Photo by: FOX17

By: Andy Curtis

Posted 3:59 AM, May 14, 2026

NRC votes to limit Lower Peninsula antlered deer harvest, eliminate rifle line

and last updated 6:15 AM, May 14, 2026

MICHIGAN — Michigan deer hunters in the Lower Peninsula will be limited to harvesting one antlered deer per season starting March 1, 2027, following a vote by the Natural Resources Commission (NRC).

You can watch the May 13 meeting for yourself here.

The new “one buck rule” reduces the antlered deer bag limit from a potential two bucks in previous seasons to one. Under the change, a single deer license can be used on either an antlered or antlerless deer — but if a hunter shoots a buck, that will be their only buck for the season. Hunters can still purchase additional antlerless tags.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Michigan DNR proposes one buck rule, additional changes to deer hunting in the state

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The NRC said the rule change is intended to cause hunters to be more selective when hunting bucks and increase the opportunity for antlerless deer to be harvested, with the goal of improving the buck-to-doe ratio.

Deer hunting is the primary method used to manage Michigan’s deer herd. Over the decades, deer hunting has generally declined in Michigan, leading to an abundance of deer in the Lower Peninsula and an increase in deer-related car crashes and crop damage.

The one buck rule is one of several changes to come out of the NRC’s meeting. Another significant change is the elimination of the limited firearm deer zone for the 2026 season.

The rule was originally in place due to safety concerns of high populations of people in the southern zone.

2025 BOUNDARY MAP:

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The proposed 2026 lottery season would give up to 5,000 resident hunters access to 10,000 recreational alligator tags.

Written by Rachelle Schrute

3 MIN READ

May 13, 2026 6:08 p.m. EDT

Louisiana’s Proposed Alligator Hunt Would Add 10,000 Recreational Tags | GearJunkie

Louisiana alligator; (photo/Shutterstock)

Louisiana has a lot of alligators.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries estimates the state has more than 3 million wild alligators, plus nearly 1 million more on farms.

So the state is moving toward a major expansion of recreational alligator hunting.

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission approved a Notice of Intent for LDWF to conduct a statewide recreational alligator hunting season from Oct. 1 through Oct. 31, 2026. The proposed season would be separate from the state’s commercial alligator program, and public comment remains open through June 26, 2026.

The proposal follows Senate Bill 244, authored by Sen. Robert Allain, which gives the commission authority to create a special recreational alligator season independent of the traditional commercial season. The enrolled bill allows the commission to set season areas, quotas, tag allotments, residency rules, legal methods, and harvest hours.

A Bigger Lottery Hunt

Under the proposed rule, the recreational season would run through a lottery. Only Louisiana residents who are at least 16 years old and hunter-ed certified could apply.

LDWF could select up to 5,000 participants. Each successful applicant would receive two recreational alligator hide tags, creating a maximum of 10,000 for the season.

Hunters would need a basic hunting license, a recreational alligator hunting license, valid recreational hide tags, and written proof of land ownership or landowner permission.

The proposed recreational license would cost $25 for residents. Nonresidents couldn’t apply for the lottery, but they could participate while physically present with a lottery-winning resident hunter. They’d also need the required nonresident licenses.

The Proposed Rules Keep the Hunt Tight

The proposed rules wouldn’t allow hunters to wander into the swamp and start shooting alligators. The proposal would limit recreational hunters to hook-and-line or snatch-hook methods. Hunters would need to anchor or tether those lines, or run them from eligible immovable property with written landowner permission.

Pole hunting and free shooting would be prohibited.

Hunters could use a firearm or a bang stick to dispatch an alligator only after they’ve taken it on hook and line. They would also allow hunters to dispatch a secured alligator from a boat, as long as the animal remains attached to a line anchored, tethered, or run from eligible immovable property.

Recreational Means Recreational

The proposed recreational tags would be no-sale tags. Alligators, hides, meat, and parts taken under those tags couldn’t be sold, bartered, or moved into commercial channels.

They also couldn’t be mixed with commercial-tag alligators.

Properties already issued commercial harvest tags would be excluded from recreational eligibility. That’s a key part of the proposal, because it aims to expand recreational opportunity without directly overlapping with Louisiana’s existing commercial alligator program.

Louisiana’s Alligator Comeback

LDWF describes the American alligator as a commercial, renewable natural resource managed through sustainable wild harvest and alligator farming.

The agency says Louisiana’s wild alligator population has grown from fewer than 100,000 animals to more than 3 million over the past 50 years.

That’s the conservation story behind the proposal. Louisiana’s alligator population recovered under regulated management, and the state is now considering a larger recreational harvest structure around that success.

What Happens Next

LDWF is taking public comment on the proposed rule through June 26, 2026. After that, the department can compile comments, send the required report to legislative oversight committees, and move toward final rules for the 2026 season.

For Louisiana hunters, the proposal could create a sizable new opportunity. For LDWF, it would add another harvest structure to one of the country’s most established alligator management programs.