Michigan’s deer reporting and APRS

[JustinRB]

With the new reporting of harvests and the one buck tag that is already a APR tag, is Michigan going to be moving to a single buck tag with APRs still in place?

I’m on the fence with this as I feel like some people are just going not report because they don’t care.

I hope we go that way because when I took my 8pt and doe in I saw more 1-2-3-4 point bucks and button bucks than does or any monsters

I feel like it will greatly improve the quality of deer in Michigan if it gets implemented

 

[lyingflatlander]

I don’t think so but I hope you are right. I just don’t think they had a real grasp on kill numbers. Sure there are always violators and people that refuse to report but at least they have an idea and a minimum of animals killed in each county now.

 

[JustinRB]

I hope I am right, I know there’s plenty of places where the neighbors set a base of rules as in no bucks till a doe is shot or nothing under 4 on one side and that seems to work well.
Until neighbors that don’t play the game shoot every spike and 4-5pt known to man

 

[lyingflatlander]

The best quote I heard regarding whitetails lately was, “you know these things don’t live very long.” Amazing to think you would be better off being born a fish in MI or WI then ANY whitetail and live a longer life. And in some cases much longer…

 

[SirChooCH]

No, they wont be going to 1 buck. They are allowing more tags by making the universal doe tags be 10 per person. So the goal is more deer shot, not less. The herd management isn't about rack size, its about population control and both DNR/QDMA say we are over populated and need to kill more deer so they are trying to allow more tags. For instance in my area I can shoot a spike or doe on the "restricted" 4+ tag because its CWD zone. I can also use any legal weapon during muzzy season, so its wild west rules to cut the numbers down.

 

[Nwihunter]

I live and hunt in Indiana and just saw a hunting show that talked about how Indiana implemented the one buck rule back in 2002. Between the years of 1980 and 2002 we had a little over 200 B&C entries. After the one buck rule their are close to 700 B&C entries from 2003 to 2020. Back when they started it I didn’t really think it would make that much of difference in the age class of our bucks but has big time. We also allow a lot of does to be taken. I also believe the show mentioned Indiana as being the number 1 state for B&C bucks now.

 

[SirChooCH]

I live and hunt in Indiana and just saw a hunting show that talked about how Indiana implemented the one buck rule back in 2002. Between the years of 1980 and 2002 we had a little over 200 B&C entries. After the one buck rule their are close to 700 B&C entries from 2003 to 2020. Back when they started it I didn’t really think it would make that much of difference in the age class of our bucks but has big time. We also allow a lot of does to be taken. I also believe the show mentioned Indiana as being the number 1 state for B&C bucks now.

Facebook started around the same time, I wonder if Social Media made as much of a difference as the 1 buck rule since jealousy is such a powerful drug seeing bigger deer and realizing what’s possible.

 

[Steve O]

There is no hope for the Michigan deer herd. The biologists don’t manage the herd, the politicians, insurance companies, and farm bureau manage the deer herd. It is pathetic. On the bright side, I realized this over 20 years ago and have traveled all over North America to places that do instead.

 

[Michigander]

No thanks on the one buck rule. Plenty of states multiple buck tags and big bucks (Illinois, Iowa, Missouri). I hunt many different areas of mainly the lower peninsula and think it's fine how it is. Plenty of deer around and decent quality.

The UP needs some work but that is mainly predator control. Our all democrat government will never allow a wolf hunt though.

 

[JustinRB]

No thanks on the one buck rule. Plenty of states multiple buck tags and big bucks (Illinois, Iowa, Missouri). I hunt many different areas of mainly the lower peninsula and think it's fine how it is. Plenty of deer around and decent quality.

The UP needs some work but that is mainly predator control. Our all democrat government will never allow a wolf hunt though.

Don’t you have to apply and draw a tag in Iowa?
Whereas in Michigan it’s 2 bucks over the counter and what 6 does?

 

[wind gypsy]

Don’t you have to apply and draw a tag in Iowa?
Whereas in Michigan it’s 2 bucks over the counter and what 6 does?

They are basically the same.

MI: 3x the population of IA. Hunts deer with firearms during the rut. 2x tags available OTC season long, statewide for NR. Frequently listed as an excuse to make a deer seem better “he’s pretty good.. for a Michigan buck”

IA: 1/3 population of Michigan. Firearms season after the rut, NR wait 5 years and pay way more for a single zone specific archery OR firearm tag than 2 MI tags. Hunt quality the envy of all other states.

 

[Cedarsavage]

They are basically the same.

MI: 3x the population of IA. Hunts deer with firearms during the rut. 2x tags available OTC season long, statewide for NR. Frequently listed as an excuse to make a deer seem better “he’s pretty good.. for a Michigan buck”

IA: 1/3 population of Michigan. Firearms season after the rut, NR wait 5 years and pay way more for a single zone specific archery OR firearm tag than 2 MI tags. Hunt quality the envy of all other states.

I think amount of hunters plays a huge part.

 

[Tyson]

Having two buck tags in Michigan means everyone has a burn tag, meaning you can shoot the first buck you see just so you can say you got a buck, then wait for a bigger one. Our trophy quality in Michigan isn’t nearly as good as other states, Indiana and Pennsylvania introduced the one buck rule and it made a huge difference in the trophy quality of their bucks. It has worked in multiple other states, it will work here too if it ever gets implemented

 

[Michigander]

Yes non residents are restricted in Iowa but residents aren't.

It all comes down to how many hunters there are. We have a STRONG hunting culture here that goes back a hundred years. At our peak we had 750,000 hunters out on opening day of rifle season. Other states besides Pennsylvania lack that. We kill more deer and in turn that means smaller deer because they don't get to 5 years old as easy. I'm ok with that.

 

[michihunt]

How many people use both combo tags on antlered deer do we think? I know I have only done that a couple times as I am usually pretty choosy. I only know of one of my hunting friends that has used both buck tags so far this year. I have used none. Curious what other people are seeing out there.


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[Michigander]

18% of combo tag holders use both from what I recall.

 

[wind gypsy]

How many people use both combo tags on antlered deer do we think? I know I have only done that a couple times as I am usually pretty choosy. I only know of one of my hunting friends that has used both buck tags so far this year. I have used none. Curious what other people are seeing out there.

I'd guess it's at least as big of an impact with how many young bucks get shot that wouldn't have been if there wasn't a second buck tag available.

 

[Cedarsavage]

How many people use both combo tags on antlered deer do we think? I know I have only done that a couple times as I am usually pretty choosy. I only know of one of my hunting friends that has used both buck tags so far this year. I have used none. Curious what other people are seeing out there.


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I did it once in the lower. Up here in the UP it's %1. I've never done it here. I used to complain about it alot, but I don't think that %1 makes a big difference up here at least.

 

[tyeager2964]

Pennsylvania has always been one buck since I started hunting in 1996 and for as long as I can remember before that.

They instituted antler restrictions around 2000 or so that has increased general size of bucks taken although I still think the average age of a buck killed in PA is only 1.5. The biggest change in the last 20 years was in the late 2000s and early 2010s when they decided to greatly decrease the population in the north central region and any region where CWD was found. Regardless CWD has continued to spread to new areas and the positivity rate has (to my knowledge) stayed around 1%.