In light of unforeseen technical issues with the licensing system provided by Sovereign Sportsman Solutions, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources reports that some hunters may not have been able to purchase a base license and deer kill tags today. The DNR is working with the vendor to resolve these issues, which are occurring across several states, as quickly as possible.

Hunters are encouraged to continue checking online or with local retailers for updates. As always, DNR conservation officers will be patrolling throughout the season. Over the next several days, officers will take these circumstances into consideration while making contacts with hunters.

Hunters who were not able to obtain a legally issued kill tag for their deer due to system outages should affix a temporary kill tag using materials they have on hand. The temporary tag should include the same information normally found on a kill tag:

• Identification of the hunter.
• The date the deer was killed.
• The sex of animal.
• Number of antler points on each side.

Customers who have purchased a license on the DNR website today are asked to use this temporary kill tag until their legal tag arrives in the mail.

Hunters always should carry proper identification when in the field. The DNR does not have the authority to waive a license as a requirement for hunting. Hunters who go afield this deer season are still required to buy a license from a retailer or online as soon as possible to meet their statutory obligations.