Environment

Hunting for a hunting spot? Check out DNR website

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By EDITH ZHOU
Capital News Service
LANSING – The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has enhanced its Mi-HUNT computer app and made it more user-friendly in time for the fall deer hunting season. Michael Donovan, a DNR wildlife biologist, said that the most important and useful enhancement lets users “view 7 million acres of public hunting lands and print hunting maps highlighting the vegetation of most interest to hunters.”
The other improvements include detailed information and printable maps of Hunting Access Program lands and state game and wildlife areas, and capacity to load that information directly into the user’s personal GPS. The free application, originally released in 2010, can be customized to fit hunters’ and other outdoor enthusiasts’ trip-planning needs. It allows them to view, print, measure and create custom routes. Donovan said, “The application makes it easier for people to find a place close to them and hunt.

Business & Economy

Hunters decline but businesses that rely on them remain stable

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By ALEX MITCHELL
Capital News Service
LANSING—Despite declining deer hunting numbers in Michigan over the past few years, Michigan meat processors say their businesses have not been affected. In 2010, Michigan hunters harvested almost 418,000 deer, a decline of 6 percent from 2009, according to a report compiled by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. About 656,500 people hunted deer last year, a decline of 4 percent from the previous year. There were an estimated 1.7 million deer in the herd last year. But according to Rod Dejonge, owner of Blue Star Meats in Holland, after a dip six years ago, things have been business as usual for the past few seasons.