If one wants a healthy herd here in MI, then hunters have to follow the science, biologists and vets. The issue always is the highest majority of hunters disagree. Then you have TV shows and Dr. Dear telling everyone about MONSTER bucks on every piece of private property.
One also has to consider the number of hunters in MI vs the numbers in the so called "trophy states". MI has dwindling numbers of hunters as do all states. Michigan held 3rd place for the number of hunters for decades behind Texas and Pennsylvania. MI has now fallen to 5th, with 586,000 whitetail hunters. Compare that to Iowa, where the state’s 8,200 paid hunting-license holders in 2018 constitute the nation’s smallest state contingent, according to the F&WS. These hunters took 1,900 deer in 2017-2018, with residents harvesting 1,700 and nonresidents 200. Archers took about 400 of the deer.
MI has a lot of really nice bucks, many of them taken off public lands every year. Private land owners are cashing in on HUGE sums of money leasing even smaller properties to hunters. Its nothing to have to pay $40 per acre.
Between disease, insurance companies, farm bureau, cattle farmers and farmers in general, you'll never see a lack of deer tags in MI.