you, guys.
382
00:17:58,767 --> 00:18:01,467
The driver of the Jeep is not at fault and allowed to leave.
383
00:18:01,467 --> 00:18:04,066
No, I just got hit in the face by sand.
384
00:18:04,233 --> 00:18:07,266
- Yeah. -And I realized what happened.
385
00:18:07,433 --> 00:18:09,467
- Yeah. -I'm glad everybody's all right.
386
00:18:09,467 --> 00:18:11,467
While Officer Shively looks further into
387
00:18:11,467 --> 00:18:13,600
the dirt bike rider's driving record,
388
00:18:13,767 --> 00:18:15,667
He expresses remorse to Ranger Lundborg
389
00:18:15,834 --> 00:18:17,667
over nearly causing an accident.
390
00:18:17,834 --> 00:18:20,066
I should have never blown up like that, but, you know,
391
00:18:20,233 --> 00:18:21,467
I just --
392
00:18:21,634 --> 00:18:24,166
You've got to be in control of your vehicle at all times,
393
00:18:24,166 --> 00:18:27,100
and regardless of him being here or not, looking at
394
00:18:27,266 --> 00:18:30,166
your track, I mean, you can see this patrol truck sitting here.
395
00:18:30,166 --> 00:18:33,367
I mean, you're jumping real close to that anyways.
396
00:18:33,533 --> 00:18:36,667
Shively writes him a ticket for failure to control his vehicle,
397
00:18:36,834 --> 00:18:40,767
which is a misdemeanor, and a fine of $275.
398
00:18:42,367 --> 00:18:45,266
You're airborne and you're not in control of your vehicle,
399
00:18:45,266 --> 00:18:48,467
you're at fault, OK? So, what I did is
400
00:18:48,634 --> 00:18:50,467
I issued one citation today for careless operation
401
00:18:50,634 --> 00:18:52,467
and the verbal warning on the other things.
402
00:18:52,467 --> 00:18:55,266
He didn't have his driver's license on him as is required
403
00:18:55,433 --> 00:18:58,567
up here, and he was also operating carelessly
404
00:18:58,567 --> 00:19:01,567
or in a careless manner, so, uh, he was issued a citation
405
00:19:01,567 --> 00:19:03,667
for careless operation up here.
406
00:19:22,166 --> 00:19:24,767
Bear hunting in late spring and early summer
407
00:19:24,934 --> 00:19:27,200
usually means you're in Canada.
408
00:19:27,367 --> 00:19:30,967
With no spring bear season in Michigan, conservation officers
409
00:19:31,133 --> 00:19:33,767
like District 3's Duane Budreau are out
410
00:19:33,767 --> 00:19:35,767
patrolling for hunters setting their baits for
411
00:19:35,767 --> 00:19:37,867
the fall bear season too early.
412
00:19:37,867 --> 00:19:40,767
It's illegal to establish the bait early.
413
00:19:40,934 --> 00:19:45,266
It's also illegal to run off of that bait.
414
00:19:45,266 --> 00:19:48,467
To hunt from an illegal bait is illegal as well.
415
00:19:48,634 --> 00:19:51,467
So these guys that are doing it, you know, they all know
416
00:19:51,634 --> 00:19:54,467
they're, they're all working in cahoots together.
417
00:19:54,467 --> 00:19:58,767
It's a team effort, so they're all held responsible
418
00:19:58,767 --> 00:20:02,867
for running these bear...early.
419
00:20:02,867 --> 00:20:05,567
In Michigan, baits can be set out one month
420
00:20:05,567 --> 00:20:07,066
before the season starts.
421
00:20:12,700 --> 00:20:14,200
What we're looking at is strike baits.
422
00:20:14,367 --> 00:20:18,400
So, these are houndsmen that are baiting near the roadway,
423
00:20:18,567 --> 00:20:21,867
and you can easily see their turnouts,
424
00:20:21,867 --> 00:20:25,166
where they're parking their vehicle, and you just
425
00:20:25,166 --> 00:20:28,367
follow the path in. Careful not to leave
426
00:20:28,367 --> 00:20:29,967
your own tracks behind, because we don't want
427
00:20:30,133 --> 00:20:31,567
to spook them out of there.
