Michigan’s firearm deer hunting season kicks off on Friday.
Regular firearm deer season opens in Michigan on Friday, Nov. 15 and runs through Saturday, Nov. 30. Hunters have up to 72 hours after taking a deer to report a kill.
How to report your deer harvest
There are two ways to report a harvest.
The first is by downloading the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app. Once the app is downloaded you can sign in or create an account and then enter the harvest report information.
The second way is to report the harvest online at Michigan.gov/DNRHarvestReport using your computer or your phone. Enter your kill tag license number and date of birth to begin the report.
If you don’t have your hunting license and kill tag number, you can log into eLicense using your driver’s license number and date of birth (or your user ID and password), and click on the Harvest Report tab to see the tags available to report.
Help is available for anyone who is having trouble reporting a harvest. You can call your local DNR customer service center, or call 517-284-9453 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Where to buy a deer license
You can buy deer licenses anywhere DNR licenses are sold, click here to find an agent near you.
Kill tags purchased online take seven to 14 business days to arrive in the mail. You must have kill tags in your possession before hunting. To save time, buy the license from a local agent.
CWD monitoring and testing
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been found in both the Upper and Lower peninsulas of Michigan.
CWD is a neurological disease that affects deer, elk and moose. It causes a degeneration of the brain. It can cause emaciation, abnormal behavior, loss of bodily functions and eventually death. Once an animal is infected with CWD, it will not recover. There is no cure.
The first Michigan case of CWD was confirmed in a free-ranging white-tailed deer in Ingham County in May 2015. Since then it has been confirmed in deer found in various counties across the state.
In 2024, free CWD testing is available for deer harvested from the following counties: Antrim, Arenac, Baraga, Benzie, Cheboygan, Chippewa, Clare, Dickinson, Gladwin, Grand Traverse, Houghton, Iosco, Kalkaska, Keweenaw, Leelanau, Luce, Mackinac, Manistee, Ogemaw, Ontonagon, Otsego, and Schoolcraft counties. You can learn more about DNR drop boxes and staffed sample submission sites here.
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Testing for a fee
In other areas of the state, hunters who want deer tested for CWD can submit samples to a participating U.S. Department of Agriculture-approved lab for testing. There will be a fee, click here to learn more.
2024 Michigan Hunting Regulations Summary
The DNR wants to remind hunters that antler point restrictions have been reinstated on the single deer license in DMU 122. Changes to antlerless harvest during the late archery season in the Upper Peninsula have also been implemented.
View the 2024 Michigan Hunting Regulations Summary below:
Have a question? You can contact the DNR Wildlife Division by calling 517-284-9453 or emailing them at dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov.
