Wisconsin Deer and Elk Committee to Potentially Act on Important Proposals

At upcoming meetings of the Wisconsin Deer and Elk Committee (Wisconsin

Conservation Congress), several important issues will be discussed and potentially acted upon.  These items pertain to antler point restrictions for deer in selected counties, when to act on reports of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a proposed split of a deer management unit, and proposed protection of "white deer."  These are just some of the items on the action list. Public comments will be accepted, but citizens wishing to do so need to get on the meeting agenda by August 7th.  (You can do this by calling Al Phelan at 608-241-7538)

At a March 2, 2013 hearing, the framework of the antler point restrictions for Barron and Polk counties included mandating that deer have 4 points or more on at least one side, that youth and disabled hunters be exempted, and that there be a sunset on the trial period for the restriction.  Barron and Polk counties are northeast of Minneapolis and receive heavy deer hunting pressure. The thought is that the restrictions will improve the quality of the antlered deer harvested in these two counties.

The deer and elk committee meeting will be held at the Plaza Hotel & Suites, Wausau on Saturday, August 10, 2013, 9:00 am.

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Antler point restrictions in northwest Lower Peninsula of Michigan approved by NRC

Deer hunters in 12 northwest Lower Peninsula counties will have to count antler points before they shoot a buck this fall, as the Natural Resources Commission enacted antler point restrictions (APRs) at its June 13 meeting in Lansing.

The regulation requires hunters to ensure antlered deer have at least one antler with a minimum of three points, with each point at least 1 inch long. A similar rule has been in effect in Leelanau County the last ten seasons.

The NRC approved the regulation under a process initiated after the Northwest Michigan branch of the Quality Deer Management Association proposed the rule more than a year ago. The process requires a DNR survey of deer hunters in the proposed area, which in this case found that 69 percent of hunters approved of the regulation.

Under the process, proposed APRs must protect at least 50 percent of the yearling bucks. This ensures that restrictions can have a meaningful impact on the number of bucks likely to survive their first hunting season, leading to a herd with more, older bucks in it.

The counties added under this restriction include Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Lake, Manistee, Mason, Missaukee, Osceola and Wexford. Throughout Michigan, all hunters that harvest two antlered deer must ensure at least one has four or more antler points on one side, and this requirement will remain in place within these counties.

In addition, a group known as the Lower Peninsula Deer Management Initiative (LPDMI) has submitted two different APR proposals to be considered for implementation starting with the 2014 deer season.   Informational meetings are being held at a number of locations in June and July. More information can be found on the DNR website at www.michigan.gov/dnr.

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South Dakota: Antler Auction Featured at Outdoor Expo

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

PIERRE, S.D. – The Game, Fish and Parks Department will host its second Antler Auction at the South Dakota Outdoor Expo in Huron on Saturday, June 9.
The auction will take place as part of the 5th Annual South Dakota Outdoor Expo at the State Fairgrounds. The gates open at 9 a.m., and the auction will begin at 10 a.m. in the Fairgrounds Expo Building.
Antlers make up the bulk of auction items, with hundreds of deer antlers and racks offered to bidders. Other items to be auctioned off include mountain lion hides, mountain lion skulls, elk antlers, bighorn sheep racks and more.
“We have an amazing variety of items for auction that should be attractive to taxidermists, hunters, outdoor craft people, and outdoor enthusiasts in general,” said GFP’s Andy Alban.
The auction will be handled by Schuetzle Auction Service.

More information on items that will be offered at the auction will be available prior to the event on the GFP website.

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Michigan Deer Hunters: Local organization to host meeting on proposed deer antler point restrictions May 17 in Kalkaska

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Northwest Michigan Chapter of the Quality Deer Management Association, in partnership with Leelanau Whitetails, has proposed new antler point restrictions (APR) for the following 12 counties: Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Lake, Manistee, Missaukee, Mason, Osceola and Wexford.

