To allow the young buck population to rebound from last year's harsh winter, which impacted pregnant does, as well, there are new regulations with hunting licenses and harvest tags this year.

Buck hunting regulations in the Upper Peninsula depend upon the type of license purchased and the date that license was purchased.

Any hunter who purchased his or her deer hunting license before June 12 is exempt from the new regulations for 2008.

Combination license holders have antler point restrictions. To take an antlered deer in the Upper Peninsula with the regular combination license, the deer must have at least one antler with three or more antler points, each at least one inch in length.

"Basically, with the old license, you can shoot a spike horn buck," explained Al Colegrove, of St. Ignace, a longtime hunter and member of the Straits Area Sportsmen's Club. "With the new license, you can't. When taking an antlered deer, they have to have at least three points on one side."

Minimum total antler points allowed for the restricted combination license are unchanged (at least one antler with four or more antler points, each at least one inch in length).

The combination license has two kinds of kill tags, regular and restricted.

Regular combination kill tags can be used in the archery seasons to tag either an antlered or antlerless deer. The regular combination kill tag can be used in the firearm seasons on private land in the Lower Peninsula to tag a legal (an antler three inches or longer) antlered deer or any size, however, the late firearm season is closed to the Upper Peninsula.

Restricted combination kill tags can be used in the archery season to tag an antlerless deer or it can be used to tag an antlered deer during either the archery or firearms seasons if the antlered deer has at least one antler with four or more antler points, each one an inch or longer.

It is unlawful to use this tag on a smaller antlered deer regardless of the season or area in which it was taken. The restricted combination kill tag cannot be used to tag an antlerless deer during the firearm or muzzleloading seasons.

Hunters possessing both a firearm and archery deer license are limited to taking only one antlered animal in the Upper Peninsula, all seasons combined. That deer must have at least one antler, three or more inches in length.

The archery license is valid for an antlerless deer during the U.P.'s archery season.

Understanding Types

of Licenses

A harvest tag is issued as part of the hunting season. Hunters can purchase a maximum of two licenses for taking antlered deer (either one combination license or both a firearm and an archery license).

Archery and firearm licenses include one harvest tag, while the combination license has two harvest tags.

A firearm license allows a person to take one deer with at least one antler three inches or longer.

An archery license allows an individual to take one deer of either sex.

A person with a combination license could take two deer of either sex during the archery season, two antlered deer during the firearm season, or one deer during each season.

Other Major Changes

for Fall 2008

• There is no acreage requirement to acquire a private land antlerless deer license.

• Hunters are limited to five private land antlerless deer licenses, of which no more than two may be purchased for Zones 1 (entire Upper Peninsula) and 2 (northern Lower Peninsula) combined.

• There is no trapping within 50 feet of the mowed portions of specific areas within state recreation areas.

Hunting Reminders

• A landowner's telephone number is required to acquire a private land antlerless license.

• You may purchase one archery deer license AND one firearm deer license OR one combination license. It is unlawful to purchase additional archery, firearm, or combination licenses.

• A free kill tag is required for bobcat, otter, fisher, and marten.

• Hunting foxes and coyotes from elevated platforms is permitted from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.

• Report hunting activity online at www.michigan.gov/dnr.