Points North

Each year thousands of people enter a lottery to hunt elk in northern Michigan, but only 200 people win tags.

To ensure success, most hunters hire a guide. Increasingly, elk guides are breaking hunting laws, so hunters are guaranteed a shot. Some guides are now worried the rule breakers are damaging the sport’s reputation.

At the elk park in Gaylord, guide Preston Casselman watches elk chew cud and relax.

This week on Points North, we dissect how many elk were poached this winter and why that number has increased. 

Plus, guides are illegally helping hunters bag an elk. What’s next for the guide industry?

Last month, three more elk were poached in the Pigeon River State Forest.

It was the latest in a series of elk poaching that has made the past few months some of the worst in recent memory for Michigan’s elk herd.

Rivers all over the world have the same problem — fish can’t swim up them because of dams.

Fisheries biologists want to see if they can leave dams in place but allow certain fish to pass, but it’s complicated and the idea has created controversy in Traverse City. 

This week on Points North, we talk to the publisher of the Glen Arbor Sun about a proposed housing development near Crystal Lake. Also, a man lost nearly 80 pounds on a plant-based diet. 

Plus, kids now have access to STEM learning at regional libraries. 

This week on Points North, we have inspiration for your New Year’s resolutions with stories about fresh starts and big life changes.

Golam Rabbani was a human rights lawyer until he was forced to flee Bangladesh for opposing the government. He and his family made their way to Traverse City by way of New York and Port Huron. 

Syringe service programs involve giving medical supplies and clean needles to injection drug users.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say people in those programs are three times more likely to stop using drugs than those who aren't in them.

This week on Points North, we examine propane needs in the Upper Peninsula. Do yoopers need Line 5 for propane, or would they survive without the pipelines?

Tribal nations, Michigan’s governor and environmental groups are all calling for a shutdown of Line 5: the pipeline that carries oil underneath the Straits of Mackinac.

Winter is on it’s way, and everyone in northern Michigan is getting ready.

Cherry farmers are protecting their crops from the cold, and they need to save as many cherries as they can. 

Plus, learn how you can help meteorologists stay on top of snowfall this winter.

This week on Points North, we’re talking about baiting and hunting, and the ongoing debate about whether to keep deer healthy versus taking away a tool for hunting. 

Plus, a turkey hunter tells us why he loves the sport.

This week on Points North, we dive into the restoration of the Boardman River since three dams were removed.

The story ties into the thousands of aging dams in Michigan. Many are more than 50 years old, and some aren’t safe. Removing them is good for floodplains and native fish, but it costs money — sometimes more than is available.

This week on Points North, Leelanau voters will decide the fate of an early childhood program.

Plus, tribal and city officials celebrate the new Clinch Park art installation honoring the Anishinaabek.

This week on Points North, northern Michigan’s signature cherry industry is struggling amid trade tensions and a lack of federal support.

Plus, learn about a 10-acre corn maze in Traverse City. 

This week on Points North, we follow harmful algal blooms to Six Mile Lake and talk to a Traverse City Record-Eagle reporter about septic tank issues. 

This week on Points North, how rising water levels and shoreline erosion are threatening homeowners on the coast of Lake Michigan.

Plus, how businesses in Fishtown are already falling into the water.

This week on Points North, the Pere Marquette River is internationally-recognized for its brown trout, lake trout and salmon. But locals are worried that a train could soon derail and spill toxic chemicals into the river.

Plus, amidst road budget debates in the State Capitol, hear a Q&A about Michigan's crumbling bridges.

This week on Points North, for some, slowing the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease in Michigan is not enough. Can we stop it?

Plus, can the disease spread to humans?

This week on Points North, a private prison in Baldwin will hold immigrants convicted of crimes. Some nearby residents argue it will bring jobs to the area, while others want nothing to do with it.

Plus hear about a legal scholar turned writer whose stories brought her back to northern Michigan.

This week on Points North, we dive into how the state is trying to help underpaid and overworked court-appointed attorneys. Plus a former employee of the Traverse City State Hospital reflects on 30 years on the job.

This week on Points North, thousands of students are back in school. Hear how state efforts to improve reading and writing scores for third graders may be getting lost in translation.

Plus an interview with the new Superintendent of Traverse City Area Public Schools.

This week on Points North, tribes try to bring sturgeon back to Michigan’s waters. Plus one man realizes his dream of running a curling league. 

Sturgeon are a prehistoric fish that can live up to 100 years old, but overfishing and habitat destruction has decimated their population across the state.

Baby sturgeon were released last weekend as part of a joint effort between the state, tribes and conservation groups to restore populations of this ancient fish. 

This week on Points North, hear how Michigan hops farmers are struggling to keep up with the craft beer boom. Plus, a look ahead on the future of the Traverse City Pit Spitters baseball team.

Five years ago hops were in high demand in Michigan, so farmers started experimenting with the crop. However, as beer tastes changed and breweries went looking for the next new thing, many northern Michigan hop farmers have been unable to make ends meet.

This week on Points North, hear how citizens are becoming scientists on the Great Lakes.

Plus, a cheesy grits casserole recipe with a special ingredient: family history.

This week on Points North, the U.S. Forest Service tried to ban alcohol on three popular northern Michigan rivers, but they backed off after public outcry. Now they say they will ramp up enforcement and education to curb drunken behavior.

Plus, how the Nordhouse Dunes in the Huron-Manistee National Forests is dealing with summer tourism.

This week on Points North, as suicide rates rise in the United States, local crisis hotlines are shutting down and national ones are taking over. Plus, how northern Michigan schools help students cope with teen suicides.

This week on Points North, how climate change is causing diseases to thrive in Michigan’s fruit crops. Plus, winemakers Up North pursue more disease-resistant grapes.