Get all your fishing information here, including rules and regulations, license info, the weekly fishing report and much more. Use the link above to visit the fishing home page, or go directly to your area of interest below:
Get all your hunting information here, including hunting season dates, rules and regulations, and much more. Use the button above to visit the hunting home page, or go directly to your area of interest below:
Information on DNR shooting and archery ranges, rules and regulations, resources to get started and more. Use the button above to visit the target shooing and archery home page, or go directly to one of the pages below:
Find snowmobile trail permit info, maps, rules and regulations and more. USE THE BUTTON ABOVE TO VISIT THE SNOWMOBILE HOMEPAGE or go directly to you area of interest below:
Want to find tasty morel mushrooms in the forest? Click the box above for tips and tricks to fill your basket.
Find cross-country ski, ice fishing , snowmobiling info and much more.
Find facility info, overnight info, an event calendar and much more.
Find a great trail experience near you - whether you want to hike, bike, snowmobile or ride an ORV. From long, paved linear trails to rugged forest terrain, Michigan offers trail opportunities for all abilities and interests.
Visitor Centers across the state provide education programs, field trips, archery, fishing, trails and much more. Click the box above to see all our locations, or click the individual location below.
We administer grants that enable our local partners to promote the lifestyles we all enjoy by providing recreational opportunities, enhancing wildlife habitat and ensuring public safety. Visit the grants home page by clicking on the button above, or view a specific area of interest below:
Recreational Safety and Hunter Education
Learn about Michigan's diverse range of fish, plants, trees, reptiles, amphibians, insects and mammals. Click the box above to see all species, or click the species group below.
DNR educators across the state provide fun, educational activities, programs and workshops year-round for adults, families and kids. Click the box above to see all our offerings, or click the program below.
DNR educators provide classroom lessons, field trip opportunities, professional development and experiential programs to teachers around the state. Click the box above to see all our offerings, or click the program below.
DNR forest resources professionals maintain healthy forests, manage wildfire, maintain responsible harvesting certifications and improve wildlife habitat. Click the box above to learn more about Michigan's state forests.
All DNR-related boards, committees, and advisory groups
Find seasonal, part-time and full-time job openings with the DNR
Search is currently unavailable. Please try again later.
The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer.
Photo caption: Recruits participated in simulated patrols throughout the Roscommon area and had to locate and work through various scenarios academy instructors had set up for them.
We reported to the Lakeside Conference and Resort Center, in Houghton Lake, at 1800 Sunday to start Week 23. We would be having class all week at the DNR’s Ralph A. MacMullan Center but spending our nights at the hotel due to a large conference being hosted at the RAM Center. Staying at the hotel was a nice change of pace for us. In the mornings we had the choice of studying fish and game or lifting weights in lieu of our usual morning physical training.
Monday, we headed off to the RAM to start our week with our last day of survival tactics. In the morning, we reviewed the self-defense tactics we had learned during our time at the Michigan State Police Training Academy facility. We built upon those skills in afternoon training, learning new self-defense techniques that built our confidence. The evening consisted of two drills that tested our newly learned skills, including a training scenario. It was a good test of our skills and an effective team bonding experience.
Tuesday, our focus switched to big and small game. We all knew this week would be coming and we were excited to get into the “bread and butter” of our job. We spent the day in the classroom learning about big and small game, the laws pertaining to them, and common violations. In the evening, we got our hands dirty and field dressed two deer, which were donated by farmers for our education. We were able to identify how the deer were killed as well as how to evaluate the signs of death.
Photo caption: During one planned scenario, an academy recruit comes across a hunter who is trespassing.
Wednesday, we applied everything we learned throughout the academy and had a “day on patrol.” Each recruit took turns participating in scenarios, driving around the Roscommon area, responding to various scenario complaints and addressing anything we found during our “patrol.” This was our first experience really simulating a day on patrol. It built my confidence in making good contacts with compliant hunters as well as writing tickets when violations were discovered. These scenarios showed us how far we’ve come since beginning the academy in January.
Thursday, the class started with necropsies (animal autopsies to determine the cause of death). Instructors walked us through skinning animals, such as beaver, bear, badger, mink and bobcat, and we determined how the animals died. Later in the morning, we gathered back in the classroom to debrief about our day on patrol. The debriefs after scenarios are just as beneficial to us as the scenarios themselves, so we understand what we did well and how we can improve. In the afternoon we learned more about necropsies, then switched gears into radio use and body-worn cameras.
This week has shown me how far I have come since beginning the academy. All the skills we have learned over the last 23 weeks were tested, and even though we will always continue to learn, I feel more prepared and confident each week to hit the field.
