Ottawa County Parks & Recreation allows hunting on over 4,500 acres. But six areas require a special permit, available via lottery.
“Hunting in Ottawa County parks isn't just a recreational activity. It's also a land management tool that benefits our entire park system.”
Parks & Rec Communication Specialist Rylie Dorman says one of the county’s biggest ecological challenges is maintaining a healthy balance of wildlife populations, especially deer.
“Without hunting, this overpopulation can harm plant communities, reduce biodiversity and overall throw off a natural balance of ecosystems.”
Areas such as Crockery Creek, Upper Macatawa, Sterns Creek and North Ottawa Dunes require special permits through a lottery system.
Each area has different opportunities such as archery-only or all-game hunting, but safety is the priority.
“We do have signs posted out at the sites. We do limit the hunts, and each hunter is assigned a zone, and they can only hunt within that zone. They have to attend a pre-meeting to review safety precautions of the hunt, so we do take safety of our visitors very seriously.”
The deadline for hunters to apply for the lottery is August 31 through a link on the Ottawa County Parks and Recreation website.
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