428
00:20:31,567 --> 00:20:35,900
But yeah, it's fairly easy to find them.
429
00:20:36,066 --> 00:20:38,700
Then to actually manage them and work them,
430
00:20:39,867 --> 00:20:41,767
it becomes a little more challenging, because you've
431
00:20:41,767 --> 00:20:43,767
got to actually catch them on-site.
432
00:20:43,767 --> 00:20:45,266
Driving up here, you'll notice we'll be on
433
00:20:45,433 --> 00:20:50,100
a two-track sort of gravel-ish road that's easy to detect
434
00:20:50,100 --> 00:20:51,767
as they pull off the shoulder of the road.
435
00:20:51,767 --> 00:20:54,467
You can see where the vehicles have pulled off.
436
00:20:54,467 --> 00:20:58,567
You look close enough, you see a pretty beat-down foot trail.
437
00:20:58,567 --> 00:21:01,367
If it doesn't cross the road, pretty clear indication that
438
00:21:01,533 --> 00:21:04,300
it's a human trail and not a wild game trail.
439
00:21:07,900 --> 00:21:09,033
Right there.
440
00:21:11,500 --> 00:21:12,700
Come back up.
441
00:21:15,166 --> 00:21:16,967
Yeah, there's the trail right there.
442
00:21:19,166 --> 00:21:22,000
Doesn't look like a lot, but it doesn't cross the road,
443
00:21:22,166 --> 00:21:25,467
so we can tell that it's one way in and out.
444
00:21:26,700 --> 00:21:29,867
Game don't actually travel like that.
445
00:21:30,033 --> 00:21:33,567
If that were a deer runway or an actual bear trail,
446
00:21:33,734 --> 00:21:35,066
it would actually cross the road, you know?
447
00:21:36,367 --> 00:21:37,900
He's not coming out to check his mail.
448
00:21:39,667 --> 00:21:43,100
So we'll park up here and walk in.
449
00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:49,100
So, the bait is tipped over,
450
00:21:50,400 --> 00:21:51,467
which is a good thing.
451
00:21:51,467 --> 00:21:53,500
That means they'll come back and they'll rebait it.
452
00:21:59,567 --> 00:22:02,300
Raccoons, a little bit of a bear track here.
453
00:22:04,767 --> 00:22:06,200
Smaller critters have been in here.
454
00:22:11,367 --> 00:22:13,433
Cleaned out.
455
00:22:15,867 --> 00:22:19,467
CO Budreau has checked on this spot before, so he decides to
456
00:22:19,634 --> 00:22:22,266
hang a trail camera in hopes of ID-ing a suspect.
457
00:22:45,367 --> 00:22:47,533
Restrict the movement a little bit.
458
00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:51,367
Don't want anything to catch their eye.
459
00:22:54,900 --> 00:22:57,900
The next illegal bait he checks on, CO Budreau
460
00:22:58,066 --> 00:22:59,667
finds another empty log.
461
00:23:15,166 --> 00:23:16,367
See the bear trails
462
00:23:17,767 --> 00:23:20,667
coming in and back behind you there.
463
00:23:21,767 --> 00:23:22,900
There's definitely...
464
00:23:24,266 --> 00:23:25,367
activity in here.
465
00:23:26,567 --> 00:23:27,767
These are...
466
00:23:32,100 --> 00:23:35,166
It's definitely been hit since I was in here to check it.
467
00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:39,100
A lot of guys will actually do that as well with these baits.
468
00:23:39,100 --> 00:23:42,967
They rake up an area on the ground and get it soft
469
00:23:43,133 --> 00:23:44,767
so that they can capture a good paw
470
00:23:46,900 --> 00:23:47,967
because that's what they're looking for.
471
00:23:48,133 --> 00:23:49,867
They're looking for a bigger bear.
472
00:23:49,867 --> 00:23:52,567
And that's exactly what he finds at the next bait site.
473
00:23:52,734 --> 00:23:54,066
That's good to know.
474
00:23:54,233 --> 00:23:56,467
Same guy, three different spots.
475
00:23:56,634 --> 00:23:58,000
At least he's got the same bait source.
