Michigan’s 2025 Liberty Hunt Harvest Totals Are Rolling In

Every September, Michigan's woods get a splash of blaze orange, as young hunters and those with qualifying disabilities head out for the annual Liberty Hunt. The early-season weekend (September 13 and 14, 2025) often gives us our first real look at harvest numbers, and already the reports are trickling in.

RELATED: Michigan Hunters Warned: Don’t Eat Deer Harvested Near This Marsh

But if last year taught us anything, it's this: the numbers you report won't jive with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) calculations.

Hunter Reports vs. DNR Math

In 2024, hunters across the Mitten State filled in their online harvest reports, logging just under 300,000 whitetails across all seasons statewide. Then the DNR came along with their math skills and said, "Actually, Michigan, you harvested closer to 373,000." That's nearly 75,000 more deer than hunters admitted to. Unless deer have suddenly mastered invisibility, the reality is that underreporting is a major factor in the current self-reporting system.

How Big Is the Underreporting Problem?

The Liberty Hunt wasn't immune either. Hunters reported harvesting 5,320 deer, while the DNR estimates the true total was closer to 6,783—a gap of more than 20%. So, when you scroll through this year's totals to date, just know they're more of a 'rough draft' than a final chapter.

RELATED: DNR: Michigan's 2024 Deer Harvest Underreported by Nearly 75,000

2025 Liberty Hunt Harvest Totals: County-by-County Breakdown

As the 2025 whitetail deer season unfolds—from the Liberty Hunt all the way to January's late hunts—expect another round of upward revisions.