Michigan's deer hunting problem isn't going away

Deer hunting down in Michigan

The concerning trend of falling numbers of deer hunters in Michigan has continued in 2024, according to preliminary statistics from the DNR's online reporting tool that hunters use.

(FOX 2) - The thrill of the hunt remains in Michigan and many have still found success when firearms season commences in November.

But recent declines in the number of hunters who seek out deer in Michigan have continued in 2024, a worrying trend for the Department of Natural Resources, which must contend with less revenue from hunting licenses while managing an increase in the number of deer.

There was once more than 800,000 licensed hunters in Michigan. Now, that number has dropped below 600,000. Among them is Will Frank, who cherishes his time in a deer blind or up on a stand.

"Going out into the nature and just being by myself, climbing the tree by myself, aiming down the scope myself, doing that all - it feels a whole lot better than going to the grocery store," he said.

By his observation, there's never been more deer.

That's partly due to the relationship between hunter and deer numbers - as well as what people who participate in the season prefer to shoot.

Many would rather catch a buck, scoring the antlers as a trophy. But it's does that give birth and the DNR says population control would best be done by targeting female deer.

"Certainly focus on antlerless harvest," said Chad Fedewa, the DNR's acting deer management specialist, when asked what hunters should do.

He says license sales are up 1% this year, but the deer harvest season has fallen by 5.5%.

According to the deer harvest report summary on the DNR's website, hunters have shot 187,564 deer as of Friday afternoon. Two-thirds of those have been bucks.

There are also implications for the surrounding environment, including more disease spreading and crops being eaten.

Along with an absence of natural predators, the only population control efficient enough for deer is hunting season. And as numbers there decline, deer's continued growth in the state will persist.