476
00:23:59,467 --> 00:24:02,100
Maybe somebody's having a sale on cereal.
477
00:24:04,100 --> 00:24:05,166
Getting a little buggy in here.
478
00:24:09,300 --> 00:24:12,467
A little cleaner site, I don't see all the litter
479
00:24:12,634 --> 00:24:14,100
that we had at the other spots, right?
480
00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:19,166
No fresh bear tracks, though, so I'm assuming that
481
00:24:19,333 --> 00:24:20,700
that looks fresh, it's raked.
482
00:24:20,867 --> 00:24:24,100
They probably baited that maybe this morning, maybe yesterday.
483
00:24:25,467 --> 00:24:27,100
Kind of hard to tell with the bait itself.
484
00:24:27,266 --> 00:24:31,667
It's kind of compacted in there, but that looks
485
00:24:31,834 --> 00:24:34,200
kind of freshly raked up.
486
00:24:34,367 --> 00:24:36,200
So I'm gonna guess it was recent.
487
00:24:45,066 --> 00:24:49,066
Cracking down on bear baits being set too early is a high priority
488
00:24:49,233 --> 00:24:52,000
in Michigan's North Lower and Upper peninsula.
489
00:24:52,166 --> 00:24:55,166
It's pretty well tore up. They're using this quite a bit.
490
00:24:55,333 --> 00:24:57,000
And just shakes the corn out,
491
00:24:57,000 --> 00:24:59,567
and that'll keep the bears coming back for quite a while.
492
00:24:59,734 --> 00:25:03,367
You can start baiting 31 days before the start of the season.
493
00:25:03,367 --> 00:25:06,367
In the UP, that means nothing until August 10.
494
00:25:06,533 --> 00:25:08,867
A lot of times, more often than not, it's somebody that
495
00:25:09,033 --> 00:25:10,166
knows what they're doing.
496
00:25:10,166 --> 00:25:11,467
They know that they're going out there
497
00:25:11,634 --> 00:25:13,166
and cheating the system a little bit,
498
00:25:13,166 --> 00:25:15,867
and it really kind of grinds my gears a little bit
499
00:25:16,033 --> 00:25:19,266
because they're out there breaking the rules on purpose,
500
00:25:19,433 --> 00:25:21,233
trying to get a jump start on everybody else.
501
00:25:23,700 --> 00:25:24,867
In District 2,
502
00:25:26,667 --> 00:25:29,100
Conservation Officer Bobby Watson has been
503
00:25:29,266 --> 00:25:31,367
monitoring one hunter who has been baiting early
504
00:25:31,533 --> 00:25:33,667
for over a year, but he hasn't been able
505
00:25:33,667 --> 00:25:36,100
to come face-to-face with the suspect.
506
00:25:36,100 --> 00:25:39,500
So he put out trail cameras and was able to get a photo ID.
507
00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:42,066
I thought I could see brake lights, and I put
508
00:25:42,233 --> 00:25:45,900
my binoculars up, and it was him parked on the side of the road.
509
00:25:46,066 --> 00:25:48,500
And just as I put my binoculars on him,
510
00:25:48,667 --> 00:25:50,500
he hopped in his truck, and he took off.
511
00:25:50,667 --> 00:25:52,667
Well, I went down to where he was parked, walked in,
512
00:25:52,667 --> 00:25:54,266
and there was a bait.
513
00:25:54,266 --> 00:25:57,367
And so, I hung a camera on it and everything,
514
00:25:57,367 --> 00:26:00,266
and since then, I've built the case up to the point
515
00:26:00,433 --> 00:26:03,367
where we can, you know, go in tonight, hopefully.
516
00:26:03,367 --> 00:26:05,500
Armed with that knowledge, it was just a matter of
517
00:26:05,667 --> 00:26:08,200
Officer Watson tracking down the suspect.
518
00:26:08,367 --> 00:26:10,266
So he drove past the hunting camp to see
519
00:26:10,266 --> 00:26:11,967
if the suspect was around.
520
00:26:16,700 --> 00:26:17,900
That's our place.
521
00:26:21,634 --> 00:26:23,100
Oh, yeah, they're up.
