Midwest Deer Hunting: August 2012

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Indiana Deer License Bundle

The last thing you want to worry about when deer hunting is if you have the right license for the right deer season.

The new deer license bundle makes such worries a thing of the past. With it, one license can be used in multiple seasons. The bundle can be used in youth, archery, firearms, muzzleloader, and special antlerless seasons, and allows for the harvest of one antlered and two antlerless deer. All legal equipment that can be used in these seasons may be used with the deer bundle, including crossbows.

Cost is $65 for residents, $295 for non-residents, and $65 for non-resident youth.

“The deer bundle is a great alternative to buying multiple licenses for multiple seasons,” said Michelle Cain, DNR wildlife information specialist. “It saves hunters money and makes hunting easier for those who enjoy many equipment types for deer hunting.”

Cautions:
– The bundle cannot be used to satisfy urban deer zone bag limits.

– The bundle cannot be used to take bonus antlerless deer on a DNR property during the special antlerless deer season nor during any regular deer season, except where authorized. See the Indiana Hunting and Trapping Guide or contact the DNR property you wish to hunt for exceptions.

Buy the bundle at indianaoutdoor.IN.gov or at any Indiana Outdoor license retailer near you.

For answers to frequently asked questions about deer hunting, see hunting.IN.gov/7389.htm.

GiveIN Game

Registration for the second season of DNR’s GiveIN Game program starts Sept. 1. If you registered before Sept. 1, you will still need to register again to participate.

The highly successful program had 702 participants for its first deer season.

GiveIN Game is a free donation program for people who would like venison to feed their families. The program allows hunters who have extra venison and people who want venison to connect on their own time and set up an exchange. Selling, bartering or trading for venison is prohibited.

A majority of the participants who responded to a recent survey agreed the program is easy to use, private and secure, and that it fosters community goodwill. More than 90 percent of participants said they would sign up again this year.

“GiveIN Game is a great way to connect people in local communities who are looking for a healthy alternative source of protein,” said Chad Stewart, DNR deer research biologist.

Join GiveIN Game at hunting.IN.gov/7240.htm.

For answers to frequently asked questions about deer hunting, see hunting.IN.gov/7389.htm.

Monday, August 27, 2012

SD HuntSAFE Training Available for Schools

PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department is offering an exciting new opportunity for schools to introduce conservation and safety training in their curriculum.

Two training sessions are planned this fall that allow schools to participate in the HuntSAFE in the Schools Program.

Trainings are currently scheduled for Fort Pierre on Sept. 19 and Sioux Falls on Oct. 15. The full-day trainings are open to all educators in South Dakota who work with youth ages 11-15.

There is no charge for the training. Upon successful completion, teachers will be able to provide HuntSAFE certification to their students who complete the HuntSAFE course.

Teachers wishing to register for the HuntSAFE in the Schools training should email their contact information to outdoorprogramming@gmail.com or call 605-220-2130. Space is limited so registrations should be made as soon as possible.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Report summary

Photo credit: Wikipedia

Hints of autumn are in the air along with the sights, sounds and smells signaling we are running out of summer. Parks and trails are open and the weather is perfect for camping and hiking.

Sandhill cranes continue to gather, Canada geese are also feeding and flocking together, and many birds have, or are about to begin their migrations.

The vast majority of the bucks are in velvet, but a few have been seen rubbing the velvet off on tree bark in the far north. Many does with twins have been seen feeding in fields or along the roadways. While there are still acorns and berries to be had, keep your eyes out and your food stored from the usual critter criminals, namely bears and raccoons.

Grasslands and prairies continue to be filled with wildflowers. The predominant color is yellow, with stiff goldenrod, Canada goldenrod, prairie dock, compass-plant, black-eyed Susan, brown-eyed Susan, and rosinweed all blooming.

Anglers across the state had mixed success in the last week, but the 27th Annual Eagle River National Musky Open Tournament netted some records, including the most fish caught and released and most husband and wife (72) teams competing. More than 1,100 registered participants competed and 198 musky were caught and released. The winning fish taken out of Kentuck Lake in Forest County and measured nearly 50 inches.

In the Park Falls area, fishing activity has continued to be pretty good. Musky were again the highlight of the week, with most anglers reporting quite a bit of action on nearly all area northern region musky waters.

Perch numbers were good in the waters off Brown County with some people getting their limits. Perch were caught on both night crawlers and minnows, but minnows were the most used. The average perch size was about 6-8 inches in about 24 feet of water.

