UP Whitetails of Marquette County Expresses Support for Hunting Regulations

NEGAUNEE, Mich. (WLUC) – For those planning for deer hunting season, there will be some changes.

The Michigan Natural Resources Commission has reduced the number of antlerless deer that hunters can take in Uttar Pradesh.

The number of permits for the Mideastern UP has been reduced from 1,000 to zero. For the Midwestern UP, it has been reduced to 500.

Areas where there is a reduction in the number of antlerless deer release permits.(Michigan Department of Natural Resources)

George Lindquist, trustee of UP Whitetails of Marquette County, said it is a positive step in combating the declining deer population in Uttar Pradesh.

“We’ve tried not to take antlerless deer here in the high-snow zone,” Lindquist said. “But the deer herd continues to decline.”

Lindquist said these new antlerless deer regulations may help, but hunting is a small part of population management. He said more changes need to be made to habitat and predator hunting regulations.

“Bears prey on a lot of cubs, and coyotes are the biggest predators of cubs,” Lindquist said. “We would like to see the NRC return to being able to hunt coyotes year-round.”

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has noted a decline in hunter numbers over the past three years.

Lindquist said allowing the deer population to recover could encourage more hunters in the future.

“Honestly, a lot of people just gave up because they saw so few deer,” Lindquist said.

In a written statement to TV6, the Michigan DNR said:

We have received a significant amount of interest in the recent changes to the deer hunting regulations from the July NRC meeting. We are currently working on these regulatory updates as part of the Wildlife Conservation Order (WCO). In addition, we are developing clear summaries of the changes that will be available early this week. We understand the importance of accurate regulatory information and are committed to ensuring that we do not spread misinformation.

The regulatory changes include expanding hunting opportunities, particularly with respect to antlerless hunting in the southern Lower Peninsula, and introducing more restrictive regulations regarding antlerless hunting in the Upper Peninsula.

Baiting regulations remain unchanged from 2023.

We appreciate the increased interest in deer protection regulations this year and thank you for your patience as we go through this process.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says it will hold a public meeting on the updated regulations in Delta County on July 25.

The meeting will be held from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in the Delta County Chamber of Commerce Multipurpose Room, located at 1001 North Lincoln Road.