The Great Lakes State is turning to its citizens for help in managing their growing deer population. Michigan's Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has launched a survey to gather public opinion on deer management practices, open through April 16, as the department confirmed.

Residents, whether they're hunters or not, are being urged to weigh in on how the state's approximately 2 million-strong deer population is affecting their daily lives, and agriculture, as the Detroit News reported. In recent years, the deer population has surged by 15%, leading to a sharp increase in deer-vehicle collisions which grew 21% to 58,984 incidents between 2012 and 2022, according to the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning.

Chad Stewart, DNR's deer, elk, and moose management specialist, said it's vital to understand how deer affect those who don't think about them daily. In a statement obtained by the Detroit News, Stewart emphasized, "It’s important that none of us are tethered to a single idea, that we are all willing to explore novel and diverse solutions to enhance our deer herd and effectively address the challenges ahead."

With hunter numbers dwindling from about 800,000 in the late 1990s to fewer than 500,000 now, the DNR is keen to cast a wider net for feedback. Hunters – primarily over the age of 50 – are no longer the only voices that matter when it comes to game management decisions, which now also hinge, on public sentiment gauged through tools such as the online survey, the state's DNR mentioned.

Contributing to the state's comprehensive Deer Management Initiative, everyone in Michigan is encouraged to share their views on deer, taking no more than five minutes to complete the survey on Michigan's DNR website. The data will help form a clear picture of residents' attitudes and inform the steering group comprised of public and stakeholder representatives.