Water temperatures on Lake Geneva are hovering in the 70s and fishing has been fair. Anglers are reporting decent catches of bluegills fishing with wax worms. Bass can be had by fishing many types of plastic baits close to the bottom. As always, there is no shortage of rock bass and perch being caught. Bass are being caught on Delavan Lake with the best bet along weed edges. Fishing has seemed to be the most productive during the early morning hours. Fishing pressure on Delavan has been heavy. Anglers are reporting decent catches of bluegills.

Anglers trolling the waters off Milwaukee County have been catching chinooks, along with a few rainbows and lake trout. Most have been working north of the harbor in 100 to 130 feet of water with baits about 70 to 90 feet deep. In pre-dawn hours, some fish also have been taken in shallower water. Fishing off McKinley pier has been slow. Anglers at Jones Island have reported a few browns taken on minnows fished under a bobber.

North Dakota: PLOTS Guide Available Online

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s Private Land Open To Sportsmen Guide for 2012 is now available online at the Department’s website, gf.nd.gov. In addition, PLOTS Guides will be available at most license vendors throughout the state in late August.

The guide will feature about 840,000 PLOTS acres. Because the guide is printed in mid-August, some PLOTS tracts highlighted in the guide may have been removed from the program since the time of printing. There will also be some PLOTS tracts where the habitat and condition of the tract will have changed significantly. Conversely, Game and Fish may have added new tracts to the program after the guide went to press.

To minimize possible confusion, Game and Fish will update PLOTS map sheets weekly on its website.

Hunters can also view the guide, and find a list of vendors where guides are available, on the website.

The PLOTS Guide features maps highlighting these walk-in areas, identified in the field by inverted triangular yellow signs, as well as other public lands.

The guides are free, and available at county auditor offices and license vendors in the state; by walk-in at the Game and Fish Department’s Bismarck office; and at district offices in Riverdale, Harvey (Lonetree), Williston, Dickinson, Jamestown and Devils Lake.

The guides are not available to mail, so hunters will have to pick one up at a local vendor, or print individual maps from the website.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Insect-borne disease connected to deer deaths in northeast Oklahoma

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Biologists with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation say a viral disease has been confirmed in at least one deer and may be related to 10 others found dead near the Verdigris River in northeast Oklahoma.

According to Erik Bartholomew, big game biologist for the Wildlife Department, the disease that killed the deer has been in Oklahoma for several decades. The Wildlife Department receives scattered reports every year in Oklahoma and there are occasional small outbreaks like this one. The Department is continuing to monitor the area for other sick or dead deer.

"Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) is a hemorrhagic disease caused by a virus and spread by the bite of a midge or small fly, usually during the late summer or early fall, when the midge becomes active," Bartholomew said. "This virus is not transmissible to humans."

Bartholomew added that the virus is not known to be transmissible from an infected deer to other deer through individual contact.

There are several forms of EHD. In a completely separate case this month, biologists with the Wildlife Department confirmed a sick deer in southern Delaware Co. tested positive for a similar hemorrhagic disease called bluetongue virus.

According to Bartholomew, some forms of EHD kill deer quickly while others simply make the deer sick for a while before recovering. The virus can lead to high fever, causing infected deer to seek water to cool off. Dead deer usually are found in or near water. In most cases, infected deer are in good body condition because the disease usually runs its course and kills the animal quickly. EHD is not a threat to humans.

At present, there are no wildlife management tools or strategies available to prevent or control EHD. Bartholomew said there is little concern about the outbreak having a significant impact on deer populations, and any outbreaks will be curtailed by the onset of colder weather.

"It's not something that we are worried about on a wide scale, but we do want to hear from people who see deer that appear to be sick," Bartholomew said. "We urge everyone to help us be on the alert."

The public should report any sick deer or deer that are acting abnormal to their county game warden. A listing of game warden phone numbers by county is available online at wildlifedepartment.com.

North Dakota Deer Archery Season Opens Aug. 31

North Dakota’s deer archery season opens Friday, Aug. 31 at noon. Hunters must have an archery license to hunt during the bow season – there are no concurrent season deer gun licenses in 2012.

Bowhunters must follow all regulations of the managing agency when using tree stands on public hunting areas, including displaying the owner’s name, address and telephone number on tree stands left unattended on North Dakota Game and Fish Department wildlife management areas.

The Game and Fish Department annually receives inquiries from bowhunters regarding tree stands that are stolen, moved or tampered with. Tree stands are private property and theft constitutes a criminal violation that should be reported to the local sheriff's department.

