11/15/2018- Hunting enthusiasts across the UP are likely out of the office today. Michigan’s 16-day gun deer season opened this morning and fair winter weather conditions over the past couple of years have led to a stable deer population throughout the region. There was a 52% increase in buck harvests during the 2017 firearm season and officials are expecting more of the same this year. Karen Sexton with the Michigan DNR says there are no major changes to the season’s structure or regulation, but one topic on many hunters’ minds is the new discovery of Chronic Wasting Disease.
The number of hunters throughout Michigan is declining and Sexton says there’s a push to get more young residents out in the woods.
About 50% of hunters in Michigan harvested at least one deer in 2017. The firearm season runs through November 30th.