Your states department of natural resources

[Miboy86]

Does anybody else from Michigan think our dear department of natural resources is full of idiots that are mismanaging our land or resources? Went out yesterday to just do some light scouting and hang a stand at my favorite creek spot that's become a alittle honey hole so the fiancee can hunt with me gun opener. Discovered that over weekend the DNR has brush hogged along the creek and by doing so brushhogged a good chunk of bedding. I'm still gonna hunt the spot cause deer always filter thru from Hunter pressure but just trying to understand DNR logic. Sorry about the rant, complained pretty hard to @Murph4028 about this. Curious to know if anyone else thinks their states DNR doesn't always use common sense?

 

[tyson12590]

Being a former employee of the MI DNR I am sort of biased but there is no doubt that many of thier decisions aren't the greatest. Having said that, I know for a fact that many of the employees are trying their best to make the hunting properties as good as possible.
I would encourage any michigan public land hunter to develop a relationship with the biologist that manages your area. While it may not change the situation, at least knowing what they are trying to accomplish would be good. Sorry your spot got screwed up and best of luck the rest of the year.

 

[GCTerpfan]

Actually, the more I learn about whitetail and habitat management the more I am impressed with the job that MD DNR does.

Could they be preparing the spot they brush hogged for a burn or something else that improves wildlife habitat? Maybe it was grown up with invavsives?

You may be right, and they are just making bad decisions but, sometimes what is a short term bad decision is a good decision long term.

 

[EricS]

They definitely don’t make decisions based solely on what hunters want. They also manage a lot more than just a deer herd. Ours does a decent job with the budget provided but occasionally they will do something stupid just to remind us they are a government agency.

 

[d_rek]

Unfortunately a lot wildlife management has been politicized in Michigan - especially at the regulatory level. But a fair amount of local projects are still somewhat insulated from the state level politics.

However many localized initiatives for habitat improvements are just that - local habitat improvement projects. BUT that doesn't mean they are always for whitetailed deer! DNR also does habitat improvement for upland birds, turkey, and waterfowl as well - usually in partnership with conservation groups like pheasant unlimited, NWTF, ducks unlimited, etc.

Many times they publish these habitat improvements to their website or with a press release. Check out the website and see if something is published.

Also - it might be that they brushhogged some bedding but now you have a fresh area for new growth or CRP! Could be it was once CRP and they are just getting around to redoing it.

 

[dalton916]

If it’s accessible by tractor for them to run over it with a bush hog then, while surely aggravating for you this season, it needed to be done to maintain the integrity of the ground. If left a single year here you will have Sweet Gum, Locust and those damned invasive Bradford Pears popping up everywhere.

 

[Miboy86]

The area where they brush hogged is two grass fields on the south side of this creek that they usually mow down in the summer every 4 or 5 years. When I first seen the tracks I thought maybe DNR sent someone in there to clean out the creek some to help alleviate some of the flooding but all they did was the strip of brush hogging. My thought is maybe they did it to open Hunter access, it wasn't the hardest walk to begin with, just had to walk along the creek in 4 ft tall grass but it was enough to discourage other hunters cause I have found that alot of hunters don't like to venture very far away from parking lots, go thru or around water obstacles, anything basically not fun or easy,well at least in my part of the state it seems so. Who knows maybe the DNR is trying to get more people easy access to hunt since our numbers are down and less $ for them. Just gonna play it by ear lol

 

[EricS]

The area where they brush hogged is two grass fields on the south side of this creek that they usually mow down in the summer every 4 or 5 years. When I first seen the tracks I thought maybe DNR sent someone in there to clean out the creek some to help alleviate some of the flooding but all they did was the strip of brush hogging. My thought is maybe they did it to open Hunter access, it wasn't the hardest walk to begin with, just had to walk along the creek in 4 ft tall grass but it was enough to discourage other hunters cause I have found that alot of hunters don't like to venture very far away from parking lots, go thru or around water obstacles, anything basically not fun or easy,well at least in my part of the state it seems so. Who knows maybe the DNR is trying to get more people easy access to hunt since our numbers are down and less $ for them. Just gonna play it by ear lol

It may alter the deer behavior some but deer like mown strips. I get the people taking the path of least resistance. Many people will carry a stand well over a mile down a logging road but a hundred yards of head high greenbrier and you’ll have the place to yourself.

 

[michigandrake]

The front line DNR employees are great and pretty good at their job. The policy making arm (NRC) is all about politics and special interests.

I hunt Lake County and I think it might be the public land logging capital of Michigan. I have lost over half of my spots the last few year to logging. In the long run it will be beneficial but it sucks in the short term.