It was a rough year!
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the deer pole looked beter in the Great Depression than it does now
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2009 was a rough year for many. The economic woes of high unemployment, recession, and the overall environment has left us all feeling like 2009 was a bust. The deer season has come to a close in the same fashion as everything else this year. I am curious to see what the DNR reports as the season results. My local observations were that it was a very trying season for most. There are some big deer around the state (proof is in the Big Buck forum), but my overall belief is that the deer herd is shrinking. Hopefully I am wrong , but I have talked to several hunters that feel the same.
Attached is a letter from one of the site administrators. Please leave your comments and feedback…
Friends,
Please take a look at my suggestions I have summarized from all of our discussions and frustrations over the last couple of years. I think we need to attend a couple of these MDNR/NRC Open Deer Hunting Forums to voice our opinions.
Let me know what you think…
2010 Michigan Whitetail Deer Mgt Suggestions for MDNR:
Prepared by Michael Bobay, Avid Deer Hunter
Situation:
In my opinion the current mgt practices of the Michigan Deer Herd are yielding disappointing results. In 1996, the sportsmen men and women of the State of Michigan voted Proposal G in order to scientifically manage the state’s Natural Resources. I believe Michigan’s current deer hunting regulations are NOT yielding the results for the improvement of the deer herd. Buck to doe ratios in many parts of the state are way out of balance, in some places 20 to 1 or 10 to 1. I believe are goal should be 1-Buck to 3-Does or better. This would balance the deer herd to the carrying capacity of the land. Goals: Farmland: 35 per square mile, forested: less than 25 per square mile. I believe adopting some of the Quality Deer Management Practices in our Deer Hunting Regulations would help accomplish these goals.
Opportunities:
Michigan should be a North American destination for Deer Hunting, our deer herd population and genetics can compete with any state in the union. All we need is some modern deer hunting mgt practices implemented, to show the true potential of the Michigan deer herd. We need to balance the deer harvest between bucks and does to attain the buck to doe ratio and carrying capacity deer density goals. In just 2-3 years of implementing the suggestions below, Deer Hunters in Michigan would see a vast improvement in daytime deer movement and rutting behavior activity. All which would improve the outdoor deer hunting experience and hunter satisfaction.
Suggestions:
1. Go back to a 1-Buck Kill Rule Per Hunter Per Year.
2. All Bucks Must have at least 4-points on 1 side for harvest.
3. Combo licenses are good for 1 buck and 1 doe, anywhere in the state of Michigan Public or Private land.
4. Issue additional antlerless permits as needed to accomplish harvest goals in high deer density areas like Southern Michigan and DMU 452.
5. Single purchase buck tags, Buck must have at least 4-points on 1-side.
6. Either Ban Baiting State-wide or allow the limited 2-gallons of bait statewide. All or nothing.
7. Improve the deer harvest self, volunteer, and mandatory registration process to attain more accurate harvest records.
Michael Bobay
michaelbobay@yahoo.com
We need to continue to voice our thought s and opinions! please post your comments.
Happy New Year
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I came here from Missouri, and I have to agree, most of those things have been implemented there.
In high density areas, I’d even consider requiring a doe harvest before being eligible for a buck tag.
For a long time Missouri had mandatory checkstations, great surveillance and great data, but very cumbersome and expensive. They now require checking by phone (and may have a web option by now) So assuming good compliance that’s pretty good data too. Part of how “required” works is that you get a number to fill in on the tag, and if you don’t have that processors, taxidermists etc can’t process a deer. And if you got caught by a game officer, or I suppose even regular law enforcement without that number it’s an illegally harvested deer.
Oh, I almost failed to mention the biggest difference. In Missouri, there are no “buck tags” anymore. There are “anydeer” and “antlerless only”. They finally caught on that after decades of only allowing buck harvest they needed to make it easier for people to switch to does.This change would help shift the harvest toward does, simply by letting people buy one tag and shoot what they want, or more influentially, whatever presents itself.
I’m ALL IN!!
whoever is saying that 452 is a high density deer area is 4 of us hunted hard for 5 days and seen 2 deer both does during shooting hours a few were spotted during the night but nothing to lead me to believe that this would be a high density area
I live and hunt here in Georgia. The powers that be here have implemented a ten doe and two buck “limit” with most of the state having either sex days the entire two and a half to three month gun season. This, along with QDMA fanatics who think the big buck population is improved by killing as many does and fawns as possible, has brought our total herd close to an all time low. We are losing many of our long time club members because they are no longer seeing deer on a property that used to hold a lot of deer. I am hearing the same thing all over the state. We no longer have tags for harvested deer; only a “harvest record” that is filled out and put back in the hunters pocket. Our DNR/WRD is killing our herd with regulations.
Herd balance is always an ebb and flow situation, no matter what species you are dealing with. At this time it sounds like the point restriction, and one buck limit is a real good suggestion. If things don’t get better, a lottery drawing for licenses may need to be an option. Wisconsin’s earn a buck program worked for the first few years, but was in force too long. A 1 to 10, buck/doe ratio is actually a healthy ratio. The point restriction would help reduce the harvesting of immature bucks. Again, herd management is a tough, continually changing effort. Besides hunting weather, predator population(wolves!), and habitat loss also have to be factored in.