It’s Turkey Time in Michigan
The spring wild turkey season begins today and runs through May 31.
DNR upland game bird specialist Al Stewart says “turkey numbers are generally good across the state” with the total population around 200,000 birds.
Tag: dnr
MDNR Files Suit Against Hunting Facility
On Tuesday, April 10, 2012, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources filed a civil complaint against Ronald McKendrick and Charlene McKendrick, who own and operate the Renegade Ranch Hunting Preserve in Cheboygan County. The McKendricks are being sued for violations of Michigan’s Invasive Species Act, which outlaws certain types of swine.
The complaint, brought in Cheboygan County Circuit Court, asks the court to require the McKendricks to comply with the state’s Invasive Species Act and to remove prohibited swine from their property. Read more
Tell Michigan’s DNR What You Think
The Department of Natural Resources (Department) is committed to understanding our partners’ impressions of the Department. As we strategically plan for our future and the future of our natural resources, we would like your help.
We would like to know your opinions about the Department’s strengths and weaknesses and the threats and opportunities that face the Department and natural resource management over the next five years. We also want to know more about how our partners are involved in natural resource management and outdoor recreation. We are using a variety of tools to collect this information including focus groups, phone interviews, a statewide citizen survey, Department employee survey and this survey of partners. I am asking that you complete the survey which can be found at Strategic Planning Survey. Read more
Minnesota DNR Saves Two Whitetail Bucks from Death
Minnesota wildlife officials saved two whitetail bucks recently but it’s how they did it that’s interesting. There was no way to hog tie them and saw the antlers off, so they shot them – at least their antlers. Their actions are explained here…
Michigan’s Hunting License Revenue Continues to Drop
Steve Beyer, DNR Research and Management Section supervisor whines about not getting an increase in fees since 1996. What he fails to mention is that fees were increased a few years ago – 50 percent to be exact – for antlerless permits. So, how’s that working out?
The real problem is how the herd is managed: for numbers, not quality. People from Michigan hunt elsewhere for quality whitetails – Iowa, Kansas, Illinois, Ohio, etc., because of better buck-to-doe ratios and ultimately better bucks.
Driving up the cost of licenses will eliminate more hunters from the pool, so there’s always a tradeoff.
Revenue will only have a chance of increasing if the quality of hunting gets better.
Here are three suggestions: 1) Lower cost of antlerless permits to balance the herd and decrease car/deer accidents. 2) Allow only one buck per season. 3) Mandate antler restrictions state-wide to a minimum of 4 antler points per side for several years.
Maybe a bit radical but if we keep doing what we have been doing, we’ll keep getting what we have gotten.