Archery deer-hunting season in Michigan. What to know: Dates, licenses

Archery deer-hunting season in Michigan begins Tuesday. Hunters are only allowed to use a bow and arrow during this season.

by Janelle D. James (Bridge Michigan)

Time to get those crossbows ready. Tuesday marks the official start of archery deer-hunting season in Michigan.

While a bow and arrow isn’t the most popular weapon used to hunt deer, there are still hunters who participate. In 2023, more than 286,000 deer hunters participated in archery hunts in Michigan, according to the state Department of Natural Resources. They harvested an estimated 110,000 deer that year.

Dates and limitations

Archery season continues through Nov. 14. It resumes Dec. 1 and runs through Jan. 1. The season is extended through Jan. 31 in Huron, Kent, Lapeer, Macomb, Oakland, Sanilac, St. Clair (except Deer Management Unit 174, which covers islands in the St. Clair Flats Wildlife Area), Tuscola, Washtenaw and Wayne counties.

During this time, only a bow and arrow can be used to hunt deer. Firearms are not permitted during archery hunting season.

Hunters can only use arrows, bolts and quarrels at least 14 inches in length, tipped with a broadhead point at least 7/8 inch wide.

The Independence Hunt, for those with disabilities, takes place during archery season, Oct. 17 through Oct. 20. Individuals participating in the Independence Hunt can use a firearm to kill antlered or antlerless deer on private lands and public lands, with a permit.

To qualify for the Independence hunt, you must be:

• A veteran who has been deemed 100% disabled by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
• A Michigan resident who has been deemed unemployable by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
• Have been issued a permit from the Michigan DNR to hunt from a standing vehicle or to use a laser-sighting device
• Deaf or blind

How to purchase a license 

All hunters must purchase a base license, which ranges from $6 to $151, before purchasing a deer license, specific to how many deer they want to hunt.

A universal antlerless deer tag, which permits hunters to kill doe or antlerless deer, can be purchased for residents and nonresidents of all ages for $20.

More information can be found here.

This article is being republished through a syndication agreement with Bridge Michigan. Bridge Michigan is Michigan’s largest nonprofit news service and one of the nation’s leading and largest nonprofit civic news providers. Their coverage is nonpartisan, fact-based, and data-driven. Find them online at https://www.bridgemi.com/.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.