DNR staff member checking in elk hunterAlthough it may not feel like a Michigan December, the final 2015 elk hunt drew to a close last weekend.”We had crazy weather conditions for this year’s late elk hunt,” said Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist Shelby Hiestand. “In a typical year, we would have had a ton of snow on the ground, where hunters could track and pattern elk and really have a better chance at spotting them against the white snow.”

Although conditions may not have been typical for the December elk hunt, the harvest was still quite successful. Ninety-two percent of hunters harvested an elk this December season, totaling 46 elk. Each hunter was selected out of a random, weighted lottery of more than 31,000 Michigan hunters who applied to hunt elk this year. Read more

Lamar, MO – Designed along similar lines as its wildly popular 360 Series fiberglass blinds, Redneck introduces its 6X6 “Silent Stalker” 360 Soft-Side Blind.With its spacious 6-foot by 6-foot interior, there’s plenty of room for up to three adults or two adults and two children to hunt comfortably—whether that’s with a bow, gun or crossbow. The Silent Stalker sports a heavy-duty double-stitched 600 denier flame-retardant camouflage cover, and the double-zipper design allows the windows to be opened to any configuration for maximum visibility while maintaining the highest level of concealment. The blind also features a heavy-duty powder-coated steel frame that will withstand high winds and heavy snow loads. Simply put: This blind will take anything you and Mother Nature can throw at it. Read more

Tulsa, OK — Outdoor Channel television celebrity Roger Raglin’s DVD The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter, which was originally released in 2000, is part of the inspiration for a Hollywood movie currently being filmed in the Asheville, North Carolina area.Josh Brolin and Danny McBride are set to star in the movie with the same title, The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter. It’s being produced by Scott Ruden Productions and Rough House and directed by Jody Hill. McBride, Hill and David Gordon Green make up Rough House, the outfit that spawned HBO’s excellent comedy series Eastbound and Down. Hill, McBride, along with John Carcieri co-wrote the screenplay: A nationally known whitetail deer hunter takes his 13-year old son on his first deer hunt. Read more

The Fennville Farm Unit at Allegan State Game Area is a 4,100-acre paradise for Canada goose hunting. Purchased by the Department of Natural Resources from the A.M. Todd Company of Kalamazoo in 1949, the property was originally used to grow peppermint, but has since turned into a waterfowl hunter’s dream come true.Canada geese, plentiful at the Fennville Farm Unit, are the most-harvested species. There may also be opportunities for snow, Ross’s and cackling geese. During the regular waterfowl season, hunters commonly take mallards, black ducks and other dabblers.

“The Fennville Farm Unit is a unique area that offers a variety of hunting opportunities,” said DNR wildlife technician Mike Richardson. “In particular, waterfowl hunting can be fantastic, with work being done every year to promote goose and duck hunting opportunities. Waterfowl numbers can peak at over 12,000 geese and 8,000 ducks, and the easy to access hunting areas makes this a great place to hunt.”

Those who want to hunt the Fennville Farm Unit of the Allegan State Game Area must enter the managed hunt drawing. Managed draws for goose hunting will continue until Jan. 30, 2016. The unit will be closed Christmas Day. Drawings occur at 5:30 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday and at 11 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursday. If hunters miss a draw, they are allowed to take a leftover spot, if available. Read more