Where to Hike vs. Hunt Nov. 15-30

Stay safe on the trails

By Lynda Wheatley | Nov. 13, 2021

Nov. 15 marks opening day of firearm deer season in Michigan, and with it comes the annual question all hiking northerners ask perennially: Where is it safe to roam? Little Traverse Conservancy has done all of us — and our leaping, bounding cinnamon-colored canine pets especially — a solid. It’s compiled a list of recommended preserves (and assist projects) across its five-county service area that are closed to hunting.

In Charlevoix County, that’s Nathan “Barry” Driggers, The Hill, Charles A. Ransom, Raven Ridge, Rogers Family Homestead, portions of St. Clair Lake/Six Mile Lake Natural Area, Wisser-Saworski, or the Naas, Mauger, Raunecker, & Leslie preserves. In Emmet County, choose from Philip J. Braun North, Bubbling Springs, Sally and Jack Clark, Sally & Art Hailand, Jr./Helstrom Family, Ray Johnston, Allan and Virginia McCune, Oden Island, Round Lake, and Sally Stebbins preserves. You can find directions to those and other closed-to-hunting Conservancy locations in Cheboygan, Mackinac, and Chippewa Counties at www.landtrust.org.

And hunters, they didn’t forget about you either: A list of preserves where hunting is permitted, plus a downloadable permission slip (required to hunt on those places), is available there too. Note to non-hunting dog owners; your pets must be leashed.

*Photo of Seven Springs Nature Preserve by Margie Reh.