COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Drivers should be alert today as it’s the first day of firearm deer season in Michigan.
If the Branch County 911 Central Dispatch log from Thursday night is any indication, the deer are on the move.
There were five car-deer accidents reported in a 15 minute period just after 6:00 p.m. in Branch County.
Reports from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources indicate deer are plentiful but DNR deer specialist Chad Stewart says the numbers of hunters pursuing those deer continues to drop across the state.
Stewart says the trend is expected to continue. He adds there has also been a decline in all forms of hunting.
Meanwhile, the Michigan United Conservation Clubs says hunting seasons contribute nearly $9 billion to the state’s economy every year and that over a half million hunters participated in deer hunting seasons last year.
