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
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Migratory game bird management in the U.S. is a cooperative effort between state and federal governments. Migratory bird treaties with Canada and Mexico govern the management of migratory birds in the U.S., distinguishing those species that can be hunted from those that cannot and establishing limits on hunting season dates and lengths. Authority lies with the federal governments in the respective countries. For waterfowl management, the U.S. and Canada are divided into four flyways: the Atlantic, Mississippi, Central and Pacific (Michigan lies within the Mississippi flyway). In the U.S., the flyway councils, consisting of representatives from state and provincial game management agencies, recommend regulations to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for waterfowl and for most migratory, shore and upland game birds.
Flyway technical committees, consisting of state and provincial biologists, advise the councils. These technical committees evaluate species and population status, harvest and hunter-participation data during the development of the council recommendations. The FWS evaluates the council recommendations, considering species status and biology, cumulative effects of regulations and existing regulatory policy, and develops final regulations. (Content modified from Flyways.us).
Once final federal regulations are known, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources analyzes population and migration data, studies hunter opinions and meets with the Citizens Waterfowl Advisory Committee. The DNR uses the input from the CWAC and from hunters across the state to develop recommendations for waterfowl hunting seasons that are presented to the Natural Resources Commission. The NRC then makes the final decisions for waterfowl hunting regulations in Michigan.
Return to table of contentsCWAC is a 20-member group made up of 13 at-large members and representatives of seven major waterfowl hunting organizations. Its mission is to provide feedback to the DNR on existing and proposed waterfowl regulations and waterfowl hunting issues. CWAC members are charged with presenting views and concerns that represent stakeholders from their areas of the state or their organization and disseminating information learned at committee meetings back to those stakeholders. For more information about CWAC, its members and how to apply, visit Michigan.gov/DNR/About/Boards/CWAC.
Return to table of contentsPopulation surveys and monitoring programs are critical parts of successful waterfowl management in North America. Results from these surveys are crucial inputs for many waterfowl population models and are used to help guide biologists in setting and evaluating harvest management and habitat management programs. For more information on waterfowl monitoring, visit Michigan.gov/Waterfowl and click on "how waterfowl regulations are set" under Hunting Regulations.
