September 7, 2007, Canton, MI - This year, Canton officials had filed a request with the Department of Natural Resources to ban hunting altogether in Canton.  After DNR review, revisions on hunting restrictions were recommended and adopted under township ordinance. 

In Canton, hunting areas are now classified as closed or restricted.  In areas designated as closed, hunting is prohibited.  This includes the entire eastern side of Canton, and a couple small areas in northwestern Canton.  In the majority of western Canton, hunting has been designated as restricted, with two different types of restrictions.  In a small portion of the northwestern corner of Canton, hunting with, or the discharge of a shotgun loaded with shot not larger than No. 6 shot, is permitted from October 20 to March 2.  For the majority of the western side, hunting with a firearm is unlawful except as follows: 

•Hunting with a shotgun
•Hunting with a rimfire rifle or handgun, .22 caliber or smaller
•Hunting with a conventional (smokeless power) handgun single- or multiple-shot using a straight walled cartridge only
•Hunting with a muzzleloading rifle, shotgun, or black powder handgun
•Discharge of a firearm for target shooting while using a recognizable target

In open and restricted areas, verbal permission from the property owner is required for hunting to be permitted.  Additionally, Michigan’s Safety Zone state law states that a person will not hunt or discharge a firearm within 150 yards of an occupied building, dwelling, house, residence, cabin, barn or any other type of building used in conjunction with farm operations, without obtaining written permission of the owner, renter or occupant of the property.  Careless and reckless discharge of a firearm is a misdemeanor, punishable by 90 days in jail and/or a $500 fine.

Canton Police Department will continue to strictly enforce all state and local hunting ordinances for the 2007 hunting season.  A map of Canton detailing the closed and restricted hunting areas is attached, and is also available from the clerk’s office of the Canton Administration Building, 1150 S. Canton Center Road.

2007 Hunting Restriction Map - Canton  (file size 380kb)
 
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