Deer hunting licenses increase in the Upper Peninsula amidst pandemic

MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) - The Michigan Department of Natural resources is seeing a rise in hunting licenses since the pandemic began and they’re hoping to keep it going for the firearm deer season.

According to the Detroit News, the DNR has issued 751,310 deer hunting licenses compared to 584,802 licenses issued in 2019.

U.P. DNR spokesman, John Pepin, said they have seen increases in Marquette and Houghton counties specifically. He also said many of the licenses being obtained this year are by first-time hunters.

“Primarily from the 17 to 34-year-old is where we’ve seen the biggest increase and we haven’t seen increases in that age range for several years,” Pepin said. “So, it’s encouraging and it’s encouraging that the license sales are up and that folks are out.”

As deer hunting season approaches its peak, Pepin advised to be aware of Chronic Wasting Disease in certain areas. CWD is a fatal disease in deer that is not known to be transmitted to humans, but it wise to get the deer tested for the disease if found in a previously infected area. Below is the CWD Surveillance map.