This year, opening day of Michigan’s firearm deer hunting season is November 15, 2023. The DNR has created a resource page to help hunters have a successful 2023 deer hunting season — find licenses, regulations, maps and more here.
As the Great Lakes region experiences milder winters due to climate change, Michigan’s deer population is thriving, with more deer surviving and reproducing in the spring and early summer.
A concerning trend is emerging as older hunters in Michigan are increasingly staying home, leaving a gap as fewer young hunters are stepping in to take their place.
With approximately a quarter-million fewer hunters than two decades ago, the shift in the demographic profile of hunters underscores the challenge of attracting and retaining younger hunters to ensure the continuity of this vital ecological and economic activity.
“My daughter is going out hunting for the first time with her grandpa this year, and I wish her and all Michigan hunters luck,” said Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks. “Hunting and outdoor recreation are a critical part of Michigan’s heritage and economy, and in recognition of that, we have made a number of investments and policy changes to support our woods, waters and the people who depend on them.”
Last year, the DNR began requiring hunters to report their deer harvests online in an effort to gather efficient and effective data on deer populations and make more informed resource management decisions. This requirement is being enforced again this year, however, with some important changes.
“I am a hunter myself, and I heard from many of our hunters about their problems with these new requirements and agreed that the penalty was not appropriate for the offense, especially since no resources are directly harmed as a result of not reporting,” said Sen. Cherry.
Recognizing the significance of hunting season in maintaining Michigan’s deer population, Senate Democrats have actively responded with constructive policy adjustments and made substantial investments this year to bolster support for hunters in the state.
Senate Bill 52, sponsored by Sen. John Cherry and signed into law in July of this year, reduces the penalties on deer harvest reporting. Last year, the DNR implemented new rules that require hunters to report their deer harvest. SB 52 reduces penalties, from a misdemeanor to a civil infraction with a maximum of $150 in fines, for violations of the new mandatory deer harvest reporting requirement.
As part of the 2024 state budget, Senate Democrats funded a number of important priorities for the Department of Natural Resources to support hunters, anglers and outdoor enthusiasts and protect Michigan’s land and water. These investments will help maintain our precious state parks by hiring additional park rangers, investing in wildlife protection technology and equipment and expanding invasive species prevention and control. The budget also included $64 million to complete construction of a dam project to keep invasive Asian carp out of the Great Lakes.
Senate Democrats also secured $10 million in funding for wetland restoration, enhancement and acquisitions in the Lake Erie and Saginaw Bay watersheds. These efforts will aid in the reduction of phosphorus, nitrogen and sediment entering those waters, improving water quality and wildlife habitat.
Michigan is the second-leading state for car-deer accidents in the U.S. — trailing only Pennsylvania — and car-deer accidents have increased 6.6% in Michigan since 2012, with 115 of them causing human fatalities. Farmers and orchard growers are seeing rising problems as well. The number of special, out-of-season deer permits granted by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to address significant crop damage increased 60% from 2014 to 2020.
The growing deer population is also starting to affect some of Michigan’s natural areas, with the herds consuming young trees, wildflowers and plants — often leaving undesired invasive species to take their place.
Another concern looms as Michigan’s deer face the challenge of two diseases circulating within their herds — bovine tuberculosis in the northeastern Lower Peninsula and chronic wasting disease in south-central Michigan. The potential for these diseases to spread increases as deer populations become denser.
With Michigan’s deer herd being estimated at around two million deer — up 300,000 from a decade ago — the Michigan DNR is working hard to manage the state’s skyrocketing deer population, and hunting is a key part of that equation
Read more from the Michigan Senate Democrats at SenateDems.com/press.