By David Fleet
Editor
Ortonville— With about 80% of the 2023 whitetail deer season completed, including the popular firearm season (Nov. 15-30), the number harvested dropped from 159,931 in 2022 to 136,205 this year, a decline of about 15%. Similarly, 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%. The up-to-date statistics are available mid season since hunters are now required to report all deer harvests online within 72 hours.
Chad Stewart is the deer, elk and moose management specialist Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
“The numbers right now are preliminary,” said Stewart during an interview with The Citizen. “We need to yet determine reporting rates and if they’re consistent with last year, then it’s a true decline.”
Standing corn, especially in the southern tier of counties was a big issue, said Stewart. On Nov. 13 he received a report from the National Agriculture Statistics service with an estimate of only 52% of the corn harvest was off Michigan fields at that time.
“Other years that harvest is at 60-70%,” he said. “That’s a lot, and a lot is still on the ground, and that’s impacting deer hunting. Standing corn makes it difficult to see deer and changes movements.”
Warm, wet weather also played an impact deer movement and harvest, he said.
“Deer have their winter coats on right now,” he said. “The are going to lay low when it stays warm well into November.”
The mid-week opening day for the firearm season was also a consideration for the low harvest numbers, he said.
“We still had 40,000 deer harvested on opening day,” said Stewart. “That number was down from 45,000 last year. But, still a lot of hunters and deer were killed. It washes out later in the season.”
October weather played a role in the low harvest.
“October (2023) had 22 days of precipitation,” said Stewart. “That’s not normal, but that’s going to impact hunter participation. If the effort is down, harvest is down.”
While the number deer hunters using firearms has declined over the years, the number participating in archery season has remained level, said Stewart.
“We do not see the decline in muzzle loader or bow season,” he said. “We speculate crossbows have kept hunters in that season longer. They put that compound down and pick up a crossbow and keep hunting. And it opens a new world for deer hunters.”
The decline in deer harvest is estimated at 20% fewer according to the Michigan Department of Resources.

County Antlered Anterless Total *

Sanilac 4,129 2,460 6,589 (1st)

Lapeer 3,312 1,816 5,128 (5th)

Genesee 2,339 1,093 3,432 (32nd)

Oakland 1,758 832 2,590 (45th)

Keweenaw 82 3 85 (83rd)

*(Deer harvest rank of 83 Michigan counties as of Dec. 5, 2023)