The bowkill went up by 4.6 percent in Region 3 last fall, according to preliminary Department of Natural Resources figures. The estimate of the number of bucks and does taken by archers in the region for 2004 is a whopping 79,425 compared to 75,965 in 2003.

The buck kill was up slightly by 1.1 percent and the antlerless harvest increased by 9.8 percent. There were an estimated 45,998 bucks bagged by bowhunters in the region last fall compared to 45,495 the year before. The tally for does and fawns went up to 33,424 from 30,445.

Counties in the southwest portion of Region 3 -- Branch, St. Joseph, Cass, Berrien, Van Buren, Kalamazoo, Calhoun, Barry, Allegan, Kent, Ottawa and Muskegon -- experienced the greatest increase in bow harvest during 2004, going up by 11.4 percent. That district will be one of the best in the state for bowhunters to score this year, too. A total of 22,776 deer of both sexes were arrowed there last fall compared to 20,438 for 2003. The buck kill went up 4.1 percent, and there was an increase of 23.1 percent in the harvest of does and fawns.

The buck kill in southwestern counties was 13,001 during 2004 compared to 12,490 in 2003. The number of antlerless deer tagged last fall in those counties was 9,774 versus 7,939.

There was a 6.4 percent increase of the bow harvest in Region 3's south-central counties, another excellent district for bowhunters to meet with success this year. This area includes Lenawee, Hillsdale, Washtenaw, Jackson, Livingston, Ingham, Eaton, Shiawassee, Clinton, Ionia, Gratiot and Montcalm counties. A total of 28,812 deer were taken in that portion of the region during 2004 compared to 27,084 in 2003. The buck kill was up by 3.3 percent and the antlerless segment went up by 11.5 percent.

Archers in south-central counties tagged 17,387 bucks last fall versus 16,828 the year before. The number of does and fawns bagged went up to 11,424 from 10,243.

Bowhunters in the southeastern counties of Monroe, Wayne, Macomb, Oakland, St. Clair, Lapeer and Genesee claimed 4.7 percent more deer last fall than the year before, according to preliminary data. The tally was 13,611 versus 13,005. The buck kill went up 2.2 percent in these counties, and there was a 7.6 percent increase in the antlerless kill.

The number of antlered bucks that were bow-bagged in this portion of Region 3 was 7,283 last fall compared to 7,126 for 2003. The tally for does and fawns was 6,328 versus 5,879.

The Saginaw Bay district of Region 3 -- Clare, Gladwin, Arenac, Isabella, Midland, Bay, Saginaw, Tuscola, Huron and Sanilac counties -- is the only one where the bowkill declined last fall over the year before. It was down 9.2 percent, dropping to 20,304 from 22,360. The buck harvest was down by 10.5 percent (11,019 versus 12,311) and the antlerless kill declined by 7.6 percent (9,284 compared to 10,049).

In the northern Lower Peninsula, or Region 2, bowhunters killed 11 percent fewer deer during 2004 than 2003. The total 2004 archery harvest for the region, according to preliminary figures, was 34,408 compared to 38,651 in 2003. The buck harvest was down 10.8 percent, and there were 11.2 percent fewer does and fawns taken by archers.

The estimated number of bucks bagged by bowhunters in the region last fall was 17,191 versus 19,268 from 2003. Almost the same number of antlerless deer were bagged by archers in Region 2 last fall as bucks -- 17,218 -- compared to the 19,397 does and fawns arrowed during 2003.

If you want to bag a deer with bow and arrow in Region 2 this fall, the northwestern counties of Mecosta, Newaygo, Oceana, Mason, Lake, Osceola, Missaukee, Wexford, Manistee, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska and Leelanau are definitely a better bet than those in the northeast. The bowkill in northwestern counties was only down by 5.8 percent during 2004, but the tally was off by 18 percent in the northeast.