Hunting, Fishing & Gathering

There are many types of licenses and permits available, like tags for hunting deer and turkey and tree tags distributed with licenses for individuals wanting to harvest ash or burls.

You can view the Hunting and Gathering Rules and Regulations, the associated Code, and the maps that are referenced within the regulations below.

2023 Harvest Reports

Pokagon Band Hunting, Fishing and Gathering Rules and Regulations, approved through Tribal Council resolution 19-10-29-06, now requires wildlife reporting of harvests in order to obtain your licenses the following year or incur a fee.

Please fill out an online harvest report here.

Permits

• Hunting and fishing, and gathering permits are required for harvesting activities on Tribal properties. Pokagon Tribal citizens and their spouses are allowed to hunt, fish, and gather on tribal lands
• Permits may be obtained at the Pokagon DNR office 32142 Edwards St. Dowagiac, MI 49047 and at the Tribal Police Department located at 58155 M-51 South Dowagiac, MI 49047. 
• A valid Pokagon Band Tribal ID must be presented at time of permit issue.

Seasons

• Trust Lands: Tribal hunting and fishing law is developed from the state of Michigan hunting/fishing seasons. Therefore follow State of Michigan Regulations
• Fee Lands: Follow seasons and laws pertinent to state of Indiana and Michigan, as appropriate
• For current hunting/fishing season schedules and details, please visit www.michigan.gov/dnr and www.in.gov/dnr

Suggestions

• Please place a copy of your permit on your vehicle's dashboard to verify your Pokagon citizenship.
• Please legibly mark all tree stands with your name and Tribal ID number in a clear spot on the front of stand/blind. 
• It is recommended that each person obtain a Michigan and/or Indiana state hunting/fishing license along with their tribal permit to avoid potential jurisdicational disputes regarding trust lands versus fee lands. 

Designated Hunting Areas

• Please click on the link below to access maps

New Hunting, Fishing, and Gathering Regulations require that non-citizen spouses show proof of marriage to a citizen to be issued a license. Please update your information with the Enrollment Office to be sure that you can be issued a license upon request. You may also request a map.

Help keep our fishing waters sustainable

The Department of Natural Resources has a volunteer program to assist in helping understand the fisheries in Pokagon Band lakes.

At the information boards located at Gage, Sassafras, or Rodgers Lake, there will be an envelope with volunteer fish survey cards to be filled out by those fishing on these lakes. Next to the envelope will be a drop box for those surveys. Information on how to fill out survey cards will be posted in the information boards and on the back of the survey cards. Information that the Department of Natural Resources is trying to capture includes species caught, sizes of fish, and whether the fish were kept or released. This information will assist the DNR in making informed fisheries management decisions in the future.

Next time you’re out at one of your Pokagon Band lakes, check it out and help in managing our fisheries for future generations. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to contact the Pokagon Band Department of Natural Resources at (269) 782-9602 or fill out a suggestion form.