Deer hunting will not be cancelled this fall

MARQUETTE — On Thursday, Michigan’s Natural Resources Commission confirmed that deer hunting season in the U.P. will not be cancelled this fall.

Due to the past two winters being particularly harsh on the U.P. deer population, changes are expected to be made for the upcoming hunting season. According to the Department of Natural Resources, the deer population in the U.P. has decreased by as much as forty percent in the past two years.

The estimated herd in the U.P. is between 140,000-150,000 which is the lowest in thirty years. At this time, plans are being made to help the deer population grow and still allow hunters to do what they love most.

“The deer hunting situation is in dire need of something,” said hunting enthusiast Doug Maki, “and it’s got to be a serious step in correcting the depletion of the herd. There are some options, the D.N.R. is looking at them, so they’re on top of it. But basically it’s save the deer herd, save the does. Don’t harvest the does, that’s where our deer come from.”

Michigan’s Natural Resources Commission will vote in June on whether or not to eliminate antler–less deer hunting throughout majority of the U.P., or make no changes. Several other potential changes have been proposed through multiple hunting organizations including a bounty on wolf and coyote hunting, eliminating the combination tag and more.