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MDNR Report
Michigan elk hunters would have longer harvest periods for the 2026-27 hunting cycle under draft proposals by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
The proposals would lengthen both elk hunting periods in the northern Lower Peninsula, home to Michigan’s elk herd.
- Hunt Period 1 would run from the second Saturday in September through the second Sunday in October – a 30-day, continuous period. Currently, Hunt Period 1 is broken up into three, four-day hunts stretching across August and September – 12 total hunting days.
- Hunt Period 2 would run from Dec. 1 through Dec. 15 – a 15-day period. Currently, Hunt Period 2 runs from Dec. 13 through Dec. 21 – a nine-day period.
Combined, the two hunting periods would provide 45 total days of harvest time, more than double the current 21 total days of harvest time. The proposals, which do not affect the 2025 elk hunting season, must be approved by the Michigan Natural Resources Commission.
In addition to making Hunt Period 1 longer and continuous, the change would move the period later in the season when the weather is generally colder and better for elk hunting.
“Shifting the period later in the year should give hunters more favorable weather conditions,” said Scott Eggeman, a Gaylord-based field operations manager for the DNR Wildlife Division. “And a monthlong, continuous hunting period would provide hunters with more opportunities, allow flexibility to choose when they want to hunt and help them safety and effectively target an appropriate elk by reducing the pressure on them to make a kill quickly.”
The proposed change to Hunt Period 2 not only lengthens the period but also moves it further away from the Christmas and Hanukkah holidays. Currently, Hunt Period 2 ends Dec. 21; under the proposal, it would end Dec. 15.
In another proposed change, hunters would have 72 hours to register their elk with the DNR. Currently, elk must be registered within 24 hours of harvest.
The draft proposals do not include any recommended changes to Michigan’s elk management unit boundaries or the annual elk drawing.
Feedback on these draft proposals can be emailed to DNR-Elk-Hunt@Michigan.gov by Jan. 23, 2026.
Final proposed elk regulations and elk license quotas for 2026-27 will be presented to the Michigan Natural Resources Commission at its March 2026 meeting. As with all regulations, the final recommendations will be available through a link to the March agenda when it is available on the NRC webpage. Additional input can be provided directly to the NRC at that time.
The final regulations will be adopted at the April 2026 NRC meeting.
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MDNR Report
Sixty moose have been killed in vehicle collisions over the past four years in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, with most of the crashes occurring on stretches of highway in the western U.P.
The fall and summer months, when moose are particularly active, are the most common times for collisions. About a third of all moose deaths from vehicle collisions occur in September and October, according to statistics compiled by the Michigan DNR Wildlife Division and the Michigan Department of Transportation.
On June 17, a female moose raising twin calves was killed by a vehicle at one of the hotspots – U.S. 141 in northern Iron County – likely removing three moose from the population because calves are dependent on their mother.
Over the past decade, the moose population in Michigan’s core range (Baraga, Marquette and Iron counties) has remained between 300 and 500 animals, and DNR wildlife biologists are researching the reasons behind why the population has remained relatively stagnant.
There have been no known human deaths from moose-vehicle collisions, but the potential is always there when a car traveling 55-65 mph or more meets a 1,000-pound animal, said Tyler Petroelje, the DNR’s northern Michigan wildlife research specialist.
“In a sense, Michigan has been very lucky,” Petroelje said. “But at the same time, I think that’s one of those things that is a reality – it could happen at any point.”
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MDNR Report
The Michigan DNR is offering up to $1.5 million in Fisheries Habitat Grants to local, state, federal and tribal governments and nonprofit groups. This funding is available for activities that can improve Michigan’s fisheries and aquatic resources, such as fish habitat conservation, dam removal and repair, and resource assessment studies.
Fisheries Habitat Grants are available through an open, competitive process, and preproposals are being accepted now through Nov. 19.
“Healthy rivers, lakes and wetlands are essential to support fishing, boating and other enjoyment of our state’s natural resources,” said Joe Nohner, DNR fisheries resource analyst. “These grants help our partners protect and rehabilitate fisheries and aquatic ecosystems in Michigan, where these resources are vital to recreation and local economies. In cases where we remove, repair or renovate dams, we also can improve public safety for residents and visitors.”
Grant guidelines
Fisheries Habitat Grants are available for projects that fit one of two themes: aquatic habitat conservation or dam management. Grant applicants, if eligible, may apply for and receive funding from both themes with one application.
Applicants may request support from the current funding cycle or a conditional commitment from a future year’s funding. Conditional commitments to competitive projects allow recipients to leverage DNR contributions toward their applications for additional funding sources or to secure a Fisheries Habitat Grant funding commitment based on other conditions.
Expected funding is derived from two sources:
- Up to $1,184,000 from the state’s Game and Fish Protection Fund, supporting the aquatic habitat conservation theme.
- $350,000 from the state’s General Fund, supporting the dam management theme.
Grant amounts range from a minimum of $25,000 to the total amount of funding available in all eligible theme areas. If necessary, smaller projects within the same region addressing similar issues can be bundled into a single grant proposal package to reach the minimum grant amount.
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Got an opinion about Michigan launch sites and other public amenities?
Michigan is conducting an online survey to help understand what services and infrastructure are most important to you.
Your answers will help guide how Waterways funds (monies raised by boat registration fees and a portion of the state gas tax) are invested for future generations.
This is a chance to sound off about ramp qualities, parking and even power loading. The link is listed below.
We're asking for your input on facility upgrades, such as enhanced parking, more launch piers, convenient in-and-out services and other possible investments at boating access sites.
Make your voice heard by taking a few minutes to complete this online survey.
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MDNR Report
Genesee is now the 16th Michigan county where chronic wasting disease has been identified in the wild deer population, according to the Michigan DNR. An adult doe found acting ill in Gaines Township recently tested positive for the disease.
The CWD finding was confirmed by the Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, which works with the DNR to identify CWD in Michigan’s wild deer herd. The sample will be sent to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa for secondary confirmation.
CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects white-tailed deer, elk and moose. To date, the disease has also been detected in the following Michigan counties: Clinton, Dickinson, Eaton, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella, Jackson, Kent, Mecosta, Midland, Montcalm, Ogemaw and Washtenaw.
CWD is a chronic, slow-developing disease that spreads slowly across the landscape. It can be present in new areas at very low levels, making it difficult to detect. Genesee County was under focused CWD surveillance in 2022, when approximately 300 deer were tested, with none testing positive. The DNR has continued to test deer that appear sick in Genesee County when possible.
The 2.5-year-old doe that tested positive was reported as very skinny and drinking continuously, and walked directly up to a conservation officer who responded to a public report. Public reporting of sick acting deer is one of the best tools available to the DNR for identifying CWD that may exist at low prevalence in previously undetected areas.
“We appreciate the support and cooperation of the public as they continue to report sick deer so our team can follow up with the necessary testing for confirmation,” said Brent Rudolph, DNR deer, elk and moose management specialist. “Though many reported deer turn out not to be infected, the care that’s demonstrated when people take the time to share their observations is a critical contribution to our disease-testing efforts.”
Deer that appear lethargic, disoriented, lame or unresponsive are good candidates for CWD testing, though these symptoms are characteristic of deer affected by other maladies or injuries as well. The public is encouraged to report sick deer at Michigan.gov/EyesInTheField.
The DNR’s work with researchers and hunters to detect and slow the spread of CWD is possible because of limited general fund dollars allocated by the Michigan state Legislature.