Plus, make sure you're prepared for firearm hunting season.



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"News Digest - Week of Oct. 24, 2022
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A person wearing a blaze orange hat and backpack is framed by a curling, dead treebranch as they walk through a grassy field. [ [link removed] ]

Firearm deer season is almost here! Head to a DNR shooting range to sight your firearm and practice your shot.



Here are just a few of this week's stories from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources:?


* Photo ambassador snapshot: Big Sable starshine [ #link_1 ]
* It's Bat Week! [ #link_16 ]
* Ready for deer season? Head to a DNR shooting range [ #link_17 ]

See other news releases, Showcasing the DNR stories, photos and other resources at Michigan.gov/DNRPressRoom [ [link removed] ].

PHOTO FOLDER [ [link removed] ]: Larger, higher-res versions of the images used below, and others, are available in this folder.

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Photo ambassador snapshot: Big Sable starshine
The Big Sable lighthouse glows beneath the starshine of the Milky Way Galaxy.

Want to see more pictures like this, taken by Michigan state parks photo ambassador Ashish Phansalkar [ [link removed] ] at Ludington State Park in Mason County? Visit?Instagram.com/MiStateParks [ [link removed] ]?to explore photos and learn more about the photo ambassadors! For more on the photo ambassador program [ [link removed] ], call?Stephanie Yancer <[email protected]>?at 989-274-6182.

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It's Bat Week!

A small, fuzzy brown bat emerges from a darkened overhang.

Just in time for Halloween, it?s Bat Week! Whether it?s building bat habitat, learning more about different bat species, bat-watching in the late hours of dusk or other ways to brush up on bats, this international celebration (Oct. 24-31 each year) is the perfect time to spotlight this important species.?

Michigan is home to nine species of bats, all of which are insectivores ? meaning they eat exclusively insects. During the evening hours, these flying mammals consume many insect pests including mosquitoes, beetles, moths and flies.?

Unfortunately, many bat species are facing challenges. The DNR, along with numerous partners, works to conserve bats and bat habitat because many species are in decline due to habitat loss, diminished food supply and disease. ?

White-nose syndrome [ [link removed] ] is a deadly disease that affects North American bats primarily during their winter hibernation and has devastated many bat species. Infected bats prematurely awaken from hibernation, rapidly deplete their fat reserves and do not survive the winter. Bats with this disease often exhibit unusual behavior, like flying during daylight hours or gathering outside of hibernacula (mines and caves) in cold weather. ?

Here are a few things you can do to help bats:


* Plant a bat-friendly garden and minimize the use of insecticides.
* Remove invasive species [ [link removed] ].
* Install a bat house [ [link removed] ]in a location not frequented by people.
* Do not enter closed mines.
* Follow decontamination guidelines [ [link removed] ] to help reduce the spread of white-nose syndrome.

Learn more about bats and ways you can take action [ [link removed] ] during Bat Week ? and all year long ? at BatWeek.org [ [link removed] ].?

Find more information on Michigan's bat species and ways to help at Michigan.gov/Bats [ [link removed] ].

Questions? Contact the DNR Wildlife Division <[email protected]> at 517-284-9453.


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Ready for deer season? Head to a DNR shooting range

A person bundled in warm hunting camo clothing and sitting in a mobility chair operates an air-puff gun at a DNR shooting range.

With the Nov. 15 start of firearm deer season right around the corner, now is the time for hunters to ensure safe and successful hunts by sighting in their firearms and practicing their shot.?

A great place to do that? DNR shooting ranges around the state.

?Our eight staffed shooting ranges in southern Michigan offer a fun, safe shooting environment with customer-friendly and highly trained employees,? said Dennis Fox, DNR Recruitment and Retention Section manager. ?They feature amenities like handgun, rifle, shotgun and archery ranges and restroom facilities.?

The staffed ranges are located in Clinton, Ingham, Jackson, Lapeer and Oakland counties. The DNR also operates several unstaffed shooting ranges in Allegan, Grand Traverse, Hillsdale, Montmorency and St. Clair counties.

Both the staffed and unstaffed ranges have accessible features for visitors with disabilities.

The DNR Ortonville, Pontiac Lake, Rose Lake and Sharonville shooting ranges are open six days per week through the end of October (closed Tuesdays) and seven days per week Nov. 1-15 (including Election Day and Veterans Day). To help hunters prepare for firearm deer season, these ranges are also offering extended weekend shooting hours Oct. 29-30, Nov. 5-6 and Nov. 12-13.

Find hours, locations and more information about DNR shooting ranges?? and? for those who aren?t near a DNR range, a listing of all shooting ranges around the state ? at Michigan.gov/ShootingRanges [ [link removed] ].


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THINGS TO DO [ [link removed] ]

Fall is a great time to catch many bird species on their migration, hear the bugle call of elk or watch critters preparing for winter hibernation. Check out our wildlife viewing resources [ [link removed] ] for tips, tricks and info on how to enjoy this wild, wonderful world.




BUY & APPLY [ [link removed] ]

Firearm deer season is almost upon us! Make sure you're prepared: get your 2022 hunting license [ [link removed] ], your hunter safety certificate [ [link removed] ], know where you plan to hunt [ [link removed] ] and new mandatory harvest reporting requirements [ [link removed] ]. Happy hunting!




GET INVOLVED [ [link removed] ]

Time in the forest is time well spent, and when you Adopt-a-Forest [ [link removed] ], you can enjoy fall colors while keeping your favorite places healthy for generations to come. Gear up, grab some friends and get out among the trees.



Download the new Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app [ [link removed] ]
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