Michigan's deer hunting problem • Pelican migration to metro Detroit • Kids killed in fire

MONDAY NEWS HIT - The thrill of the hunt remains in Michigan and many have still found success when firearms season commences in November. 

But recent declines in the number of hunters who seek out deer in Michigan have continued in 2024, a worrying trend for the Department of Natural Resources, which must contend with less revenue from hunting licenses while managing an increase in the number of deer.

There was once more than 800,000 licensed hunters in Michigan. Now, that number has dropped below 600,000. Among them is Will Frank, who cherishes his time in a deer blind or up on a stand.

"Going out into the nature and just being by myself, climbing the tree by myself, aiming down the scope myself, doing that all - it feels a whole lot better than going to the grocery store," he said.

By his observation, there's never been more deer.

That's partly due to the relationship between hunter and deer numbers - as well as what people who participate in the season prefer to shoot.

Many would rather catch a buck, scoring the antlers as a trophy. But it's does that give birth and the DNR says population control would best be done by targeting female deer.

"Certainly focus on antlerless harvest," said Chad Fedewa, the DNR's acting deer management specialist, when asked what hunters should do.

He says license sales are up 1% this year, but the deer harvest season has fallen by 5.5%.

According to the deer harvest report summary on the DNR's website, hunters have shot 187,564 deer as of Friday afternoon. Two-thirds of those have been bucks.

There are also implications for the surrounding environment, including more disease spreading and crops being eaten. 

Along with an absence of natural predators, the only population control efficient enough for deer is hunting season. And as numbers there decline, deer's continued growth in the state will persist.

Pelican's Michigan migration

Cruising the waters around the DTE Power Plant in Monroe County, several pelicans were spotted hunting for fish below. After plunging their beaks into the water, they emerge with a mouth full of carp.

Video of them eating shows why they're effective hunters, using team work to locate fish before swallowing their catch whole. It's an increasing sight among the wetlands of Michigan and the Great Lakes, which are quickly becoming popular migratory stops for one of the biggest birds to call North America home. 

The reasons why are a mystery to those who have observed an increase in their numbers.

"We're not exactly sure why they're showing up," said Kylie McElrath, Michigan conservation manager with Audubon Great Lakes. "It's unusual but also not unusual since they can travel far to feed."

Mobile home fire claims two kids

A tragic house fire claimed two lives in Canton Township on Sunday night when a mobile home went up in flames, killing two children and hospitalizing three others.

The scene at the Glen Ridge Manufactured Home Community was all quiet on Monday morning with a home showing extensive smoke and fire damage around the roof and on the sides.

The incident happened around 5:30 p.m. when Canton Township police and fire responders received a 911 call about a fire. When crews arrived, they saw a residence fully engulfed in flames with two adults and two children outside. 

According to a police report, a third child was rescued from the inside of the home and all five were taken to a local hospital. Unfortunately, two children died from their injuries while the third remains in critical but stable condition. Both parents are also expected to recover. 

Detroit Lions keep rolling - and so do the injuries

The Detroit Lions' dream season continues with another round of accolades for the NFC's top-scoring offense, including being the conference's first team to reach the 10-win mark.

They beat the Indianapolis Colts 24-6 with stingy defense and running back Jahmyr Gibbs carrying a larger load than he has in the past after David Montgomery took himself out with concerns of a shoulder injury. 

Montgomery said after the game he would be good to go for the Lions' annual Thanksgiving game against the Chicago Bears. While fans were fortunate about that news, there is a worrying trend for the defense.

As good as they have been, the injury load has been growing after cornerback Carlton Davis III hurt his knee. Rookie Terrion Arnold sat out the game with a groin injury while the Lions played their first game without Alex Anzalone. A tough stretch of games is coming up and how the Lions manage their injuries could define where Detroit ends up in the playoffs. 

Telegraph-8 Mile construction wraps up

A brand-new interchange and 18 traffic signals will now greet drivers at the Michigan Department of Transportation's recently completed road project at Telegraph and Eight Mile.

Beginning Monday, commuters will come upon the new diverging diamond interchange in Southfield, which aims to make it easier for people to enter and exit the busy roadway while reducing the number of delays.

The two-year $54 million project helped rebuild 1.4 miles of road at Telegraph between Eight Mile and Grand River. It included rebuilding five bridges, drainage and water main work, and sidewalk improvements.

It's not the first one to be built in Southeast Michigan with MDOT adding a DDI at I-75 and 14 Mile. Crews have opened two lanes of travel for northbound and southbound travel of Telegraph with plans to open two more by mid-December. 

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Daily Forecast

Monday will be the warmest of the week before temperatures fall ahead of Thanksgiving. Expect a couple rounds of precipitation with rain likely in the early part of this week and possibly snow by the weekend.

What else we're watching

1. Whooping cough numbers are climbing in Michigan according to CDC data. While officials recommend vaccines for kids and those who are pregnant, concern about the treatments may be causing some to not get the shot.
2. It's another holiday week and that means varying traffic patterns amid a surge of people heading somewhere for vacation. Fortunately, gas prices are down 12 cents.
3. The City of Detroit is unveiling new neighborhood signs to be installed in more than 60 communities, serving as a "gateway" to each area. 
4. While many in Detroit are watching the Lions, it is also the week before the famed UM-OSU match dubbed simply "The Game." It's been years since Ohio State beat the University of Michigan in the biggest rivalry of college football.
5. It's lame duck session at the Michigan legislature, and Democrats only have a few weeks left of power. Expect a flurry of legislation voting and bill debate over the next few weeks in Lansing. 

JonBenét Ramsey’s father ‘cautiously optimistic’ about finding his daughter's killer: filmmaker

JonBenét Ramsey’s father is hopeful that in his lifetime, he’ll find out who murdered his daughter – but time is ticking for the heartbroken patriarch.

"He’s cautiously optimistic," Oscar-nominated filmmaker Joe Berlinger told Fox News Digital about John Ramsey. "This is a guy who has been brutalized by the police department, brutalized by the court of public opinion, brutalized by the media. And for his sake, I hope the family finds the truth."

"But John, a staunch advocate for finding the killer, is 80," Berlinger shared. "I hope the guy has another decade left, but I’d like this case to be solved before he goes so that the family can have a measure of peace."