A controversial hunting season is being reinstated in the U.P. for the first time in 10 years.

Hunters will now be permitted to shoot antlerless deer with a bow for the first time in a decade. The Michigan Natural Resources Commission approved the “doe with a bow” tag for the 2025 deer hunting season two weeks ago. Antlerless deer harvest is now permitted during the archery season across most of the U.P. The change allows archery hunters to use their single deer or combination licenses to harvest antlerless deer, providing greater flexibility and contributing to population management efforts.

Previously, archery hunters using single deer or combination licenses were restricted to harvesting antlered deer only. Additionally, antlerless harvest was only permitted in select Deer Management Units (DMUs) and only with private-land antlerless deer licenses.

The change has the support of many groups, including the U.P. Deer Advisory Team. “This is going to help us conservatively balance the buck-to-doe ratios, increase herd health, increase buck survivability, increase fawn recruitment. They’re all biological plusses,” said UPDAT Chairman Jordan Hoover to Upper Michigan’s Source. “But the nice thing is, too, it’s going to provide an opportunity for U.P. families to put venison on the kitchen table.”

After rough winters in ’13 and ’14 resulted in low deer numbers throughout the U.P., the “doe with a bow” tag was eliminated in hopes of increasing the antlerless population. However, this created a buck-to-doe ratio imbalance, said Hoover. Since prohibiting bowhunting of antlerless deer in most of the U.P., there has been no measurable improvement in the herd population, according to Fox 2 Detroit. 

Others are not on board with the reinstatement, but Hoover is aware that there will be differences in opinion. Marquette County U.P. Whitetails member George Lindquist says the group does not support restoring archery doe tag season. He adds, hunters have the choice not to shoot a doe. “Hunters are the real managers. Hunters are the ones that decide,” said Lindquist. “If you take her out, you may have actually hurt the population in your area because, if you have less than 10 deer per square mile and take out the one that’s the best breeder, the best one to get her fawns through, it’s like, you’re not helping the resource.” Hoover said the job of the advisory team is to make the best decision for the deer herd based on science and biology, which is what they did. 

Archery season will be Oct. 1 to Nov. 14 and Dec. 1 to Jan. 1, 2026. Another change for the ’25 season includes allowing the harvest of bucks statewide during the Liberty and Independence Hunt for the youth and disabled, Oct. 16-19.