Michigan will have a new “one-buck rule” for the 2027 hunting season.

On May 13, 2026, the state’s Natural Resources Commission approved the new hunting regulation. The change will apply only in the Lower Peninsula; the Upper Peninsula will remain under the two-buck-per-hunter rule. The new regulation takes effect March 1, 2027. The combo license will remain available, allowing hunters to harvest two deer in one season: one antlered buck with a regular tag and one antlerless deer with a restricted tag in the Lower Peninsula.

The change aims to improve buck age structure, the buck-to-doe ratio and overall deer population management. For many hunters, it marks a major shift. They have hunted under the two-buck rule their entire lives, which dates to the early 1990s. Many are now asking why the change is happening now.

Michigan is one of the few states where hunters, on average, harvest more antlered deer than antlerless deer. According to the Department of Natural Resources, only 4% to 7% of antlered deer harvested in an average season are a hunter’s second buck, while nearly 80% of hunters do not harvest any antlerless deer. DNR deer, elk and moose management specialist Brent Rudolph said the agency expects a drop in license sales in 2027, with many hunters switching to the single license rather than buying the combo.

“In the Lower Peninsula in recent years, about 75% to 80% of the combined sales of single and combo deer licenses have been combo licenses,” Rudolph said. “A 3-point antler point restriction will be applied to the single deer license, so that will be a disincentive for some individuals who might otherwise switch."

A bill has passed the state Senate but has not yet been taken up in the House of Representatives regarding license prices.

“Ultimately, there are a lot of permutations to consider, and hunters will also have a number of things to consider,” Rudolph said. “Regardless, we do expect that between some switching from combination licenses to single deer licenses and the likely decrease in antlerless license purchases, sales of the overall number of tags will decline in 2027.”

Although there is no exact timetable, the door has been left open for a potential unique program to allow a hunter to harvest a second antlered deer.

“There are many different potential approaches for an 'Earn-a-Second-Buck' pilot,” Rudolph said. “We’ll be working over the next several months to identify counties for the pilot, plan the software and database changes that would be needed in our harvest reporting system and retail sales system, and consider the relevant regulations and legislation.”

As summer approaches, the topic and additional details are expected to remain relevant.