LANSING, MI (AP)-- State officials say deer hunters had better luck this year in Michigan's Lower Peninsula, while the Upper Peninsula harvest was down.
The Department of Natural Resources released early estimates Thursday from the firearm season, which ended Nov. 30.
Biologists estimate the Lower Peninsula take rose as much as 17 percent compared to 2014. In the U.P., it declined about 19 percent.
Deer specialist Chad Stewart says Lower Peninsula deer numbers didn't drop significantly the past few years, while the acorns and wild apples they eat did well.
U.P. bucks that were registered tended to be 3 ½ or 4 ½ years old, reflecting the low number of younger deer because of bitterly cold winters.
Biologist Ashley Autenrieth says mild weather this fall may help U.P. deer begin a comeback.
