# Deer Population/Density Map



## Frozenfish (Dec 20, 2004)

Does anybody know where I can find a current deer population/density map of Michigan? I've looked online and coundn't find what I was looking for. Found one on a qdma site but didn't have any data. Thanks for any help.


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## Pinefarm (Sep 19, 2000)

Nick A posted a good map, although it's from 2005. Look at the brown/tan map, lower right.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=252791&page=2


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## SimplisticStyle (Sep 18, 2008)

Try this site 
http://www.deerhunting.ws/densitymap.htm

Just click on the state to get a closer view. However this map is also from 2005 I believe.


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## Pinefarm (Sep 19, 2000)

I think that map is pretty old. Seems I've seen that one for years.


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## Sam22 (Jan 22, 2003)

yeah old.. and not all that impressive if you ask me.


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## Frozenfish (Dec 20, 2004)

Thanks for the link but that is the one I was referring to that I found on the qdma site. 

Nick A. had a similar map. I'm surprised there isn't something out there with the amount of data the DNR must have or claim to have. How do they issue doe tags, that must come from data somewhere...


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## tommy-n (Jan 9, 2004)

So these deer density maps are about as old as our cwd action plan


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## fairfax1 (Jun 12, 2003)

That map that Nick Adams has in his post #29 in this thread: http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/fo...=252791&page=2 
.....ain't good enough? Really?

Just what are you looking for?


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## Nick Adams (Mar 10, 2005)

Frozenfish said:


> Nick A. had a similar map. I'm surprised there isn't something out there with the amount of data the DNR must have or claim to have. How do they issue doe tags, that must come from data somewhere...


The DNR has annual population estimates. To my knowledge, the only time they have published them was during the quota change process in 2005.

-na


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## Frozenfish (Dec 20, 2004)

Not that it wasn't good enough, I just thought there would be something more...obviously I was wrong.


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## Kalamazooxj (Nov 18, 2007)

Wow... why aren't there more in the U.P.? Lack of farmland?


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## lyznixcre (Sep 14, 2009)

Thank you so much for the post. It's really useful.


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## Munsterlndr (Oct 16, 2004)

Nick is correct, the DNR has not published a county by county estimate since 2005. I believe they will be publishing another one next year unless lack of funding gets in the way. They do publish aggregated annual estimates for each zone. Using those estimates and comparing them to the zone estimates from 2005, you can at least get an idea of what the general population trends are within each zone. 

UP 2005 = 336,000
UP 2008 = 320,000

NLP 2005 = 498,000
NLP 2008 = 610,000

SLP 2005 = 868,000
SLP 2008 = 904,000

Net estimated change = +128,000 deer

Note that the herd had increased even higher during the two interim years but the population growth trend has eased somewhat since then. We don't have the figures yet for the 2009 estimated population.


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## Liver and Onions (Nov 24, 2000)

Frozenfish said:


> Does anybody know where I can find a current deer population/density map of Michigan? I've looked online and coundn't find what I was looking for. Found one on a qdma site but didn't have any data. Thanks for any help.


Another possible place to look is at last years Deer Harvest Report. There you can easy see the top DMU's for total deer kill and this will also provide the number of hunters per sq. mile. From the top ten DMU's for total harvest, the deer harvest ranges from 12.8 to 22.1 deer killed per sq. mile. The hunter density ranges from 16.4 to 29.5 per sq. mile. As you would expect, the top producing DMU is in Zone 3. It has both the highest deer kill per sq. mile and also the highest success rate for hunters. This DMU also has a good amount of public land and the land is spread out over a number of Townships.

L & O


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## Sam22 (Jan 22, 2003)

way to resurrect one from the dead! I got the alert in my e-mail and I was like... errr what? this thread is over a year old already. I do find it interesting however, that the population(s) are up, especially with the winter we had in the UP and NLP. Tough critters aren't they.


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## fairfax1 (Jun 12, 2003)

I'm stretching for this one as it came as a somewhat offhand remark....but....I think I heard the DNR won't be doing county (or DMU) estimates anymore. Rather, all there population estimates and reporting will be done by district....as in South Central LP, South West LP; East UP, etc.

There was no reference about the annual Deer Harvest Survey.....just populaitons.


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## QDMAMAN (Dec 8, 2004)

> Kalamazooxj said:
> 
> 
> > Wow... why aren't there more in the U.P.? Lack of farmland?


No. Lack of winter habitat. Winter habitat is the limiting factor in the UP.


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## Nick Adams (Mar 10, 2005)

QDMAMAN said:


> No. Lack of winter habitat. Winter habitat is the limiting factor in the UP.


We have as many deer as winter weather allows, rather than as many as recreational users would like to see.

This is what deer populations in balance with the habitat looks like. We can actually achieve that up here because we don't have to rely solely on recreational hunters to get there. 

-na


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

> This is what deer populations in balance with the habitat looks like. We can actually achieve that up here because we don't have to rely solely on recreational hunters to get there.


Mother Nature must reside in the UP; she kills way more deer than hunters do. She is not particular on what sex or even what age deer that she kills. It's no wonder that we have the best age structure and sex ratio than any other zone in the state.


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