Bowhunters are also reminded that hunting big game over bait is prohibited on both public and private land in deer units 3C, 3E1, 3E2, 3F1 and 3F2.

The archery season is open through Jan. 6, 2013. Hunters should refer to the 2012 deer hunting guide for season information and regulations.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

“Talk” to DNR deer hunting rules experts on Facebook, Aug. 22

Facebook followers of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources can “talk” online with DNR biologists and conservation officers about the new deer hunting rules on Wednesday, Aug. 22, from 2-3:30 pm (EDT), on the DNR’s Facebook wall.

Participants can ask questions about the new 2012-13 deer hunting rules. Three biologists and one conservation officer will be on hand to answer questions during the 1 ½-hour talk.

Interested participants are advised to first watch a video of deer research biologist Chad Stewart explaining the new rules. Anyone who still has questions can ask them during the Aug. 22 talk on Facebook. The deer rules video is located on the DNR YouTube channel at http://youtu.be/syeu0SVeOP0.

Future topics, instructions on how to join a conversation on Facebook, and commenting guidelines are posted at dnr.IN.gov/7315.htm.

To join a chat, go to the DNR’s Facebook wall, facebook.com/INdnr, and click “like” (if you aren’t already a “friend”).

You may begin typing in questions during the time slot. The DNR experts will answer questions as time allows. Advance questions may be emailed to dkrause@dnr.in.gov. Answers will be posted onto Facebook during the talk.

View the 2012-13 Hunting & Trapping guide here.

For information about Facebook talk: Dawn Krause, DNR Division of Communications, (317) 232-4095.

For information about deer hunting: Deer Hotline, (812) 334-3795, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

EHD confirmed in eight Michigan counties: Barry, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Clinton, Eaton, Ionia and Montcalm

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Michigan State University Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health recently confirmed and announced the death of deer in Ionia and Branch counties was due to epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD). Today the two organizations have confirmed EHD in six additional counties: Barry, Calhoun, Cass, Clinton, Eaton and Montcalm. There has been a nationwide increase of EHD outbreaks due to the extended hot and dry conditions.

The often-fatal viral disease, found in wild ruminants, causes extensive internal bleeding within deer and is transmitted by a midge, or type of biting fly. A constant characteristic of the disease is its sudden onset. Deer lose their appetite and fear of humans, grow progressively weaker, salivate excessively and finally become unconscious. Due to a high fever, infected deer often are found sick or dead along or in bodies of water. There is no evidence that humans can contract the EHD virus.

EHD outbreaks killing deer in Michigan have occurred in isolated areas almost every year since 2006. Prior to 2006, EHD outbreaks in Michigan occurred in 1955 and 1974. The estimated mortality has varied from 50 to 1,000 deer per year in the affected areas.

“We are seeing a large die-off of deer in local areas. To date we have over 900 reports of dead deer across all counties,” stated Tom Cooley, DNR wildlife biologist and pathologist. “Although it is difficult to see so many dead deer, this is still a localized issue and the regional deer population should not be impacted.”

The DNR would like to remind hunters that they may not see as many deer in the areas where EHD is occurring. Deer numbers in the affected areas should rebound within a few years.

There is no known effective treatment for, or control of, EHD. Where EHD is more common, deer have built up antibodies to the disease, and population recovery does not take long. Michigan deer do not have the benefit of these antibodies. Losses may be severe but are typically restricted to localized areas. Population recovery may take longer than has been experienced in other states.

Property owners who discover dead deer or would like to talk to their local wildlife biologist should contact their nearest DNR office. Office locations can be found at www.michigan.gov/wildlife by clicking on Wildlife Offices.

It is acceptable to allow natural deterioration processes to dispose of deer that die from EHD. Natural deterioration will not spread the disease or cause other disease outbreaks. Property owners are responsible for the proper disposal of carcasses that they wish to remove from the site. Carcasses should be buried at a sufficient depth so that no parts are showing above ground. Carcasses also can be disposed of at landfills that accept household solid waste.

For more information on EHD, visit www.michigan.gov/wildlifedisease.

Wisconsin: Bonus antlerless deer permits go on sale August 18

Deer hunters, the time of year you’ve been waiting for is getting close and for those of you who will be hunting in a Regular Deer Management Unit don’t forget the August 18 start date for the sale of Antlerless Deer Carcass Tags.

Unit specific antlerless tags go on sale Saturday, August 18 at 10 a.m. and remain available until sold out or until the hunting season ends. Some units can be expected to sell quickly.

