Season extended in Lapeer County, conditions favorable

By David Fleet
dfleet@mihomepaper.com
Brandon Twp.— Local hunter Elliot Vantine reported a close encounter from his ladder stand when a young buck still in velvet passed under during the recent Liberty-Youth Hunt earlier this month. While Vantine passed on the whitetail it was a fall ritual soon to be played over and over by hunters statewide.
Michigan hunters like Vantine will now have an opportunity as the deer archery season opens Oct. 1. Hunters in the 2023 early archery season (Oct. 1-Nov. 14) tagged 79,463 deer compared to 90,178 in 2022, a decline of 12%. While the deer harvest lagged last season, Chad Stewart, the deer, elk and moose management specialist Michigan Department of Natural Resources said several factors could spell an excellent 2024-25 season.
Less standing corn this fall can make a big difference, said Stewart.
“The corn harvest is tracking ahead of last season,” he said. “The winter was mild and spring came on early with a lot of crops planted sooner. That bodes well for getting the corn out of the ground earlier.”
As a result, deer should have fewer places to hide if the corn is out of the field, he added.
Locally, hunting opportunities have been expanded this season for archery deer hunters in Lapeer County who can join those in Oakland County can now hunt until Jan. 31. In Genesee County the deer archery season will end Dec. 31.
“The changes made in the deer hunting rules this year were made by the Michigan Natural Resources Commission to address the local overpopulation that we have in the Lower Peninsula,” said Stewart. “I don’t think that what was passed (by the MNRC) is going to get us there alone. The longer season is just not going to move the needle enough.”
According to Michigan DNR data 75% of hunters don’t take an antlerless deer, while only 17% of hunters take one anterless deer in a season.