BANGOR, Mich. — On Wednesday, one of the biggest holidays for many Michiganders kicked off, as many hunters went out to find their biggest deer.
Plenty of bucks hung outside Blinkers in Bangor. All the hunters wanted to be crowned the best of the best for Blinkers annual Buck Pole Contest.
Victoria Williamson was one of the many seeing if she bagged the best buck.
"This is the biggest buck I've ever shot," Williamson said.
Her score was a 12-point buck. However, before she found out, she saw her deer get up after getting shot. She says the deer walked about 400 yards.
"Instant Buck fever! Followed by an instant, 'Oh my gosh, it got back up. Oh, no. Oh, man, my husband's gonna be so mad,'" Williamson said.
Not all of them were looking for the most points. Glen Thompson brought in a doe.
"They said about 162 pounds, which is a pretty good size," Thompson added.
He's been hunting for 30-plus years. Thompson says there's one thing he's learned over the years about harvesting deer.
"Hey, it's meat. Meat is meat," Thompson said.
Every year, he looks to stock up his freezer full of venison.
"This past year is the first time we've gone from season to season without running out of venison," Thompson said.
As hunters look to stock up on meat, the Michigan DNR is encouraging people this time around to pass on the buck and aim for a doe.
DNR shows the deer population is increasing amid a decline in the amount of people hunting. According to state data, Michigan was the lowest midwest state in harvesting antlerless deer.
"I am asking hunters to consider the long-term benefits of being selective in their choice of taking a buck," DNR deer biologist Chad Stewart told FOX 17.
As the season gets underway, Thompson says he's already looking forward to all the food he is about to eat.
"Stew, sloppy joes, rose steaks, nice butterfly backstraps, mashed potatoes, and gravy," Thompson said.
Firearm season goes until the end of the month. In mid-December, late antlerless firearm picks up.
