IOWA'S LATE MUZZLELOADER DEER SEASON OPEN THROUGH JAN. 10, 2016

The final stretch for hunters to pursue Iowa’s world class deer began Monday with the start of the late muzzleloader season and the re-opening of the popular archery season. Both seasons close Jan. 10.

Hunters with a late muzzleloader license may use a bow, muzzleloader, handgun and Iowa residents may also use a crossbow. Hunters may not use a shotgun or centerfire rifles during late muzzleloader season and party hunting is not allowed.

Hunters have reported harvesting nearly 92,000 deer so far this year, which is similar to the harvest last year. Hunters who harvest a deer are reminded to report the harvest to the DNR bymidnight on the day after it is tagged or before taking it to a locker or taxidermist, or before transporting it out-of-state, whichever comes first.

For hunters with internet access, reporting online is the easiest and fastest way to report. Hunters may also report their harvest by phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week at the toll-free phone number printed on the harvest tag or through a license vendor during regular business hours.

Nonresident Holiday Season

Nonresidents may participate in the antlerless-deer only holiday season Dec. 24-Jan. 2, in counties where the nonresident antlerless deer quota has not been filled.

Hunters who do not have a nonresident deer license may purchase an optional antlerless-only license for the holiday season. Licenses may be purchased over the counter through any license agent beginning Dec. 15. Holiday deer licenses will not be sold online or through the telephone ordering system.

Nonresident hunters purchased 110 holiday antlerless licenses last year.

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Michigan: Last elk hunt of 2015 is complete

Although it may not feel like a Michigan December, the final 2015 elk hunt drew to a close last weekend.

“We had crazy weather conditions for this year’s late elk hunt,” said Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist Shelby Hiestand.  “In a typical year, we would have had a ton of snow on the ground, where hunters could track and pattern elk and really have a better chance at spotting them against the white snow.”

Although conditions may not have been typical for the December elk hunt, the harvest was still quite successful.  Ninety-two percent of hunters harvested an elk this December season, totaling 46 elk.  Each hunter was selected out of a random, weighted lottery of more than 31,000 Michigan hunters who applied to hunt elk this year. 

The latest season, held Dec.  5-13, was open in all elk hunt units in the northern counties of the northern Lower Peninsula. Each elk hunter attended a mandatory elk orientation in Johannesburg to learn about hunting elk, regulations, biology and the history of elk in Michigan.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime hunt, and our goal is for every hunter to have a safe, enjoyable experience,” said Hiestand. “Most hunters have never hunted elk before, and may not be familiar with areas in northern Michigan.  Elk orientation is a great time to get to talk to hunters and answer any of their questions.”

One hundred elk licenses were available in 2015 – 50 in the early season and 50 in the late season.  

Elk hunting in Michigan is an effective management tool that biologists have used to maintain elk herd numbers, composition and even distribution since 1984, when elk hunts began to occur annually for Michigan residents. The elk application period runs annually from May 1 to June 1.

To learn more about elk in Michigan, including their comeback story, visit www.michigan.gov/elk.  

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Missouri Department of Conservation proposes new regulations for CWD management zones

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has been found in Adair, Cole, Linn, Macon and, most recently, Franklin counties. MDC's proposed CWD management zones, highlighted in orange, include all counties within a 25-mile radius of where a CWD-positive deer has been found. 

Proposed regulations would require testing of deer harvested during the opening weekend of the November portion of the fall firearms deer season and implement a ban on feeding deer in CWD management zones.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – At its meeting on Dec. 11, the Missouri Conservation Commission approved recommendations for regulation changes to help limit the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). The disease has been found in free-ranging deer from Adair, Cole, Macon, and, most recently, Franklin counties.

The proposed regulations would require mandatory sampling and testing for CWD of harvested deer taken in MDC's CWD management zones during the opening weekend of the November portion of the 2016 fall firearms deer season, Nov. 12 and 13.

The proposed regulations would also prohibit the feeding of deer and use of deer attractants such as grain, salt, and mineral products in MDC's CWD management zones. Feeding deer unnaturally concentrates deer in a small area, which can help spread the disease. Exceptions to the regulation include feeding of wildlife within 100 feet of any residence or occupied building, feed placed in a manner that excludes access by deer, feed and minerals used solely for normal agricultural, forest management, or wildlife food-plot-production practices.

MDC's proposed CWD management zones include all counties within a 25-mile radius of where a CWD-positive deer has been found. Those 27 counties in northeast, central, and east-central Missouri can be found on the MDC website at www.mdc.mo.gov/CWDManagementZones.

A regulation banning supplemental feeding of deer has been in place since 2012 in Adair, Chariton, Linn, Macon, Randolph, and Sullivan counties in Northeast Missouri, where the first cases of CWD in the state were found.

Missouri's rulemaking process includes a 30-day public comment period. Full verbiage of the proposed regulation changes will be posted on the MDC website after Jan. 1, 2016. Comments related to the proposed regulation changes can be submitted to the Conservation Department from Jan. 16 through Feb. 14, 2016 at http://mdc.mo.gov/node/24141%20.

MDC continues to ask hunters who harvest deer in the CWD management zones to avoid moving deer carcasses out of the zones, to properly dispose of deer carcasses, to report deer that appear sick or diseased to MDC staff, and to have all deer harvested in the CWD management zones sampled and tested for CWD.

Chronic Wasting Disease infects only deer and other members of the deer family by causing degeneration of brain tissue, which slowly leads to death. The disease has no vaccine or cure and is 100-percent fatal. For more information on CWD, visit the MDC website atwww.mdc.mo.gov/CWD.

Chronic wasting disease confirmed in Crawford County, Wisconsin buck harvested on private land

MADISON -- The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Tuesday confirmed test results showing chronic wasting disease in a 3 1/2 year old buck harvested on private land in Crawford County.

