Firearm deer season 2023: What you need to know in Michigan

LANSING — Wednesday is opening day of the 2023 firearm deer season, one of the biggest days of the year for Michigan sportsmen.

And unlike last year, when the state implemented a mandatory harvest reporting rule that rubbed some people the wrong way, it should be a relatively stress-free deer season, with no major rule changes.

Hunters have had time to get used to the reporting rule, which requires everyone to report harvesting a deer within 72 hours and gives wildlife managers more detailed information about what's happening in the woods, almost as it happens.

Hunters no longer have to report the exact location of their kill. And the law has been changed so that violations are now civil infractions, instead of misdemeanors.

Here's what you need to know about deer firearm season 2023:

Antler point restriction reinstated in much of the Lower Peninsula

The Department of Natural Resources has reinstated the four-point antler restriction on the second tag of the deer combo license in 19 Lower Peninsula counties, including Clinton, Eaton, Gratiot, Ingham, Ionia and Jackson counties.

All deer combo licenses in those counties have a regular, unrestricted tag and a tag for a buck with at least four antler points. Hunters still have the option to take an antlerless deer with a single-tag license.

That change was approved in June and will remain in effect at least through the 2025 deer seasons.

The full list of counties: Barry, Calhoun, Clinton, Eaton, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella, Jackson, Kent, Lenawee, Mecosta, Midland, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Ottawa and Shiawassee.

What happens if I fail to report a deer kill, as the law requires?

A bill signed into law in July made a violation of the mandatory reporting law a civil infraction carrying a $150 fine. For the first year, it was a misdemeanor, punishable by possible jail time.

"Even with that, we are still emphasizing education over enforcement," said Chad Stewart, deer, elk and moose specialist for the DNR. "It will be the officer's discretion. but a lot of grace will still be given. We recognize this is a cultural shift for a lot of hunters. It's still going to be new to a lot of people."

Another change: When you report a kill, you no longer have to pinpoint the location on a map; you 'll be asked to select a township-sized square area to indicate the general area.

You can report a deer kill online or by using the DNR app.

What's happening with chronic wasting disease?

The DNR now takes a rotational approach toward surveillance for CWD, a fatal neurological disease that has been detected in wild deer in 13 Michigan counties, testing a lot of deer in a different group of counties each year.

This year, it's in the northwest part of the Lower Peninsula, where CWD hasn't been detected, except for Isabella County. CWD testing drop boxes and other resoures have been added to help with collection efforts there.

CWD was detected for the first time this year in Midland and Ogemaw counties. The DNR added CWD testing drop boxes in those areas.

In the Upper Peninsula, the state has removed the CWD surveillance zone in parts of Delta, Dickinson and Menominee counties, Baiting is now legal again, and a hunter's choice antler point regulation has been reinstated.

There are both free and paid options for CWD testing. Free lymph node testing kits are available in areas where the disease has previously been detected, including the Lansing area.

Opening day is even bigger than you think

About 46,000 deer were taken on opening day last year, which fell on a Tuesday, Stewart said. That's more than double the number taken on Day 2, the next closest day. And more deer were harvested on the first three days of the firearm season than in the rest of the season combined, he said.

The total number of deer taken on the first Saturday of the season was about 11,000, he said.

"We never had a daily breadown when that harvest occurs, so getting that information was really helpful in seeing how hunters participate over the duration of a two-week or a month-and-a-half season." Stewart said.

Hunters reported harvesting a total of about 303,000 deer last year, but the DNR estimated the harvest was actually around 340,000, Stewart said.

Contact Ken Palmer at kpalmer@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBPalm_lsj.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Michigan firearm deer season starts Nov. 15. What you need to know