The times are a changin’, and for the state of Michigan and its deer populations, it’s not necessarily a good thing. Over the past 25 years, Michigan has experienced a dramatic 30% drop in deer hunters, losing approximately 200,000 participants since 1995, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. This decline, which has seen the state’s hunting community shrink from about 670,000 hunters to 470,000 by 2023, extends far beyond a shift in recreational habits. Decades later. It’s now creating a ripple effect of challenges for wildlife management, public safety, agriculture, and conservation funding. With deer populations soaring past 2 million, particularly in southern Michigan, the state faces mounting issues they are now forced to reconcile with fewer boots on the ground and a shrinking pot of available funding.
So, what exactly is driving the shrinking hunter population? According to Brent Rudolph who serves as the DNR’s Deer, Elk and Moose Management Specialist many hunters are aging out, with fewer young people taking up the sport to replace them. He also noted that limited access to private land discourages newcomers, especially those without family hunting traditions, not to mention the fact that modern youth are increasingly busy with academics, jobs, extracurriculars, and relocating for college or careers.
"They might be doing 5, 6, 7 things to get a scholarship and they might move away to go to college,” Rudolph said. “They're just more mobile than they used to be and a lot of that creates barriers to get involved."
Michigan DNR
The decline in hunters has far-reaching consequences outside of keeping the tradition alive as well. The 58,000 deer-vehicle collisions in 2023 burden drivers with costly repairs and medical expenses. Overpopulated deer devastate crops and strip vegetation, dense deer herds increase the spread of diseases like Chronic Wasting Disease and Bovine Tuberculosis, and with fewer hunting licenses sold, federal conservation funds dwindle, threatening the very programs that manage wildlife and habitats.
The DNR is actively addressing the crisis with initiatives they hope will work to recruit and retain hunters. The state has lowered the minimum hunting age to encourage early participation, with available mentor licenses being offered for supervised youth hunting. DNR officials have gone as far as extending hunting seasons and offering free hunter safety classes to help spur outdoor interest in the next generation.
Michigan DNR
With over 47% of Michigan’s wildlife budget coming through Federal coffers, Rudolph and many others are starting to hit the panic button. As the state promotes access to public hunting lands and other programs aimed at expanding their reach, only time will tell if today's youth will put down their phones and big up a rifle or a bow.
Making up ground on a 200,000 person loss is no easy feat, but by addressing barriers like access and cultural shifts, and promoting additional programs, the DNR remains hopeful that they will soon be able to stabilize participation.
