Michigan's archery deer season opens today with a new digital tagging option available to hunters for the first time.
Hunters who purchase a deer license through the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Hunt Fish app now receive an electronic harvest tag, or eHarvest tag, on their smartphone instead of a traditional paper kill tag. The tag can be validated with or without cellular service. Hunters are still required to report their harvest within 72 hours or before transferring possession of the deer, whichever comes first.
The DNR expanded digital tagging to deer this year following pilot programs with turkey hunters in 2024 and 2025. The system is available through the Hunt Fish app and is optional for hunters who prefer traditional paper tags.
Brent Rudolph, the DNR's deer, elk and moose management specialist, said the process is similar to other digital tickets people use every day.
“If you think about buying tickets to a concert or a sporting event, it's very similar. Now your ticket, your tag for hunting, is digital and on your phone.”
Hunters who buy licenses through the Hunt Fish app receive their digital tag immediately, while hunters who purchase licenses online through eLicense continue to receive a paper tag by mail.
As hunters head into the woods this fall, food sources could also influence where deer are found.
Rudolph said white oak acorns, a preferred food source for deer, are beginning to drop across parts of Michigan.
“White oaks really drop those acorns in September and October, so for bow hunters, they'll be looking for places having good production of white oak acorns.”
The DNR's 2026 deer hunting outlook notes strong hard mast production, including acorns, in parts of the state. Wildlife biologists say abundant acorns can concentrate deer in wooded areas and reduce movement into agricultural fields and other feeding locations.
The DNR's annual deer hunting preview reported strong fawn recruitment and normal antler development in much of the state heading into the season.