• Though an elusive prey, deer call a wide area of Michigan home.whitetail buck image by Bruce MacQueen from Fotolia.com
  
  With its emphases on natural conservation, the state of Michigan boasts 99 state parks, thousands of miles of wilderness that are home to a large population of whitetail deer and the world's longest freshwater coastline. Hunters flock to Michigan each year to track trophy bucks, and you can join the adventure after learning the essentials.
  
  

Requirements

• In order to hunt in Michigan, anyone born after January 1, 1960 must have completed a state-certified hunter education course. These courses teach the proper and ethical use of firearms, care and respect for natural resources, and hunting safety etiquette and regulations. No hunting license, for deer or otherwise, can be purchased without proof of completion of one of these courses. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources provides a list of service centers that offer hunter education courses.
  
  

Licenses

• Michigan offers several different deer hunting licenses, and hunters are restricted by the number and types of licenses they can acquire per season. A Michigan deer hunter can purchase a single firearm deer license and a single archery deer license or a single combination deer license. A combination deer license gives the hunter two kill tags---one regular and one restricted---to use during whatever season he chooses---firearm, archery or muzzleloader. The restricted kill tag can only be applied to a deer that has four or more antler tines. Senior and youth discounts are available. To gain a license, a person must be a full-time resident of Michigan, a student attending school in Michigan or a member of the U.S. Military stationed in Michigan.
  
  

Equipment

• A Michigan hunter can choose to hunt with a bow and arrow, rifle or shotgun, depending on the season in which he wishes to hunt. Bows and arrows can be employed during firearm deer seasons, but only if the hunter is in possession of a regular firearm or combination hunting license. Firearms cannot be used during archery season. Hunters are also required to wear a cap, vest or jacket that is the color of hunter orange in order for safe visibility.
  
  

Species

• The Michigan deer population is primarily composed of whitetail deer, which are found in every county in the state. Whitetail deer are so named for the distinctive flash of white fur seen when their tails are raised in recognition of danger. Whitetail deer range in size from 125 to 225 pounds and display a reddish-brown coat in summer. The coat changes to a grayish color in winter.
  
  

Regulations

• At any time that a firearm is being transported in a vehicle, be it a car, boat, snowmobile or otherwise, the firearm must be unloaded. Firearms cannot be fired from a moving vehicle. Baiting and feeding of whitetail deer in order to draw them into firing range is banned due to concerns about the spread of disease through deer populations. Baiting and feeding bans do not apply to scent lures or deer calls.