Michigan’s Independence Hunt Starts Tomorrow, October 15th

Michigan's Independence Hunt is set to start tomorrow throughout the state.

Starting tomorrow, October 15th, and running through Sunday, October 18th, Michigan's Independence Hunt will take place. This particular hunt offers firearm deer hunting for people with disabilities. The hunt is open statewide on private lands and on some public lands which require an access permit to hunt.

New this year, hunters who are deaf are now qualified for Michigan's Independence Hunt. This new qualification was added after a request from the Department of Natural Resources Accessibility Advisory Council. To see all of the qualifications, click here to see the 2020 Hunting Digest. 

Some of those qualifications include:

• Be a veteran who has been determined to have 100% disability or a resident rated as individually unemployable by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
• Be blind. (See criteria here.)
• An individual that is deaf.
• Hunters that have been issued a permit by the DNR to hunt from a standing vehicle, and more.

Hunters will need valid licenses for the Independence hunt that include deer, deer combo, or antlerless deer licenses or a deer management assistance permit. Also, antler point restrictions do not apply to the Independence Hunt. The bag limit is one deer and hunters with disabilities can bait through Sunday, October 18th, but all bait must be removed by the end of the final day.

Of course, all hunters participating must wear hunter orange. Some locations also offer track chairs, elevated hunting blinds, or hunting blinds equipped with adaptive gear. For more details and information, click here. 

Source: Michigan DNR