Tami Ryan, DNR wildlife health section chief, said the result represents the first positive test for CWD detected in the county. The buck appeared healthy at the time of the kill, which is not unusual with CWD detections as it takes up to 16 to 18 months before infected animals display symptoms.

"Crawford County is already classified as a CWD-affected county, so the finding will not result in any regulatory changes," Ryan said. "We have interviewed the hunter to confirm the location, which is in the town of Clayton, west of Richland Center. The deer was harvested 13 miles from the nearest previous positive test result."

Crawford County and the surrounding counties of Vernon, Richland and Grant are already classified as CWD affected counties and have baiting and feeding bans in place.

DNR appreciates the assistance from hunters in providing samples from their harvest to advance monitoring efforts, Ryan said. CWD monitoring remains a priority for DNR and the department continues to work with cooperating taxidermists and meat processors within targeted surveillance areas. The department also has piloted new self-serve kiosks around the state to make it more convenient for hunters to submit deer heads for testing.

"Hunters have played a key role in expanding our knowledge of CWD in Wisconsin," Ryan said. "Their willingness to deliver samples is absolutely essential to disease monitoring efforts that inform our understanding of CWD distribution and prevalence."

Test results are generally returned within three to four weeks. To learn more about CWD in Wisconsin, search the DNR website, dnr.wi.gov for keyword "CWD." For information about restrictions on moving carcasses from areas affected by chronic wasting disease, search "carcass movement." The website also contains more information about "sampling and registration" and locations where samples can be delivered, by searching "hunting registration stations."

Wisconsin's deer hunt continues through Jan. 31 for archery and crossbow harvest in some metro subunits.

Suspect deer confirmed positive for chronic wasting disease in Clinton County, Michigan

Deer was harvested in Dewitt Township; Eaton County hunters urged to voluntarily check deer and stop baiting and feeding of deer

As of Thursday, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources reports a total of 3,695 deer in Michigan this year have been tested for chronic wasting disease (CWD). Four deer have been confirmed positive for the disease, with the fourth positive just recently found.

During the firearm deer season, a hunter from Dewitt Township (Clinton County) in the Core CWD Area brought a 1 1/2-year-old buck into the DNR’s Rose Lake deer check station. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, confirmed the deer as CWD positive.

Because the deer was harvested within 10 miles of the Eaton County border, the DNR strongly encourages all hunters within Eaton County to voluntarily stop baiting and feeding, continue hunting and, most importantly, bring harvested deer into a DNR check station.

“Deer hunters in DMU 333 have been a great help by bringing in their deer to be tested. We couldn’t be more thankful or impressed with their dedication to the resource,” said Chad Stewart, DNR deer specialist. “We continue to need their help and are also asking Eaton County hunters to join our efforts. In addition, we have begun conversations with DeWitt Township, and they, too, are becoming great partners in this fight against CWD.”

There will be no mandatory regulation changes from now through the end of the deer season, as the DNR conducts CWD surveillance and decides what additional steps might be needed for the 2016 season.

CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk and moose. It is caused by the transmission of infectious, self-multiplying proteins (prions) contained in saliva and other body fluids of infected animals. Susceptible animals can acquire CWD by direct exposure to these fluids, or from environments contaminated with these fluids or the carcass of a diseased animal. 

Some chronically CWD-infected animals will display abnormal behaviors, progressive weight loss and physical debilitation; however, deer can be infected without showing internal or external symptoms for many years. There is no cure; once a deer is infected with CWD, it will die. 

To date, there is no evidence that chronic wasting disease presents any risk to non-cervids, including humans, either through contact with an infected animal or from handling venison. However, as a precaution, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization recommend that infected animals not be consumed as food by either humans or domestic animals. 

The DNR provides weekly CWD updates at mi.gov/cwd. Announcements of additional CWD-positive deer also will be posted online.

Early impressions from 2015 firearm season show deer harvest up in Lower Peninsula, down in Upper Peninsula

Each year, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources generates preliminary estimates of the firearm deer harvest shortly after the season closes. The 2015 firearm deer season wrapped up Nov. 30, with indications of mixed results throughout the state.

The harvest appears to have decreased in the Upper Peninsula and increased in the Lower Peninsula.

“We anticipated a poor harvest in the U.P. due to the drastically low deer population throughout much of the U.P. over the past couple of years,” said Ashley Autenrieth, DNR deer program biologist. “However, we’ve seen uncharacteristically high temperatures and low snowfall levels so far this fall, and if this continues, we hope the herd will begin rebounding.”

Although reports differ widely across and within regions, DNR biologists estimate the harvest, compared to 2014, was up perhaps as much as 17 percent in the Lower Peninsula, and declined approximately 19 percent in the U.P.

“Fortunately, the Lower Peninsula hasn’t had a drastic drop in deer numbers over the last few years,” said Chad Stewart, DNR deer management specialist.

“That, coupled with good wild apple and acorn production over the last two years, has made for good conditions for the deer herds in these areas,” Stewart said.

Warmer than average temperatures made for a more challenging hunt in the beginning of the season since deer don’t tend to be as active in warmer temperatures. Biologists noted, however, that many hunters stayed out longer to enjoy the weather, which may have helped the harvest.

Biologists saw excellent body condition and antler development on many of the bucks that were registered at check stations.

Although the U.P. saw lower harvest numbers, the bucks that were registered tended to be either 3 1/2 or 4 1/2 years old. This reflects the low numbers of younger age classes from winter effects and the continuing impact of predators.  

Regardless of preliminary impressions, Stewart stressed the importance of Michigan’s hunter harvest survey, which he called “a vital tool for Michigan’s deer program, and an important way in which data provided by hunters contributes to our information base.”

