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August 26, 2026
To manage growing local deer populations and address the related ecological impacts, there will be a managed deer hunt this fall via a special lottery at P.J. Hoffmaster State Park in Muskegon and Ottawa counties.
The controlled lottery hunt is a science-based wildlife management tool designed to bring the deer population down to a healthy, sustainable level that allows the park’s natural habitats to recover. Ottawa County will manage the hunt and lottery.
To ensure public safety and facilitate the managed hunt, the entire park, including the day-use area and 1.6-mile Walk-a-Mile Trail, will temporarily close for the four hunt days: Friday to Monday, Nov. 20-23. The campground will already be closed for the season.
The hunt — Ottawa County's Lakeshore Wildlife Management firearm hunt — will take place throughout North Ottawa Dunes, Ottawa Sands and Hoffmaster State Park via a special lottery. Each selected participant will be assigned two hunt dates during the four-day event. Applications for the 2026 lottery will be accepted through Aug. 31.
The hunt will be strictly regulated through a random computerized lottery system. Permits will be assigned to specific zones within the park to ensure safety and controlled hunter density. All applicants will be notified of lottery results by email in September.
Find additional information and an online application for the special managed deer hunt lottery on the Ottawa County Parks & Recreation Commission website. The information is also available at Michigan.gov/Hoffmaster.
For more information, contact Melissa VanderVelde (DNR) at 231-798-3711 or VanderVeldeM@Michigan.gov or Nealy Molhoek (Ottawa County Parks & Recreation) at 616-558-6992 or nmolhoek@miottawa.org.
Note to editors: An accompanying photo of P.J. Hoffmaster State Park is available below for download.
Contact: Melissa VanderVelde, 231-798-3711
Here are a few of this week's stories from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources honors the memory of Dr. Howard A. Tanner, former DNR director and Fisheries Division chief, who passed away Aug. 16 at the age of 102. Dr. Tanner is remembered for his conservation and fisheries management work, which has left an indelible mark on the state and created new fishing opportunities for Michigan anglers.
Tree planting in the Upper Peninsula’s Breitung Charter Township, street tree maintenance and planting in Benton Harbor and tree planting in Three Rivers are among the community projects across Michigan sharing in nearly $650,000 in grants.
Officials express gratitude for advocates’ support for Michigan’s conservation heritage
Following the tours, hatchery-reared sturgeon fingerlings will be released into the Black River and Mullett Lake.
Marquette community collaborations focus of Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund 50th anniversary event
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources will lower the water level of Tomahawk Creek Flooding, a popular fishing destination in Presque Isle and Montmorency counties, following a state inspection that identified concerns with the dam that creates the impoundment.
