TRAVERSE CITY — With opening day of firearm season getting off to a warm start, Little Traverse Conservancy is warning hunters to be on the lookout for more trail users this year.
“People don’t need to be scared to go out there, but there are some sensible tips that can be implemented,” Anne Fleming of Little Traverse Conservancy said.
Little Traverse Conservancy serves the northern Lower and eastern Upper Peninsula’s with trails in Mackinac, Chippewa, Charlevoix, Cheboygan and Emmet Counties. They say if you do choose to use the trails to make sure you and your pet stay in the open and wear orange that can be seen from all directions.
“It’s best to avoid as dawn is happening or as sunset is starting to happen. That tends to be when the deer are more active so that’s when hunters are definitely out there,” Fleming said.
Bizzy B’s Deer Processing was started by Brian Kracht in Benzie County back in 1981. Back then they started with processing just 25 deer a season, but this year they expect to do well over that amount every day due to the warmer weather. However, despite the big business Kracht is reminding hunters and hikers to be extra cautious this season.
“With it being warmer like this I look for a lot more people walking on the trails. With the weather being nice they want to get out and do stuff too. So, I guess I would be real concerned with what you’re shooting at,” Kracht explained.
According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources hunting-related accidental shootings are actually down over the past couple years, with only four reported in 2022.
Little Traverse Conservancy say they aren’t trying to scare anyone from the trails, but say they are hoping to keep everyone safe this season.
Click here to find a list and interactive map of the Little Traverse Conservancy Trails that are closed to hunting.
