Kudos to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for recognizing a potential problem and trying to get out in front of it.

Happily, 2020 saw a reversal in a years-long decline in the number of hunters taking to the woods.

That’s a good thing, but a large portion of those people are first-time hunters who may be unfamiliar with hunting laws.

Recognizing that, the DNR’s Law Enforcement Division recently released a list of the top 10 most common violations conservation officers see in the field.

The list — printed on The News’ Outdoors page on Nov. 7 — includes many things it could be understandable for a first-time hunter to be guilty of, such as not properly wearing hunter orange, to other violations one would think would just be common sense, such as being intimately familiar with your firearm and not trespassing.

It is the responsibility of every hunter to know and follow the law, but thanks go to the DNR for doing what they can to make sure new hunters could do so.

Now, learn up, new hunters, and good luck this season.

(THE ALPENA NEWS)