2023 Michigan Deer Harvest Numbers Down Considerably

There are plenty of deer in Michigan but the 2023 deer harvest numbers are considerably down.

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Is Michigan's Deer Population Decreasing or Increasing?

Some might think because the 2023 deer harvest numbers are down that the deer population is down and that is not true.

What has decreased is the number of deer hunters in the woods. Fewer hunters means fewer deer harvested. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of Michiganders entering the woods to hunt had increased for the first time in 2 decades.

Since 2000 the number of deer hunters in Michigan woods is down nearly 300,000 and experts say that number may fall another 100,000 over the next ten years.

2023 Michigan Deer Harvest Numbers

I had a lot of friends show me some nice pictures of some nice bucks that were harvested in West Michigan. It was a bad year for me, just small deer in my area. However, in December I planned to shoot a doe, and when I finally saw a nice one my muzzleloader jammed and that was it for me. I had another chance at a sizable doe and the fawns walked in front of the doe's shooting zone and I had to let her pass.

According to FOX 17, the overall Michigan deer harvest for 2023 was down nearly 10% from 2022. The only county in West Michigan to see an increase in harvest number was Muskegon.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources recently stated that just under 275,000 deer were harvested in 2023 which was nearly 30,000 less than in 2022 this is mainly because there are fewer hunters in the field. The other reason is that fewer hunters are choosing to take a doe and are not harvesting a deer at all.

I hunt in Newaygo County and like Kent County the deer harvest numbers dropped 12%. I'm close to Montcalm and Mecosta Counties who both have some nice deer populations with good bucks and their harvest fell 14%.

If more hunters do not start taking doe's this could negatively affect the herd and could cause even more hunters to leave the sport altogether. A healthy herd is crucial to successful hunting. There is a new Deer Management Initiative from the DNR where you can be part of the conversation on what needs to be done to manage Michigan's deer population which you can sign up to be a part of by clicking here. I signed up myself and hope I get selected to contribute, if I don't get picked there is an email where I can send my thoughts and you better believe I will. I encourage hunters to participate because it is not often that the DNR asks to hear from us hunters.