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Michigan deer hunting
- 2. WhitetailCharacteristics Average weight: 125-225 pounds Most male whitetail’s have symmetrical antlers, but some are classified as non-typical.
- 3. Early Whitetail Population The whitetail population over the last 35 years has been steady. Current Michigan Whitetail Population: 1.43 million Native Americans were the first to hunt whitetails in 1870.
- 4. Michigan Youth Deer Hunt Michigan Youth Hunt gives kids a chance to get out and explore hunting. In 2012, the minimum age requirement was eliminated to hunt deer with a firearm.
- 5. Michigan Independence Hunt Special equipment used for hunting Handicapped Accessible Blinds
- 6. Early and Late Antlerless Deer Hunt Antlerless hunts manage the doe population in certain areas.
- 7. Whitetail Management Deer Populations must be controlled just like any other living being.
- 8. Whitetail Crop Damage Whitetails destroy farm fields Whitetails can kill homeowner’s shrubbery and plants
- 9. Deer Car Collisions There were 49,205 car deer collisions in Michigan during 2013. 8 fatalities caused by deer car collisions in 2013.
Editor's Notes
- “More than thirty eight million Americans enjoy the outdoors through the sport of hunting every year.” People go hunting for many different reasons. There are trophy hunters, survival hunters, and hobby hunters. I hunt deer for many reasons. Deer hunting has been a tradition in my family for many years. It has brought me and my family closer together. I have been hunting since I was ten and I plan on hunting for the rest of my life.
- Most whitetails weigh between 125-225 pounds and have brown hair and a white tail. The male whitetail deer have antlers that are usually symmetrical, but are some are classified as non-typical. All whitetail deer are color blind so they cannot see the orange army of hunters during whitetail hunting season.
- The Native Americans were the first to hunt whitetails in the 1870s. Today, whitetail deer can be found all over Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas. The whitetail population had little increase in the past 35 years, with a current population of 1.43 million whitetail deer in Michigan.
- The Michigan Youth Hunt takes place during the end of September statewide. It gives young hunters a head start to the hunting season and a better chance to take down the buck of a lifetime. Many bucks are taken on this weekend by the youth hunters. This could lead to a love for the sport of hunting. The number of youth deer hunting licenses has been steadily increasing since 2010. Many boy and girls participate in the youth hunt each year. In 2012, the minimum age requirement was taken away so now young hunters can start enjoying the great sport at a younger age.
- The Independence Hunt gives hunters that are handicapped or disabled a chance to get out in the woods and hunt a whitetail. The season takes place before the regular seasons occurs and allows hunters may use lasers or hunt from a vehicle. The antler restrictions for the Independence Hunt do not apply which means the hunters are able to shoot bucks with any number of antlers. This season gives the handicapped hunters a chance to still be able to go out and enjoy the sport they love. Special equipment and blinds are used to give the Independence Hunters the full experience.
- Michigan Antlerless Deer seasons occur at the beginning and end of the regular deer hunting seasons. These seasons are only open to certain counties in Michigan and they extend the time that you can kill an antlerless deer with a gun. Many people take advantage of these seasons to fill up their freezers. The early antlerless season helps many hunters manage their deer population and reduce crop damage. The late antlerless season allows hunters to fill their freezers at the last minute if they were not successful in any other season. Antlerless deer licenses make up twenty eight percent of the total licenses sold each year.
- Like everything living creature, the whitetail deer population must be managed. If there are too many deer in one area, some deer will suffer because of a food shortage. Deer hunters in Michigan do a good job of controlling the deer populations so they do not go too high or too low. The DNR has recently released a plan to only allow each Michigan hunter to harvest one buck a year. “Limit Buck Kill to one per Hunter per year, end all special seasons and begin hunting with Archery October 1st, and change Gun Season to 3 day hunt starting on First Friday in December annually.” Quality Deer Management Association, also known as QDMA, does a great job of tracking and controlling deer populations. They take samples and run tests to make sure the whitetails are healthy.
- Deer are known to be culprits of crop damage in Michigan. They tear up farm fields looking for food before winter. A large group of whitetails can wipe out a whole farm field in a couple nights. Whitetails are also attracted to cedar shrubs and arborvitaes which can be found in the common homeowners yard. During the summer, deer sneak into gardens looking for something sweet. They eat pumpkins, sun flowers, squash and other common garden plants.
- Every year many people are killed by car deer collisions. There were 49,205 car deer collisions in Michigan during 2013. Many areas in Michigan are over populated with deer so the deer have nowhere to go. They are found wandering into the roads or highways. Everyone knows the saying “deer in headlights” so they are aware that the deer freeze up when seeing a car. Many deer cross roads daily to get from feeding areas to bedding areas. Hunters can reduce the deer population which will reduce the number of car deer collisions in Michigan.
- I love to deer hunt for many reasons. I love being outdoors and enjoying nature. I spend countless hours in the woods feeding, scouting, and hunting deer. It may take many hours to finally be lucky enough to kill a deer, but it is well worth it. Deer hunting has been a tradition in my family for many years. It has brought me and my family closer together.