The Michigan Natural Resources Commission approved new hunting regulations last month to address the state’s booming whitetail deer population, and now they’re facing plenty of blowback. One of the most controversial approved changes would make the state’s youth hunts and opportunities for disabled hunters antlerless only in 2025.
The change specifically targets Michigan’s Liberty and Independence hunts, where previously, participants in both hunts could kill bucks or does. The two-day Liberty firearm season takes place each September and is open to hunters 16 or younger and to individuals with qualifying disabilities. Michigan’s Independence Hunt allows hunters with disabilities to participate in guided firearms hunts for four days during the state’s archery season in October.
The new regulations have drawn the ire of many vocal critics.
“Many youth in my district would prefer you told them Santa was not coming for Christmas this year rather than telling them they could not harvest a buck this September,” state senator Thomas Albert said in a letter to the Natural Resources Commission. “The establishment of an early season for youth to hunt deer was a successful way to get our next generation excited about hunting and being outdoors. Limiting this hunt to only does will crush enthusiasm and drastically reduce the effectiveness of this great tool.”
“Haven’t our handicapped and 100% disabled veterans done enough to be able to have an option to shoot an antlered deer in the special hunts that have been made available to us?” wrote Ron Hopkins, a disabled combat veteran, in a letter to the state Natural Resources Commission.
Even the DNR admitted that limiting the Liberty and Independence Hunt to only does could negatively impact hunter participation.
“With the declining trend in hunter numbers, these hunts provide training opportunities and chances for hunters to harvest deer during less crowded hunting conditions. They also give hunters the opportunity to harvest a deer when weather is likely to be less challenging and provide a more focused mentoring and assistance opportunity for those who choose to participate,” the DNR said in a memorandum to the Natural Resources Commission. “The Department has always maintained that youth mentors are more suited to assisting youth in harvest decisions during the Liberty Hunt than changing regulations. With no options to harvest an antlered deer during these hunts, participation may decrease.”
According to the DNR, approximately 20,000 youth and disabled hunters participate in the Liberty Hunt each year, taking between 6,000 and 7,000 deer. Another 2,500 hunters take advantage of the Independence Hunt, typically taking between 500 and 600 deer. The number of deer killed during these two special privilege hunts represents only about 2 percent of the total whitetails harvested in Michigan each year — a relatively inconsequential number from a statewide wildlife management perspective.
Where Did the New Regulations Come From?
Photo by Tim Donovan / FWC
The DNR’s Deer Management Initiative recommended the regulatory alterations. Launched in January, the DMI consisted of two workgroups — one for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and one for the Lower Peninsula — organized to address the unique factors affecting the deer herds in each region. The two groups were composed of members of various natural resources organizations, tribal partners, and unaffiliated individuals “who share concerns about deer management,” to ensure different perspectives and backgrounds were represented, according to a DNR press release. Both groups submitted reports in May after thoroughly exploring topics such as deer impacts on agriculture, chronic wasting disease, baiting and feeding, and hunter recruitment and retention.
The decision to make the Liberty and Independence Hunts does-only represents the DNR’s attempt to shift the focus from buck harvest to doe harvest within Michigan’s hunting culture. Michiganders have historically been buck hunters, placing a high value on shooting bucks over antlerless deer. This tradition dates back to when deer numbers in the Great Lakes State were much lower, and does were needed to recuperate the herd.
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However with a successful whitetail comeback, particularly in the southern Lower Peninsula, there are now an estimated 2 million deer in the state. This growth was largely driven by a decrease in the number of hunters hitting the Michigan woods each fall. In areas with sky-high deer populations, there’s now a concerted effort among deer managers to take does off the landscape.
However, this move could have unintended consequences, potentially reducing the number of youth hunters who want to experience the thrill of hunting in the deer woods with their family members, thus risking the loss of a cherished tradition.
“The no bucks for youth killed the interest my grandson was getting for the sport. That one decision robbed me of time and memories I’ll never get to have,” said Jim Walker in a Facebook comment.