Just Me Or Does The Dnr Website Suck

[captjimtc]

Well I go to their website to try to find out more about this years waterfowl information (Hunting times,what's required for licensing, and bag limits.) to find nothing current. Only last year's info. Then I go into the Fur bearer's section about hunting bobcats and the link for the map of the zones doesn't work. Can anyone tell me when and if ever I can legally shoot a Bobcat in Houghton County Michigan or can you trap them only. And if so is the limit one per season???

[William H Bonney]

It's not just you.:rant:

[Shop Rat]

I was on the Ohio dnr website and I thought it made ours look really bad. It all comes down to money and priorities, I guess.

[Hemidan]

I have the same problem.
I went to look up the early goose season,to see If I could hunt goose on private property in Gladwin.I've never hunted goose,but the farmer says there are alot.I still don't know if I can or not.:rant:

[theredmission]

Compared to a lot of government sites that I've seen-it's not terribly bad, but I do agree it's not updated enough, and so-so when it come to user friendliness.

[kristie]

Waterfowl information for 2007-2008 bag limits link
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10363_10859_32209-31173--,00.html
License requirements for 2007-2008 link
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10363_10859_32209-31031--,00.html
Bobcat hunting trapping information link (go to page 41)
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/2007_Mi_Hunt_Guide_205304_7.pdf
The bag limit for bobcat in Unit A (includes Houghton county) is two. You can trap or shoot in Unit A.
For Early Goose Season Info. here's the link:
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10363_10859_12404_12406-174296--,00.html
Hope this information helps. The Waterfowl Guide just came out, and we are currently working on updating pages. We are also still updating all of the new hunting guide pages.

[boehr]

I agree that it does suck so it is not you. The reason I say that is the information is normally there timely enough it is just harder that "h" "e" double hockey sticks to navigate and has been for about the last 8 years or so, ever since it was changed to the present format.

[William H Bonney]

My pet peeve is all the pdf links,,, WTH??? Maybe some of you computer guru's can answer that,,,,, why do they use so many pdf's. Those things take so long to load,, what's wrong with a weblink or something else??

[theredmission]

My pet peeve is all the pdf links,,, WTH??? Maybe some of you computer guru's can answer that,,,,, why do they use so many pdf's. Those things take so long to load,, what's wrong with a weblink or something else??

Probably makes it easier on their end to just make a link to an already existing pdf file than to format it to properly work on most browsers, and it makes it a lot easier for the end user to print.

[captjimtc]

Waterfowl information for 2007-2008 bag limits link
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10363_10859_32209-31173--,00.html
License requirements for 2007-2008 link
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10363_10859_32209-31031--,00.html
Bobcat hunting trapping information link (go to page 41)
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/2007_Mi_Hunt_Guide_205304_7.pdf
The bag limit for bobcat in Unit A (includes Houghton county) is two. You can trap or shoot in Unit A.
For Early Goose Season Info. here's the link:
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10363_10859_12404_12406-174296--,00.html
Hope this information helps. The Waterfowl Guide just came out, and we are currently working on updating pages. We are also still updating all of the new hunting guide pages.


Thank you Kristie! Exactly what I was looking for.....

[boehr]

pdfs I believe work great because the actual document is shown rather than taking the time to redue (retype) the document into the web. I don't know of many website where all the information is supplied by a particual person or company that doesn't use pdf files.

[Fierkej]

Reply to "Just Me or Does the DNR Website Suck" captjimtc, William H Bonney, and to Shop Rat

I've mainly been a part of the State's Emerging Diseases website, and the wildlife disease information in the DNR's area. This has been on top of my regular responsibilities as a lab scientist with the Wildlife Disease Lab. The DNR used to have a person ½ time devoted to maintaining the DNR website. He left the DNR about 2 years ago and we have not been able to fill his position. A couple of folks in Lansing work on the site, in addition to their regular full-time responsibilities. Last summer, I was asked if I could volunteer to help them keep the site up, and I have been the one to post the html versions (not the .pdf's) of the Elk Guide, the Fall Turkey Guide, and the Hunting and Trapping Guide, since last summer. So, as you see, the website is being maintained by a crew that has very little time to commit to this. I believe that hiring a web person for the DNR is a top priority, whenever we are allowed to hire again. So I guess, please bear with us, and please contact us via the phone or email if you find the website frustrating. My email and phone are fierkej@michigan.gov and 517-336-5033.

