I recently discovered, by reading a post over at the Michigan based Hooks and Bullets blog, that Michigan is contemplating a new anterless deer hunt for the upcoming season. This particular issue should get plenty of publicity as it progresses and I am curious to see how it will turn out.

The Michigan DNR is proposing that the southern part of the state, which I agree has a definite overpopulation of does, have a 5 day anterless deer hunt that would start the second Saturday of October. This hunt would include Zone 3 (which includes a good portion of the lower part of the Lower Peninsula) and certain zones that are directly feeling the effects of TB in the local deer population.

While I do tend to agree that we have an over-population of does, I think that the timing of this particular hunt is not very favorable. I think that allowing this hunt to take place during the proposed time is going to have a direct effect on the rut in the particular areas mentioned. By having this hunt towards the end of October, it is going to be happening very near the time that the rut really starts to pick up and I think that is not a very wise choice.

I wouldn’t mind seeing an anterless hunt that would coincide with the Youth Hunt that happens in the latter half of September. I would completely back that proposition more so than I would for a late October firearm hunt. Any method that would move this particular antlerless hunt away from the start of the rut is a bonus in my book.

This hunt is obviously not a reality yet, and in the next couple of months there will be hearing and meetings on the subject, so I will try to keep myself updated, but I am curious to see how this all works out. If any of you are interested in reading about the proposal you can find it on page 2 of this document.

As always I will keep everyone posted.

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