Laura Herberg

Hunters in Michigan are debating a proposed "one buck rule" aimed at balancing the buck-to-doe ratio and improving deer hunting. The Michigan Natural Resources Commission is considering a policy limiting

Michigan United Conservation Clubs announced Monday it is dissolving.

A 1921 law forced hunters to kill only one deer for decades, a buck. That policy likely created a culture of capturing that trophy buck in Michigan, which advocates say is a problem and something they’re trying to correct with a new one buck rule.

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Hunters are divided over a proposed “one buck rule” that some hope would help balance the buck-to-doe ratio, curb overpopulation in the Lower Peninsula and make deer hunting better for future generations by leaving more prize bucks on the table.

Some hunters gunning for a more balanced deer sex ratio in the state are disappointed the policy didn’t pass statewide.

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At a meeting that lasted more than nine hours, Michigan's Natural Resources Commission voted Wednesday to limit hunters in the Lower Peninsula to killing one antlered deer starting next year.

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