The minimum age is 12. All hunters must have an unfilled deer tag. Limited to two gallons at a time. Baiting is not allowed in areas where deer have been found infected with bovine tuberculosis. Another 412,000 tags for private land go on sale Friday.
Hunters can buy no more than three antlerless tags a year.
Although the state Department of Natural Resources sends out annual hunter surveys, some people have hunted for years and never have been asked for an opinion about anything. The breach between hunters and state regulators appears wide. Many hunters think the DNR's estimates are too high for the state's deer numbers and annual deer kill. And critics say DNR regulations have resulted in too few bucks and poor antler development in much of northern Michigan. As hunters prepare for archery deer season, which opens Sunday, a group called Whitetails Unlimited is attempting to gather thousands of opinions to get an accurate measurement of hunter sentiment in the state.