Deer hunting regulation changes: What you need to know for 2024

On July 11, 2024, the Michigan Natural Resources Commission approved the scheduled deer hunting regulations for this fall. The full package of regulations includes updates that won’t begin until after the 2024 seasons have ended; those updates will be explained at a later date. The commissioners and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources thank everyone who gave their time, insight and feedback to the work of the DNR’s Deer Management Initiative, which contributed to many of these regulation changes and decisions.

The following updates apply to the fall 2024 deer hunting seasons. (For ease of reading, the acronym DMU is used throughout for deer management unit.)

Upper Peninsula

• A 3-point antler point restriction, or APR, was implemented on the single deer license in DMU 122.
• In the western central part of the Upper Peninsula, in DMU 352 when using a universal antlerless deer license, it is required to also have an antlerless deer hunting access permit. The eastern central part of the U.P., DMU 351, is closed to antlerless hunting with a universal antlerless deer license in 2024.
  • DMU 352 is made up of DMUs 027, 036, 152 and 252. DMU 351 includes DMUs 017, 021, 117, 149, 249 and 349. See the online deer management units map for locations of all DMUs.
  • 500 access permits will be available in DMU 352. The application period is July 15-Aug. 15.
  • For each deer harvested, you will need one antlerless deer hunting access permit for the DMU you’re hunting in, plus one universal antlerless deer license.
• Antlerless deer can be taken in DMUs 017, 021, 027, 036, 117, 149, 152, 249, 252 and 349 during archery season on the single deer license or the combination deer license until Dec. 10, 2024.

Lower Peninsula

Extended archery season

• Archery season is extended through Jan. 31, 2025, for select counties: Huron, Kent, Lapeer, Macomb, Oakland, Sanilac, St. Clair (except DMU 174), Tuscola, Washtenaw and Wayne.

Legal firearm expansion – Zone 2 muzzleloading season

• If you are hunting deer during the muzzleloading deer season in the Lower Peninsula, you can use all legal firearms to take a deer. If you are hunting in the limited firearms deer zone, you must follow equipment requirements for that zone.

Early and late antlerless firearm season expansion to public land

• Early and late antlerless firearm seasons in open counties have been expanded to include public land in addition to private land. The early antlerless firearm season runs Sept. 21-22, 2024, and the late antlerless firearm season runs Dec. 16, 2024, through Jan. 1, 2025.

New EXTENDED late antlerless season

• A new extended late antlerless firearm season is open Jan. 2-12, 2025, in Allegan, Barry, Bay, Calhoun, Clinton, Eaton, Genesee, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella, Jackson, Kent, Lapeer, Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Mecosta, Midland, Monroe, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oakland, Ottawa, Saginaw, St. Clair (excluding DMU 174), Shiawassee, Wayne and Washtenaw counties; DMU 311 (Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties); DMU 312 (Branch, Kalamazoo and St. Joseph counties); and DMU 332 (Huron, Sanilac and Tuscola counties).
• A discounted antlerless license for this extended season will be available for $5 per license.

Other clarifications

• Baiting regulations remain unchanged from 2023.
• Antler point restrictions, with the exception of DMU 122, remain unchanged from 2023.
• The combination license, with opportunity for two antlered deer, remains unchanged from 2023.
• Early and late antlerless season counties remain unchanged from 2023.

Questions?

If you still need information or assistance, learn more at Michigan.gov/Deer or contact the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-WILD (9453).