The reason bowhunting success for does is so high in the U.P. is that far fewer antlerless permits are issued for the region than for the L.P. In fact, no antlerless permits are issued for northern U.P. counties, but antlerless deer are legal statewide for bow­hunters. The quota of antlerless permits for southern U.P. counties was also lowered last year, which means there’s a higher proportion of does in the herd. Bowhunter pressure is also much lighter in the U.P. than in the rest of the state.

That’s why U.P. bowhunters had an 18.9 percent success rate on does during 2008 compared with 13.5 percent in Region 3 and 11.8 percent for Region 2. Bowhunting success for deer of either sex in Region 1 was 30 percent last fall, according to the MDNR, versus 31.3 percent for Region 3 and 24 percent in Region 2. If you bowhunt in the western U.P. instead of the east, the success rate on does is 20.1 percent, far better than anywhere else in the state, and 31.8 percent for deer of either sex, putting that district in second place for the state by three-tenths of a percent behind South-Central District.

Because baiting remains legal in the U.P. is an important reason why bowhunting success during 2008 was as good as or better than Region 3.

The Western U.P. district excels at producing the best buck hunting success in the state during gun season.

U.P. firearms hunters had a 28.7 percent rate of success on bucks during 2008 compared with 23.9 percent in Region 3 and 22.9 percent for Region 2. Hunters who tried their luck with rifles, shotguns and handguns in the West U.P. District last fall experienced a 30.4 percent rate of success on bucks, more than 5 percentage points better than any other district in the state. Light hunting pressure and an abundance of older age bucks are what make these statistics possible.

Buck hunting success would have been even higher during the 2008 gun hunt in the U.P. if it weren’t for new more stringent antler restrictions than anywhere else in the state. As predicted, the rules reduced deer-hunting success and harvest across the region. Under the new rules, U.P. hunters who purchased individual gun or bow licenses could shoot a buck with 3-inch spikes or better, but could only shoot one buck per year. U.P. hunters with combo deer licenses valid for two bucks that were purchased after June 12, 2008, were restricted to shooting one buck with at least 3 points on an antler and one buck with at least 4 points on one antler.

Everywhere else in the state, one of the two tags of combo licenses was unrestricted, meaning a buck with at least 3-inch spikes was legal with that tag. Hunters in the L.P. who filled one of their combo tags with a buck that had less than 3 points on an antler could continue hunting for a second buck with their remaining restricted tag. Regional buck regulations are expected to remain the same this year.

The percentage of U.P. hunters who bagged a buck during all seasons in 2007, when spikes or better were legal to all hunters, was 35.3 percent, which was the best in the state. Last fall, that percentage dropped to 30.1 percent and came in second behind Region 3 (31.2 percent). During the 2007 firearms deer season, the U.P. success rate on bucks was 33.8 percent and tops for the state. That success rate dropped to 28.7 percent last fall but remained the best in the state for that season.