This proposal seeks to require that all antlered deer harvested in the area have at least three antler points on one side. The statewide requirement that hunters taking two bucks must ensure at least one of those bucks has four or more antler points on one side would remain in place. The proposed regulations would be consistent with the current restriction in Deer Management Unit (DMU) 045, which is Leelanau County. The restriction will be considered for implementation starting with the 2013 deer season. Antlerless deer regulations within the proposed area would continue to be determined by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

The DNR supports the voluntary implementation of APR on private land. Under guidelines adopted by the Natural Resources Commission (NRC), mandatory regulations proposed by sponsoring organizations will only be implemented where a clear majority of 66 percent support among hunters in the proposed area is documented. Support will be determined by a DNR survey mailed to a sample of hunters who indicated on the 2011 DNR deer harvest survey that they hunted deer in one of the 12 counties. Surveys will be mailed starting in August.
"This proposal is our first since the moratorium has been lifted," said DNR deer biologist Ashley Hippler. "We are looking forward to seeing how the majority of northwestern Michigan deer hunters feel about antler point restrictions."
The Northwest Michigan Chapter of the QDMA will host meetings in each county to answer questions and provide explanation. The next meeting is scheduled for May 17 at 7 p.m. in Kalkaska at the Kaliseum, located at 1900 Fairground Road. More than 70 people attended the first meeting, held April 26 at the Benzie Central High School. Additional meetings will be announced as they are scheduled.

Landowners in one of the 12 proposed counties who would like to offer input about the proposal may email their comments to DNR-wildlife@michigan.gov.
Payment by the Northwest Michigan Chapter of the QDMA will offset survey costs incurred by this proposal.

The NRC had placed a moratorium on accepting APR proposals in 2006, to allow the DNR to assess experiences with initial guidelines, which were implemented in 1999. The NRC assembled a stakeholder workgroup late in 2010 to provide recommendations regarding revisions to the process. The DNR is now evaluating proposals based on recommendations from this workgroup and other modifications to increase efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The NRC retains full authority over decisions to implement APR and other harvest regulations, but the proposal review process provides valuable information to inform those decisions.

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Local organization proposes antler point restrictions in northwest Michigan

The Northwest Michigan chapter of the Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA), in partnership with Leelanau Whitetails, has proposed new antler point restrictions (APR) for deer hunting in the following 12 counties: Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Lake, Manistee, Missaukee, Mason, Osceola, and Wexford.
This proposal seeks to require that all antlered deer (bucks) harvested in the 12-county area must have at least three antler points on one side. Current regulations allow hunters to take bucks that have at least one antler that is three inches long or longer. The proposal would continue the current statewide requirement that hunters taking two bucks must ensure at least one of those bucks has four or more antler points on one side. The proposed regulation would be consistent with the current regulation in Deer Management Unit (DMU) 045, which is Leelanau County. The restriction will be considered by the Natural Resources Commission for implementation starting with the 2013 deer season. Antlerless deer regulations within the proposed area would continue to be determined by the Natural Resources Commission based on recommendations by Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Wildlife Division staff.
Under guidelines adopted by the Natural Resources Commission (NRC), mandatory regulations proposed by sponsoring organizations will only be implemented where a clear majority of 66 percent support among hunters in the proposed area is documented. Support will be determined by a survey mailed to a sample of hunters who indicated on the 2011 DNR deer harvest survey that they hunted deer in one of the 12 counties. Surveys will be mailed starting in August.
"This proposal is the first to reach this stage since the moratorium has been lifted," stated DNR deer biologist Ashley Hippler, "We are looking forward to seeing how the majority of northwestern Michigan deer hunters feel about antler point restrictions."
The Northwest Michigan Chapter of the QDMA will be hosting meetings in each county to provide information, answer questions and explain their reasons for making the proposal. The first meeting is scheduled for April 26 at 7 p.m. at the Benzie Central High School.
Additional meetings will be announced as they are scheduled.
The Northwest Michigan Chapter of the QDMA will provide payment to offset the cost of doing the hunter opinion survey.
The NRC had placed a moratorium on accepting APR proposals in 2006, to allow the DNR to assess experiences with initial guidelines which were implemented in 1999. The NRC assembled a stakeholder workgroup late in 2010 to provide recommendations regarding revisions to the process. The DNR is now evaluating proposals based on the recommendations from that workgroup. The NRC is the body that has authority over decisions to implement APR and other harvest regulations. The proposal review process provides valuable information to inform those decisions.

