Get all your fishing information here, including rules and regulations, license info, the weekly fishing report and much more. Use the link above to visit the fishing home page, or go directly to your area of interest below:
Get all your hunting information here, including hunting season dates, rules and regulations, and much more. Use the button above to visit the hunting home page, or go directly to your area of interest below:
Information on DNR shooting and archery ranges, rules and regulations, resources to get started and more. Use the button above to visit the target shooing and archery home page, or go directly to one of the pages below:
Find snowmobile trail permit info, maps, rules and regulations and more. USE THE BUTTON ABOVE TO VISIT THE SNOWMOBILE HOMEPAGE or go directly to you area of interest below:
Want to find tasty morel mushrooms in the forest? Click the box above for tips and tricks to fill your basket.
Find cross-country ski, ice fishing , snowmobiling info and much more.
Find facility info, overnight info, an event calendar and much more.
Find a great trail experience near you - whether you want to hike, bike, snowmobile or ride an ORV. From long, paved linear trails to rugged forest terrain, Michigan offers trail opportunities for all abilities and interests.
Visitor Centers across the state provide education programs, field trips, archery, fishing, trails and much more. Click the box above to see all our locations, or click the individual location below.
We administer grants that enable our local partners to promote the lifestyles we all enjoy by providing recreational opportunities, enhancing wildlife habitat and ensuring public safety. Visit the grants home page by clicking on the button above, or view a specific area of interest below:
Recreational Safety and Hunter Education
Learn about Michigan's diverse range of fish, plants, trees, reptiles, amphibians, insects and mammals. Click the box above to see all species, or click the species group below.
DNR educators across the state provide fun, educational activities, programs and workshops year-round for adults, families and kids. Click the box above to see all our offerings, or click the program below.
DNR educators provide classroom lessons, field trip opportunities, professional development and experiential programs to teachers around the state. Click the box above to see all our offerings, or click the program below.
DNR forest resources professionals maintain healthy forests, manage wildfire, maintain responsible harvesting certifications and improve wildlife habitat. Click the box above to learn more about Michigan's state forests.
All DNR-related boards, committees, and advisory groups
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Squirrel pox or fibroma, is a viral disease that produces multiple tumors on the skin. Transmission of the virus occurs via insect bites. The tumors can occur anywhere on the body but when they occur on the head/face and the feet, the animal is unable to feed and move naturally. Pox lesions can range in size from 2 to 25 mm in diameter, are white and gray in color, and often coalesce with one another forming a large mass. The carcasses of affected animals are safe for human consumption.
Notoedric mange is commonly seen in squirrels and the mite (Notoedres centrifera) that causes this disease does not infest any other species of animal. The mite burrows into the layers of the skin where it lives, causing an irritation and resulting in hair loss. Hair loss can be scattered or can affect the entire body. Scabs are occasionally seen on the skin but normally there is very little reaction to the infestation. Extensive hair loss can result in death of the animal due to exposure if the squirrel is affected during the winter. The notoedric mange mite can’t infest humans and the carcass of an infested squirrel is safe for human consumption.
Warbles are the larval stage of the botfly (Cuterebra sp.). They usually live within the skin and in the sub-cutaneous space in the inguinal area of the squirrel. The larvae complete their development in this space, changing color from white to black and reaching sizes of ½ inch x 1 inch. Warbles are normally present in the squirrel during the summer months but it is possible for some to still be present during the early portion of the hunting season. The warble can have a debilitating and possible fatal effect on the squirrel. Humans can't be infected with the larvae so the carcass is edible.
Cysticeri (cysts) of the tapeworm Taenia crassiceps occur in squirrels, being disseminated through-out several organs (heart, lungs, liver, spleen, and kidney). These cysts are small and contain clear liquid and a single white floating object (the head of the tapeworm). The cysts are throughout the viscera and often the hunter finds the animal aesthetically displeasing and is not interested in consuming the carcass. These cysts are not infectious to humans so the carcass is edible.
