Richard, deer-hunting season IS an organized cull. The DNR counts the deer and decide how many can be harvested in a season and a meticulous count is kept. Usually, only bucks of a certain age may be taken although I think there may be an occasional doe season but it's certainly not normally allowed. There's also a bow season during which guns are absolutely prohibited. Bow hunters generally don't take many deer, though. You have to have a gun season to cull the population. Deer hunters are overwhelmingly cooperative in what they take. Killing a doe or fawn or taking deer out of season is strongly prohibited and those who get caught doing it never do it again. Other hunters will turn you in if they see you doing it. Deer hunters are generally not a bunch of idiots as they come from all walks of life--factory-workers, office-workers, lawyers, bankers, craftsmen, even housewives. White-tailed deer is BY FAR the biggest game animal in Michigan and populations are found in ALL counties in Michigan and I mean literally ALL.

If deer-hunting was banned, the DNR would have to kill thousands of deer from helicopters and leave the carcasses to rot. It just isn't practical. Deer-hunting is very well organized and is the ONLY effective measure of holding the deer population to a sustainable level. It is a passion here and it is a necessity.