Landowners get payment for enrolling in Department of Natural Resources Hunting program

Mary Lowe, The Daily Telegram
·1 min read

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources' Hunting Access Program (HAP) is enrolling private property throughout Michigan to increase public hunting opportunities in areas with limited public land.

Landowners should have at least 40 acres of land with some wildlife habitat such as forest, brush, wetland, etc.

Michigan is home to one of the nation’s largest and longest running dedicated private land public access programs. Since 1977, HAP has provided private landowners another option to earn income from their land for allowing controlled hunting access.

Landowner benefits include:

  • Annual payment based on acres of land enrolled, type of land cover, and type of hunting allowed.

  • Liability protection on enrolled lands.

  • Flexible options for types of hunting permitted including all species, deer only, turkey only, small game only, sharp-tailed grouse only, and youth and apprentice only.

  • Can control the maximum number of hunters allowed on the property at a time.

  • Promotion and support Michigan’s rich hunting heritage.

  • Better management of wildlife on the property.

  • Help in minimizing wildlife crop damage.

There are no extra costs for hunters to use HAP lands, but they are responsible for reviewing rules for each property where they plan to hunt, registering at the property each day, and respecting the landowners’ property.

The check-in station at a former Hunting Access Program property in Lenawee County basks in some late winter sun. Hunters sign in here and check for other users, then may hunt on the property if the capacity is not yet reached.
The check-in station at a former Hunting Access Program property in Lenawee County basks in some late winter sun. Hunters sign in here and check for other users, then may hunt on the property if the capacity is not yet reached.

Enrollment will remain open through Sept. 1. For more information on enrollment contact Laura Judge at the Lenawee Conservation District: laura.judge@macd.org or 517-263-7400 ext. 5592, or the DNR Wildlife Division: DNR-HAP@michigan.gov or 517-284-9453, or visit mi.gov/hap.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Landowners get payment for enrolling in DNR Hunting Access Program