Michigan NRC considering changes to state’s fall wild turkey hunt

East Lansing, Mich. — The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has changed its philosophy about the purpose of the fall turkey season and has proposed regulation changes that emphasize recreational opportunity over management objectives.

“We took a look at the whole picture and Michigan has historically claimed that fall season is about population management and nuisance control,” said Adam Bump, the upland bird specialist with the DNR’s Wildlife Division. “But when you look at it, we don’t harvest enough animals to have an impact on the population or have an impact on nuisance birds. Often someone with a nuisance complaint has one bird bothering them and they take care of it.”

So the DNR looked at other states and no others in the Midwest have the same stated goals. They focus on recreational opportunity for the fall. For that reason, the DNR says it has changed its perspective on the fall season to provide more recreational opportunities.

“We’ve also had interest from some stakeholders to expand opportunity,” he added. “And we don’t want to impact the spring season; the priority in the spring season is opportunity and satisfaction. When we have people asking about fall seasons, they’re very quick to say ‘don’t impact my spring season to give us more fall opportunity.’”

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The DNR has recommended eliminating the fall license drawing, going to an entirely over-the counter sales system, and setting a statewide fall bag limit at one.

“When you look at it, 96 percent of people only get one license and very few people take more than one bird,” Bump said.

The DNR has reduced its fall turkey management units from 11 units to two units: the Upper Peninsula and all of the Lower Peninsula except for Monroe County. In the UP, there will be a quota of 2,200 turkey licenses available on a first-come, first-served basis. There will be no quota in the Lower Peninsula.

In addition, all licenses would be valid on both private and public land.

“It’s a dramatic streamlining of the regulations and its increases flexibility,” Bump said. “The only downside is for the few people who take more than one bird. They would lose that opportunity. But when we’re making such a sweeping change, we don’t want to be liberal. We want to look at it again once we make those changes.”

Bump said initial reaction from stakeholder groups has been generally supportive, the DNR field staff seems to be supportive and the NRC “didn’t ask any question that seemed as though they have concern.”

Action by the Natural Resources Commission is anticipated at its May 8 meeting in Lansing.