Deer harvest was down

Michigan authorities say this year’s deer harvest appears to be down significantly from 2012 because of weather, disease and rule changes. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources said Thursday that early checks show the number of deer shot during the 2013 firearms hunting season fell in all regions of the state. The season ended Saturday. The DNR says the drop was about 15 to 20 percent in the Upper Peninsula and about 10 percent in the southern Lower Peninsula, with a slight decline in the northern Lower Peninsula. It says deer were hit by heavy, late snow in the Upper Peninsula and an epizootic hemorrhagic disease outbreak two summers ago in the South. It says new antler point restrictions on young bucks also played a role.  (AP)