Starting in 2008, both buck tags became restricted; one for bucks with 3 or more points on one antler and the other for bucks with 4 or more points on one antler. The objective was to protect young bucks with less than 3 points on one antler, so they could live at least one more year and grow larger antlers. This is difficult to accomplish in regions like the Upper Peninsula where severe winters are common that result in the deaths of many deer, including bucks that hunters have been forced to pass up by current regulations. That's what happened during the winter of 2012-2013 and will most likely be repeated during the winter of 2013-2014, which is shaping up to be worse than the previous winter.

Not only did some bucks perish that hunters were forced to pass up, those deer consumed valuable winter browse before they died, degrading winter habitat for future generations of whitetails. Protecting bucks from hunters only to have them die of malnutrition during the winter is poor deer management. It would have been far better for both the resource and hunters if hunters had harvested some of those bucks during hunting season to reduce the winter deer loss and protect the habitat. That can best be accomplished by going back to a combination deer license with one tag unrestricted, meaning a buck with one antler that is at least 3 inches long would be legal on that tag.

Hunters who choose to would still be free to practice more stringent antler point restrictions on a voluntary basis.

In deer hunter opinion surveys conducted by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) during 2006 and 2012, hunters preferred combination deer licenses with one unrestricted tag by a wide margin over any other option. And For Antler Point Restrictions to remain in effect, the DNR has a requirement that there must be at least 66% support among hunters who are affected. DNR surveys conducted annually since 2008 show less than 60% support in the Upper Peninsula for 2 restricted tags on combination deer licenses.

Returning the combination license to what it was prior to 2008, which was widely understood and accepted, will simplify deer hunting regulations besides making them more acceptable to the vast majority of deer hunters. It will result in better management of the Upper Peninsula deer herd while increasing recreational opportunities for deer hunters, which is a win, win situation.