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The wait is over! You can pick up your 2020 deer patch at one of the DNR customer service centers or field offices listed below, while supplies last. After a long closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these offices have reopened to the public three days a week.
These customer service centers and field offices are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from now until Labor Day. Starting Sept. 7, they will be open Monday through Friday.
To obtain a deer patch, you will need to show either a kill tag or a photo of your 2020 deer. Supplies are limited and will not be restocked.
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Doe Deer
Preparing for antlerless deer hunting will be a little different this year, as most deer hunters will not need to apply for an antlerless license. Hunters in specific areas may need to apply for an access permit.
For most deer hunters, a universal antlerless license is all that will be needed to hunt antlerless deer. This license is valid on public and private lands in all deer seasons. It can be used across deer management units open to antlerless deer hunting.
Select hunters will need to apply for an access permit to hunt deer in certain areas of the Upper Peninsula and in reserved deer hunts at the Sharonville State Game Area, Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, Shiawassee River National Wildlife Refuge and Shiawassee River State Game Area.
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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.
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Deer hunting regulations for the 2021 season were approved last week by the Michigan Natural Resources Commission at its regular meeting.
The changes, aimed at further simplifying deer regulations and removing barriers to hunting participation, go into effect with the start of the 2021 deer hunting seasons in September.
The regulations will provide additional opportunity, flexibility and cost savings for hunters and – based on existing and projected data the DNR uses to gauge the impact of proposed regulations – are not expected to have a significant negative effect on the deer herd or the quality of deer hunting.
“Our goals with these regulations are twofold: to make hunting regulations easier to understand and follow in Michigan, and also to manage Michigan’s abundant deer herd,” said DNR deer program specialist Chad Stewart. “We feel that these changes move us in the right direction.”
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A new package of deer regulations will be introduced to the Michigan Natural Resources Commission at its Nov. 12 meeting.
The NRC is expected to vote on the proposed regulations, for the 2021 fall deer hunting season, in December or January.
The proposed changes are meant to further simplify deer regulations and remove barriers to participation in deer hunting. If approved, the regulations will provide additional opportunity, cost savings and flexibility for deer hunters.
The DNR uses existing and projected data to gauge the impact of the proposed regulations. The data shows that the changes will not have a significant negative effect on the deer herd or the quality of deer hunting.
ìA team of wildlife biologists, law enforcement officers and other key DNR staff worked together to prepare these recommendations for consideration by the Natural Resources Commission. The goal is to create rules that are easier to follow and that offer hunters more flexibility in taking deer to help feed their families," said Chad Stewart, DNR deer, elk and moose program leader.
"It's important for hunters' voices to be part of the regulation-setting process, and we appreciate everyone who joined in the virtual open houses or completed surveys about the proposed 2021 regulations," he said. "Their thoughtful feedback has been critical."
The proposed 2021 regulation changes include:
- An overhaul of the antlerless license system so that each antlerless license may be used on public or private land anywhere in the Lower Peninsula or in portions of the south central Upper Peninsula with deer management units open for deer hunting.Under this scenario, some limited antlerless hunting opportunity in the mid-zone deer management units of the Upper Peninsula would be available to applicants through a random drawing. The northernmost DMUs of the U.P. would be closed to this antlerless license type.
- Allow crossbows to be used during the late portion of the archery season across the Upper Peninsula.
- Remove the three-point antler point restriction on the regular tag of the deer combo license in the Upper Peninsula. Legal bucks on this tag would have one antler 3 inches or greater, which would standardize this regulation across much of the state. It also would make the regulations for the regular tag of the deer combo license and the single deer license consistent across the Upper Peninsula.
Proposed changes to supplemental feeding, which include:
- No permits would be required for supplemental feeding in the Upper Peninsula. Defining dates during which supplemental feeding can occur - starting Jan. 1 and not to extend beyond May 15.
- Prohibit recreational or supplemental feeding if a location is deemed to be a safety hazard to provide consistency between recreational and supplemental feeding. All recreational and supplemental feed be limited to 2 gallons per calendar day and 2 gallons at any one time.
Hunter feedback on the proposed regulations for the 2021 fall deer hunting season is encouraged at NRC meetings or by email to NRC@Michigan.gov or DNR-Wildlife@Michigan.gov.