Real-time data of Michigan’s deer harvest is available to the public for the first time this season. So far, the online reporting has exceeded the DNR’s expectations.
The DNR’s deer harvest data provides information on a county-by-county level and distinguishes antlered vs antlerless deer harvests. As of Thursday afternoon, over 150-thousand deer have been harvested statewide. More than eight-thousand taken from the upper peninsula alone.
Chad Stewart is a deer, elk and moose specialist with the Michigan DNR. He said some hunters were skeptical of the online reporting system.
"But by and large, the response that we're getting from the hunters, at least in terms of reporting their harvest, is I think exceeding expectations," said Stewart. "You’d a told me at the beginning of the year, we would be sitting there looking at those numbers, I'd take that."
Additionally, Stewart explained there is a lot more information the DNR is collecting behind the scenes from the online reporting they haven’t had before. The new data will show the DNR which days deer were harvested and be able to help the DNR better understand hunter behavior by knowing types of weather conditions hunters were willing to go out in.
"Previously, we're looking at a season-wide harvest and we'll be able to always report the number of deer harvested in the archery season or the firearm season, muzzleloader season, etc. But we've never really been able to quantify how that distributed across the entirety of the season." said Stewart
Although hunters are required to report harvests within 72 hours, Stewart said the DNR is taking an education over enforcement approach and fines will be limited. This fall, the Michigan House of Representatives advanced a bill to the amend the current penalties under the authority of the Natural Resource Commission.
It's the first season that hunter's have had the option to report their deer harvest using the DNR's Fish and Hunt smart phone app.
Editor's note: In the interest of transparency, we note the Michigan DNR is a financial supporter of this station.
