# DNR making rabbit habitat on SGA's



## John Niewoonder (Sep 1, 2011)

New poster here. I am a wildlife biologist with Michigan DNR. We have been working on creating high quality rabbit habitat (rabbitat) on several State Game Areas in southwestern Michigan including Flat River, Langston, Portland and Gratiot-Saginaw. Building brush piles, requiring loggers to leave brush piles behind after timber harvests, planting native grasses and food plots should boost local bunny populations. Scout for these areas or contact local DNR offices for location information.


_*Take a kid hunting or fishing today!*_


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## GuppyII (Sep 14, 2008)

That's a great idea. My son is just getting to the age to go on a bunny hunt, and I sure would hate for him to miss all the fun I had as a kid chasing them.

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


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## Shoeman (Aug 26, 2000)

John Niewoonder said:


> New poster here. I am a wildlife biologist with Michigan DNR. We have been working on creating high quality rabbit habitat (rabbitat) on several State Game Areas in southwestern Michigan including Flat River, Langston, Portland and Gratiot-Saginaw. Building brush piles, requiring loggers to leave brush piles behind after timber harvests, planting native grasses and food plots should boost local bunny populations. Scout for these areas or contact local DNR offices for location information.
> 
> 
> _*Take a kid hunting or fishing today!*_


Awesome!


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## 88luneke (Jan 13, 2009)

John Niewoonder said:


> New poster here. I am a wildlife biologist with Michigan DNR. We have been working on creating high quality rabbit habitat (rabbitat) on several State Game Areas in southwestern Michigan including Flat River, Langston, Portland and Gratiot-Saginaw. Building brush piles, requiring loggers to leave brush piles behind after timber harvests, planting native grasses and food plots should boost local bunny populations. Scout for these areas or contact local DNR offices for location information.
> 
> 
> _*Take a kid hunting or fishing today!*_


Nice! Makes me happy when I hear of habitat projects around our home state. Keep at it!!!

Is there a website or something that is published where we could hear more of what is being done to improve the animal populations in Michigan?


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## Michihunter (Jan 8, 2003)

Great having you here John. Looking forward to your presence on some oi the more science related threads. But beware to add a layer or two of skin to your current regiment. It's definitely a requirement if you value your sanity to any degree.:lol:


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## anon12192013aazz (Dec 10, 2010)

GuppyII said:


> That's a great idea. My son is just getting to the age to go on a bunny hunt, and I sure would hate for him to miss all the fun I had as a kid chasing them.
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


Think of how great it would be for your son to help build/improve the habitat and then have a successful hunt in the same area!


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## anon442018 (Jul 12, 2010)

Are they looking to improve habitat for Snowshoe Hares or Cottontails or both? There was an attempt to create cover for Showshoe Hares on timber sales and it was not popular with some of the staff of Forest Mgt..


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## TallPaul (Jan 12, 2007)

Be nice if you worked a little in Caro/Vassar/Millington. Had a nice spot S of Caro, county worked on the road and cleared and ditched to the R/W, pushed and left all the dredging and brush on the adjacent state land. there's now 12 foot high dirt and stump piles that will remain for 50 years, 

Rabbits don't run anymore, just back to the pile.


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## packmaster (Mar 1, 2010)

Very much appreciated!


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## sixft4par (Apr 1, 2008)

They should really work with locals to help with all game areas. I would think a bunch of guys would volunteer to help out their local area for hunting. On the private land I hunt we use old pallets and X-mas trees to make piles and it has really boosted the population.....along with getting rid of some coyotes, foxes, and racoons. Now if we could just get a few hawks to migrate south and stay for the winter!


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## John Niewoonder (Sep 1, 2011)

The DNR-Wildlife Division has some habitat information on it:

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10370---,00.html

Also, the 2010 DNR-Wildlife Division Report has alot of information and pictures of projects that we have been working on. It is not on-line yet but you can get a copy mailed to you by calling 517-373-4137

The projects mentioned earlier are all in southern Michigan and are geared towards cottontails but our biologists in the north continue to work with foresters on creating hare habitat through the process of timber harvest.


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## packmaster (Mar 1, 2010)

Thank you for the info,and also I would be willing to help out any way I can.thanks again.


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Way 

If you and your kids would like to see some beagles have some fun, shoot me a PM and we could try some of this habitat out. Shooting isn't required. 
I bet Shoeman would probably join us too.


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## Shoeman (Aug 26, 2000)

FREEPOP said:


> I bet Shoeman would probably join us too.


You bet!

We took a look at the Flat River SGA 2 years ago, but must have worked the wrong section (and the snow was too deep...lol)


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## MERGANZER (Aug 24, 2006)

While all habitat projects are good, I would think they would do more of this in upper michigan not lower. I have never had a hard time in lower but in upper it can be pretty thin with all the old growth forests and predators. I agree we need more hawks to migrate lol but seriously the predators do a real number on the small game of all species. That beiing said, the DNR gets a bad wrap for not doing enough and habitat improvement is an improvement.

Ganzer


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## John Niewoonder (Sep 1, 2011)

FREEPOP said:


> Way
> 
> If you and your kids would like to see some beagles have some fun, shoot me a PM and we could try some of this habitat out. Shooting isn't required.
> I bet Shoeman would probably join us too.


 
Sounds good. We are going to try and put together a youth rabbit hunt up here in the Flat River area sometime in January. Stay tuned for more details...


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Have beagles, will travel.


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## steve w (Feb 15, 2004)

Thanks for posting the info John and taking the rabbit into consideration in the land use planning. I feel to much emphasis has been placed on the big game aspect of hunting for to long. If you want kids to start hunting you have to make it fun first. I have got a few kids into hunting and it sure wasn't because of deer or turkey. One suggestion I have is could the brush piles be scaled down, some of the clearing I've seen done resulted in huge bulldozer piles that will be there for years. These are dangerous to the dogs and make pretty good homes for the varmints after they clean out the rabbits that congregate in them in the beginning. Thanks again


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## John Niewoonder (Sep 1, 2011)

Deer hunting and deer hunters definitely demand a lot of our attention but we are making efforts to provide habitat and hunting opportunities for all game species where appropriate. We do try to create many small brush piles as opposed to a few large ones. The cover left behind by loggers varies from 2 or 3 tops piled together to larger piles that consist of both logs and tops.


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## steve w (Feb 15, 2004)

I can certainly understand what your saying about the deer turkey hunter's, it's a miracle you guy's are finding the funding to do the habitat work your doing. As you mentioned the loggers we've had here did a good job with the clear cutting and thinning they did. I was fortunate to spend a fair amount of time running beagles around the guy's that worked this area and they were houndsman too.The dozer piles were not due to logging, it was where switch grass or crop fields were expanded. Maybe it was the only practical way to do what had to be done but I would be willing to burn a few off them around here. Anyways thanks again John and I am looking forward to a road trip to see some of the work that's been done.


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