The sun has gone down on day one of firearm deer hunting season. Some hunters across the state smiling right now after getting that opening day buck.
Deer hunting is obviously very popular in Michigan and it brings more than just venison to our freezers.
It's a two-billion dollar industry here and in the words of the DNR, today is the Superbowl of hunting in Michigan.
Millions of hunters are going to be going into the woods the next couple of weeks, which will be bringing in big money to local economies.
According to the DNR, each hunter is going to spend an average of two-thousand dollars on ammunition, hotels, and travel. Food and and lodging alone account for more than a billion dollars.
It all adds up to 2.3 billion dollars in economic impact in the state every year.
"Deer hunting is by far our largest hunting season so 90 percent of all hunters hunt deer..60 percent of hunters hunt only deer. So umm it is a very big day in Michigan a very big couple of weeks for local communities in terms of economic impact", said Ed Golder, Michigan DNR Public Information Officer.
It's not just the money that makes deer hunting big here in Michigan, it's also a great and beloved tradition. The DNR encourages hunters to get in the woods with the family and pass down the tradition to future generations.
The DNR wants to remind hunters to make sure they visit a check station to have their deer tested for chronic wasting disease before taking them home, or to a meat processor.
