Outdoors

It’s midmorning, with the savory smells of sizzling bacon and campfire coffee lingering in the air as my campground neighbors sit at picnic tables finishing their breakfasts. I realize I’d better get moving before the day’s forecasted humidity and full sun make my planned adventure unbearable.

On July 11, 2024, the Michigan Natural Resources Commission approved the scheduled deer hunting regulations for this fall. The full package of regulations includes updates that won’t begin until after the 2024 seasons have ended; those updates will be explained at a later date. The commissioners and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources thank everyone who gave their time, insight and feedback to the work of the DNR’s Deer Management Initiative, which contributed to many of these regulation changes and decisions.

Fall hunting is right around the corner, but you can get safety-certified now during the DNR’s Hunter Safety Education Week, Aug. 12-18. More than 60 in-person classes and/ or field days are being offered in 40 counties throughout the state as additional opportunities to obtain your hunter safety education certificate.

The Hiawatha National Forest is pleased to share that the Grand Island Staircase Replacement Project is underway as part of the Great American Outdoors Act. On June 10, contractors began the process of removing two staircases and replacing another near beaches on the island.

Three climate monitoring and maritime safety buoys have been deployed for the season from the south shore of Lake Superior. The Superior Watershed Partnership (SWP) staff deployed the buoys with boat support provided by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (NPS).