Officials say the 2012 firearm deer hunting season harvest in Michigan appears similar to that of the 2011 season or up slightly.
The state Department of Natural Resources on Thursday released a preliminary assessment saying hunter reports from around the state have been mostly positive.
An annual survey of hunters via mail is planned to get more details.
DNR biologists estimate the harvest, compared to 2011, was up perhaps as much as 10 percent across the Upper Peninsula and very similar to last year in the northern Lower Peninsula.
The number of deer killed in the southern Lower Peninsula varied widely, with the forecast anywhere from 5 percent lower to 5 percent higher than 2011.
Firearm deer hunting season started Nov. 15 and ran through Nov. 30.
