“I think the risk of increasing the age class of the deer even further in that DMU is great,” Commissioner Christine Crumbaugh said. “If you look at total number of deer harvested in Northwest 12 it’s actually decreased while there is evidence that population has increased. Even though we have increased antlerless harvest there, I don’t think it’s having the desired effect on total population.”
Every hunter has their own ideas and beliefs on the number of points a buck should have before they would harvest it. Whether the minimum points the deer must have are on the low or high end, hunters in Michigan will have full discretion on which buck they harvest or don’t harvest this fall.
“There are some people who aren’t going to be happy about that,” president of Michigan Bowhunters, Sam Morello said. “There will be some disappointment. Probably something will happen next time, it’s a three year cycle.”
This comes as a result of the drive to add antler point restrictions being denied in the state. The decision was praised by some and met with disapproval from others, but that doesn’t change who the choice ultimately comes down to – the hunter.
“There were some good points made, but not every area in the state will grow three (antler points) on a side,” said Michigan DNR director, Keith Creagh. “So the real question is, how do you make sure that you have a high-quality experience but culling out those spikes that ought to be culled. It’s not as straight-forward as either side says. It really is about a quality deer hunting experience and how you do that in a landscape.”
Despite the desire for APRs, there’s some doubt that they would have the desired effect on the actual population of deer.
