Michigan Department of Natural Resources photo

IRON MOUNTAIN – Wind speeds were expected to pick up today as Michigan hunters enter the second day of the firearms deer season after seeing calm weather for the opener.

Hunters have 72 hours to report harvests online, but early opening day results showed about 125 bucks were taken across Dickinson and Iron counties and another 170 in Menominee County.

Gusts of up to 25 mph were expected in the region today with rain overnight. Sunday should be partly sunny, but gusts up to 25 mph remain in the forecast.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will host a virtual open house from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday to share information about proposed changes to the state’s deer management units.

Boundaries are reviewed every few years and this year’s investment covers units in the northern forest zone. DNR staff will talk to the public about the DMU review and the specific proposals being considered.

No changes have been made to unit boundaries since a county-based deer management system was established in 2014. But under proposed changes, the northern forest zone could see about half of the approximately 40 deer management units that existed before the county-based system.

According to Jeff Pritzl, state deer program specialist, larger units would provide more precision in developing population models to monitor the deer herd. However, the proposed units would overlap multiple counties, requiring County Deer Advisory Councils to collaborate on harvest recommendations.

Link to Monday’s open house and registration information is available at

Wisconsin’s nine-day deer season opens Saturday, Nov. 23 — the latest window allowed. With this year’s season starting further away from the peak of breeding activity, fewer deer may be on the move compared to recent years, the DNR advised.

However, last year’s mild winter means that bird production and horn development will likely be better than in recent years. The forecast calls for a high temperature in the upper 30s for Wisconsin’s opener.

The latest Wildtalk podcast from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources focuses primarily on deer hunting. A link is available at

Sunday, Dec. 1 is the deadline to submit comments on proposed updates to Michigan state forest road maps. Public Act 288 of 2016 allows the use of ORVs on state forest roads unless the DNR states otherwise.

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