The Michigan Natural Resources Commission recently adopted several changes to the Deer Management Assistance Permit (DMAP) program, in order to provide additional assistance to landowners on an individual basis.
A DMAP is a permit that allows for the take of an antlerless deer and may only be utilized during an open season for deer. In order for a landowner to receive DMAPs, one of the following four criteria needs to be met:
- Significant agricultural or horticultural damage.
- Documented serious disease outbreak that threatens humans, livestock or deer health.
- Significant safety hazard caused by deer.
- Current antlerless deer regulations insufficient to achieve landowner deer-management objectives.
In the past, individuals possessing a DMAP were able to utilize only the legal equipment for that particular hunting season (e.g., only archery equipment could be utilized during archery season). However, in some cases archery equipment has proven to be ineffective, and damage incurred by deer has continued through the season as a result.
The new change to the DMAP program will allow a DMAP holder, on a case-by-case basis, to seek additional signed permission to harvest deer using a firearm during select time periods of the archery season. DMAP holders will be required to have hunted their property during the archery season for the last two years and be in good standing with the DMAP program, meaning they have reported all DMAPs requested, issued and utilized on an annual basis. Read more