A rigorous assessment of harvest and participation over all deer seasons will occur using the annual hunter mail survey. The survey is mailed in early January to randomly selected hunters.

Hunters who do not receive a survey in the mail but wish to provide their hunting and harvest information may visit www.michigan.gov/deer and select the “Complete A Harvest Survey Online” link. Hunters should provide information only once they have completed all of their 2015 hunting activities, including seasons that are open as late as Jan. 1, 2016.

For more information about hunting opportunities or deer management in Michigan, visitwww.michigan.gov/hunting or www.michigan.gov/deer.

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South Dakota Preference Points For Big Game

Last year, the GFP Commission changed the preference point system.  You do not automatically acquire a preference point when you apply for, and do not draw, your first choice in a limited draw (big game, paddlefish, etc.) season.  To obtain a preference point, you need to purchase one.

 

You can purchase a preference point at the time you apply for any big game season and up until Dec. 15.  You may only purchase one preference point for each big game season per year.

 

If you haven't purchased points for any limited draw seasons you did not have a FIRST CHOICE license in, and would like to do so, click here and go to "Preference Point Review and Purchase".

U.P. Focus: Firearm deer hunting season a mixed bag in the Upper Peninsula

Michigan Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologists said preliminary check station data shows mixed results for the firearm deer hunting season in the Upper Peninsula.

So far, indications are there was a drop in the overall harvest. However, with hunters across the region registering a higher proportion of mature bucks, many of those deer were beautiful bucks.

After three consecutive severe winters in the region, DNR biologists predicted hunters this firearm deer season would likely see fewer deer in the U.P., especially in the 1 ½- and 2 ½-year-old age classes.

“It was a challenging firearm deer hunting season, as anticipated,” said David Jentoft, a DNR wildlife biologist at the Sault Ste. Marie Field Office. “The number of bucks being checked is generally down, but check stations have seen a higher proportion of mature bucks coming in, particularly 3 ½- and 4 ½-year-olds.”

DNR biologists expected more mature bucks in the harvest, with the effects of the previous year’s harsh winter weather limiting the number of yearling bucks available in the U.P. deer population this year.

Early Statistics

Preliminary estimates indicate deer check stations in the U.P. registered deer totals down about 13.5 percent through the firearm deer hunting season, compared to last year.

Check station results are only one indicator the DNR uses to evaluate the deer season and not all of that data has been compiled yet. A clearer picture of the season is expected to emerge once camp and hunter surveys are returned in the weeks ahead.

The DNR check station at Escanaba was the busiest in the U.P., followed by Marquette. Escanaba staff checked a total of 321 deer and there were 165 deer checked at Marquette.

The percentage of bucks checked at those two stations varied widely, demonstrating the limitation of projecting general results across the region from individual stations. The Escanaba station was down about 25 percent from last year, while Marquette had an increase of 20 percent.

A similar situation occurred at the Mackinac Bridge. 

DNR wildlife division staff checked a total of 37 deer over the two days the check station at Bridge View Park in St. Ignace was open, compared to 51 there last year. That marks a dip of 27 percent.

However, a short distance away, Mackinac Bridge Authority toll booth workers informally counted a total of 1,481 deer on southbound vehicles over the firearm deer hunting season. That total represents a 5-percent decline from the 1,563 deer tallied last year.

Deer Health Improvement

Antler beam measurements, which generally indicate a buck’s overall fitness level, were greatly improved in the U.P. from the past two seasons.

“This shows that deer that came out of last winter were in pretty good shape, certainly better than the previous couple of seasons,” said Chad Stewart, DNR deer, elk and moose management specialist at the Rose Lake Wildlife Research Center in East Lansing. “Yearling antler beam growth is back now within the previous 10-year average after being significantly lower the last two years.”

Wolves

Wolves have an impact on the deer population in the U.P., but to what extent is not fully known.

A multiyear predator-prey study — being conducted by the DNR and Mississippi State University — is ongoing in an effort to better understand the predatory impacts to U.P. deer from wolves, coyotes, bears and bobcats.

Coyotes also play a significant role in deer predation. An individual wolf may kill more deer than a coyote. However, there are more coyotes on the landscape, which produces a larger impact on fawn mortality.

The predator-prey research has been conducted over the past six years in low and medium snowfall zones in the region and is moving north to study high snowfall areas next. 

Wolves in Michigan are currently federally protected as endangered species after a U.S. District Court ruling in December 2014.

Endangered species status for the wolf severely limits the tools the state can use to manage the species, including lethal control, as outlined in the state’s Wolf Management Plan. The federal court ruling prohibits the Michigan Natural Resources Commission from considering hunting as a management tool.

The DNR supports removing wolves from the endangered species list, as gray wolves reached targeted population recovery goals in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin years ago.

Legislation is currently pending in the U.S. Congress which, if passed into law, would prohibit courts from overruling the Department of the Interior on delisting wolves in Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Wyoming. A similar measure was passed in 2011 for wolves in Idaho and Montana.

Meanwhile, the DNR continues to manage wolves according to the remaining provisions of Michigan’s recently updated Wolf Management Plan, including the use of nonlethal harassment techniques.

The only legal killing of wolves in Michigan is in defense of human life.

Continuing Action

The DNR, NRC and sporting groups continue to partner in efforts to improve the deer population.

Long-range work is being done to preserve and enhance critical winter range areas by the U.P. Wildlife Habitat Work Group and short-range measures have been undertaken to try to preserve a larger number of does surviving the winter, including reducing the number of antlerless tags available to hunters in the U.P.

This past summer, the NRC eliminated the ability to tag an antlerless deer with either the single deer license or combination deer license during the archery season in hopes this may assist in helping the deer herd recover.

That change was expected to reduce the deer harvest by 5,000 to 6,000 deer heading into the winter months. The decision came after extensive discussions and public comment on six potential regulation change options for this fall.

