Michigan’s firearm deer hunt is here: Key dates, safety tips and a warm start

As firearm season begins Saturday, Michigan hunters have so far harvested 78,734 deer, about 6% below last year
Warm weather expected for opening day. But storm damage and deer disease may challenge hunters this season
The DNR urges safety with firearms, tree stands and hearing protection

Michigan hunters are heading into firearm season with plenty of deer to target and potentially warm weather on opening day, but safety risks and shifting deer patterns could make the upcoming hunt more complicated.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources confirmed 78,734 deer had already been harvested this year through Thursday morning, including during archery and early antlerless firearm seasons.

“This puts us at about 6% below last year at this date. But with firearms season coming up and seemingly favorable conditions for a Saturday opener, the opportunity certainly exists to close that gap,” Chad Stewart, cervid and wildlife interactions unit supervisor for the DNR, said in an email.

Weather forecasts indicate warm temperatures for much of Michigan on Saturday, which is opening day for firearm season, but rain is also possible. The National Weather Service in Gaylord, for instance, predicts 50- and 60-degree temperatures on Saturday, with late morning and early afternoon showers, before an overnight front brings colder weather on Sunday.

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Lingering effects from a March ice storm in northern Michigan, and an ongoing deer disease outbreak in the southern Lower Peninsula could make hunting a bit trickier this season.

Deer movement patterns may have changed in the northern Lower Peninsula due to the downed debris and access might prove to be difficult as woods still contain those downed trees and limbs that can make getting deeper into your favorite hunting spot more challenging, Stewart said.

Advanced scouting to see how deer have adapted to these changes this past summer and fall is encouraged and may be important for success, he noted.

In the southern Lower Peninsula, deer numbers are strong but face localized losses from the spread of epizootic hemorrhagic disease, a viral illness transmitted by small flies. The disease has been confirmed in 16 counties so far and could continue spreading until the first hard frost.

Licenses, dates and what to know

Regular firearm season begins Nov. 15 and runs through Nov. 30, followed by muzzleloading season from Dec. 5-14.

Archery season resumes Dec. 1 through Jan. 1. The season extends through Jan. 31 in Huron, Kent, Lapeer, Macomb, Oakland, Sanilac, Tuscola, Washtenaw, Wayne and parts of St. Clair counties.

Hunters must purchase a base license, which ranges from $5 to $151, before purchasing a deer license specific to how many deer they want to hunt.

A universal antlerless deer tag, which permits hunters to kill doe, can be purchased for residents and nonresidents of all ages for $20.

Hunters can also purchase a deer combination tag, which ranges from $28 to $190. Combination tags allow hunters to kill two deer with a regular and a restricted tag. In some areas, antler point restrictions are in place to help manage the deer population.

Michiganders born after Jan. 1, 1960, are required to take a hunter safety course, which is available online or in person before purchasing licenses.

More information can be found here.

Staying safe on the hunt

Hunting season is not without risks: The DNR reported four incidents in 2024 where hunters were non-fatally shot, citing careless use of firearms or the failure of hunters to properly identify targets as the cause.

During a fatal goose hunting incident in Clinton County last year, a hunter called 911 after accidentally shooting himself in the leg but died before emergency responders arrived.

The state recommends hunters take several steps to protect themselves out in the wild, including treating all firearms carefully as if they are loaded, wearing blaze orange and avoiding trespassing.

Hunting with partners is recommended, along with carrying a communication device. And someone off-site should keep tabs on a party’s whereabouts by maintaining a check-in schedule.

Drinking or consuming marijuana while hunting is discouraged. State law considers hunting while intoxicated to be a misdemeanor that can result in weapons confiscation.

Tree stand falls account for the majority of hunting injuries, according to researchers with Henry Ford Health. More than 30 patients came to the trauma center in Jackson for tree stand-related injuries over a four-year period. Spinal and lower extremity fractures were the most common injuries reported.

The DNR recommends that hunters maintain three points of contact when climbing tree stands and ensure their harnesses are fastened and secured above their heads while ascending or descending. Firearms or crossbows should be unloaded and lifted using a secure pull system.

Protecting your ears

Hunters should also be cautious of their ears when discharging their firearms. Doctors warn that even a single gunshot can cause hearing damage, and that consistent exposure to muzzle blasts can make that injury irreversible.

Ashley Deeb, an audiologist for Henry Ford Health, said there’s no “one-size-fits-all approach” to protecting hearing when using firearms with all the available technology. In-ear plugs and over-ear electronic muffs can be effective at safely reducing noise while maintaining, or even amplifying, situational awareness.

It’s important for both young and older hunters to develop “good habits” for ear protection, Deeb said, especially as other issues impacting hearing may develop if consistently exposed to loud noise, like tinnitus.

“When shooting guns without hearing protection, there can be both temporary and permanent hearing damage,” she said. “Something that’s also then typically recorded is the ringing or some type of sound in the ears that can also result due to damage to the auditory system.”