New DNR license structure for hunters

MARQUETTE — Deer hunting season is fast approaching in Michigan.  The bow hunting season opens Wednesday, and the Department of Natural Resources wants to remind hunters of the license structure change.

Hunters are now required to by an $11 base license in addition to a regular hunting license.  The base license provides funding for conservation work on public and private lands and supports the work of conservation officers.

“It takes the place of the small game license so anyone that buys it can still small game hunt, but even if you’re not a small game hunter you do need to buy that base license before you can buy any other hunting licenses now,” DNR deputy public information officer Debbie Munson Badini said.

The deer hunting license structure also changed to become simpler and streamlined.  Separate firearms and archery licenses changed into single deer and combo deer licenses.

“If you bought an archery tag but you didn’t fill it, you could not use that in firearm hunting or muzzleloader hunting so now with the single deer tag you can use that in any of the deer seasons–archery, muzzleloader, firearm. So it gives you more opportunity to fill that tag, but we kept the combo license so people could still take two deer if they wanted too,” Munson Badini said.

Deer licenses can be purchased at any DNR office, online, or at certain businesses.  More information on the new hunting licenses can also be found on the DNR’s website.