Those options the NRC considered included:

• Option 1: Maintain the current hunting season and license structure in the U.P.
• Option 2: Close the entire deer hunting season in the U.P.
• Option 3: Eliminate the option of using a combination license when hunting in the U.P. (one buck) and eliminate the antlerless option during archery season when using the single deer license.
• Option 4: Eliminate the antlerless option during archery season for hunters hunting on deer licenses, including the combination license.
• Option 5: Eliminate the antlerless option for archers hunting on deer licenses, including the combination license, during the late archery season only.
• Option 6: Eliminate the Liberty and Independence hunts in the U.P.

“The reduced harvest in the U.P., though disappointing for many, will help aid in the long-term recovery of the deer herd, as well as the efforts being made to improve habitat,” Stewart said. “We know the deer numbers in the U.P. are down lower than most want to see. However, an elevated harvest would not be conducive to our goals at this time, which is to grow the deer herd in the U.P.”

Weather

The firearm deer hunting season opened Nov. 15 to unseasonably warm temperatures in the 50s across the U.P. By mid-season, temperatures had cooled and many places received snowfall. But by Monday’sseason close, snow had melted from most areas.

“While we know deer numbers are low and we have taken several steps to help the herd recover, the most important component will be the weather,” said Ashley Autenrieth, DNR Deer Program biologist in Gaylord. “Luckily, this fall and going into this winter, we've seen above-average temperatures and very low snowfall levels. If the trend continues, we should see a mild winter which would be a great start to allowing the deer herd to recover."

License Sales

Deer hunting license sales by county of residence were down about 10 percent in the U.P. since March 1. As of Monday’s season close, there had been 63,202 deer hunting licenses sold to U.P. residents, compared to 70,154 last year.

Marquette County had the highest number of residents buying deer licenses in the U.P. this year with 10,921, followed by Delta County with 9,975 and Menominee County with 9,298.

Muzzleloader and Late Archery Seasons

Muzzleloader season opens today in the U.P. and northern Lower Peninsula and closes Dec. 13. Late archery season opened Dec. 1 and continues through the end of the month. Prospects for hunters continue to remain mixed.

“Hunters still should not expect to see many deer, but those who are lucky enough to harvest a buck will likely be harvesting a 3 ½- to 4 ½-year-old buck since their numbers appear to be higher than younger age classes, due to the severe winters over the last few years," Autenrieth said.

For more information on deer hunting in Michigan, visit the DNR’s webpage at: www.michigan.gov/deer.

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U.P. Focus: Panel discussion on ‘Keep the U.P. CWD Free!’ campaign airs next weekend

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is reminding the public that broadcasts of WNMU-TV13’s “Media Meet” discussion on keeping the Upper Peninsula free from chronic wasting disease will air next weekend.

The program with DNR staff and host Bill Hart focuses on various efforts to educate the public on CWD and keeping it from reaching the U.P. The program will initially air at 6:30 p.m. EST Saturday, Dec. 12, and be rebroadcast at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, and in January 2016.

Guests featured on the half-hour program include Ashley Autenrieth, DNR deer program biologist in Gaylord, Terry Minzey, DNR U.P. regional wildlife supervisor in Ishpeming, Dave Dragon, a DNR wildlife technician from the Crystal Falls office, and John Pepin, DNR deputy public information officer in Marquette.

The broadcast will reach viewers across the U.P. and parts of northern Wisconsin. A week after the initial broadcast, the television program will be available online at: http://wnmuvideo.nmu.edu/program/media-meet/.

Public Radio 90 will also air the program at 7:30 a.m. Dec. 13, repeating at 3:30 p.m. Dec. 14. The program will also be available on Public Radio 90’s podcast at: http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wnmu/.jukebox?action=programs.

The DNR recently launched a public information and education campaign to try to keep chronic wasting disease from reaching the Upper Peninsula.

Discovered earlier this year in a free-ranging deer in the Lower Peninsula, CWD affects the central nervous system and is fatal to white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk and moose. There is no known treatment.

DNR officials are concerned CWD could be brought into the U.P. by those hunting in other states. From billboards and bumper stickers to an informational fact sheet and television and radio broadcasts, the DNR is working to inform the public about preventing CWD from occurring in the U.P.

For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/cwd.

/Note to editors: Accompanying photos are available below for download. Suggested captions for photos follow.

Bumper sticker: Bumper stickers are among the materials produced by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to help educate the public on chronic wasting disease and keeping it out of the Upper Peninsula.

Media Meet: Michigan Department of Natural Resources staff members were interviewed by moderator Bill Hart for a Dec. 5 broadcast of “Media Meet” on WNMU-TV13 in Marquette. The program, which will be broadcast across the Upper Peninsula and into parts of northern Wisconsin, focused on chronic wasting disease and keeping it out of the U.P. Pictured from left, wildlife technician DNR David Dragon from the Crystal Falls office, DNR Deer Program biologist Ashley Autenrieth from Gaylord, program host Bill Hart and Terry Minzey DNR Upper Peninsula regional wildlife supervisor.

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South Dakota Mountain Lion Hunting Season Applications Now Available

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Applications are available for the 2016 South Dakota mountain lion hunting season. While there is no application deadline for the mountain lion hunting season, if you wish to enter the lottery drawing for a free Custer State Park (CSP) access permit, you must purchase a 2016 mountain lion license and submit your application by Dec. 9 at 8 a.m. CST. CSP will have seven separate hunting intervals; four of which will allow the use of dogs.

The mountain lion hunting season begins Dec. 26, 2015, and ends on March 31, 2016. The harvest limit is set at 60 total lions or 40 female lions; whichever comes first. If either harvest limit is reached, the season then closes in the Black Hills Fire Protection Unit. However, the statewide mountain lion hunting season runs year round, with no harvest limits. 

