Michigan Department of Natural Resources

We are hearing from a lot of hunters who, like you, are frustrated at seeing those piles of bait for sale, but the DNR can only regulate the use of bait, we have no authority to regulate commerce. That lies in the hands of your state legislators and in the power of each hunter's pocketbook, when they decide whether or not to buy and illegally use ... Read Morebait. Our conservation officers take illegal baiting very seriously -- please call in your anonymous tips to our Report All Poaching line at 800-292-7800.

A statewide baiting ban is the only answer. Baiting has been the downfall of deer hunting in Michigan. Sportsmen that think they have to bait didn't experiance the way it used to be. Its bad for wildlife in general, a cause of conflict among users, and what fuel for anti-hunting groups. The MDNR is so short of Conservation Officers, enforcement is impossible! Please let the NRC and legislators know how you feel.

Hey Ed, great question! Antlered does are not very common -- research shows about one in every 3,500 does to have antlers at some point in their lives, usually small buttons or velvet spikes. For a doe to have polished antlers is even more rare and usually is due to the deer having internal male sex organs and external female organs. If you shot an... Read More antlered doe, please consider bringing it in to one of the DNR's deer check stations so our biologists can examine it and give you more information. Here's the list of check stations for 2009: http://bit.ly/1awCIC

Called Lapeer station and was told they don't have a biologist and wern't sure where there was one. They suggested I only bring in the head so they could examine it and give me a patch

Sorry to hear that about Lapeer, sometimes the staff are trained to work the check station but aren't technically biologists. If there are any other stations on the list that are an option for you, I'm sure they would love to see the deer intact!

Hi Shannon -- The Michigan Senate has passed the bill proposing the State Parks Passport, which would eliminate the current motor vehicle permit for parks and instead add $10 to license plate registration for those who would like to take part. Now the bill goes to the House for a vote. The Passport legislation has been spearheaded by a citizens group. You can find out more information on their Web site: http://www.ourmichiganparks.org/

That is a wall hanger for sure.

That's not that uncommon in states with a one buck limit.

In general, you can hunt on a small game license with a 22-250 or other rifle. However, there are exceptions that apply depending on where, what time of year, and which species you are hunting. More info is needed to provide a more specific answer, otherwise you can check out the online hunting and trapping guide at this link: http://bit.ly/WJ03u

If we were a 1 buck state we might all see bucks like this.