Firearms Deer Season Set To Open Thursday

Hunters are making final preparations before heading out for Thursday’s opening day of firearms deer season.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says the state is in the top five nationally in both number of deer hunters and overall deer taken each year.

376,365 deer were harvested last year. Of those, 150,709 were antlerless, 225,655 were antlered.  51 percent of all deer harvested were taken during firearms season last year, while 37 percent were harvested during the archery season.

The DNR encourages successful hunters to have their deer checked and tested for Chronic Wasting Disease, as CWD has recently been detected in the Upper Peninsula.  Over 38,000 deer were checked last year, the most since 2001.  See the 2017 Deer Season Summary for more 2017 statistics.

The DNR says hunters contribute $2.3 billion to Michigan’s economy and help pay for wildlife conservation and management work throughout the state.

Visit michigan.gov/deer to find 2018 season information, regulations, videos, chronic wasting disease updates and more. Check out the 2018 Michigan Deer Hunting Prospects for more on what to expect this deer season.

Other reminders

• Looking for a place to hunt? There are new properties and more acres to hunt through the Hunting Access Program, including properties in Ionia, Kent, Montcalm, Newaygo and Mecosta counties. See a complete list of private lands available to hunt at michigan.gov/hap. Also, you can find information and maps for lands open to public hunting at michigan.gov/mihunt.
• Buy deer licenses online, at a license agent or at a DNR Customer Service Center.

Good luck and have a safe and enjoyable deer season! Questions? Contact the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-9453.