In Michigan, you can shoot up to two antlered deer per season across the state (only one in DMU 117), plus one antlerless deer for each antlerless license you buy — up to 10 universal antlerless licenses per license year, and up to 10 more extended late antlerless licenses on top of that. Qualifying landowners can take additional antlerless deer under Deer Management Assistance Permits, which don’t count toward those caps. The theoretical ceiling for one hunter in one season is two antlered deer and 20 or more antlerless deer.
The Two-Buck Limit
The statewide limit for antlered deer is two per season. DMU 117 is the one exception, where you’re capped at one antlered buck.1Michigan Department of Natural Resources. 2025 Deer Hunting Regulations Summary
An antlered deer is one with at least one antler three inches or longer measured from the skull. Anything shorter counts as antlerless, and using the wrong tag on the wrong deer is a violation.
How you tag those bucks depends on which deer license you buy on top of your Base License. A Single Deer License ($20) gives you one kill tag good for one deer. The Deer Combo License ($40 resident, $190 nonresident) gives you two tags — one regular and one restricted — and the restricted tag carries antler point restrictions in most areas, meaning the buck must meet a minimum point count. Both tag types can also be used on antlerless deer during certain seasons, so buying a Combo doesn’t force you to fill both tags on bucks.1Michigan Department of Natural Resources. 2025 Deer Hunting Regulations Summary
Antler point restrictions vary by DMU and license type. The restricted tag on a combo license carries a four-point minimum in parts of the Lower Peninsula; some Upper Peninsula units have a three-point requirement on the single deer license. Youth hunters 16 and younger, mentored hunters, and apprentice license holders are exempt from APRs in all seasons and all units. Once a youth turns 17, the exemption ends and standard APRs apply.1Michigan Department of Natural Resources. 2025 Deer Hunting Regulations Summary
Stacking Antlerless Licenses
Antlerless is where the numbers climb. You can buy up to 10 universal antlerless deer licenses per license year, each valid for one antlerless deer in any open Deer Management Unit. From December 1 through January 11, you can buy up to 10 extended late antlerless deer licenses, and these don’t count against your universal antlerless limit.1Michigan Department of Natural Resources. 2025 Deer Hunting Regulations Summary
The universal antlerless license is the workhorse tag. It’s sold to residents and nonresidents, works on public and private land in all deer seasons, and is valid across any DMU that’s open to antlerless hunting.
Most hunters take nowhere near 20 antlerless deer. The DNR sets these ceilings high on purpose in areas where the herd needs to come down, particularly across the Lower Peninsula and in several counties with an extended archery season for antlerless deer running through January 31: Huron, Kent, Lapeer, Macomb, Oakland, Sanilac, St. Clair, Tuscola, Washtenaw, and Wayne.
Where Antlerless Access Is Limited
The Upper Peninsula is a different story. All UP DMUs are closed during the early and late antlerless firearm seasons. Antlerless harvest there happens mostly during archery and muzzleloader seasons, and only in units where it’s specifically allowed.
DMU 351 is the most restrictive unit in the state. No antlerless access permits are issued there, and universal antlerless licenses are not valid. DMU 352 requires both an antlerless deer hunting access permit and a universal antlerless license for each antlerless deer taken. The access permit quota for DMU 352 is 500, distributed through a drawing with a July 15 to August 15 application period; leftovers go on sale September 8, first-come, first-served.1Michigan Department of Natural Resources. 2025 Deer Hunting Regulations Summary
One narrow opening exists in both DMU 351 and 352: you can use a single deer license or a deer combo kill tag on an antlerless deer during the early or late archery season without an access permit.
Going Beyond the Caps With DMAP
Deer taken under a Deer Management Assistance Permit don’t count toward your regular season limits, which is what makes DMAP the one path past the numbers above. The permits exist for landowners dealing with crop damage, deer-related safety hazards, or disease concerns. A landowner or authorized representative files an agreement with the local DNR wildlife management unit supervisor, who decides how many permits to issue with a minimum of five per applicant. The permits are valid only on the specific property listed and only during open deer seasons.2Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Deer Management Assistance Permits
Special Hunts With Their Own Bag Rules
Two special hunts change the standard math for eligible hunters.
The Liberty Hunt (September 13–14, 2025) is open to youth 16 and younger, mentored hunters, and hunters with qualifying disabilities. Participants can take one antlered deer and multiple antlerless deer during the hunt, one kill tag per deer, and APRs don’t apply.
The Independence Hunt (October 16–19, 2025) is limited to veterans rated 100% disabled by the VA and hunters holding specific DNR disability permits. During this hunt you can take one deer total, either antlered or antlerless.1Michigan Department of Natural Resources. 2025 Deer Hunting Regulations Summary
The Mentored Youth License ($7.50) lets children nine and younger hunt one deer while accompanied by a licensed adult 21 or older.3Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Fishing and Hunting License Information
Every Deer Has to Be Reported
A tag isn’t finished when the deer hits the ground. You must report each harvest within 72 hours, or before transferring possession to another person, a processor, or a taxidermist, whichever comes first. Reporting is done online at Michigan.gov/DNRHarvestReport or through the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish mobile app. You’ll need your kill tag license number, date of birth, harvest location, deer type, antler points if applicable, and the date of the kill. A family member or friend can submit the report for you if they have your tag information.4Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Harvest Reporting
Failing to report or failing to retain your confirmation number is a state civil infraction with a fine of up to $150. Michigan reduced this from a misdemeanor in 2023, but the citation is easy to earn if you skip the two-minute online form.5Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code MCL 324.40118
The Full Picture in One Season
Put together, a Michigan hunter working within the standard licenses can legally harvest two antlered deer plus 20 antlerless deer in a single license year, subject to the DMU where they hunt and the seasons open there. Add DMAP permits on qualifying private land and the number can go higher still. Most hunters won’t approach those numbers, but the regulatory ceiling is deliberately set high in the parts of the state where the DNR wants more antlerless deer removed.