Problems Found In Mich. Hunting License System

DETROIT (AP) - The computer system used to sell hunting and fishing licenses in Michigan has flaws, from granting licenses to ineligible people to failing to verify the ages of applicants, state auditors said Thursday.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources acknowledged the shortcomings and said the system was undergoing a $19.2 million upgrade. DNR and the state technology agency told auditors that they'll evaluate whether plugging the holes will be "economically feasible and warranted" by Sept. 30, 2012.

"It's been a store-and-forward system since 1995," DNR spokeswoman Mary Dettloff said. "The upgrade that we're in the process of doing will make it a real-time system."

DNR sells licenses through more than 1,500 stores in Michigan and over the Internet. For the 12-month period ending last Feb. 28, the state collected $59 million in licenses and recreation permits.

Auditors found problems after looking at data from 2009 through May 2011. About 800 people, for example, acquired 2,273 licenses, even though their right to fish or hunt had been revoked, mostly because of failure to pay child support. DNR said the computer system was not programmed to reject a sale to people who were ineligible.

Auditors also found hunters who had purchased more than one license during seasons that have a one-license limit. DNR said it's a hunter's responsibility to follow the restriction.

Finally, auditors discovered the computer system lacked controls to verify ages or whether someone is blind or a disabled veteran, a status that qualifies them for a discounted senior license. More than 14,000 senior licenses may have been improperly sold, resulting in a revenue loss of $164,000.

The audit also found the birth date was blank for 3,600 people who purchased 6,087 licenses.

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