DNR: Safety first for Michigan firearm deer opener
Outdoors report
Trending
IRON MOUNTAIN -- With the Michigan firearm deer season starting Sunday, the Department of Natural Resources is offering some safety reminders, including tips for those enjoying other outdoor activities.
Whether you're hiking, biking or taking your dog for a walk, it's important to stay visible to hunters.
“Wearing hunter orange is an easy way to help hunters spot you and keep everyone safe on the trails,” the DNR said in a news release.
If you're bringing your four-legged friend along, be sure to keep your pet on a leash no longer than 6 feet and consider dressing them in a hunter orange vest, bandana or harness to help hunters see them. Keep pets close and discourage them from chasing wildlife or wandering into hunting areas.
During the firearm deer season, all deer hunters, including archery, must wear blaze, flame, or fluorescent orange. Hunter orange garments, including camouflage -- which must be at least 50% hunter orange -- must be worn as the outer layer of clothing and must be visible from all directions.
"A successful hunt is when you safely return home so you are able to share your stories with family and friends, regardless of whether or not your tag was filled," said Lt. Tom Wanless, supervisor of the DNR Law Enforcement Division's Recreational Safety, Education and Enforcement Section.
All firearm deer hunters should:
-- Treat every firearm as if it is loaded.
-- Be aware of surroundings -- know your target and what is beyond it, and make sure you have a clear, ethical shot.
-- Unload firearms when crossing obstacles and/or getting in or out of an elevated stand.
-- Obey "no trespassing" signs; they are there for a reason.
-- Obtain landowner permission to retrieve tracked game that may have wandered onto private property.
Michigan’s firearm season runs through Nov. 30. The muzzleloader-only season in the Upper Peninsula is Dec. 4-6.
***
Wisconsin’s gun deer season opens Saturday, Nov. 21, and runs through Sunday, Nov. 29.
For the third year in a row, much of the Wisconsin experienced a mild winter, setting the stage for higher herd survival and reproductive rates, according to the Wisconsin DNR.
Through Oct. 31, year-to-date sales for gun, bow, crossbow, sports and patron licenses reached 458,115. Of that total, 132,494 are for gun privileges only.
Last year, updates were made to some of the Deer Management Units in the Northern and Central Forest Management Zones. A map can be found at https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Hunt/regulations/OnlineHuntingRegulations/DeerSeasonStructureAndManagementZones.
All harvested deer in Wisconsin must be registered electronically by 5 p.m. the day after the deer is recovered. Hunters will need the unique harvest authorization number associated with each permit.
The four options to register a deer are:
-- Online via Go Wild (log into account with username/password - don't need to know the tag/auth number).
-- Online via GameReg (requires tag/authorization number).
-- Phone: 844-GAME-REG (844-426-3734).
-- In person: At an in-person deer registration location.
Hunters anywhere in Wisconsin can submit a sample from their deer for chronic wasting disease testing. Testing through the DNR is free for deer harvested within the state.
The DNR offers hunters four ways to submit a sample from their harvested deer for CWD testing:
-- Go to self-service kiosk locations. Hunters can drop off their deer's head with 5 inches of neck attached for testing.
-- Vsit cooperating meat processors, taxidermists and other business owners for assistance in the sampling process.
-- Extract the retropharyngeal lymph nodes at home or in the field for CWD testing. Samples can then be dropped off at a CWD kiosk.
-- Arrange an appointment with DNR staff via the Wildlife Switchboard by emailing DNRWildlifeSwitchboard@wisconsin.gov or calling 608-267-0866.
Wisconsin hunters must ensure that at least 50% of outer clothing above the waist is blaze orange or fluorescent pink. Hats or head coverings, if worn, must also be at least 50% blaze orange or fluorescent pink. Faded or stained clothing is unsafe and should be replaced.
Additionally, anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1973, must have a hunter education certification to purchase a hunting license unless hunting under the Mentored Hunting Law.
Wisconsin hunters can search for and discover new public hunting areas using the DNR's mobile-friendly online public lands mapping tools. These interactive tools provide detailed information on federal, county or state-owned properties, as well as private lands that are part of Managed Forest Law and Forest Crop Law programs. For more information, go to https://dnrmaps.wi.gov/H5/?Viewer=Public_Access_Lands.
The DNR encourages hunters to donate Wisconsin-harvested deer through the DNR's Deer Donation Program. The program helps stock food pantries and supports residents in need throughout the state. Find out more at https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/hunt/donation.
The DNR's Online Deer Camp is a one-stop shop for everything a hunter needs to know before heading out this season. It contains helpful links and information regarding purchasing a license, regulations, shooting hours, public land maps and more at https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/GoHunting.