To apply for a mountain lion hunting license or the Custer State Park access permit, visit:http://www.gfp.sd.gov/licenses/general-hunt-fish/license-open.aspx.

For more information on the South Dakota mountain lion hunting season, visit:http://www.gfp.sd.gov/hunting/big-game/mountain-lion.aspx.

Michigan DNR conservation officers conduct operation targeting illegal importation of deer into Michigan

Michigan Conservation Officers Door Seal (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers in southwest Michigan recently conducted enforcement operations targeting illegal importation of harvested deer into Michigan from states with chronic wasting disease (CWD) in their free-ranging deer herds.

Conservation officers conducted operations near the I-94 corridor of the Michigan/Indiana border, resulting in the seizure of six harvested deer. Five deer were transported into Michigan from Illinois, and one was transported from Wisconsin. Michigan law prohibits importing deer from CWD-positive states and provinces.

Five Michigan residents have been charged with the illegal transportation of deer into the state. They will be arraigned in the 5th District Court in Berrien County. Violation of Michigan’s wildlife importation laws may result in fines of up to $500 and up to 90 days in jail.

The seized deer have been transported to the Michigan DNR Wildlife Disease Lab in East Lansing where they will be tested for CWD and then incinerated.

“The transportation of whitetail deer into Michigan from a CWD-positive state is a very serious concern,” said Conservation Officer Andrew Bauer, who organized the enforcement operation. “CWD can spread from illegally imported deer to our deer herd, causing a very significant negative impact.”

The DNR announced in late May 2015 that CWD had been found for the first time in a free-ranging white-tail deer in Ingham County. Since that time, two additional deer also have tested positive. CWD is a neurological (brain and nervous system) disease found in deer, elk and moose.

There currently is no treatment for CWD; it is fatal in all cases.

Current scientific understanding suggests CWD may be transmitted both directly through animal-to-animal contact, as well as indirectly through a contaminated environment. Previous studies have shown that CWD prions exist in the saliva, urine, blood and feces of infected cervids. Additionally, a study by the University of Wisconsin suggests that the CWD prion can remain indefinitely in certain types of soil, and binding to soil dramatically increases the infectiousness of CWD prions.

To date, there is no evidence that chronic wasting disease presents any risk to non-cervids, including humans, either through contact with an infected animal or from handling venison. However, as a precaution, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization recommend that infected animals not be consumed as food by either humans or domestic animals.

Many western states do have chronic wasting disease, which is why the Michigan DNR has strict importation laws.

Harvested free-ranging deer, elk or moose from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan all have importation restrictions.

These states and provinces have detected CWD in free-ranging animals; therefore, only the following parts of deer, elk or moose carcasses may be brought into Michigan: deboned meat, antlers, antlers attached to a skull cap cleaned of all brain and muscle tissue, hides, upper canine teeth or a finished taxidermy mount.

If you are notified by another state or province that a deer, elk or moose you brought into Michigan has tested positive for CWD, you must contact the DNR Wildlife Disease Lab within two business days (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) at 517-336-5030 and provide details. In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture may have regulations on importation from Canada. Call 301-851-3300 for details.

Michigan citizens should call the DNR Report All Poaching hotline (800-292-7800) with any information regarding importation violations.

For more information on CWD, please visit www.michigan.gov/cwd.

Michigan conservation officers are fully commissioned state peace officers who provide natural resources protection, ensure recreational safety and protect citizens by providing general law enforcement duties and lifesaving operations in the communities they serve. Learn more about Michigan conservation officers at www.michigan.gov/conservationofficers.

IOWA DNR TO CONTINUE SURVEILLANCE FOR CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE

The Iowa DNR’s wildlife staff will be collecting tissue samples during Iowa’s shotgun deer seasons to test for the presence of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Iowa’s wild deer herd.

The effort will concentrate in Allamakee County after four wild deer tested positive for CWD, and on portions of northeast and eastern Iowa near Wisconsin and Illinois, south-central Iowa near Missouri, as well as in Pottawattamie, Cerro Gordo and Buchanan counties, following positive tests in the past from captive facilities and wild deer in or near those counties.

Most of the 4,500 samples the DNR hopes to collect will be taken during the first half of December, as more than 120,000 hunters take part in Iowa’s shotgun deer seasons. Sampling involves removing and testing the brain stem and lymph nodes of mature deer.

Many hunters voluntarily contribute samples of their harvested deer for these testing efforts.  Most samples are obtained by wildlife staff, checking with hunters in the field or at home processing points.

Hunters willing to provide samples may contact the DNR regionally to arrange collection. In Allamakee, Clayton and Winneshiek counties, call 563-380-3422; in Dubuque, Jackson, Clinton, Scott and Delaware counties, call 563-357-2035; in Davis, Wapello, Van Buren and Jefferson counties, call 641-799-0793; in Wayne, Appanoose and Monroe counties, call 641-203-6185; in Pottawattamie County, call 712-350-0147; in Cerro Gordo County, call 641-425-2814; and in Buchanan County, call 319-213-2815.

Since 2002, more than 51,000 wild deer in Iowa have been tested, with four positive CWD results in the wild herd detected in Allamakee County, the first in 2013.

Iowa DNR’s website provides information about CWD and other information on infectious disease at:  http://www.iowadnr.gov/Hunting/DeerHunting/CWDEHDInformation.aspx

IOWA’S 2015 SHOTGUN DEER SEASON PREVIEW

Iowa’s shotgun deer season is still a few weeks away leaving time for hunters to contact landowners, sight in shotguns and tend to all the details before getting out and enjoying Iowa’s outdoors with friends and family.

