I grew up in a family of hunters. My uncle's man cave was something to behold with many of the deer and geese he'd shot hanging up along the walls. This was his favorite time of year and would always come back with a freezer's worth of venison

This year's hunting season was different, however, because the DNR added a new extended late antlerless firearm season that ran from January 2nd to the 15th, a short two-week season but one that proved to be a busy one for hunters. Here how's the experimental season went.

Young hunter with dog at sunset
juliazara
loading...

Late Antlerless Season

These two weeks were short but made a huge impact on the deer population. While two extra weeks doesn't sound like a lot of time, hunters took advantage of the extra time. Hunters were able to purchase a $5 license and bag up to 10 deer. In the two weeks, hunters added a whopping 13,269 deer to the overall total, bringing the 2024 deer total to 299, 113.

READ MORE: Price Increase Among USPS Changes Now In Effect In Michigan |

By all measures, this extra season can be considered a success in helping curb the deer population. 2023's totals came to 274,282. Prior to the extended late season, 2024's total was 285,844. Pretty close totals, but the extended late brought the difference to +24,831.  Specifically looking at antlerless numbers, 118,633 in 2023 and 141,893 in 2024.

MaZiKab
MaZiKab
loading...

It will be interesting to see how effective this new season is in the long term. You can view the DNR's entire Harvest Report Summary here.

Hunting Seasons in Michigan

There are a TON of opportunities to hunt in Michigan, but many are only open for certain windows through the year. See which seasons are open and about when, as some exact dates will fluctuate from year to year.

Gallery Credit: Unsplash

Tips to Avoid Hitting a Deer on Michigan's Roads

According to the Michigan State Police the deer population in Michigan is close to 2 million. Although crashes are possible during any time of the year, in the fall deer are most active during the months of October-December.

Gallery Credit: Lauren Gordon

More From 102.5/104.9 The Block