Fire danger is extreme throughout Michigan. We need your help to prevent wildfires with these unprecedented conditions. Extreme danger needs to be met with extreme vigilance. Learn what you can do to help.
Calendars: Classes & Workshops; Hunting and Fishing; Public Meetings; Volunteer Opportunities; State park, historic sites and visitor center events.
Get all your fishing information here, including rules and regulations, license info, the weekly fishing report and much more. Use the button 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. USE THE BUTTON ABOVE TO VISIT THE WINTER FUN HOMEPAGE or go directly to you area of interest below:
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.
law enforcement, legislation, rules and regulations
All DNR-related boards, committees, and advisory groups
Find seasonal, part-time and full-time job openings with the DNR
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Individuals who are currently licensed through the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (or comparable in states outside of Michigan) may qualify for the licensed officer hiring process.
Submit a State of Michigan application. Make sure to use a valid email address on your application as that is how you will be communicated with throughout the entire hiring process. The following documents must be attached to your application:
If you are selected to advance in the hiring process, you will be contacted via email by the DNR Law Enforcement Division with additional instructions.
If selected to move forward in the process, you must participate in a pre-screening interview. These interviews will be conducted in-person.
You will receive an email confirming your interview date, time, location, and a list of items to bring to the interview.
Applicants who successfully complete the Step 2 pre-screening interview will be required to complete an online personal history questionnaire.
After the questionnaire is complete, your file will be forwarded to a DNR Law Enforcement Division background investigator who will conduct an in-depth background investigation. Documentation submitted during the application process will be compared to original documents during your background investigation.
After the background investigation is complete, you will receive an email indicating if you will move forward in the hiring process; you may be scheduled for a final interview.
Successful applicants will receive a conditional offer of employment which requires the applicant to pass a psychological test and drug screening prior to being hired.
If the applicant accepts an offer of employment, they will be hired as a full-time DNR employee. The employee will begin specialized training consisting of equipment operation and maintenance, species identification, and related laws and regulations pertaining to:
This hiring process is for individuals applying to be a conservation officer who are not licensed through the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (or comparable in states outside of Michigan).
The written law enforcement examination evaluates an individual's skills, knowledge and abilities related to elements of law enforcement positions.
Note: The entry-level law enforcement exam is currently only administered online through the National Testing Network.
Out of state applicants can sign up to take the law enforcement exam through the National Testing Network. Test results are valid for one year.
A FrontLine National practice test is available for purchase.
You must pass the exam in order to advance to step 2.
The next step is to submit an application. Make sure to use a valid email address on your application as that is how we will communicate with you throughout the entire hiring process. The following documents must be attached to your application:
If you are selected to advance in the hiring process, you will be contacted via email by the DNR Law Enforcement Division with additional instructions.
On orientation day, DNR Law Enforcement Division staff will answer all of your questions, including:
If selected to move forward in the process you must participate in a pre-screening interview. These interviews may be held virtually due to COVID-19 precautions. You will be emailed information about your interview date, time, location, further instructions, and a list of items to bring with you or have available to you at the time of your interview.
Applicants who successfully complete the Step 5 pre-screening interview will be required to complete an online personal history questionnaire. After the questionnaire is complete, your file will be forwarded to a division background investigator to complete an in-depth and exhaustive background investigation. Documentation submitted during the application process will be compared to original documents during your background investigation.
After the background investigation is complete, you will receive an email with the results of your background investigation and may be scheduled for a final interview.
Successful applicants will receive a conditional offer of employment which requires the applicant to pass a psychological test, MCOLES medical, hearing and eye exam and drug screening prior to being hired.
You must also pass a second pre-enrollment MCOLES physical fitness test prior to the start of the academy, which will be administered by DNR Law Enforcement Division staff.
Upon successfully completing steps 1-8, applicants will receive a conditional offer of employment. If the applicant accepts this offer and associated requirements, they will be hired as full-time State of Michigan employees and begin the Conservation Officer Recruit School Academy.
Following graduation from the Conservation Officer Recruit School Academy, recruits become Probationary Conservation Officers and will spend several months working with field training officers in different areas of the state, before reporting to their permanent assigned county. PCOs will receive additional specialized training in the areas of:
