Molly Pavlat of Lansing shows an eight-point buck — one of two she took during this year’s Michigan firearm deer season in Menominee County. (Courtesy photo)

IRON MOUNTAIN — Michigan’s statewide firearm deer harvest is down about 5% from a year ago with local counties dropping more than that.

In Dickinson County, the total reported harvest of 1,038 represents an 18% drop. Iron County, with a harvest of 1,070, was down nearly 10%.

Menominee County’s harvest total of 3,161, the highest in the U.P., was down nearly 12%. Delta County’s total of 2,015 represents a 12% drop as well. Marquette County showed a 22% drop with a harvest total of 946.

Those numbers are preliminary, as some hunters may be late in registering a harvest through the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ online system.

The antlered portion of the deer harvest in Dickinson County numbered 812, down from 951 in 2024. Iron County’s antlered total was 742 — 100 fewer than a year ago.

Menominee County’s antlered harvest of 2,217 was down from 2,426 in 2024, while Delta County’s antlered total of 1,459 was down from 1,738. Marquette County’s antlered harvest dropped from 1,167 to 889.

Reports from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources indicate that deer movement during the firearm season was likely affected by off-and-on strong winds. The deer that were harvested were healthy, officials said.

Wisconsin hunters, meanwhile, took fewer bucks but more antlerless deer than a year ago during the state’s nine-day gun season. The season’s total was down 0.8% statewide, with the antlered harvest down 2.6% but the antlerless harvest up 0.9%, the Wisconsin DNR said.