522
00:26:23,266 --> 00:26:25,166
So I have a little bit of a history with this group.
523
00:26:25,333 --> 00:26:27,200
I'm kind of familiar with them.
524
00:26:27,367 --> 00:26:30,867
I've crossed paths with them once or twice and gotten
525
00:26:31,033 --> 00:26:32,667
a lot of tips on them. There's some information
526
00:26:32,667 --> 00:26:35,600
that our fellow officers have on them.
527
00:26:35,767 --> 00:26:38,667
So I kind of had a feeling that this guy was gonna be up
528
00:26:38,667 --> 00:26:40,266
on the weekends. They're from downstate.
529
00:26:40,266 --> 00:26:41,300
That's a good sign.
530
00:26:41,467 --> 00:26:43,567
They might be home tomorrow night.
531
00:26:47,166 --> 00:26:48,400
That's a good sign.
532
00:26:49,166 --> 00:26:51,900
All their dog boxes were filled with dogs, so we knew that
533
00:26:52,066 --> 00:26:53,900
somebody was there with the dogs.
534
00:26:54,066 --> 00:26:56,000
Didn't see a whole lot of trucks, which was a good sign,
535
00:26:56,000 --> 00:26:58,000
because I know that this guy is generally
536
00:26:58,000 --> 00:26:59,967
their caretaker, if you will.
537
00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:02,800
So we were hoping that it would be just him.
538
00:27:05,266 --> 00:27:07,400
They might be out running, tending baits right now,
539
00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:10,667
or they're just out getting dinner or something.
540
00:27:19,500 --> 00:27:22,200
Prior to the start of bear season, the state of Michigan
541
00:27:22,367 --> 00:27:25,100
conducts a one-day seminar designed to prepare hunters
542
00:27:25,266 --> 00:27:26,867
for bear season.
543
00:27:26,867 --> 00:27:29,000
Some of the things that you want to really think about
544
00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:31,367
when you get out there is smell.
545
00:27:31,367 --> 00:27:34,266
So we go through all the equipment they need,
546
00:27:34,266 --> 00:27:36,867
whether it's archery, rifle, what type of rifle,
547
00:27:37,033 --> 00:27:40,567
ammunitions, what type of arrows and broadheads to use
548
00:27:40,734 --> 00:27:42,166
and not use.
549
00:27:42,166 --> 00:27:44,700
We're gonna go through baiting, what types of bait
550
00:27:44,867 --> 00:27:46,600
to use, what types of bait not to use,
551
00:27:46,767 --> 00:27:48,166
what's legal and not legal.
552
00:27:48,333 --> 00:27:50,066
We go through the whole shebang.
553
00:27:50,233 --> 00:27:52,967
Just push it right off. Swoop this off one.
554
00:27:53,133 --> 00:27:54,467
It'll sit there and feed.
555
00:27:54,467 --> 00:27:57,266
Hunters can go years between drawing a tag,
556
00:27:57,433 --> 00:27:59,567
and park interpreter Ed Shaw knows it's easy to
557
00:27:59,734 --> 00:28:02,567
forget strategies when you don't do it every year.
558
00:28:02,734 --> 00:28:04,467
What we're doing is how to adapt that
559
00:28:04,634 --> 00:28:07,266
deer hunting equipment over to hunting bigger game,
560
00:28:07,433 --> 00:28:08,867
such as bear hunters.
561
00:28:08,867 --> 00:28:12,367
And a lot of it's the same, and a lot of it's different,
562
00:28:12,367 --> 00:28:14,567
and we're teaching them those tips and tricks.
563
00:28:18,333 --> 00:28:20,300
Your walking path, pretty soon you'll notice
564
00:28:20,467 --> 00:28:21,667
bear poop on it.
565
00:28:21,667 --> 00:28:24,567
The Outdoor Skills Academy is a mix of classroom
566
00:28:24,567 --> 00:28:26,100
and outdoors training.
567
00:28:26,100 --> 00:28:29,166
Shaw says you will get out of bear hunting what you put in.
568
00:28:30,100 --> 00:28:32,667
And it is not a lazy sport.