Expect about 75,000 hunters across Iowa in the first shotgun season, December 5-9, and then another 50,000 head out December 12-20, during the second gun season. Each contingent will also pack along thousands of antlerless tags, to extend their prospects.

If you are a fan of cold weather…and have a muzzleloader, that December 21-January 10 late season attracts hunters holding about 30,000 tags. That number likely will drop, though, with fewer snapping up county antlerless tags.

Iowa’s shotgun seasons allow for group drives; drivers pushing deer toward blockers. Anyone in the group may tag a downed deer—with their own tag. That stands in contrast to other states---and even Iowa’s more solitary muzzleloader and bow seasons. However, it has proven to be an efficient method for taking deer, since modern deer hunting was introduced here in the early 1950s. Whatever the season, any deer must be tagged before it is moved or within 15 minutes—whichever comes first.

It also holds the potential for danger, as drivers move closer to, or across, their friends on a drive.

“That’s why wearing solid blaze orange is mandatory. At least the minimum (torso covered). More is better,” stresses DNR recreation safety officer Pat Jorgensen. “Our number one cause of deer hunting incidents involves a hunter shooting at a running deer…with someone in the area. Recognize what stands in front of and behind the target!”

For several years now, deer hunters have noticed fewer whitetails than in the early 2000s. That is by design. A decade ago, state lawmakers instructed the DNR to reduce the deer population, after steady growth through the previous few decades.

With addition of county and season specific antlerless tags, generous quotas, and a couple extra seasons, near Thanksgiving and during January, hunters responded.  Adaptive regulation changes have lowered the deer herd to mid-1990s target levels, in all but a handful of counties.

Hunters in 27 north central and northwest counties have no county antlerless tags…and may take only antlered deer during the first shotgun season.

Iowa’s overall deer harvest across all seasons last year was 101,569…down 39 percent from the peak and the 2015 harvest should be similar.

“Now is a good time for the DNR to work with hunters and landowners to help develop a better understanding of proper deer management; including the benefits of harvesting does and keeping deer numbers at ecologically acceptable levels,” stresses DNR wildlife management biologist Terry Haindfield.  “Hunters working with landowners at the local level are the best and most efficient way to keep deer numbers acceptable and provide a high quality deer herd.”

MEDIA CONTACT: Jim Coffey, Forest Wildlife Research Technician, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 515-774-2958.

A chronology of Wisconsin deer hunting from closed seasons to record harvests

MADISON - Wisconsin has a long and storied tradition of regulated gun deer hunting stretching all the way back to 1851. There have been many changes over the years, but few as dramatic as those experienced by hunters during the late 1990s and early 21st century.

1834 - Lafayette County, first reported crop damage by deer.

1851 - First closed season for deer, Feb. 1 - June 30; Indians permitted to hunt anytime.

1876 - Hunting with dogs prohibited statewide.

1887 - Two game wardens appointed by governor at a monthly salary of $50; night hunting prohibited statewide.

1888 - Game laws published in pamphlet form.

1890 - First chief warden appointed.

1892 - Lawful to kill any dog running or hunting deer.

1895 - Sheboygan first county closed to deer hunting; deer cannot be transported unless accompanied by hunter; last October deer season in state.

1897 - First bag limit for deer, two per season; resident license costs $1, nonresident license costs $30; estimated license sales total 12,000.

1900 - Twelve hunters killed by firearms.

1903 - Estimated 78,164 licenses sold.

1905 - Salt licks prohibited.

1909 - Season 20 days long, limit one deer; first civil service exam given on a competitive basis for prospective wardens.

1910 - Deer populations drop to record low numbers due to unregulated hunting and market shooting.

1914 - Twenty-four hunters killed, 26 injured; license sales at 155,000

1915 - First buck only season.

1917 - Shining deer illegal while possessing a firearm; Conservation Commission delegated some powers related to deer season, but legislature retains authority to set seasons; deer tags (paper) required for the first time...they cost 10 cents.

1919 - Estimated kill is 25,152.

1920 - First use of metal deer tags...they cost 10 cents.

1921 - Wardens are instructed that "all deer found in possession...with horns less than three inches in length, is a fawn and should be confiscated."

1924 - Estimated kill is 7,000.

1925 - Legislature passes law closing deer season in alternate years.

1927 - No open season.

1928 - Deer hunters required to wear official conservation button while hunting; Game Division formed with Conservation Department; estimated kill is 17,000 with 69,049 deer tags sold.

1929 - No open season.

1930 - Estimated kill is 23,000 with 70,284 deer tags sold.

1931 - No open season.

1932 - Deer tag price is raised to $1; estimated kill is 36,009 with 70,245 deer tags sold.

1933 - No open season; Conservation Congress, an advisory group representing public opinion registered at annual county hearings, begins to assist the Conservation Commission in establishing a deer management policy.

1934 - First bow deer season; estimated gun kill is 21,251 with 83,939 deer tags sold.

1935 - No open season.

1937 - Shortest deer season on record, three days.

1938 - Use of .22 rifle and .410 shotgun prohibited.

1939 - Licensed children between ages 12 and 16 must be accompanied by parent or guardian; buckshot prohibited statewide.

1941 - Deer predators rare, timber wolves nearing extinction; estimated gun kill is 40,403 with 124,305 deer tags sold.

1942 - Back tags required while deer hunting.

1943 - First doe and fawn season in 24 years. The 1943 season was unique in Wisconsin, with a "split season" with forked (>1" fork) bucks-only for 4 days followed by a 3-day closure and then 4 days of antlerless-only (128,000 harvest).

1945 - First year of 'shotgun only' counties; wearing red clothing required while hunting deer.

1949 - The 1949 season was an unusual any-deer hunt - bucks with more than a two-inch fork were protected (159,000 harvest).

1950 - First 'any deer' season since 1919; estimated gun kill is 167,911 with 312,570 deer tags sold.

