Michigan Hunters Divided on New One Buck Rule

Michigan Hunters are split on a new one-buck rule that could change deer season big time.

The state's natural resources commission wants to limit every hunter to just one and

their deer per year.

In the lower peninsula, you'd need a special license to even go after bucks, all to balance

the buck to doe ratio and fight over population.

Right now, most hunters can bag two antler deer in the season except on one island where

it's already won.

The commission votes on this May 13th, and if it passes, the rule kicks in for 2027.

They tweak licenses too, making bug tags cost residents $40 instead of 20 for a basic

one.

Hunters see it differently.

Some say it'll push folks to hunt more.

Does, fixing the skewed sex ratio since only about 20% of kills are antlerless now.

Others gripe it'll cut flexibility for little gain, as just 4 to 7% of deer killed yearly

are second bucks by the same hunter.

The Department of Natural Resources cooked this up from advisory teams, noting few hunters

take two bucks anyway.

It aims to shift the buck of says culture here, where does often get passed up.

Earlier this week, a packed meeting ran 4 hours of comments with louder cheers for supporters.

Young hunters showed up strong, saying it's time for real change to keep seasons thriving

long-term.

That's the story for today.

Canada News Today, Driven by AI.

I'm Corey with the story.