MICHIGAN — Michigan deer hunters in the Lower Peninsula will be limited to harvesting one antlered deer per season starting March 1, 2027, following a vote by the Natural Resources Commission (NRC).
You can watch the May 13 meeting for yourself here.
The new "one buck rule" reduces the antlered deer bag limit from a potential two bucks in previous seasons to one. Under the change, a single deer license can be used on either an antlered or antlerless deer — but if a hunter shoots a buck, that will be their only buck for the season. Hunters can still purchase additional antlerless tags.
The NRC said the rule change is intended to cause hunters to be more selective when hunting bucks and increase the opportunity for antlerless deer to be harvested, with the goal of improving the buck-to-doe ratio.
Deer hunting is the primary method used to manage Michigan's deer herd. Over the decades, deer hunting has generally declined in Michigan, leading to an abundance of deer in the Lower Peninsula and an increase in deer-related car crashes and crop damage.
The one buck rule is one of several changes to come out of the NRC's meeting. Another significant change is the elimination of the limited firearm deer zone for the 2026 season.
The rule was originally in place due to safety concerns of high populations of people in the southern zone.
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