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Michigan will offer a Free Fishing Weekend for winter anglers Feb. 17-18.
No fishing licenses will be required for residents or non-residents. However, all bag limit and other requirements still apply.
Indiana doesn’t offer a free fishing weekend during the winter months.
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MDNR Report
DNR Announces Results of 2017 Elk Hunting Season, Winter Elk Survey
The 2017 hunting season statistics are in, and the winter elk survey just wrapped up, giving the Michigan DNR a clear picture of where the state's elk population currently stands.
Hunt period 1, which targets elk outside of their traditional range, was 12 days long. From Aug 29-Sept. 1, Sept 15-18, and Sept. 29-Oct. 2, 100 state hunters harvested 74 elk (30 bulls and 44 antlerless elk).
During hunt period 2, Dec. 9-17, all locations in the northern tip of the state were open to hunting. Another 100 state hunters harvested 84 elk (30 bulls and 54 antlerless elk) during this hunt.
Before regulated hunting can take place to assist in management, MichiganÃs elk population has to be evaluated.
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MDNR Report
To simplify the public's ability to report fish kills, the Michigan DNR recently developed an online form for reporting fish kills in quantities larger than 25 fish.
A fish kill of this size could have more factors involved that need further DNR investigation. The new Sick or Dead Aquatic Species form can be found in the DNRs Eyes in the Field application at www.michigan.gov/eyesinthefield.
Information requested in the form includes waterbody and location (both descriptive and latitude-longitude coordinates), observation details, and any available photos showing the fish kill. Close-up photos showing any external disease signs such as bloody patches, unusual wounds or odd coloration are particularly helpful to DNR staff as they try to determine the cause of the issue and its seriousness. Entered reports and associated images automatically are forwarded to fish health staff for quicker evaluation and action.
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MDNR Report
Michigan State University and the Michigan DNR will be placing location-tracking collars on white-tailed deer in south-central Michigan as part of a multiyear study of deer disease, including chronic wasting disease.
The study will assess deer movement and distribution patterns and their influence on disease spread in and around Clinton and Ingham counties. This is one of a series of aggressive actions to address CWD in Michigan's deer population and to maintain healthy wildlife for current and future generations.
Chronic wasting disease attacks the brain of infected animals, creating small lesions, which result in death. The disease is transmitted through direct animal-to-animal contact or by contact with saliva, urine, feces, blood or body parts of an infected animal, or infected soil. CWD first was detected in free-ranging deer in mid-Michigan in 2015.
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MDNR report
Michigan Stocked 11.4 Tons of Fish Last FallThe Michigan DNR announced the totals from its 2017 fall fish-stocking efforts. The DNR stocked nine different species totaling 834,175 fish that weighed nearly 11.5 tons. Fish were stocked at 76 locations throughout the state.
"It was another outstanding fall fish-stocking season that will provide enhanced opportunities throughout Michigan," said Ed Eisch, DNR fish production manager. "When added to our successful spring and summer stocking efforts, that brings the total for 2017 to more than 26.4 million fish put into Michigan's waters."
The number and type of fish stocked varies by each hatcheries ability to rear fish differs because of water supplies and temperature. In Michigan, there are six state and three cooperative hatcheries that work together to produce the species, strain and size of fish needed by fisheries managers. These fish must then be delivered at a specific time and location for stocking to ensure their success. Most fish in Michigan are stocked in the spring.