569
00:28:32,667 --> 00:28:34,567
You're gonna put a lot of work, bear hunting is
570
00:28:34,567 --> 00:28:36,100
a lot of work in baiting.
571
00:28:36,266 --> 00:28:37,667
by the end of the bear season,
572
00:28:37,667 --> 00:28:39,367
you're gonna be tired of baiting,
573
00:28:39,367 --> 00:28:40,467
and you should be.
574
00:28:50,367 --> 00:28:52,934
Every winter, wildlife biologists with
575
00:28:53,100 --> 00:28:57,266
the Michigan DNR place radio collars on female black bears.
576
00:28:57,266 --> 00:29:00,333
The primary purpose of this monitoring program is to have
577
00:29:00,500 --> 00:29:04,166
female bears available to raise cubs that have been orphaned.
578
00:29:04,333 --> 00:29:05,500
It's been found...
579
00:29:06,233 --> 00:29:10,367
frequently that you can convince a female black bear to
580
00:29:10,533 --> 00:29:13,667
accept cubs from another bear that may have been killed
581
00:29:13,834 --> 00:29:15,767
for any number of reasons.
582
00:29:15,934 --> 00:29:18,367
So by keeping these bears on the air, we always have
583
00:29:18,533 --> 00:29:21,967
an option for cubs that lose their mother.
584
00:29:22,133 --> 00:29:25,266
This seven-year-old sow had four cubs with her.
585
00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:32,166
Biologist Mark Boersen was able to crawl within 10 feet
586
00:29:32,333 --> 00:29:36,033
before sedating the bear in order to work on the collar.
587
00:29:36,200 --> 00:29:38,266
And she never stood up, she did raise her head.
588
00:29:38,433 --> 00:29:40,166
She turned and looked at me and then
589
00:29:40,166 --> 00:29:41,967
laid her head back down.
590
00:29:42,133 --> 00:29:43,767
And then she gave me a quick little glance
591
00:29:43,767 --> 00:29:46,600
when I injected her, as you might expect,
592
00:29:46,767 --> 00:29:48,567
and then laid down again,
593
00:29:48,567 --> 00:29:49,767
and I stayed right there.
594
00:29:49,767 --> 00:29:53,333
I just laid down in the snow and laid there for
595
00:29:53,500 --> 00:29:55,600
about a half hour until she went to sleep.
596
00:29:55,767 --> 00:29:58,400
A lot of the dens that are checked are on private property
597
00:29:58,567 --> 00:30:00,667
and landowner Lloyd Brown was excited to be
598
00:30:00,834 --> 00:30:02,367
part of the process.
599
00:30:02,367 --> 00:30:04,867
The property has a lot of memories and I think this is
600
00:30:04,867 --> 00:30:07,500
gonna be one of our favorites because, you know,
601
00:30:07,667 --> 00:30:11,133
we've seen the bear on the cameras, we've seen the bear
602
00:30:11,300 --> 00:30:14,133
rarely, you know, we've been out scouting or out hunting
603
00:30:14,300 --> 00:30:17,867
and, you know, to be up close with the bear, and then there was one cub.
604
00:30:17,867 --> 00:30:21,100
Then there was two, then there was three, then there was four.
605
00:30:21,266 --> 00:30:23,467
So, I mean it's absolutely awesome and it's something
606
00:30:23,634 --> 00:30:27,667
I know myself, my wife, my children, you know, will cherish.
607
00:30:27,834 --> 00:30:31,567
Data from these bear den checks also helps the DNR manage
608
00:30:31,734 --> 00:30:33,100
the bear population.
609
00:30:41,734 --> 00:30:44,667
-Back in District 2 -- - Oh, yeah, they're up.
610
00:30:45,834 --> 00:30:47,166
That's a good sign.
611
00:30:47,166 --> 00:30:49,266
Conservation Officer Bobby Watson has
612
00:30:49,433 --> 00:30:52,133
trail cam photos of someone baiting for bears
613
00:30:52,300 --> 00:30:54,133
too early in the season.
614
00:30:54,300 --> 00:30:57,600
In Michigan, you are allowed to start baiting 31 days prior to
615
00:30:57,767 --> 00:30:59,266
the opening of bear season.
