State adopts new deer hunting regulations, rejects antler point restrictions

A tale of two peninsulas.

In Michigan's Lower Peninsula, a booming deer herd has caused car crashes and crop damage. In the Upper Peninsula, numbers are more scarce as deer are threatened by habitat loss and predators.

On Thursday, the state Natural Resources Commission approached this two-pronged problem by passing a bundle of new deer hunting rules, some going into effect as soon as this fall.

In an attempt to balance the buck-to-doe ratio in the southern portion of the state, the liberty and independence hunts were changed to antlerless only and extended urban archery season was expanded to additional counties, including Kent.

The commission also voted to extend the state's late antlerless firearm season in select, southern Lower Peninsula counties. From January 2 to the second Saturday in January, the new season will allow hunters to harvest a maximum of ten antlerless deer by any legal method of take with licenses offered at a discount: Five bucks.

Both this change and the modifications to the liberty and independence hunts will take effect in 2025 and sunset in 2027 and 2029, respectively.

These regulatory changes come after the DNR's Deer Management Initiative presented more than 20 recommendations to the commission last month following months of meetings with hunters, farmers and conservationists.

READ MORE: Michigan Natural Resources Commission to consider new deer hunting regulations

While the commission did adopt a number of the initiative's recommendations, most were denied, including requests to implement antler point restrictions and a one buck rule and reinstate baiting in certain counties in the Lower Peninsula.

Still, the commission — splitting down the middle on most of its votes — did expand early and late antlerless firearm season to both public and private land in the Lower Peninsula, a DMI recommendation, and modified muzzleloader season to allow any type of legal firearm in Zone 2.

In the Upper Peninsula, regulators tightened quotas in Deer Management Units 351 and 352 from 1,000 to zero and 1,000 to 500, respectively, and restored a three-point antler point restriction in DMU 122 following a bout of disease.

"This is not the end. It’s only the beginning," said Tom Baird on Thursday, chair of the commission.

Following a full day of discussion and debate, as well as 20-plus amendments that mostly removed the DMI's recommendations, the package passed in a 5-1 vote, with one commissioner absent.

"If the deer population gets out of hand and we're not managing it, God and Mother Nature will take that in," said Chad Timmer, a deer hunter.

Despite owning Outdoorsmen Pro Shop in Jenison, Timmer represents the steady decline in hunting the state has seen for decades. Two of the bucks on display in his store he shot out of state. Mature deer, he says, are harder to find here.

READ MORE: Deer harvest total drops in Michigan, DNR talks regulations with FOX 17

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"I see it every day in the store," Timmer told FOX 17 on Friday. "We have elderly people that are passing away and aging out. They spend a lot of money here. Their kids spend some money here, but their grandchildren are not even present."

Reading through the new regulations passed Thursday by the Natural Resources Commission, Timmer doesn't think anything will "dramatically change" the size and makeup of the state's herd.

"If you want to truly drive down the numbers of doe, drop the cost of an antlerless permit," said Timmer. "A lot of times, money gets involved."

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While Timmer says changes to the liberty and independence hunts will "diminish" the number of deer below the bridge, he believes a one buck rule and antler point restrictions would have made a more significant dent in the population.

The expansion of urban archery to Kent County, he says will "help." He should know, too, as he recently hit a deer while driving in Wyoming.

"What do you really expect to happen if you don't take any of those deer out?" Timmer said.

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While deer management is a complex case to crack, the longtime hunter thinks that if Michigan's herd is healthy, hunters will follow.

"Really easy to throw hunters under the bus and really easy to throw the DNR under the bus," Timmer said. "What is your end goal? Is it about generating more revenue? Or is it about creating a quality deer herd?"

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