# Michigan Deer Control
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Significance
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Whitetails readily utilize swamps and waterways. Overhunting made whitetails a conservation concern in Michigan by the early 20th century. State management, widespread conversion of land to deer-friendly habitat and a decline in natural predators prompted an explosive increase in numbers. By 1989, some two million deer inhabited Michigan. Overpopulation of whitetails -- the scenario in most of modern Michigan -- results in habitat degradation, disease, starvation and increased deer-vehicle collisions.
Harvest
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Reduction in gray wolves contributed to the whitetail population explosion in Michigan. State-regulated hunting is a fundamental management tool in Michigan. Nearly 444,000 whitetails were killed by hunters in 2009. Bowhunting, standard-firearm and muzzleloading seasons typically fall between October and January. Along with buck harvests, licenses for does are allocated within given management units to reduce overpopulated herds.
Habitat Management
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Another critical tool in deer control in Michigan is management of deer habitat, which takes place both on public and private lands. The latter are particularly important because they encompass large areas of highly productive deer habitat types, such as aspen stands, croplands, oak woodlands and conifer groves. Manipulation of the distribution of trees and grasses directly affects the numbers of deer in these habitats.
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