Applications for antlerless deer licenses in areas with restricted quotas are on sale through Sunday, August 15, at all license vendors or online.
In all, 776,500 antlerless deer licenses will be available in 2010, an increase from 728,100 last year. The number of both public- land and private-land licenses has been increased.
Hunters will find fewer antlerless licenses available in the Upper Peninsula. In 2009, 12 U.P. Deer Management Units (DMU) did not have antlerless deer licenses. This year 17 DMUs will not offer them.
In the northern Lower Peninsula, antlerless permits have increased somewhat, largely due to more licenses available on private land on the east side of the region. Five DMUs will not offer antlerless licenses, compared to four in 2009. All private-land licenses for DMU 487 – which includes Alpena, Alcona, Iosco, Montmorency, Oscoda, and Presque Isle counties – may be used throughout the DMU. There will not be any private-land licenses for the sub-unit DMUs within DMU 487. As another option for taking antlerless deer only within DMU 487, hunters in the unit may use an antlerless or combination license for antlerless deer within the Nov. 15-30 firearm season or the Dec. 10-19 muzzleloader season.
In southern Michigan, where deer populations remain significantly above goal, the number of available antlerless licenses has been increased. As with the change made for DMU 487, all private-land licenses for DMU 486 – the multi-county unit which includes all but six DMUs in southern Michigan – will be good throughout the DMU. There will not be any private-land licenses for the sub-unit DMUs within DMU 486.
Applications, which remain on sale through Aug. 15, are $4. Hunters may apply for just one antlerless license.
