Deer season start State Sen. David Jaye seeks to change the firearms deer-season opener from Nov. 15 to the second Saturday of that month, so that hunters wouldn't have to take time off from work. Regardless, Jaye and others complain that mid-week openers are unfair to Metro Detroit hunters, who are forced to take vacation time to travel. Michigan has experimented with Saturday opening dates. From 1962 to 1967, a weekend start was tried but ultimately rejected. Auto workers have to apply in advance for their days off.
People depend on knowing a fixed date.
People got used to that. Michigan hunters killed 334,000 deer during last year's firearms season, the second-largest total in state history. All told, the sport attracts 750,000 licensed hunters and tourism revenues estimated in billions of dollars. The second Senate bill would repeal a statute that outlaws Sunday hunting with firearms or dogs on private land in Macomb County.