Although the blackpowder kill went up by 16.5 percent in the South-Central District, the increased harvest in terms of deer numbers was much greater than in the southeast because the South-Central District is larger in size. An estimated 10,682 whitetails were tagged during the muzzleloader hunt in south-central counties during 2004 versus 9,169 during 2003. Counties in the South-Central District are Hillsdale, Lenawee, Washtenaw, Jackson, Livingston, Ingham, Eaton, Shiawassee, Clinton, Ionia, Gratiot and Montcalm.

The blackpowder harvest also went up by 16.5 percent in the Saginaw Bay District during 2004. All but three counties in that district -- Clare, Gladwin and Arenac -- are in Region 3. The remaining counties from that district are Saginaw, Tuscola, Sanilac, Huron, Bay, Midland and Isabella. Muzzleloader hunters bagged an estimated 8,105 deer in this district last fall and 6,957 during 2003.

Interestingly, there was little change in the blackpowder season harvest over the past two years in the Southwestern District, which is the district that now has the greatest number of counties with whitetail populations higher than desired. Blackpowder hunters only took 1.5 percent more deer from that district last fall than the year before. The estimated kill was 8,488 during 2004 versus 8,361 for 2003. Perhaps that lower rate of change in the late-season harvest is why deer numbers now require more attention from hunters. The presence of uncut cornfields may have protected more whitetails there than elsewhere. The counties in the Southwestern District are Branch, St. Joseph, Cass, Berrien, Calhoun, Kalamazoo, Van Buren, Barry, Allegan, Kent, Ottawa and Muskegon.

As a reflection of how healthy the deer herd is in Region 3, the whitetail harvest during the late-season firearms antlerless-only hunt also increased significantly during 2004. DNR estimates show that the kill for that season in the Southeastern District went up by a whopping 39.2 percent (1,043 versus 750). An increase of 27.8 percent was experienced in the South-Central District (2,890 compared to 2,262) and 17.4 percent in the Southwestern District (4,347 versus 3,704).

The Saginaw Bay District is the only one in Region 3 that experienced a decline in the harvest of antlerless deer during the late December firearms season. The 515 does and fawns estimated taken for that hunt in 2004 were 21.6 percent lower than the 657 recorded during 2003.

Since the number of muzzleloader hunters who participated in the 2004 season was up statewide, it's clear that the presence of more deer in Region 3 was the main factor responsible for the increased harvest there. Although, the fact that the increase in hunter numbers was greatest in Region 3 had to play somewhat a role in how high the kill was. An increase of 7.1 percent in participants was experienced in southern counties between 2003 and 2004. The DNR estimated 124,191 blackpowder hunters took part in the hunt last December compared to 115,922 the year before.

The number of muzzleloader hunters went up by 6.6 percent in Region 1 (25,537 versus 23, 966). They increased by 5.6 percent in Region 2 (66,015 compared to 62,505).

You don't have to hunt in Region 3 to fill a late-season tag, of course. Plenty of hunting is also available all across Michigan. Bowhunters can try their luck statewide from Dec. 1 through Jan. 1. The 10-day U.P. muzzleloader hunt starts Dec. 2. In the northern L.P., or Region 2, the 10-day blackpowder season begins Dec. 9.

On a positive note, the harvest of antlered bucks during the muzzleloader hunt did go up last December in the eastern U.P. compared to the year before, according to DNR estimates. The buck kill in that portion of Region 1 increased by 24.5 percent during that 10-day season. In terms of deer numbers though, that only represents a little more than 100 critters. Nonetheless, it was an improvement from the year before.