ESCANABA — Just over half of firearm deer season has passed. Those hunters who had been hoping for snow for ease of tracking got their wish on Monday morning — at least in this neck of the woods. Even without, early reports reflected that hunters had a better opener this year than last, though it’s hard to say how the remainder of the season will go. By noon on Monday, the total number of deer taken by firearm and reported to the DNR was 76% of the 2023 total (104,814 compared to 137,074).

During all of last year’s deer hunting seasons — including archery, independence, muzzleloader, youth, etc. — 274,299 were reported to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources as having been harvested throughout the state. It was a slower year than 2022, during which hunters claimed 303,081 (110% of the 2023 total).

As of 12 p.m. Monday, 202,386 deer have been taken and reported in 2024. That is 74% of last year’s total, and there is still not only the better part of a week left in regular firearm season but also muzzleloader in December. Muzzleloader users reported 16,909 in 2023 and 20,065 in 2022.

Reporting one’s kills to the DNR within 72 hours is a legal requirement and helps keep track of the condition of natural resources, which may inform researchers on the possible impacts of things like revised regulations and environmental factors.

In Delta County, 1,744 deer had been harvested with firearms by noon on Monday, and 81% of those were antlered. This can be compared to Delta’s firearm numbers from 2023 — 2,013 taken, 77% antlered — and 2022 — 2,499 taken, 69% antlered.

In Menominee County, 2,794 harvests by firearm were made and reported by the same time, also with 77% antlered. In 2023, Menominee County’s firearm hunters took 3,037, and 72% had antlers. The year prior, 66% of firearm kills in the county were antlered.

In Schoolcraft County, 384 deer had been reported as taken by firearm by noon on Monday, and 95% had antlers. Last year, 89% of the county’s 492 firearm kills were antlered. In 2022, 88% of Schoolcraft’s 614 were antlered.

The DNR publishes a deer harvest report summary on their website that updates in real time as information from hunters rolls in, hence the pinpointing of a specific time (12:00 p.m. on Nov. 25) for reference here. All percentages in this article have been rounded to the nearest whole number.

Reports can be made online at Michigan.Gov/HarvestReport, through the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app, at the Customer Service Center at 6833 U.S. 2 and 41 and M-35 between Escanaba and Gladstone, or by calling 517-284-9453.