What The 2024 Deer Harvest Numbers Reveal This Year

Is the tradition of deer hunting in Michigan still declining? An examination of the 2024 Deer Harvest will provide insight into several trends.

Is the Number of Michigan Deer Hunters Declining?

While the Michigan deer population continues to grow, the number of hunters has declined. The highest number of hunters to enter Michigan's woods, swamps, and fields to deer hunt occurred in 1998, when nearly 840,000 purchased tags.

The highest number of deer harvested in Michigan was that same year, with nearly 600,000 animals harvested. That is a lot of back straps. Unfortunately, the next year began the decline of deer harvested, as well as the number of hunters purchasing hunting tags.

Numerous societal changes have contributed to a decline in the number of hunters in Michigan. Meat availability is higher than it has ever been, even in the rural communities. Over time, humans' tastes in hobbies change. Cable and satellite TV have made watching sports much easier, video games have kept more kids indoors with less desire to go outdoors, and the internet has played a role. People have more choices of things to occupy their free time than at any other time in history.

The Results of the 2024 Michigan Deer Harvest Numbers Are In

According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources' 2024 Deer Harvest Survey, the number of hunters increased to 604,088. Although the increase in hunters was only 1.6% more than in 2023, it is still 31% lower than it was in 1995, when the decline in the hunting trend began.

There has been a small increase in hunting tags purchased each year since 2022. Whether this trend continues remains uncertain, but hopefully, more hunters will take advantage of the higher deer numbers, which increases the chance of filling their tags.

Here are the 2024 deer harvest numbers below:

• Combined Harvest - 373,300
• Number of Bucks - Up 1%
• Number of Antlerless Deer - Up 18%

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