This week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast picks up on themes in a Detroit Free Press story detailing creative efforts by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) to stem the proliferation of deer in the state’s southern regions.

Ed Golder, public information officer at MDNR, explains the challenges and how wildlife officials are tackling them. This includes some important changes in 2024 hunting regulations.

The problem, as outlined in the story:

While the state just recently started requiring hunters to report deer harvests, the results are stark: Hunters reported killing 30,000 fewer deer in 2023 than the year before, an 11 percent decrease, according to the state.

In a letter to hunters last year, Chad Stewart, MDNR’s deer, elk and moose management specialist, urged a greater antlerless harvest.

Podcast image courtesy of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

As car-deer crashes persist, MDNR urges hunters to take action