News File Photo Deer are seen in the snow in this undated photo provided by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has released its annual deer hunting preview just ahead of the deer hunting seasons, which begin today. Conditions are looking excellent for the upcoming seasons, and deer hunters can expect hunting to be as good or better than last year.

Hunters who have viewed the 2021 Hunting Digest may have noticed a few regulation changes in place this year, including a universal antlerless license that can be used across deer management units in most of the state. Some northern Upper Peninsula DMUs are closed to antlerless deer hunting, and two U.P. DMUs, 351 and 352, require an access permit along with the universal antlerless license. See pages 60 and 61 in the 2021 Hunting Digest for more details.

“These regulation changes reflect the evolution of deer hunting in Michigan,” said Chad Stewart, DNR Deer and Elk Program specialist. “The last 20 years have resulted in dramatic and sustained declines in hunter numbers. When combined with an abundant and resilient deer herd that continues to grow, and the added challenge of managing deer diseases, a change that represented this shifting dynamic was necessary.”

In the 2020 hunting season, the northern Lower Peninsula saw an estimated harvest of 135,906 deer, which was up 7% from 2019. While buck harvest declined about 5%, from 68,168 in 2019 to 64,725 last year, antlerless harvest increased by 21%, with over 12,000 additional antlerless deer taken in 2020 than in 2019.

The winter of 2020 didn’t seem to have adverse effects on the deer herd in this region due to fewer periods of extreme cold and an overall shorter winter. Another important factor that ensured winter survival was forest management practices (new growth of young trees and leaving treetops from harvested trees) that provided plenty of browse for deer throughout the winter.

The mast crop in the northern Lower Peninsula this year looks good, except in places that were affected by gypsy moth infestations. Those areas are not likely to see much in terms of acorn production. Elsewhere, acorns and soft mast, including apples on old homestead sites, blackberries and hawthorn are all producing nicely.

Deer numbers look very good in many locations, though it’s important to point out that deer are not evenly distributed across the landscape, and certain areas may hold fewer deer than others. Overall, DNR staff is seeing good fawn production this year, with many twins trailing does.

The spring and summer rains seemed to provide optimal forage for deer, and the bucks have been turning that into nice antler growth. There are some reports of people seeing better bucks relative to recent years – something hunters can start getting excited about. In some locations, there is still a long way to go toward balancing the buck-to-doe ratio, so hunters are encouraged to take advantage of new regulations that allow antlerless deer to be taken on the deer and/or deer combo license during firearm and muzzleloader seasons.

Bovine tuberculosis surveillance is still a priority in the northern Lower Peninsula, with testing occurring in the primary counties of Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency and Oscoda, but also in all surrounding counties (Cheboygan, Crawford, Iosco, Ogemaw, Otsego, Presque Isle and Roscommon). TB is a significant threat to the livestock industry, and hunters wanting to do their part to assist with surveillance can have their deer tested at any check station this year.

The full 2021 deer hunting preview is available at Michigan.gov/Deer.