LANSING, Mich. (AP) – The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says it now lists 1 million deer in a database that provides information used to develop policies on managing the population. Officials say the agency has been compiling the data for more than 50 years and began collecting records on individual deer in 1987. The DNR encourages hunters to bring the deer they kill to check stations, where details such as the animal’s age, sex and harvest location are recorded. Those who submit their deer for inspection are given a hunter cooperator patch. Biologists analyze the data to understand how Michigan’s deer herd changes over time. The information helps the DNR understand the relationship between regulatory changes such as antler point restrictions and the deer herd’s response.
