About 675,000 hunters are expected to scour woods and rural areas across the state over the 16-day firearm deer season.

The state Department of Natural Resources expects Tuesday's opening day to feature the same number of deer in the bottom half of Michigan's Lower Peninsula as last year.

Officials expect about 300,000 of Michigan's 1.6 million deer will be taken this season, but fewer hunters could take part the first day because it begins on a Tuesday and not the weekend.

You can keep tabs on one of the largest buck poles in northern Michigan.   Mancelona Chamber of Commerce is hosting the 57th annual Mancelona Buck Pole starting Tuesday at daybreak.  It runs through Wednesday at 7:00 p.m..

This year you can get a whole new look with a LIVE WEB CAM of the buck pole, which is expected to be up and running by 10:00 a.m..  You can also get photos of proud hunters along with statistics and contest results.

You can view buck pole photos from 2010 here.

This year, a new state law allows 10-year-olds to hunt with a firearm. There is also some changes in the deer baiting rules.

The Department of Natural Resources wildlife officials remind hunters that the DNR would like to check as many deer as possible during all the deer seasons to continue gathering critical data of Michigan's deer herd.

The data is important for monitoring the herd's health and determining population size.

During all deer seasons, deer can be checked at DNR Operation Service Centers from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday (except state holidays).  The last day to check your deer will be Jan. 6, 2012.

The DNR will test any deer that is identified as "suspect" for chronic wasting disease (CWD) and bovine tuberculosis (TB). The DNR will also collect samples of deer from areas where disease concerns have been identified, which include the five counties in the Northeastern Lower Peninsula within the TB area, as well as Iosco, Shiawassee, Cheboygan, and Emmet counties.

Hunting is also big business for northern Michigan. Please tell us how much you typically spend during the hunting season by voting in the poll below.  You can also post your deer hunting photos on UpNorthLive's Facebook fan page.