616
00:30:59,266 --> 00:31:01,734
After driving past the suspect's hunting camp,
617
00:31:01,900 --> 00:31:04,367
Officer Watson made plans to contact the suspect
618
00:31:04,367 --> 00:31:06,667
very early the next morning.
619
00:31:06,834 --> 00:31:09,500
Running time, legal time to drop your dogs on a bear is
620
00:31:09,667 --> 00:31:11,000
the same as shooting hours.
621
00:31:11,166 --> 00:31:13,000
So it's gonna be a half hour before sunrise.
622
00:31:14,233 --> 00:31:16,333
So we wanted to beat them before they left their camp.
623
00:31:16,500 --> 00:31:18,066
We didn't want to try to find them out in the woods
624
00:31:18,233 --> 00:31:20,734
because you never know if you can track them down or not.
625
00:31:20,900 --> 00:31:23,367
Shortly after 6 AM, Officer Watson drove
626
00:31:23,367 --> 00:31:24,467
past the camp.
627
00:31:51,367 --> 00:31:52,967
How you doing?
628
00:31:53,133 --> 00:31:54,100
We tried to get to their camp.
629
00:31:54,100 --> 00:31:55,934
before the sun came up and before they left,
630
00:31:56,100 --> 00:31:59,133
and luckily we beat them out of the camp.
631
00:31:59,300 --> 00:32:01,333
They were just getting ready to leave, so we got there,
632
00:32:01,500 --> 00:32:03,333
another 10 minutes and we might have missed them.
633
00:32:03,500 --> 00:32:05,100
I got a couple questions for you real quick
634
00:32:05,266 --> 00:32:06,567
before you guys get going this morning.
635
00:32:07,467 --> 00:32:08,667
What's the deal with all your baits?
636
00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:13,567
Well, there's a couple baits up north here that we were seeing
637
00:32:13,567 --> 00:32:15,100
pretty early on this season.
638
00:32:17,767 --> 00:32:19,133
Prior to the bait season.
639
00:32:20,667 --> 00:32:22,066
OK.
640
00:32:22,233 --> 00:32:25,000
The suspect didn't confess right away, so Officer Watson
641
00:32:25,166 --> 00:32:27,233
showed him the trail cam photos.
642
00:32:27,400 --> 00:32:28,467
You want to look at them?
643
00:32:30,934 --> 00:32:33,567
-That's not you?
644
00:32:34,667 --> 00:32:38,767
- Carrying bait in.
645
00:32:38,934 --> 00:32:40,266
We're looking at your trail that you walked
646
00:32:40,266 --> 00:32:41,467
to carry your bait in.
647
00:32:43,567 --> 00:32:46,467
-Well, that's you, right?
648
00:32:46,634 --> 00:32:48,467
You're saying that's not you?
649
00:32:54,934 --> 00:32:57,033
That's not a good picture there.
650
00:32:57,200 --> 00:32:59,367
But I mean, there you can see your face a little bit,
651
00:32:59,533 --> 00:33:01,000
and there you can see your face just fine.
652
00:33:06,166 --> 00:33:08,467
- That's you -- Yeah.
653
00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:10,667
Yeah.
654
00:33:10,667 --> 00:33:13,567
We had pictures of him going in with bait on his shoulder.
655
00:33:13,734 --> 00:33:15,467
We had pictures of him coming out without the bait,
656
00:33:16,367 --> 00:33:19,233
and then I have pictures of me going in and taking pictures of
657
00:33:19,400 --> 00:33:20,600
the bait site itself.
658
00:33:20,767 --> 00:33:22,166
So it was pretty obvious what he was doing.
659
00:33:22,333 --> 00:33:23,867
It's all time-stamped and everything.
660
00:33:23,867 --> 00:33:26,133
He's ticketed for having bait out too early,
661
00:33:26,300 --> 00:33:29,166
which carries a $150 fine.
662
00:33:29,166 --> 00:33:31,000
Additionally, he can't hunt over the bait
663
00:33:31,166 --> 00:33:34,567
once the season opens, since it was established illegally.
664
00:33:34,567 --> 00:33:36,734
And he even said it, you know, when I was talking
665
00:33:36,900 --> 00:33:39,834
with him, interviewing him. It gives him a head start.