Any time a map or picture is too large to fit in between the left and right borders on a DNR webpage, is seems to show up as blank, even though it's really there. This is something I just learned in the last week. So I've put the bobcat map on its own page (it will open in a new window). That should correct the sizing problem.
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10363_38954_38957-97425--,00.html

In addition to what Kristie told you, the dates for hunting bobcat in Unit a are Dec. 1 - Mar.1, and for trapping in Unit A area Oct. 25 - Mar. 1

Reply to "Hermidan" Early goose season:

Yes, you can hunt on private property in Gladwin. You need a small game license, a MI waterfowl license, a Federal Migratory Bird Stamp and a HIP endorsement. There are other regs for youth, seniors, non-residents, etc.

Kristie gave you the link to the Early Goose Season info.

The link to the main waterfowl page is
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10363_10859---,00.html
I believe it's been updated. Please email myself: fierkej@michigan.gov or Jennifer: kleitchj@michigan.gov with questions.

Reply to William H Bonney: pdf's vs html

We always post the pdf version 1st because all we have to do is hit a button in the Word program: "create .pdf". We can get the pdf guide posted very soon after the text for the printed guide is approved. Then... we always post a html version which takes time because it has to be updated page by page and all the links checked and double-checked. I just finished the html version of the Hunting and Trapping Guide last Friday, it took me 42 ½ hours - spread over 3 weeks (since I worked on it part-time):
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10371_14724-148682--,00.html
It appears to be a simple page, but it is page after page after page, including all the separate species pages, such as bobcat, coyote. Last year I created this "Search by species" page, which I also have to update, but I think it's pretty handy:
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10363_38954_38955-150373--,00.html

Thanks
Jean

[Gobblerman]

I've never had any issues? Whenever I need to look up something I can find it. Plus I have been on other states dnr websites and they can be a bit confusing at times.

[Due51]

I've always thought the MI.gov website was NOT user friendly. I think it's gotten better but it still leaves a lot to be desired.

[homerdog]

pdfs I believe work great because the actual document is shown rather than taking the time to redue (retype) the document into the web. I don't know of many website where all the information is supplied by a particual person or company that doesn't use pdf files.

If they would take the pdf's and do a "save as" it usually reduces the size of the file by about 2/3's. I would also like to see online licenses as a pdf, that way you could load all your licenses onto a jump drive, if the DNR wants to check your license just hand the jump drive to him, he plugs it into his laptop computer, checks it and you are on your way, no more of the bulky one sheet of paper for each license you have to figure out how to carry in your wallet.

[boehr]

if the DNR wants to check your license just hand the jump drive to him, he plugs it into his laptop computer, checks it and you are on your way, no more of the bulky one sheet of paper for each license you have to figure out how to carry in your wallet.They don't carry their computers around out in the woods or in a boat but that is another topic.:coolgleam

[Ninja]

They don't carry their computers around out in the woods or in a boat but that is another topic.:coolgleam


Really???

I thought all the DNR employees were fat-cats driving Hummers, listening to Ipods and playing games on their lap-tops all day!!! :lol:

Surely, you know I jest, and I know you're not Shirley, but you know what I mean. :)

[peppino]

its not easy to find what your looking for most of the time for me

[WAUB-MUKWA]

Well I go to their website to try to find out more about this years waterfowl information (Hunting times,what's required for licensing, and bag limits.) to find nothing current. Only last year's info. Then I go into the Fur bearer's section about hunting bobcats and the link for the map of the zones doesn't work. Can anyone tell me when and if ever I can legally shoot a Bobcat in Houghton County Michigan or can you trap them only. And if so is the limit one per season???

Yes, you can shoot two in a season here.

[theredmission]

Fierkej-

Just a suggestion, but why not try to hire out the website to one of the state universities where they have the manpower and talent to design an updated site?