Winter recreation safety tips for outdoor adventurers
As many people start venturing outside for the holiday break, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources reminds everyone to consider seasonal safety tips before enjoying their favorite winter activities.
Regardless of your favorite winter activity, prepare before you leave the house by checking, dressing and packing for the weather. That means:
• Wear light layers that can easily be added or removed – it is possible to overheat even during the winter.
• Carry the appropriate equipment for your activity, such as a flashlight, rope, ice picks or ice claws.
• Have spare equipment available in case something breaks.
• Stay hydrated and fueled – bring water and snacks.
• Inform others about where you will be and how long you plan to be gone and schedule check-in times.
• Carry a two-way communication device that receives service in remote areas.
• Be aware of your health – if you’re not feeling well, don’t go out.
In Michigan, all snowmobile operators between ages 12 and 16 are required to obtain a Michigan-approved snowmobile safety certificate to operate without a legal guardian or to cross a highway or street. Earn your snowmobile safety certificate or purchase a trail permit online at www.michigan.gov/snowmobiling.
The DNR’s Ride Right snowmobile safety campaign emphasizes the importance of riding sober, at a safe speed and on the right side of the trail. Speed is the main factor in fatal and serious injury snowmobile accidents. There were 12 fatal accidents during the 2020-21 snowmobile season.
If you plan to plan to be around ice, always use extreme caution, as there is no reliable way to test ice thickness.
Classes available through DNR Outdoor Skills Academy
The DNR Outdoor Skills Academy offers in-depth, expert instruction, gear and hands-on learning for a range of activities – from fishing and hunting to finding wild mushrooms – and classes are now available for purchase online.
• A variety of ice-fishing classes, from beginner to advanced.
• A fly-fishing clinic for beginners.
• Steelhead and walleye fishing classes.
• Clinics on finding and identifying edible wild mushrooms.
• Classes about bear, deer and turkey hunting.
• A fur trapping clinic.
• A virtual class on feeding winter birds.
Cost for most of the classes is $30-45. Many of them will take place at the Carl T. Johnson Center, located inside Mitchell State Park in Cadillac, although a few classes are scheduled at other locations around the state and others may be added to the calendar throughout the year.
Questions? Contact Ed Shaw at 231-779-1321.
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