Available antlerless deer permits, may be purchased by:

visiting a DNR Service Center;
visiting a license sales location;
calling toll-free 1-877-WI LICENSE (1-877-945-4236); or
using the Online Licensing Center.

Permits are $5 for 10 and 11 year olds, $12 for residents and $20 for nonresidents.

You can check bonus permit availability by DMU. This page is updated regularly. Hunters must purchase a 2012 Wisconsin deer hunting license before purchasing a unit-specific antlerless tag.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Wisconsin: Time to plan this fall’s Learn to Hunt event

Have family and friends get in the game!

For many of us in Wisconsin, fall is the best time of year. The days are shorter, temperatures can be crisp, and the skies a brilliant blue. Geese are migrating, deer are beginning to get into the fall pre-rut patterns, and I know I’ll be making firewood for the winter.

It may be high summer now, but fall is a few short weeks away and now is the time to be thinking about how you will fit a Learn to Hunt opportunity into the busy fall. I’ll be hosting one in late September in the Madison area. A LTH can be the perfect way to for a novice to experience their first hunt. Maybe your neighbor down the block is interested. Or, what about your children’s friends? There are many ways to foster new hunting experiences, and now is the time to start planning.

Get to your club or chapter and start brainstorming about how you can build on what you did last year, or start something entirely new. Can you reach out beyond the regular hunting “choir” to introduce someone new? Someone who would not get the chance to hunt any other way? That will really go a long way to making a new hunter.

Last year the goal was 2,000 new learn-to-hunt participants. We made it! The final tally was 2,136 participants, a 23 percent increase. That is a solid, grass roots effort to pass along the hunting tradition. We’re still working toward a goal of one learn-to-hunt event in every county, but last year there were events in 60 counties -- a large increase over 2010. The challenge this year is to build numbers in each county. Let’s try to add another 5 percent this fall and next spring.

You can design your own unique learn to hunt. How about a family learn-to-hunt outing? Focus on bringing the whole family out to the field and sharing our tradition and knowledge with them.
Remember, if you’re hosting a LTH pheasant, sponsors can get free pheasants from the DNR game farm for the event.

For more information on all your LTH needs, go to the DNR home page and search keyword “LTH."
I know you’ll take pride and step up again. As you already know, the future of hunting is up to us – those of us who hunt. Let’s get in the game!

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Operation Deer Watch continues through September 30

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

MADISON -- With the final days of summer approaching quickly, state wildlife officials are urging people to continue to report deer observations as they head north for one last trip to the family cabin or a weekend get-away to a state park.
“Don’t forget to pack your Observation Deer Watch tally sheet,” says Brian Dhuey, a deer research specialist with the Department of Natural Resources. “This easy-to-do survey can help us estimate the annual production of our deer herd.”
When people spot a deer, they simply write down the date, what type of deer it was (buck, doe, or fawn), and the deer management unit (map provided with tally sheet) in which it was seen.
Since August 1, more than 1,265 deer have been reported by 181 participants who have spotted 191 bucks, 589 does, 420 fawns, and 65 unknowns.
“Deer sightings often catch us by surprise, so remember to keep your tally sheet handy – whether it’s in your car or your wallet,” Dhuey said.
People can enter observations at the end of the day, or at the end of the month through the DNR website [dnr.wi.gov]. Search keyword “deer watch” and follow the directions to enter observations from the tally sheet online.
Operation Deer Watch continues through September 30.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Iowa Deer hunting licenses on Sale aug. 15

Friend of co-worker took these pictures at the...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We’re still a month out from Iowa’s earliest deer seasons. That doesn’t stop the planning, though, as deer hunters mix and match seasons, their days off and which tags to buy. With a couple significant changes this season, however, many hunters will have to make adjustments.

That scramble begins August 15; the first day residents can purchase deer tags. With a short supply of early muzzleloader licenses (only 7,500 available), they have been snapped up in just a few days over the last six years. Hesitate…and you lost your chance for the October season.

That muzzleloader demand has been driven by December shotgun season hunters opting for both seasons. Since 2006, you could purchase a high demand ‘any deer’ early muzzleloader tag…and still be eligible for an ‘antlerless’ shotgun tag. You still could hunt both seasons and, with shotgun season party hunting, even take a buck if another party member was available to legally tag it.

But that was then.

“Now that Iowa’s deer numbers are back down to the statewide objective; we’re reeling it back in,” explains DNR deer research biologist Tom Litchfield. “Hunters purchasing early season muzzleloader licenses won’t be hunting during the shotgun season, on the antlerless-only tags.”

