Staying Safe While Hiking During Hunting Season, Offield Family Nature Preserve

There was just one car in the parking lot when I arrived so I’m probably OK I thought as soon as I realized I had taken the dogs out for a run at a nature preserve which allows hunting during deer hunting season. We were about a 10 minute walk in before it occurred to me and I wanted to kick myself. Why had this slipped my mind? I knew firearm season didn’t start till the 15th but also knew some other kind of hunting, maybe it was archery, began before that. Yikes, I thought as I quickly turned around and started heading for the car. None of us were wearing blaze orange and we were cloaked in browns and blacks – colors that could easily look like a deer in the shadows of late afternoon.

Other than knowing I was probably in the wrong place at the wrong time, I didn’t know much else about staying safe while hiking during hunting season. You would think it would be safe to hike upon trails in a designated nature preserve but that isn’t the case as I knew from research I'd done last year. This particular preserve allows hunting. Thankfully I returned safely to the car and returned home to do some research on how to stay safe when hiking during hunting season.

There are many articles posted online offering safe hiking tips and I have posted those I referred to below. The Michigan DNR offers a map of all public hunting areas as well as a calendar showing the hunting season for all the various forms of hunting, from trapping to archery to firearm. I actually never considered trapping and can see how dangerous that would be for off-leash dogs, especially considering dogs with their awesome sense of smell would be attracted to the baits. As a general rule, Michigan State Parks and Game Areas are off limits to hunting unless considered “open” as described in the link below. I was happy to see Petoskey State Park doesn’t allow hunting so I have a safe place to hike with my pups.

I know many people avoid hiking during firearm season which is from November 15^th through the 30^th and I will probably do the same but there are so many other hunting seasons it becomes almost impossible to find a time in the fall when some kind of hunting isn’t allowed. It is currently archery season and to me a compound bow feels as dangerous as a firearm. To be safe, I am going to order some inexpensive blaze orange vests for my pups and my family. Can’t wait to see the dogs in their cute little vests. Hopefully Finn will tolerate his and not try and pull it off. A couple of quick tips - avoid hiking at dawn and dusk when animals and hunters are active. Make noise while hiking along a trail and if you do hear shots, speak up and let hunters know you are there. Check out the links below in order to gather more info before hitting the trails during hunting season.




Little Traverse Conservancy, Safe Hiking Options During Hunting Season
http://landtrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Where-to-Hike-During-Hunting-Season2017.pdf

Michigan DNR Hunting Season Calendar

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153--312005--,00.html

Michigan DNR Open to Public Hunting Land

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153--200319--,00.html

Michigan State Parks that allow hunting

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/ChapterVII_128592_7.pdf

Safe Northern Michigan hiking trails during hunting season

https://mynorth.com/2016/10/safe-northern-michigan-hiking-trails-during-hunting-season/

Hiking for her, Hiking during hunting season

https://www.hiking-for-her.com/hiking-during-hunting-season.html

North Country Trail Association, Staying safe in hunting season

https://northcountrytrail.org/stay-safe-in-hunting-season/

Hiking during hunting season, how to stay safe

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2013/09/24/hiking-hunting-season-safety-tips/2854437/