MDNR Report

If you’re an early bird when it comes to buying licenses, we wanted to let you know about a few changes to antlerless deer licenses that will make your purchase choices easier.

Deer Management Unit-specific antlerless deer licenses have been replaced with a universal antlerless license that can be used across multiple DMUs on public or private land.

• Antlerless licenses may now be purchased without an application for use in the Lower Peninsula and portions of the south-central Upper Peninsula (DMUs 022, 122, 055, 255, 155 and 121).
• In the mid-zone Upper Peninsula, a deer hunting access permit must accompany each universal antlerless license. The deer hunting access permit, intended to limit participation where the population can be sensitive to harsh winter weather, will be available through a drawing. The access permits will be available by lottery in two DMUs: DMU 351 (consisting of DMUs 117, 017, 149, 249, 349 and 021) and DMU 352 (consisting of DMUs 027, 036, 152 and 252). The application period for the access permits will be July 15 - Aug. 15.
• The northernmost DMUs of the U.P. (DMUs 127, 066, 131, 042, 031, 007 and 048) are closed to antlerless deer hunting in all seasons.
• If you hunt in Alcona, Alpena, Iosco, Montmorency, Oscoda and/or Presque Isle counties (DMU 487), you may purchase a reduced-cost antlerless deer license for $5. The DMU 487 antlerless license may be used on public and private lands in those six counties only, which includes DMU 452. People hunting in those counties may also purchase the universal antlerless license for $20 to hunt those counties or any other qualifying DMU as mentioned above.

The 2021 deer hunting regulations will be printed in the 2021 Hunting Digest, which is expected to be finalized in late spring and available at license agent locations and online at Michigan.gov/DNRDigests around July 1.

More information on deer hunting in Michigan is available at Michigan.gov/Deer.