Fewer Deer Check Stations This Fall

Like Michigan Tech, the DNR is showing signs of the state’s budget woes.

They’ll have fewer deer check stations around the state.

The DNR says it can no longer afford to run as many stations as in the past.

Many of the deer check stations around the state won’t open at all this fall.

Even the ones that do stay open will only be open during firearm season.

DNR U.P. field deputy Stacy Welling says the agency wants to close about half its deer check stations, and she says that should save about $500,000 this year.

DNR headquarters in Lansing is still very early in the process of figuring out which stations will close.

There are 125 deer check stations statewide.

19 of them are in the U.P.

The agency is looking at numbers of how many deer get handled where.

Welling says the stations in the U.P. may not be affected all that much.

That’s because on average they take in more deer each season than the downstate stations do.

And the ones the DNR gets rid of will be the ones that handle the fewest deer.