1951 - Deer hunting license and tag cost $2.50; orange clothing now included under red clothing law; Wisconsin leads nation in whitetail deer kill for third consecutive year.

1953 - First season gun deer hunters required to register deer at checking station.

1954 - Two-thirds of bucks harvested are less than three years old; portions of Walworth and Waukesha Counties and all of Jefferson County open for the first time since 1906.

1956 - 100th established gun deer season; registered gun kill is 35,562 with 294,645 deer tags sold.

1957 - Legislature authorizes party permit.

1958 - Longest deer season since 1916, 16 days; Rock County open for the first time since 1906; first harvest by deer management unit (in northwest and northeast only); registered gun kill is 95,234, of which 44,987 taken by party permit; 335,866 deer tags and 58,348 party permits sold, respectively.

1959 - First statewide deer registration by unit; Game Management Division of Conservation Department assumes responsibility for coordinating the state's deer program; first open season in Kenosha County since 1906.

1960 - Hunter not permitted to buy a license after opening day of gun season; Green and Racine Counties open for the first time since 1906; all counties now open except Milwaukee; registered gun kill is 61,005, of which 25,515 taken by party permit; 338,208 deer tags and 47,522 party permits sold, respectively.

1961 - Resident big game license increased from $4 to $5; first use of SAK - sex-age-kill population-reconstruction technique for estimating deer numbers; hunters required to transport deer openly while driving to registration station; legislation authorizing unit specific quotas for antlerless harvest established.

1962 - Deer population above 400,000; deer management unit specific population goals established.

1963 - First year of quota party permits in eight management units; assassination of President Kennedy lessens hunting pressure.

1964 - Party permit quota extended to 32 management units.

1967 - Hunter Safety Education Program begins.

1970 - Registered gun kill is 72,844 with 501,799 licenses sold; 13 hunters killed.

1973 - No deer season fatalities.

1978 - Record registered gun kill is 150,845 with 644,594 licenses sold.

1980 - Blaze orange clothing required; first season of Hunter's Choice permit; new law prohibits shining wild animals from 10pm to 7pm, Sept. 15 - Dec. 31; coyote season closed in northern management units to protect nascent wolf population.

1981 - Record registered deer kill of 166,673 with 629,034 licenses sold.

1982 - Another record registered gun kill of 182,715 with 637,320 licenses sold; three deer season fatalities.

1983 - Harvest continues to rise with another record registered gun kill of 197,600 with 649,972 licenses sold; experimental antlerless deer shunt in six southern management units to relieve crop damage.

1984 - Big jump in registered kill, fourth record harvest in a row of 255,726 with license sales totaling 657,969; handgun deer hunting allowed in shotgun areas; group hunting legalized.

1985 - Fifth consecutive record kill of 274,302 with 670,329 licenses sold; deer season extended in 21 management units; legislature further strengthens road hunting restrictions.

1986 - Gun deer season now nine days statewide; landowner preference program begins for Hunter's Choice permits.

1987 - First year of bonus antlerless permits; seven fatalities and 46 injuries.

1988 - Handguns permitted statewide.

1989 - Record registered gun harvest of 310,192 with 662,280 licenses sold; pre-hunt herd estimate of 1.15 million deer; two fatalities and 37 firearm injuries.

1990 - License sales peak at 699,275. Another record gun kill of 350,040, including 209,005 antlerless deer; archers take 49,291 deer; pre-hunt herd estimate of 1.3 million; season extended for seven days in 67 management units.

1991 - First year of separate, seven-day muzzleloader season; third consecutive year of record gun harvest, 352,330; archery harvest jumps to 69,097; hunters allowed to buy more than one antlerless permit.

1992 - Natural Resources Board approves DNR secretary's recommendation to keep the gun season at nine days; new metro management units established around La Crosse, Madison and Milwaukee. After three record-breaking harvests, gun harvest drops to 288,820, still the fourth highest on record.

1993 - Pre-hunt herd population at 1 million with many units below prescribed goals; 34 units, mainly in the north, designated as buck-only units; license sales dip to 652,491; gun harvest at 217,584; archers take 53,008 deer; one fatality, 17 firearm injuries.

1994 - Gun harvest back up, by more than 90,000, to 307,629. Hunters Choice permit widely available; six northwest management units remain buck only; herd beginning to build up in southern agricultural range.

1995 - For the first time hunters can use their bonus or Hunter's Choice permits in either the gun, bow or muzzleloader seasons; gun harvest totals 398,002, a new state record; archers kill a record 69,269 deer; 32 firearm incidents, one fatality.

1996 - First October gun deer hunt since 1897; "Earn-a-Buck" rules, requiring hunters to harvest a doe before taking a buck, established in 19 deer management units in agricultural range; special four-day, antlerless-only season in October in all 19 of these DMUs. October gun harvest is 24,954 deer.

1997 - The safest gun season ever with one fatality and 10 injuries; 'Earn a Buck' provision scuttled; early Zone T (October gun) season in seven management units and three state parks.

1998 -Gun harvest of 332,254 is fifth highest; bow hunters take a record 75,301 deer, 18.5 percent of total; 19 firearm incidents with two fatalities; after a mild winter, most DMUs estimated to be above population goals; early October season held in one management unit, 67A.

1999 - Record gun harvest of 402,204 deer; record archery harvest at 92,203; licensed hunters at 690,194, second highest to date; resident deer license costs $20; non-resident license $135; early archery season, traditionally closed a week before November gun hunt, is extended in all 7 Zone T units through the Thursday preceding the traditional gun opener.

2000 - The gun harvest jumps by more than 125,000 deer to an all-time record of 528,494. With 694,712 licensed gun hunters, their success rate is an astonishing 76 percent. By comparison, in the 43 years from 1966 to 2009, the average success rate for gun hunters is 37 percent.

