With pheasant hunting just under way, the Department of Natural Resources reminds hunters that there are a growing number of opportunities to take part in this treasured Michigan tradition.

Pheasant hunting season runs Oct. 10-31 in the Upper Peninsula in Menominee County and portions of Iron, Marquette, Dickinson and Delta counties; Oct. 20-Nov. 14 in the Lower Peninsula; and Dec. 1-Jan. 1 in selected areas of Zone 3 in the southern Lower Peninsula. The bag limit is two male pheasants daily, with four in possession. A base license is required to hunt pheasants.

“A few years ago Outdoor Life magazine rated Michigan’s Thumb among the top 10 places in the country to go pheasant hunting, which points to the fact that pheasant hunting is still alive and well in our state,” said Al Stewart, DNR upland game bird specialist. “The DNR and our partners are making progress toward creating more quality pheasant hunting opportunities with the Michigan Pheasant Restoration Initiative, a collaborative effort to revitalize Michigan pheasants.”  Read more

Michigan’s early elk season is now over, leaving many happy hunters with full freezers and memories for a lifetime.

“It was perfect! The hunt was above and beyond my expectations, very thorough and very professional,” said Dale Grelewicz of Twin Lakes. Grelewicz harvested his once-in-a-lifetime bull elk, with his wife Jeanne at his side, on Aug. 26.

The early elk season was made up of three, four-day hunts starting Aug. 25. Fifty state hunters had 12 days to harvest their elk, and 43 of them were successful in doing so. The early elk season is unique because it takes place during the rut, when calling can be effective, increasing the potential for some exciting interactions. Read more

With archery deer season just under way, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources would like to share the annual deer season forecast and remind hunters of important changes to the deer regulations for the 2015 deer seasons.

DNR deer program biologists predict that, overall, hunters this season will see similar or slightly increased success rates to last year. The forecast is designed to give hunters a better idea of what to expect in the woods this season and includes regional information breakdowns for the Upper Peninsula, the northern Lower Peninsula and the southern Lower Peninsula. Also included in the forecast are overviews of important changes for this license year, considerations for this season, and updates on wildlife health and diseases.

The annual deer season forecast can be found online at:www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/Deer_Hunting_Prospects_470587_7.pdf. Read more

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources said a 45-year-old Ohio man died after falling from his tree stand this morning in Huron County. The name of the man is being withheld, pending notification of family members. Read more

Archery season opens October 1 in Michigan, and the DNR wants you to be ready to hit the field. In this informational video, DNR Deer Biologist, Chad Stewart explains what Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is, and how it affects hunters in the CWD zone. Additional information about CWD, including answers to Frequently Asked Questions, is available at mi.gov/cwd.