Fairly recent changes in deer regulations that drew skeptics seem to have been adopted into accepted deer hunting policy.
It was only three seasons ago that the Michigan Natural Resources Commission (MNRC) established a mandatory deerkill reporting system that affected every successful hunter. In 2020, the MNRC allowed each Michigan hunter to purchase up to 10 antlerless deer permits over the counter. Then in 2024, hunters were allowed to use rifles during the muzzle loader season, extending the time hunters can pursue bucks with modern firearms from 16 days to 26 days.
Though extended rifle hunting has only been around for a year, the big jump in doe tags and required reporting have been in effect long enough to cause a serious backlash if unpopular.
Instead, opposition has been fairly quiet.
John Walters of Indian River, a member of the Michigan Natural Resources Commission who has relatives in Leelanau County, supported the decisions. He believes most hunters favor or are obvious to the changes.
As to offering more anterless tags, Walters believes the relaxed quota represented a step in the right direction. Still, the Michigan deer herd in most places remains out of balance with an abundance of does that is too large for its natural habitat. He’s looking forward to reviewing recommendations from upper peninsula and lower eninsula work groups that are charged with bringing recommendations back to the MNRC to reduce deer numbers.
“I still think we need to shoot more does, especially in the lower peninsula. Deer advisory committees are working on recommendations. I don’t know what they are thinking, and that’s by design … I’m very interested to see what plans they come up with, and we won’t know that until springtime,” he said.
Walters has been especially pleased with buy-in for deer kill reporting because it creates reliable data rather than relying on information provided by special interest groups that may be pushing a particular policy or point-of-view.
“It’s the every day hunter that’s doing the reporting rather than groups. Those are the hunters we need to hear from. The special interest groups are always heard,” he said.
Walters recalled that technology- challenged hunters were intimidated a bit when the program rolled out. One of those was Travis Nelson of Centerville Township, who discovered that the online process is simple.
“All the guys that I talk to about hunting are really into it. They really think it was a great thing to do. I’m 65 and not computer literate, and I can do it fairly easily,” Nelson said.
Nelson, who is an official measurer for the Commemorative Bucks of Michigan organization, believes that the state’s effort to control the deer herd by flooding hunters with anterless tag has missed the mark.
“Everyone is saying there are a lot more deer than last year. A lot of deer were shot last year, and there are still a lot of deer out there. There aren’t as many hunters, and the coyotes are killing some. But we were shining two weeks ago in (Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore) and there were a lot of deer out there, too,” he said.
