people purchased a Michigan deer hunting license
2024, up 1.6% from 2023.
Source: Michigan DNR publications archive ↗Field Notes
Michigan deer reference
Michigan Deer Hunting Statistics.
Participation, harvest, tags and reporting data from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
At a glance
The numbers behind the 2024 season.
The figures below are statewide estimates and reported totals. Each one links directly to the Michigan DNR source that published it.
people hunted deer in Michigan
2024, up about 1% from 2023.
Source: Michigan DNR publications archive ↗deer were harvested across all seasons
2024, up 7.6% from 2023.
Source: Michigan DNR publications archive ↗deer tags were purchased
2024, up 3.2% from 2023.
Source: Michigan DNR publications archive ↗of the statewide harvest came from private land
2024 statewide estimate.
Source: Michigan DNR publications archive ↗deer were harvested by archers using crossbows
2024 archery-season estimate.
Source: Michigan DNR publications archive ↗Reading the data
One season, more than one measure.
Michigan uses a post-season hunter survey to estimate statewide participation, effort and harvest. The state also collects mandatory online harvest reports, which are useful for timely county and management-unit reporting but are not the same measure as the survey estimate.
That distinction matters when comparing figures. In 2024, the statewide survey estimated 373,300 deer harvested. The DNR's wildlife-publications archive lists the 2024 survey and online reporting summaries together for comparison.
Read Michigan harvest reporting detailsSources and methodology
Built to be checked.
This page uses only Michigan DNR publications. Statistics are presented as published, with the data year and source attached to each figure.
2024 Michigan Deer Harvest Survey Report
Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Report No. 3746, published August 2025. Source for participation, statewide harvest, private-land harvest and crossbow-use estimates.
2024 Online Deer Harvest Reporting Summary
Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Source for the 2024 deer-tag total and year-over-year tag-sales comparison.
Outside The Woods
Built for Michigan field conditions.
Return to Field Notes for grounded hunting resources and practical preparation.
Read the deer scouting guide