Michigan Mixed Bag: Urban Archery Deer Season runs through Jan. 31

Lansing — Hunters in southeast Lower Michigan are reminded of the Urban Archery Deer Season, which runs through Jan. 31 in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties.

Any unused deer license is valid during this special management season.

Hunters should check local ordinances in the communities where they are interested in hunting to make sure hunting is allowed and to see whether only specific areas are open for the extended season.

State game and wildlife areas in all three counties are open to hunting during this extended season.

Deer hunting regulations, including archery equipment restrictions, can be found in the 2021 Hunting Digest or by visiting Michigan.gov/Deer.

Donation Events Net 90 Deer for Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger

Clare, Mich. — Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger held deer donation drives to celebrate the recent firearm deer season.

The events were held at Jay’s Sporting Goods in Clare, Nov. 16-19, and Franks Great Outdoors in Linwood, Nov. 16-18.

MORE HUNTING COVERAGE FROM MICHIGAN OUTDOOR NEWS:

Michigan bear harvest slips slightly during 2023 season

Michigan 15-year-old shoots new state-record buck in youth nontypical division

Preliminary estimates show 11.8% decline in Michigan’s 2023 deer harvest, led by steep decline in U.P.

During the donation event 90 deer were donated, which is roughly 14,400 servings of ground venison for people throughout Michigan. This is quite an increase from the 2022 event, which saw 66 deer donated.

MSAH sends a huge thank you to hunters who help provide food to communities throughout the state. Citizens interested in this program should visit www.michiganbsportsmenagainsthunger.org or the DNR website, www.michigan.gov/dnr.

North Country Trail Earns National Park Status

Washington, D.C. — The North Country National Scenic Trail has been added to the list of national parks, according to the National Park Service.

The North Country Trail, which crosses Michigan and seven other states, the Ice Age National Scenic Trail in Wisconsin, and the New England National Scenic Trail in Connecticut and Massachusetts, have become the nation’s newest national parks, raising the total number of national parks to 428.

The designation as a national park will increase access to additional funding opportunities and increase public awareness of the trails.

The North Country Trail is expected to be a 4,600-mile continuous path when completed. Traversing sections of Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Wisconsin, it showcases the varied landscapes of the Lake Superior Region, Adirondacks, Ohio River Valley, and North Dakota plains.

The trail crosses the entire state of Michigan, running from the west end of the Upper Peninsula east to the Mackinac Bridge, then from the bridge south to the Ohio state line.

Learn more about the North Country Trail online at northcountrytrail.org.

Gov. Whitmer Announces Funding for Park Upgrades in Nine Michigan Counties

Lansing — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan DNR last month announced that they recommended eight community parks, trails, and sports facilities and one state acquisition to receive a combined $6,461,500 in Land and Water Conservation Fund grants.

The upgrades will increase access to rivers and nature parks, create outdoor courts and fields, and renovate parks.

The projects recommended for funding are in Berrien, Clinton, Keweenaw, Macomb, Muskegon, Oakland, Ottawa, Roscommon and St. Clair counties. That funding will support pickleball courts, sport playfield improvements, campground development, trail and park renovations and improvements, and acquisition of approximately 8,000 acres in the Keweenaw Peninsula.

DNR Shares Information on Condition, Options for Belle Isle Boathouse

Detroit — The Michigan DNR is reviewing options for the deteriorated Belle Isle Boathouse, located on the Detroit River in Belle Isle Park, and is inviting the public to learn more about those options and associated costs.

Anyone interested in the future of Belle Isle, broadly, and the boathouse, specifically – visitors, community members, stakeholders and others – is encouraged to visit the project webpage to learn about the options and share feedback by Dec. 31.

A link to the project webpage can be found at Michigan.gov/BelleIsle.

Constructed by the Detroit Boat Club in 1902, the 40,000-square-foot boathouse was, for many years, for the exclusive use of its members.

The facility, not to be confused with the Detroit Yacht Club, has been overseen and maintained by the Friends of Detroit Rowing since the mid-1990s under a lease agreement. The lease initially was held with the city of Detroit but transferred to the DNR in 2014 when the department assumed management of the island as a state park. The Friends are responsible for building upkeep, while the DNR handles the park’s overall management.

For more information, contact Tom Bissett at (313) 264-6368 or BissettT@Michigan.gov.