Deer hunting

Michigan hunters reported 7,554 deer in the first four days of archery season, with bucks making up 62% of the harvest and outnumbering antlerless deer by 1,826.

Before climbing into the tree stand October 1, Michigan deer hunters should review several new 2026 rules involving tags, limits and season dates.

Michigan bow season is back. Before you head into the woods, brush up on season dates, deer tagging options and the reporting deadline.

Michigan may have nearly 2 million deer, trailing only Texas. With crashes, crop damage and disease concerns rising, the DNR wants Lower Peninsula hunters taking more does.

Michigan’s October 1 archery opener arrives with CWD, EHD and bovine TB concerns. Here are the counties with detections, testing options and precautions hunters should know before entering the woods.

A legal drone flight can help Michigan hunters check terrain before a hunt. Using one to locate wounded or dead game remains prohibited, even after hunting hours.

Michigan’s 2026 archery deer season opens Oct. 1. Before bowhunters climb into their stands, see how every county’s 2025 harvest divided between antlered and antlerless deer.

Michigan’s 2026 Liberty Hunt produced 5,260 reported deer, with antlered animals making up nearly 80 percent. Montcalm County led the state as young hunters and hunters with qualifying disabilities opened deer season.

Michigan’s first deer hunts of the season happen this weekend, but hunters need to know about several major rule changes before heading into the woods.

MDARD confirmed chronic wasting disease in farmed white-tailed deer in Calhoun, Kent, and Mackinac counties.