All you have to do is take a drive around and keep a look out at the local gas stations and you're likely going to see a sure sign that deer season is upon us--a truck with a buck lying in the bed.
Deer season is a big part of the local economy this time of year, so it's nice to know that the Department of Natural Resources has been keeping an eye on the deer herd numbers and have sent out a prediction on how the deer seasons could go this year in the Northern Lower Peninsula.
This year, baiting has been reinstated as legal for most of the region, so that should lead to some more success this year. Not that hunters need much more help with the way the numbers keep growing. The herd isn't what biologists would call ideal, but there should be no shortage of opportunity this season.
The DNR indicates that "Mild winter conditions for the second year in a row in the (Northern Lower Peninsula) should lead to increasing deer numbers. Deer numbers on many state land areas appear to be on the rise, though they are still below goal in some areas. In some NLP units, indications are that there is an overabundance of deer on private land but lower than desired populations on public land."
There are antlerless deer licenses available for private land in some areas.
For more information about Michigan's deer season, please visit the
DNR website.
Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Michigan Department of Natural Resources
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