Winners receive a valuable outdoor prize package as well as licenses for elk, bear, spring and fall turkey, antlerless deer, and the first pick at a managed waterfowl hunt area. Only Michigan residents are eligible to obtain the elk license.

Each $5 Pure Michigan Hunt application helps fund Michigan’s wildlife habitat restoration and management.

Three individuals will be chosen at random in January. Pure Michigan Hunt licenses can be transferred to someone else under guidelines set by the Department of Natural Resources.

For more, go to https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/things-to-do/hunting/puremi-hunt.

Amelia Mattas, 10, of Norway, got her first buck on Nov. 15, hunting out of the Pollocks Paradise camp in Dickinson County. (Courtesy photo)

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Wisconsin’s eighth managed elk hunt opened Oct. 18 and concluded Dec. 19.

“This elk season marks another rewarding hunt for 13 lucky state hunters,” said Christina Kizewski, Wisconsin DNR Central Elk Zone biologist.

The 13 Wisconsin state-licensed hunters who participated in this year’s hunt were randomly selected from a pool of more than 26,000 applicants. The DNR received 17,737 applications to hunt in the Clam Lake (Northern) Elk Range and 8,452 applications for the Black River (Central) Elk Range.

An eight-bull quota was established for the Clam Lake Elk Range. Four licenses were awarded to state hunters, and, per treaty rights, the Ojibwe Tribes declared a harvest of four bull elk. In the Black River Elk Range, five antlerless and four bull licenses were issued to state hunters, up from a four-bull quota in 2024.

A total of seven bulls and five antlerless elk were harvested statewide. In the Black River Elk Range, nearly all license holders found success, filling all five antlerless tags and three of four bull tags.

“All five antlerless elk were harvested in areas where the reduction of a few elk was intended, making it a successful harvest for the hunters as well as meeting harvest objectives,” said Kizewski.

In the Clam Lake Elk Range, all four state-licensed hunters harvested bull elk in the first two weeks of the season. Tribal hunters have until Jan. 4 to complete their pursuit of elk within Wisconsin’s Ceded Territory.

The 2026 elk hunt application period for Wisconsin residents is expected to open with the new license year on March 1 and run through May 31.

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Lake Antoine Park Partners will host its 5th Annual “Kites Over Awesome Lake Antoine” from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10. Organizers are offering a free shuttle bus from Bay College, running from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Along with show kites, there will be a number of hands-on activities for families.

Proceeds benefit the “Everyone Plays!” Accessible Playground project at Lake Antoine Park, which is aimed at creating inclusive play opportunities for people of all ages and abilities.

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Tri-County Snowmobile Club will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 6, at Waucedah Township Hall in Loretto.

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With the introduction of a new 12-month pass in 2025, Wisconsin state park and forest vehicle admission passes are now valid for a full 12 months from purchase, allowing visitors greater flexibility to enjoy the state’s more than 120 recreation properties.

A 12-month vehicle admission pass to Wisconsin state parks and forests can be purchased year-round and is valid for 12 months from the time of purchase. Vehicle admission passes featuring the 2026 design will be available for purchase starting Thursday.

Find out more at https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/admission.