The 2007 bow harvest went up by .9 of a percent in the Saginaw Bay District (21,403 and 21,204). Four percent fewer bucks were taken (12,135 versus 12,652) compared with an 8.4 percent hike in the antlerless harvest (9,268 and 8,553). Deer numbers are high throughout this district. Best chances for a book buck are in Saginaw, Isabella, Tuscola and Sanilac counties.

Bowhunters in the southeast district experienced almost a 30 percent rate of success (29.8). The percent of bowhunters who manage to collect bucks in this district is 20.2. Counties in this urban district that encompass the state's largest city are Monroe, Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Genesee, Lapeer and St. Clair. The bow kill increased 7.3 percent here last fall (12,861 versus 11,976). The number of bucks bagged went up slightly (7.615 compared with 7,568), but the take of antlerless deer jumped by 18.8 percent (5,237 and 4,409).

Archers who venture to Region 2's northwest district can also expect to have close to a 30 percent rate of success (28.5). The counties in this district are Oceana, Newaygo, Mecosta, Osceola, Lake, Mason, Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse and Leelanau. The bow kill declined by 4.1 percent in this district for 2007 (18,572 and 19,361). The harvest of antlerless deer was close to the same the last two years (7,615 and 7.590), while the number of bucks taken last fall went down by 6.5 percent (10,982 versus 11,746).

Counties in the southern portion of the northwest district, such as Mecosta, Newaygo, Oceana and Osceola, have the highest deer numbers. The number of trophy class bucks coming from Leelanau County in the north part of this district has increased dramatically in recent years because the bucks must have 3 points or more that are at least an inch in length on one antler to be legal.

Bowhunting success among archers who spend their time in Region 2's northeast district is the lowest in the state at 23.1 percent for 2007. Part of the reason for that is baiting is illegal in seven of the district's counties. The ability to use bait increases bowhunting success. Baiting is prohibited in designated counties because some of the deer in those counties are infected with TB.

Those counties are Presque Isle, Otsego, Oscoda, Montmorency, Crawford, Alpena and Alcona. Baiting is legal in all other counties in the state. Where baiting is legal, hunters are limited to two gallons of bait per day per location and it must be spread over as wide an area as possible rather than being dumped in a pile, so feeding activity is not concentrated in one spot.

Counties in the northeast district where baiting is legal are Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet, Cheboygan, Iosco, Ogemaw and Roscommon. Deer numbers are also higher in counties where baiting is legal. Antlerless permits have been available in unlimited quantities for the TB Zone for years in an effort to keep whitetail numbers as low as possible to limit the spread of the disease.

Special antler restrictions are in effect for a portion of Iosco County. Bucks must have at least 2 points on an antler to be legal. Like other areas of the state where this type of restriction exists, there doesn't seem to be any major benefits from it in terms of improving overall antler quality of bucks.