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.
Sunday, the remaining 13 recruits returned for week 11 of Conservation Officer Recruit School #11. We were all anxious to find out what our schedule would look like and excited to acquire more skills that will help us move one step closer to becoming conservation officers.
Monday’s classes were a glimpse into some specialty units of the DNR and Michigan State Police. We had the pleasure of meeting members of the DNR’s Special Investigations Unit and Great Lakes Enforcement Unit and MSP’s Bomb Squad. The Special Investigations Unit focuses on some of the largest poaching crimes in Michigan. The Great Lakes Enforcement Unit is responsible for policing the commercial fish industry and retailers. I was especially excited to meet and learn about these unique groups of officers and how they conduct their duties and investigations.
On Tuesday, we started learning about conducted electrical weapons – a handheld device that propels two small electrodes at a target, and debilitates a person’s physical movements. Law enforcement officers carry CEWs in case they encounter violent individuals. CEWs are one of the many tools conservation officers carry in the field. We spent the entire day receiving training from our survival tactics instructors. It was my first time holding a CEW. I appreciated learning how serious of a tool they are and enjoyed the hands-on experience.
Photo caption: During survival tactic training, recruits entered a scenario room filled with fake furniture and a violent person who they had to control. This gave recruits experience with containing large and violent crowds.
Wednesday was a mix of feelings amongst the class. We experienced excitement and anxiety prior to our CEW tests, but by the end of the day we had completed another hurdle. The entire class passed the CEW practical and written tests. Later that night, we were reminded not to become too comfortable in our daily routines. With comfort can come complacency, which can be detrimental to how conservation officers perform duties in the field. Conservation officers need to be prepared for any situation. After Wednesday, I was extremely tired but continued to focus on adapting.
Photo caption: During a scenario, a recruit (on the right) handcuffs a person who was acting violent at a party while two party-goers (on the left) pretend to record the situation on their phones and cause distractions.
Thursday was filled with learning a ton about tactical operations. I was very excited to learn the techniques of how to clear rooms and buildings of threats. Conservation officers are trained emergency responders and are prepared to respond to any type of situation, including active shooters, and so we must be prepared for just about anything. Later that evening, already very tired from the first half of the week, I was anxious to take the law exam. But I passed and realized what I can accomplish, even under stress and exhaustion.
Photo caption: Recruits practice techniques to clear rooms and buildings of threats in the hallway of the Michigan State Police Training Academy. Recruits learned how to communicate with each other when approaching corners, stairwells, doors and other blind spots in the event of a threat.
Photo caption: Recruits practice approaching a building and covering each other in an active shooter scenario.
Friday, we began learning about emergency preparedness and hazardous material. I was surprised to learn about the many different types of hazardous material that conservation officers encounter. The DNR has a specialized group of conservation officers in the Environmental Investigations Section funded by the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. This unit is responsible for investigating crimes that effect the environment and might include investigating illegal chemical disposal or an abandoned boat that may or may not be leaking fuel.
The week ended on a good note. The entire class was excited to learn that we all passed our law exam and were one step closer to becoming Michigan DNR conservation officers.
Back to the Academy home page.