2001 - Routine testing by DNR, weeks after the close of hunting, reveals that three deer harvested in the Town of Vermont in Dane County had CWD, or chronic wasting disease. The gun harvest drops to 361,264, still the fifth highest on record and higher than any harvest prior to 1995. Archery harvest remains high at 83,120, so the total harvest is fourth highest on record. October and December Zone T gun hunts in 67 DMUs.

2002 - The DNR and hunters begin looking for answers after CWD is found for the first time in wild deer east of the Mississippi River. For two decades, the always fatal, contagious disease had been largely confined, in the wild, to deer and elk in Colorado and Wyoming. DNR reacts aggressively, setting up a CWD management zone, with expanded hunting, and a smaller disease eradication zone, with a 14-week gun hunt. DNR samples 41,000 deer statewide for CWD. License sales drop 10 percent.

2003 - Bow hunters harvest a record 95,607 deer. Gun deer license sales up 14 percent over 2002, climbing to 644,818. Earn-a-buck rules in effect and no bag limit in the CWD management zone in southwest Wisconsin; 115 wild deer test positive for CWD with all but two positives from the disease eradication zone.

2004 - Hunters set a new record with venison donations by giving 10,938 deer yielding nearly 500,000 pounds of venison for food pantries across the state. Widespread use of earn-a-buck and Zone T hunts. Bow hunters set yet another record, harvesting 103,572 deer. License sales up slightly to 649,955.

2005 - Top five gun deer harvest counties - all located in central Wisconsin - are Marathon (15,871), Clark (13,918), Waupaca (12,260), Shawano (11,748) and Jackson (11,461). DNR tests 4,500 deer in the agency's northeast region and CWD not detected.

2006 - Gun deer license sales at 644,906. Demographics show a gradually declining number of hunters nationwide due to a variety of changing social conditions. DNR, wildlife organizations and hunting clubs across state are ramping up efforts to encourage young hunters. NRB has approved a special, 2-day youth hunt in early October. Total gun harvest is 393,306, fifth highest on record.

2007 - Wisconsin's 156th deer season; archery harvest peaks at 116,010 deer; gun hunt now lasts 23 days in the CWD Zones; 57 of Wisconsin's 130 DMU's have earn-a-buck rules.

2008 - Most of southern Wisconsin now lies within the new CWD-management zone; focus has shifted to managing rather than eliminating the disease; rifles can be used to hunt deer in previously shotgun-only areas of the CWD zone; more than 642,000 licensed hunters kill 352,601 deer during all gun seasons.

2009 - The new "Mentored Hunting Program" is introduced, allowing any licensed hunter aged 18 or older to take any new hunter age 10 or older on a hunt. The mentor does not carry a weapon and stays within arm's reach of the novice. Nine-day gun hunt opens with unseasonably warm temperatures and heavy fog throughout much of the state. Gun harvest drops to 241,862.

2010 - Hunters may now divide a deer into up to five parts (four quarters plus the head attached to the spinal column and rib cage) to facilitate removal from the field. Hunting regulations are available on DNR's web site; 18 DMUs in the north have buck-only hunting during both gun and bow seasons to allow herd to grow in the north. No earn-a-buck units except in CWD zone.

2011-Archery season is permanently extended to run through the gun deer season. Hunters report higher deer numbers in north. There are no October herd control hunts outside the CWD Management Zone. . Earn-a-buck rules are completely eliminated by legislation statewide and hunters in the CWD Management Zone may shoot a buck first. Earn a Buck is replaced with "bonus buck". CWD detected in a doe harvested outside of Shell Lake in Washburn County, prompting sampling and public outreach. State hires independent deer trustee to review Wisconsin deer management. DNR embarks on multi-million, multi-year study to quantify various causes of deer death (whether by hunter, disease, weather, vehicle collision or predation by wolf, bear or coyote). More than 400 hunters volunteer help make the first year of field research a success.

2012 - For the first time since 1995, there are no October herd-control gun hunts anywhere in the state. CWD zone hunters can take additional bucks under "bonus buck" rules. Anyone may now hunt with a crossbow during any gun deer season. Hunter participation in deer field research remains strong; $5 introductory licenses for various game species are introduced to help recruit new hunters and encourage past hunters to return. Bowhunters set an all-time record harvest of bucks.

2013 - Rifles allowed for hunting statewide after research shows they pose no greater risk than shotguns even in more populated counties. Hunting allowed in most state parks for the first time for about a month in the spring and a month in the fall, with archery hunting in parks running longer. Citizen "action teams" working on the Deer Trustee Report complete their recommendations, the DNR prepares proposed changes to deer management and 35 public hearings are held statewide. One proposal: reduce the number of deer management units, either by combining units or managing deer by county. CWD surveillance expanded in Adams, Juneau and Portage counties after four deer test positive outside the CWD management zone in southern Wisconsin.

2014 -A crossbow season for deer is established for the first time, and the sale of crossbow licenses is robust. The crossbow season runs concurrently with the archery season, from mid-September through the first weekend in January. Crossbow permits are no longer limited to handicapped hunters or those aged 65 or older. Deer management units now coincide with county lines and fall under "farmland" or "forest" zones. After a second consecutive severe winter, antlerless permits are eliminated in 19 forest zone counties. As a precursor to a major change scheduled for 2015, a pilot program for electronic deer registration is established.

2015 - This year marks the first year of statewide electronic registration for recording harvested deer. Electronic registration allows hunter to use a telephone or a computer with internet access to record their deer harvest, as well as, honoring past traditions to register in-person at a number of stations statewide. County Deer Advisory Councils and citizen involvement through programs like the Deer Management Assistance Program continue to play a key role in decision making and resource and habitat management as we enter a new era of deer hunting in Wisconsin.