Michigan approves pilot letting hunters earn a second buck tag

The Michigan Natural Resources Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a pilot program allowing hunters to earn the right to harvest a second buck in five Lower Peninsula counties.

Under the program, hunters who purchase a deer license and opt into the pilot can buy a bonus tag for an antlered deer if they first harvest and report an antlerless deer from the same area. The pilot covers Barry, Hillsdale, Ingham, Kalamazoo and Lapeer counties and takes effect during the 2027-28 season, the same year Michigan's one-buck rule begins.

Opting into the program costs $40 for residents and non-residents and $28 for senior residents. The bonus tag itself costs $20 for residents and $170 for non-residents, available only to hunters who met the antlerless-harvest requirement. NRC Commissioner Pete Eardley said the effort aims to reduce deer density and help curb the spread of chronic wasting disease.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources will compare harvest data from the five pilot counties against five paired control counties to gauge the program's effectiveness. The NRC recommended the pilot run for five years to allow for a science-based evaluation.

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