Courtesy Photo A cow moose (mature female moose) rests in the snowy Michigan forest in this photo provided by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

It is hard to imagine a Michigan without white-tailed deer, elk, bald eagles, or wild turkey.

But, if not for the efforts of conservationists, volunteers, and partner agencies, those species might be absent from Michigan’s beautiful landscape.

In the spirit of these conservation successes, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has proclaimed July as Wildlife Conservation Month to recognize the work Michiganders have done for conservation — and draw attention to the work that still needs to be done.

“In Michigan, we are proud of our wildlife, waterways, and public lands, and want to ensure that they are protected for future generations to enjoy,” said Whitmer. “This Wildlife Conservation Month, we celebrate our long legacy of conservation and recommit ourselves to bringing vital species back from the brink and protecting our state’s natural diversity.”

Abundant wildlife viewing and hunting opportunities would not be possible without the state’s roughly 4.6 million acres of public lands. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources manages those lands to enhance habitat, monitor wildlife populations, prevent the spread of disease, and ensure wildlife flourishes.

Sometimes the path to a flourishing species takes a while. 

Moose, a majestic animal central to Michigan’s cultural identity, were nearly extirpated — or, locally extinct — in Michigan by the late 1800s. Due to conservation efforts from the 1980s to the 1990s, moose can now be found in two places in the Upper Peninsula.

More recently, the Kirtland’s warbler was removed from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s endangered species list in 2019 thanks to decades of conservation partnership.

Michigan’s wildlife conservation community has a long history and has grown to address the state’s evolving challenges. Hunting and fishing licenses provide tens of millions of dollars each year to support conservation of species like deer, bear, elk, turkey, duck, and moose. Hunters and anglers contribute $11.2 billion each year to Michigan’s economy and create 171,000 jobs, making this aspect of outdoor recreation among the state’s top 10 job-creating industries; support from hunters and anglers has been vital to conservation work since the inception of the Department of Conservation, the precursor to the DNR.

More people are becoming aware of the importance of wildlife management and getting involved in new activities to support that goal. Whether you are one of Michigan’s 3.2 million wildlife watchers enjoying feeding backyard birds, watching spring migration at your favorite birding spot, or heading out to hear elk bugling in the fall, you have experienced the results of these efforts.