Rich Township is home to many acres of privately owned land to hunt on. However, every year there are many complaints about hunting activities. Make sure you know the hunting regulations, have the proper permissions if you are hunting on land you do not own, and of course try to be a good neighbor. Here are a few things to help you out:

  1. Report All Poaching Hotline (RAP): 1-800-292-7800
  2. Saftey Zones Around Buildings: Safety zones are all areas within 150 yards (450 feet) of an occupied building, house, cabin, or any barn or other building used in a farm operation. No person, including archery and crossbow hunters, may hunt or discharge a firearm, crossbow or bow in a safety zone, or shoot at any wild animal or wild bird within a safety zone, without the written permission of the owner or occupant of the property. The safety zone applies to hunting only. It does not apply to indoor or outdoor shooting ranges, target shooting, law enforcement activities or the discharge of firearms, crossbows or bows for any non-hunting purpose.
  3. Crossbows: Any licensed hunter who has obtained a free crossbow stamp can hunt with a crossbow during any season in which a firearm is allowed, for both big and small game, except hunters in the Upper Peninsula may not use a crossbow or a modified bow during the Dec. 1 – Jan. 1 late archery deer season and Dec. 7-16 muzzleloader deer season, unless the hunter is disabled and has a crossbow permit or special permit to take game with a modified bow.
    Any licensed hunter may use a crossbow throughout the archery deer season in the Lower Peninsula (Oct. 1 – Nov. 14 and Dec. 1 – Jan. 1)
    When hunting deer, bear, elk and turkey, crossbow hunters must use only arrows, bolts and quarrels with a broadhead hunting type of point not less than 7/8 of an inch wide with a minimum of 14 inches in length. See Hunter Orange Clothing Requirements.
  4. Tips for Asking Permission to Hunt Other Private Land: State law requires that you obtain verbal permission from the landowner. Only the landowner can give you permission to hunt on their property, even if enrolled in HAP.