666
00:33:40,000 --> 00:33:42,734
I'm just curious, just asking here, what's the purpose
667
00:33:42,900 --> 00:33:45,767
of baiting early, I guess, for you guys?
668
00:33:45,767 --> 00:33:48,066
-Just to get a head start on it?
669
00:33:48,233 --> 00:33:49,834
OK. OK, yep.
670
00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:51,667
Everybody else in the area, they're not baiting
671
00:33:51,834 --> 00:33:54,400
until the 10th, a month before the season opens,
672
00:33:54,567 --> 00:33:56,967
and he's baiting prior to, so he's pulling in all those bears
673
00:33:57,133 --> 00:33:59,467
from the area and drawing them all into his baits,
674
00:33:59,634 --> 00:34:02,400
you know, so he's gonna have them and nobody else will.
675
00:34:02,567 --> 00:34:04,867
And it kind of bugs me because, I mean, everybody else
676
00:34:05,033 --> 00:34:07,367
is following the rules and here's this one guy who's not.
677
00:34:16,266 --> 00:34:18,100
You know, I do a lot of talks
678
00:34:18,266 --> 00:34:20,266
at career day events and things of that nature,
679
00:34:20,266 --> 00:34:24,734
and I tell the young people, you know, it's the greatest job
680
00:34:24,900 --> 00:34:27,367
in law enforcement for sure, in my opinion.
681
00:34:27,367 --> 00:34:28,567
There's nothing better.
682
00:34:30,467 --> 00:34:32,100
In Michigan's District 3,
683
00:34:34,567 --> 00:34:37,467
Conservation Officer Duane Budreau had set up
684
00:34:37,634 --> 00:34:40,634
trail cameras in order to help identify who was setting up
685
00:34:40,800 --> 00:34:43,066
bear baits too early. - So it's an attempt to,
686
00:34:44,166 --> 00:34:46,367
you know, to try to even the playing field.
687
00:34:46,533 --> 00:34:48,834
You know, we're out here enforcing rules.
688
00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:52,166
Rules are in place just to keep the game even
689
00:34:52,166 --> 00:34:53,667
for everyone else,
690
00:34:53,667 --> 00:34:55,967
and, you know, it's unfair to those that are playing
691
00:34:56,133 --> 00:34:58,433
by the rules when you have others that are cheating.
692
00:34:58,600 --> 00:35:00,767
A few days later, he went back to see if the cameras
693
00:35:00,767 --> 00:35:02,667
had captured anything.
694
00:35:02,834 --> 00:35:04,066
Well, they didn't steal my camera.
695
00:35:04,233 --> 00:35:05,066
That's good news.
696
00:35:16,567 --> 00:35:18,533
Unless the bear was in here this morning, and we can look
697
00:35:18,700 --> 00:35:21,266
for tracks, see if the bear actually came in
698
00:35:21,433 --> 00:35:23,634
this morning, and I guess we'll go look
699
00:35:23,800 --> 00:35:26,033
and see if we have any evidence.
700
00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:30,133
He loads the memory card onto his laptop
701
00:35:30,300 --> 00:35:32,367
and scrolls through the photos.
702
00:35:32,533 --> 00:35:34,567
Must have a bear, because the bait was set
703
00:35:34,567 --> 00:35:36,066
when I put the camera in here.
704
00:35:37,867 --> 00:35:39,000
Oh, there we go.
705
00:35:44,166 --> 00:35:46,467
At another bait spot, Officer Budreau pulls
706
00:35:46,634 --> 00:35:48,967
more photos of baits being established too early.
707
00:35:53,100 --> 00:35:57,567
This guy's obviously just set the camera and set the bait.
708
00:35:58,567 --> 00:36:01,867
Using the photos, Officer Budreau IDs the suspect
709
00:36:01,867 --> 00:36:03,867
and makes a plan to head out on the first day
710
00:36:04,033 --> 00:36:05,467
of bear season in hopes of catching
711
00:36:05,467 --> 00:36:07,400
them using the illegal baits.
712
00:36:09,867 --> 00:36:11,600
Couldn't pose for a better picture.
