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Article says Michigan went to a one buck state

1 buck for the lower but still 2 for the upper.
Also talk that the shotgun line has been removed.
Rifles would b allowed in place of the shotgun Zone in the lower lower.
 
Progress!!!!
U got half the population fighting tooth & nail for themselves & their desire to blast (2) 1.5 year old bucks. The other half is fighting for the resource, future, other hunters, biology, fixing whacked out sex ratios & age class. Etc etc. One half has truth & facts on their side. The me me me group has decades of results ruining that state.
 
Indeed progress! I was in Lansing for the April meeting and in Gaylord last week for the May meeting where they voted on the various proposals. Although they tried to sneak in a last minute earn-a-2nd-buck proposal that would've been lower-peninsula-wide, what passed was one buck and there is supposed to be earn-a-second-buck pilot program in 2-3 southern michigan counties... those details are yet TBD.

The UP remained status quo - oiy - too many old schoolers up there still beating the "TRADITION!!!" drum...the deer population up there does not support 2 buck (except a couple counties maybe)... most shouldn't even harvest does. Harsh winters and wolves have made a big impact and the wolves keep the deer from coming back better. It's up to hunters to be the conservationists and adjust their habits for the betterment of the resource.

If it sticks... one buck rule in the LP will be a good move. I say if because I've seen proposals get rejected later, so you never know with this state. I wish they enacted it for 2026, but it doesn't go into effect until 2027. The firearms line has been removed and will be in effect this fall.
 
NextBuk said:
Indeed progress! I was in Lansing for the April meeting and in Gaylord last week for the May meeting where they voted on the various proposals. Although they tried to sneak in a last minute earn-a-2nd-buck proposal that would've been lower-peninsula-wide, what passed was one buck and there is supposed to be earn-a-second-buck pilot program in 2-3 southern michigan counties... those details are yet TBD.

The UP remained status quo - oiy - too many old schoolers up there still beating the "TRADITION!!!" drum...the deer population up there does not support 2 buck (except a couple counties maybe)... most shouldn't even harvest does. Harsh winters and wolves have made a big impact and the wolves keep the deer from coming back better. It's up to hunters to be the conservationists and adjust their habits for the betterment of the resource.

If it sticks... one buck rule in the LP will be a good move. I say if because I've seen proposals get rejected later, so you never know with this state. I wish they enacted it for 2026, but it doesn't go into effect until 2027. The firearms line has been removed and will be in effect this fall.
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What’s your thoughts on the high powered rifle line being removed J? Seems insane and honestly a bit scary to me to be out on opening day this fall with my daughters knowing that the hunters on the property next to us could have a 300 mag in their hands. Seems like wayyy too many houses/population/small open farms in most of the lower third of the state for them to have done this. Lawsuit waiting to happen? Was their motive simply to kill more deer safety be damned?
 
Rous14 said:
What’s your thoughts on the high powered rifle line being removed J? Seems insane and honestly a bit scary to me to be out on opening day this fall with my daughters knowing that the hunters on the property next to us could have a 300 mag in their hands. Seems like wayyy too many houses/population/small open farms in most of the lower third of the state for them to have done this. Lawsuit waiting to happen? Was their motive simply to kill more deer safety be damned?
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Hey Paul - I do think the motive revolved around "more opportunity", but this was never discussed in much detail at the meetings I attended. On one hand, I get it. It does seem a bit crazy with all of the 5 acre parcels or public land spots with high hunter densities. On the other hand, I don't think it's quite as big a deal as many see it. Most hunters sit in elevated blinds/stands, so how far a bullet travels after a miss really isn't a factor. States like PA and WI already allow high power rifles statewide, and they have areas of high hunter density, public lands, and flat ag ground, just like Michigan does. I don't know that their accident rate is any higher than Michigan's. I don't have the data, but I don't recall offhand firearm accidents that resulted from "stray bullet travel". The accidents I recall are typically "mistaken identity", and those will happen whether it's straight-wall only or high power. I'd love to see that data though.

Guys would literally have to shoot intentionally into the air maliciously to get any dramatic difference in "carry" that higher power rifles provide. Straight walled and muzzleloaders already have capabilities out to 400 yards. There aren't a lot of places in Michigan where 500+ yard shots are feasible, and if long shots like those are taken, bullets are dropping FAST by then. So, I'm a little mixed on this one. I do hope everyone takes the time to ensure a safe, ethical shot, regardless of their choice of weapon.
 
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