MICHIGAN, USA — Firearm deer hunting season began on Friday, Nov. 15 and hunters across the state wasted no time heading into the woods.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reported stable deer populations across much of the state.
In the Upper Peninsula, a mild winter resulted in deer coming out of the season in better condition and with better fawn production.
In the northern lower peninsula, an abundant crop heading into a mild winter led the deer to come into the spring healthy and with good fawn survival. However, numbers vary across the northern lower region.
In the southern lower peninsula, a mild winter and abundant summer foods have led to deer numbers remaining high throughout the region.
The DNR compiled lists of general safety reminders for hunters as they begin the season, including:
General Safety
- Tell someone the specific time, length of time and location you'll be hunting
- Schedule check-in times with your contact
- Update your contact if plans change
- Hunt with a partner and know your zone of fire
- Carry a two-way communication device that receives service in remote areas
- Could be a phone or two-way radio
- Ensure the device is always within reach in case you need to call for help
- If hunting on or near water, wear a life jacket
Firearms
- Keep the safety of your firearm on until you're ready to shoot
- Treat every firearm as if it's loaded
- Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction
- Be aware of your surroundings
- Know your target and what's beyond it
- Only put your finger on the trigger when you're ready to shoot
- Don’t use your scope as binoculars
- Only point your firearm at something you intend to shoot
- Unload the firearm when crossing obstacles and/or getting in or out of a tree stand
- Check the barrel and ammunition to ensure they're clear from any obstructions and use the proper ammunition.
- Don't drink alcohol or use any mind-altering substances when hunting
- Including marijuana and/or medications.
- Firearms in the home should be unloaded and securely stored separately from the ammunition
- When transporting firearms in vehicles make sure that they're unloaded and in a case
Tree stand safety
- Using your hands and feet, maintain three points of contact at all times when ascending or descending into a tree stand
- Always use a full-body harness that's attached to a secure fall line positioned above your head
- When lifting your firearm or crossbow into a tree stand, use a secure pull system (such as a rope) and make sure it is unloaded and the safety is on
- Do not attach anything to the trigger guard
- Refrain from using screw-in steps on tree stands that are located on public land
- Ensure your tree stand is securely attached and stable before using it
Hunter orange and trespassing
- Obey no trespassing signs
- If your game goes onto property marked as "no trespassing," you must have the landowner's permission to retrieve your game
- The DNR recommends that you wear as much hunter orange as possible to increase your visibility
- Orange and other colors don't impact deer's behavior.
- Hunter orange should be worn as the outermost layer of clothing and must be visible from all directions. Options include:
- Cap
- Hat
- Vest
- Jacket
- Raincoat
- Hunter orange garments (including camouflage) must be at least 50 percent hunter orange to meet the legal requirements.
- If you're outdoors near hunting areas, wear hunter orange so you can be seen by hunters
Once you harvest your deer, you're required to report it within 72 hours or before transferring possession of the deer to another person, a processor or a taxidermist.
There are two ways to report a harvest and the DNR said it should only take three to five minutes to complete.
The report can be made online here. You must enter your kill tag license number and date of birth to begin the report. Or, you can log into eLicense (with your driver's license and birthday, or user ID and password) and then click on the Harvest Report tab to see the tags available to report. If you don't already have an account, you can create one.
The other way to report a harvest is through the DNR's new mobile app, Michigan DNR Hunt Fish. It's available on the Google Play store for Android devices and the Apple App Store. A demo video of the app can be found here.
Hunters need to attach a paper kill tag to a harvested deer. It should remain with the deer's head if the head and body are separated.
The firearm deer hunting season runs through Saturday, Nov. 30.
More information on the season can be found here.
