It all started back in 1972 when the Michigan DNR decided to give deer hunters an incentive to bring their deer in every year to have them checked for age, health, sex, etc. The 1972 Michigan successful deer hunter patch features a buck and a doe head with a dark green background and yellow lettering. Oddly enough, this patch doesn't have the year on it as all subsequent successful deer hunter patches do. This first-year patch is considered to be the holy grail of successful deer hunter patches to our club members and is quite valuable. From the 1972 patch leading up to the 1977 patch, the DNR used a loose, cheesecloth-like material to make up the patches. Starting with the 1978 patch, they became sturdier and more 
solid.  The patches change in size, shape, and design every year. The DNR continues to make successful deer hunter patches to this day. As a matter of fact, the 2007 deer hunter patch features the 1972 patch on it as well! Unfortunately, counterfeits do exist of many of the early successful deer hunter patches from the 1970's and 80's.

The successful hunter patch program offered by the DNR extended to both  bear and turkey hunters. Successful bear hunter patches started in 1985 and turkey patches started in 1988. To date, turkey patches have not been
counterfeited, but a couple of the early bear patches have. In 2002, the Michigan DNR dropped funding for the turkey hunter patch program, but the Michigan chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation stepped up to the
plate and assured its continuation. Sadly, the Michigan successful bear hunter patches are no longer being produced due to lack of funding, the last year of roduction was 2006.