GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says new reporting rules for deer hunting season rolled out smoothly.

For the first time this year, the DNR required deer hunters to report their harvests online within 72 hours. Chad Stewart with the DNR said hundreds of deer were reported and the agency is pleased with the data. He is hopeful even more hunters will take part next year.

The old system was not very reliable. It took several weeks for hunters to record their harvests. Many forgot and missed the deadline. The new rules keep reporting top of mind and give the DNR a more accurate count of the harvest. The new system applies to all methods of deer hunting. Stewart said it only takes a hunter about five minutes to input the information.

He said there may be some tweaks to the program. The DNR will listen to feedback and see if anything needs to be modified for next season.