News Photo by Julie Riddle Hunter Ron Lauria, of Alpena, and visitor Alan Roeder from downstate browse the ammunition selection at Bob’s Gun Shop in Alpena.

ALPENA — Fewer and fewer hunters and more and more deer are in Michigan woods in recent years, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources reported in its 2020 deer hunting guide.

As a result, some changes to hunting regulations will offer hunters a better hunt while sensibly reducing the deer population — the DNR hopes — as archery season opens on Thursday.

Between 1998 and 2018, the number of Michigan hunters dropped by almost 300,000. Another 100,000 are expected to be lost over the next 10 years as older hunters stay home and younger generations, following a nationwide trend, don’t take up the sport, DNR said.

With fewer hunters in the woods, the DNR changed some regulations, allowing hunters to take more antlerless deer during the firearm season.

Those changes were already in effect in Northeast Michigan in recent years.

Late antlerless season, which runs Dec. 14 through Jan. 1, is also longer than usual, increasing the possibility that more deer will be taken.

During the 2019 hunting season, 58,821 antlerless and 68,168 antlered deer were taken in the northern Lower Peninsula, an overall decrease of 1% since 2018.

People who are deaf are now included in the two weekends planned for people with disabilities, and hunters younger than 17 are exempted from antler point restrictions.

A DNR digital mapping tool for hunters shows private and public land boundaries, satellite imagery, topography, and more. The tool, called Mi-HUNT, can be found at https://www.mcgi.state.mi.us/mi-hunt/.

Hunters can expect deer to be plentiful and healthy in northern Michigan after a mild winter, the DNR said.

A brief early antlerless firearm season already came and went in September, as well as a weekend designated for youth and disabled hunters. Elk and bear seasons began in September, too — both to be continued in October. Duck can be hunted in most of October and the first half of November.

Fall hunting seasons also allow the taking of rabbit and gray squirrel, as well as quail, crow, and certain other bird species. Opossum, porcupine, Russian boar, red squirrel, skunk, and some bird species may be hunted with no limit year-round with a valid Michigan hunting license.

Bob Skuse, owner of Bob’s Gun Shop in Alpena, said gun sales have been brisk all summer. He’s had to set a limit on gun sales per customer to keep a supply in stock.

He’s not sure whether to attribute the heavy sale to excitement related to hunting season or to nervousness related to recent world events, Skuse said.

Gun sales have been widely reported to be up nationwide in 2020.

Julie Riddle can be reached at 989-358-5693, jriddle@thealpenanews.com or on Twitter @jriddleX.