This year, Michigan's hunters harvested over 134-thousand deer over the November firearms period. That's just over 2,300 less than last year.
State officials have been trying to recruit new hunters through events and extending hunting periods. This is part of an effort to help manage the growth of the herd.
Chad Stewart is a deer specialist for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. He says recruitment efforts can only go so far to combat growing disinterest in hunting.
"There's going to be a new normal with fewer hunters on the landscape compared to what was experienced. 10, & 20, & 30 years ago, there's just sort of a societal shift that's occurred."
Despite that, Stewart says there was a slight increase in deer hunting license purchases when compared to 2023.
