Deer firearm season is the busiest 2 weeks of deer hunting in Michigan
Deer can be hunted in Michigan via archery from Oct. 1 to Jan. 1.
But for many Michigan residents, deer season means firearms season. That's from Nov. 15 to 30, and those two weeks alone account for nearly half of the deer taken in the state any given year.
Michigan officials say that on the opening day of the 2025 firearms season, hunters took 29,403 antlered deer and 8,726 antlerless deer, for a total of 38,129 deer. The 2025 firearms season resulted in 129,471 deer harvested out of a total of 295,847 for that year.
The counties that saw the most deer harvested last year were Saginaw, Sanilac, Montcalm, Lapeer and Tuscola counties, according to DNR's tally.
How many deer can you hunt?
The number of antlered and antlerless deer a hunter can take per year depends on the region of the state they are hunting in. The Michigan Deer Hunting Regulations Summary booklet includes a map, a chart of bag limits, guidelines on where deer hunting is allowed, and the times of day when hunting is allowed in each region.
In most areas, hunters can take two antlered deer, except for a part of the Eastern Upper Peninsula where the limit is one antlered deer.
How much is a hunting license?
The cost of a hunting license depends on your Michigan residency status and the type of game you wish to hunt or fish for. A base DNR license plus a single deer license costs a total of $31 for Michigan residents ages 17 through 64.
A Michigan hunting license can be purchased from any license agent, through the DNR website or through the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app
Is hunter education required to get a license?
Anyone who was born on or after Jan. 1, 1960, must present a hunter education certificate or previous hunting license in order to purchase a new hunting license.
Michigan hunter education classes are available year-round. Online and take-home courses are an option, but they will require an in-person four-hour "field day" to complete the requirement.
A valid hunter education certificate from another state can meet this requirement.
What are the safety rules for hunters?
All firearms deer hunters must wear a hat, vest, jacket or outer gear in a hunter orange style, the DNR says. Hunter orange increases visibility to other people, but does not affect what the deer can see.
The Michigan State Police also says hunters should let others know where they will be, when they expect to return and how to reach them.
How do you report a deer harvest?
Successful deer hunters must report their harvest to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources either on the state's website or through the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app. The deadline is 72 hours after recovering the animal and before taking it to a meat processor.
The report will ask for the hunter's tag license number, date of birth, and where the deer was taken.
Can I donate meat from the deer I harvested?
The DNR encourages hunters to support the Hunters Feeding Michigan campaign by donating harvested deer to help feed those in need.
The steps can be handled at a participating deer processor.