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Deer Damage Permits
These permits are issued by your local field office for crop damage. If you are experiencing crop damage by deer contact your local office for assistance. Deer Damage Shooting Permits are issued to resolve agricultural or horticultural damage occurring on properties outside of deer hunting seasons. They are only valid outside of a deer hunting season and within a specified time period determined by the local Wildlife Division (WLD) staff. The local staff may make a site visit prior to issuing kill tags to assess the extent of the damage. Individuals who use these permits may keep the harvested deer or donate it, but above all, the carcass must not go to waste.
5.40 Deer damage shooting permit, definitions.
Sec. 5.40 For the purposes of sections 5.41 to 5.43 of this order, the terms in this section shall have the
meaning ascribed to them in this section.
(1) "Permit" means a deer damage shooting permit.
(2) "Permittee" means a person who has applied for and been issued a deer damage shooting permit by
the department.
(3) "Authorized designee" means a person who has been designated, in writing, by a permittee to
implement the provisions of a deer damage shooting permit. The department reserves the right to deny a
person, including the permittee, the authority to personally implement the provisions of a permit if such
authority would conflict with a court order, administrative rule, or law.
History: Eff. Mar 31, 1989; Am. 6, 1990, Eff. Jun 18, 1990.
5.41 Deer damage shooting permit; standards, conditions, records; unlawful acts.
Sec. 5.41 (1) Deer damage shooting permits may be issued statewide to owners of specific lands with
significant agricultural or horticultural crop damage documented by the department.
(2) A deer damage shooting permit shall not be valid:
(a) Except during the time period authorized by the permit.
(b) During an open season for deer.
(3) The permittee shall keep records as may be required by the director and present them for inspection at
the request of a conservation officer or wildlife biologist.
(4) The permittee or authorized designee shall make a reasonable effort to retrieve all deer killed under
the authority of a permit.
(5) A person killing a deer shall immediately validate the deer damage permit tag as instructed on the tag
and attach the tag to the gambrel or jaw of the deer. The postcard portion of the tag shall be mailed to the
department by the person killing the deer within 24 hours after having killed that deer.
History: Eff. Mar 31, 1989; Am. 6, 1990, Eff. Jun 18, 1990; Am. 5, 1996 Eff. Sep 1, 1996; Am. 10, 2002, Eff. Jul 15, 2002; Am. 7, 2012, Eff. Jun 15, 2012.
5.42 Deer damage shooting permit, prohibited acts.
Sec. 5.42 (1) It shall be unlawful for a permittee to designate more than 15 authorized shooters to
implement the provisions of the permit unless additional shooters are approved by the wildlife management
unit supervisor and district law enforcement supervisor.
(2) It shall be unlawful for a permittee or an authorized designee to:
(a) Kill more than the number of deer authorized by the permit.
(b) Possess a deer killed under the authority of a permit without having a validated deer damage permit
tag attached to the deer.
(c) Take or attempt to take a deer within the permit boundaries unless in possession of a valid unused
deer damage permit tag. The tag shall be presented upon demand to a representative of the director.
(d) Use a firearm other than a centerfire rifle or shotgun with slugload.
(e) Subject to section 43510, subsections (2) and (3), of Part 435, as amended, hunting and fishing
licensing, MCL 324.43510, possess an uncased or loaded firearm in the vehicles authorized by the permit.
(f) Kill a deer with antlers extending three inches or more above the skull unless approved by the wildlife
management unit supervisor.
(g) Take or attempt to take a deer using an artificial light or from one-half hour after sunset to one-half
hour before sunrise unless approved by the wildlife management unit supervisor and district law
enforcement supervisor.
(h) Take or attempt to take a deer in any area except that location described on the permit.
(3) It shall be unlawful for any person to buy or sell any deer killed under the authority of a deer damage
control permit.
(4) It shall be unlawful for any person other than the permittee or an authorized designee to take or
attempt to take deer under the authority of a valid permit.
History: Eff. Mar 31, 1989; Am. 6, 1990, Eff. Jun 18, 1990.; Am. 5, 1996, Eff. Sep 1, 1996; Am. 10, 2002, Eff. Jul 15, 2002; Am. 2, 2005, Eff. Mar
11, 2005; Am. 7, 2012, Eff. Jun 15, 2012.
5.43 Deer damage shooting permit, reservation of rights.
Sec. 5.43 Final disposition of animals killed under permit will be determined by the wildlife management
unit supervisor or representative. In all cases, efforts should be made to assure the carcass will be used for
human consumption to the fullest extent possible.
History: Eff. Mar 31, 1989; Am. 6, 1990, Eff. Jun 18, 1990; Am. 5, 1996, Eff. Sep 1, 1996; Am. 10, 2002, Eff. Jul 15, 2002.
5.44 Deer damage shooting permit; revocation, suspension.
Sec. 5.44 (1) Pursuant to section 40118 of part 401, wildlife conservation, of the natural resources and
environmental protection act, Act No. 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being section 324.40118 of the
Michigan Compiled Laws, a conviction for a violation of the provisions of sections 5.41 to 5.43 of this
order shall result in the revocation of a permit.
(2) A modification, suspension, or revocation of a permit is subject to the provisions of section 40114 of
part 401, wildlife conservation, of the natural resources and environmental protection act, Act No. 451 of
the Public Acts of 1994, being section 324.40114 of the Michigan Compiled Laws.
(3) Failure to comply with these and other rules of the out-of-season deer damage control program will
make the permittee ineligible to participate in the deer damage shooting permit program for a period of 1
year.
History: Eff. Mar 31, 1989; Am. 6, 1990, Eff. Jun 18, 1990; Am. 6, 1998, Eff. May 15, 1998.