713
00:36:14,066 --> 00:36:16,367
And this guy's coming in at 5:20 in the morning.
714
00:36:23,634 --> 00:36:28,033
And this is self-incrimination at its finest right here.
715
00:36:32,867 --> 00:36:36,000
There is no arguing what they were doing.
716
00:36:36,166 --> 00:36:38,266
That's classic footage.
717
00:36:43,667 --> 00:36:47,166
And some very self-incriminating pictures
718
00:36:47,166 --> 00:36:50,166
of two suspects establishing the bait.
719
00:36:50,333 --> 00:36:51,367
I mean, it's frame by frame.
720
00:36:51,367 --> 00:36:52,934
These guys are building the bait station.
721
00:36:53,867 --> 00:36:55,066
That worked out pretty ideal.
722
00:36:55,233 --> 00:36:57,266
Now it's just a matter of catching those guys
723
00:36:57,266 --> 00:37:01,567
in the field, hunting, and using those images
724
00:37:01,734 --> 00:37:03,166
as evidence against them.
725
00:37:10,367 --> 00:37:13,634
On the morning of the season opener, Officer Budreau stakes
726
00:37:13,800 --> 00:37:16,867
out a spot with an early bait and waits, but no one shows.
727
00:37:16,867 --> 00:37:19,667
Well, that's disappointing.
728
00:37:21,100 --> 00:37:22,967
Officer Budreau decides to move on
729
00:37:23,133 --> 00:37:24,567
to another illegal bait spot.
730
00:37:24,567 --> 00:37:27,033
On his way, he runs into a hunter who says he thinks
731
00:37:27,200 --> 00:37:29,567
the guys Officer Budreau is looking for are hunting
732
00:37:29,567 --> 00:37:31,033
in the Upper Peninsula.
733
00:37:31,200 --> 00:37:34,233
Now, was that you that did, you drugged the roads?
734
00:37:34,400 --> 00:37:35,600
-Yeah. -OK.
735
00:37:35,600 --> 00:37:37,166
-I tried to. -Because I was like, "Who else is out here?"
736
00:37:37,166 --> 00:37:40,233
-Yeah. -Yeah, that was me last night.
737
00:37:40,400 --> 00:37:43,834
-Covered some miles. -Yeah.
738
00:37:44,000 --> 00:37:46,033
You got to get a tag once in eight or ten years.
739
00:37:46,200 --> 00:37:47,734
Right, yeah. Put the effort in.
740
00:37:47,900 --> 00:37:49,867
- I want some 100-pound bait. - Right, right.
741
00:37:50,033 --> 00:37:52,433
- Ain't worth my time. -No, it's not.
742
00:37:52,600 --> 00:37:54,834
Time and effort, there's a lot of effort that goes in.
743
00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:57,567
He also told Officer Budreau that he thinks they were
744
00:37:57,734 --> 00:37:59,767
training their dogs on the early baits
745
00:37:59,767 --> 00:38:01,834
prior to heading north to hunt.
746
00:38:02,000 --> 00:38:04,166
Using the early baits for training purposes
747
00:38:04,333 --> 00:38:05,700
is also illegal.
748
00:38:05,700 --> 00:38:08,767
That whole group, according to the other hunters that we ran into,
749
00:38:08,767 --> 00:38:11,767
and they all know each other and know where they're
750
00:38:11,934 --> 00:38:15,767
all running, so they knew that they had a tag for the UP
751
00:38:15,934 --> 00:38:22,533
and they trained here and then hunt in the UP.
752
00:38:22,700 --> 00:38:24,634
Officer Budreau was disappointed he didn't get
753
00:38:24,800 --> 00:38:27,333
a chance to contact the people he captured on camera,
754
00:38:27,500 --> 00:38:29,934
but he believes he'll have another chance next bear season.
755
00:38:30,100 --> 00:38:33,767
Yeah, unfortunately we weren't able to catch up with our suspects
756
00:38:33,767 --> 00:38:36,567
that has established those, those numerous baits
757
00:38:36,567 --> 00:38:38,734
that we found early, but they're still on the list.
757
00:38:39,305 --> 00:39:39,537
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