The other major change is the number of county-specific antlerless tags available. Those quotas grew through the 2000s, with pressure to harvest more does. Hunters did the job across most of the state. Lower antlerless quotas now reflect it.

“Throughout eastern Iowa, the deer herd is down to (targeted) mid to late 1990s levels,” says Litchfield. “The quotas statewide were lowered by approximately 13,000. However, there is still plenty of opportunity and good tag availability.”

Hunters still can purchase one any deer gun season tag and fill in with various combinations, using the 119,000 available antlerless tags for the seasons they are hunting…while they last. Those county quotas, though, may be filled sooner. Iowa’s south central and southeastern two tiers of counties still have strong antlerless allotments. Another option is the various urban, park or special hunt zones.

As always, if you qualify as a landowner/tenant, your options are more flexible. Reduced fee tags are available, across the seasons, on your farm property.

Two lesser changes are elimination of the Thanksgiving weekend antlerless season and reducing the late January a week early.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Bowhunters needed for MDC wildlife observation survey

Survey is easy and valuable way for bowhunters to get involved in helping MDC manage Missouri’s wildlife resources.

By Joanie Straub, MDC

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) encourages all bowhunters to participate in its annual bowhunter observation survey. This survey provides valuable information that assists MDC in gauging the health of wildlife populations, such as deer and turkey, and helps staff make harvest management decisions.

“This is an easy and very valuable way for bowhunters to get involved in helping MDC manage Missouri’s wildlife resources,” says MDC Resource Scientist Jeff Beringer. “Information provided by the survey helps us assess trends in animal populations and determine if numbers are increasing, decreasing, or remaining stable. This information also has important implications on the establishment of harvest regulations.”

Courtesy MDC

MDC mails surveys to participating bowhunters in early September. From Sept. 15 through Nov. 9, participants record the date, county, number of hours spent bowhunting, and the number of deer, wild turkeys and furbearers observed during their hunts. After Nov. 9, participants mail the postage-paid surveys back to MDC so the information can be analyzed.

To participate in the 2012 survey, email Paul.Rogers@mdc.mo.gov and write “Bowhunter Observation Survey” in the subject line. Participation requests must be received by Sept. 1. Include name and mailing address in the body of the email. Bowhunters can also send their name and address to: Bowhunter Observation Survey, Missouri Department of Conservation, 3500 E. Gans Road, Columbia, MO 65201.

MDC began conducting its bowhunter observation survey in 1983. Beringer said more than 190,000 bowhunting permits were distributed in 2011 but only approximately 7,000 bowhunters participated in last year’s survey.

“To maintain the high quality of information we receive from these surveys, it is very important more bowhunters participate,” says Beringer. “I encourage all Missouri bowhunters help keep Missouri a great place to hunt by participating in the survey.”

For more information about deer and turkey archery hunting regulations, visit mdc.mo.gov and search “archery hunting.”

Monday, August 13, 2012

Minnesota Deer Hunting Applications Due Sept. 6

Deer hunting licenses are now available for purchase. Hunters who want an either-sex deer or special hunt permit for the coming season must apply by Thursday, Sept. 6, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
Hunters should carefully review the list of lottery areas, because many of these permit areas have not been lottery areas for a significant period of time. Currently, 58 of the state’s 127 permit areas are lottery areas.
Many of these areas, focused in the northwest, north central and a portion of northeast Minnesota, were designated lottery areas in response to hunter desire to see higher deer populations.
People can purchase a deer license and apply for the lottery or a special hunt at any DNR license agent, by telephone at 888-665-4236 or online. Lottery winners will be notified in October.
Hunters can apply for lottery deer areas and special hunts using both their firearm and muzzleloader licenses. Although a hunter can be selected for both licenses, successful applicants still can only take one deer. In the case of special hunts, a person may draw both a firearm and muzzleloader permit, in which case they must adhere to the bag limits established by each special hunt.
Lottery deer areas in 2012 are permit areas 103, 108, 110, 118, 119, 122, 169, 171, 172, 183, 184, 197, 199, 234, 235, 237, 238, 250, 251, 252, 253, 258, 260, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265, 266, 269, 270, 271, 272, 273, 274, 275, 276, 277, 278, 279, 280, 281, 282, 283, 284, 285, 286, 288, 289, 290, 291, 292, 294, 295, 296, 297, 298 and 299.
DNR encourages hunters to review new deer hunting regulations, permit area designations and boundary changes before applying. Current and up-to-date information is available online or and www.mndnr.gov/regulations/hunting.

Thursday, August 30, 2012

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Saturday, August 18, 2012

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