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Minnesota DNR conservation officers take aim to free dee

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Conservation officers (CO) with the Minnesota Department of Natural resources recently saved a couple of deer by shooting them.
State conservation officer Jeremy Woinarowicz of Thief River Falls received a call Dec. 28 that two bucks were locked together by their antlers in a field near Warren in Polk County. When Woinarowicz arrived at the scene, he noticed that the larger buck had already died and the live buck was frantically trying to break free.
“I did not have any assistance and I did not want the buck to stay attached any longer. I recalled that several years ago CO Greg Oldakowski of Wadena used his sidearm to shoot the antlers and free a couple of bucks that were locked together,” Woinarowicz said.
“I didn’t know if the buck that was still alive would survive the stress of roping, hog tying and sawing of antlers, so I decided to use the ‘Oldakowski Method.’”
Taking care and careful aim not to harm the live buck, Woinarowicz shot multiple tines off of each of the bucks, but that was not enough to free them. He decided he needed more firepower.
“I retrieved my duty shotgun from my patrol vehicle. A single well-placed slug on the dead buck’s antlers did the trick. The antlers flew apart and the live buck bounded away with one antler attached, and lived to fight another day,” Woinarowicz said.
Meanwhile across the state in Cook County, CO Darin Fagerman of Grand Marais received a call Tuesday of a buck with its antlers wrapped up in a hammock.
“It was dark and the deer was extremely tangled in the hammock, but the buck was still on its feet and able to move,” Fagerman said.
Fagerman and the caller cautiously approached the buck a couple of times to see if they could position themselves to free the animal, but each time the buck turned and kicked its hind legs in their direction.
Fagerman said the hammock was so wrapped up on one of the buck’s antlers that there was little hope of releasing it without injuring himself or the caller. Killing the deer was “the last thing I wanted to do, but I was running out of time and options,” he said.
Approaching the deer with his flashlight and sidearm, Fagerman shot but missed when the deer moved. It proved to be a saving shot.
“The gunshot startled the buck, which then pulled straight back on the hammock, exposing about two inches of the antler just above the base of the head,” Fagerman said. “Thankfully, the buck stayed still and I was then able to shoot the antler off. The deer, wasting no time, then ran off into the darkness,” Fagerman said.
“Conservation officers never know what they may encounter.”

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DNR reminds southeastern Minnesota hunters of antler point and cross-tagging restrictions

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Deer hunters in southeastern Minnesota need to be aware that bucks must have at least one four-point antler in order to be legal for harvest and hunters no longer are allowed to tag bucks shot by other hunters.

These regulations were first implemented in 2010 and remain unchanged in 2011.

Changes are in effect only in deer permit areas 338-349, which comprise southeastern Minnesota. They are not effective in the Chronic Wasting Disease Management Zone, deer permit area 602.

To be legal, a buck needs to have four points on one side only, which does not mean an eight-point deer. The restriction is expected to increase the number of antlerless deer harvested because a significant proportion of males will be protected and some hunters will opt to take an antlerless deer.

Youth ages 10-17 are exempt from the antler-point restriction. Adult hunters are not allowed to tag a buck for youth hunters. Research has shown that a positive early experience is critical to retaining young hunters.

“Our hope is that providing youth in the southeast an opportunity for early success will encourage them to be lifelong deer hunters,” said Steve Merchant, DNR wildlife populations and regulation programs manager.

Elimination of cross-tagging of bucks, commonly referred to as party hunting, is intended to help increase the number of mature bucks.

“Southeastern Minnesota’s cross-tagging regulation only requires a person to take and tag his or her own buck,” Merchant said. “Hunters still can take and tag antlerless deer for others in their party.”

University of Minnesota wildlife students will be staffing some deer registration stations in southeastern Minnesota to collect data on harvested bucks. Hunters must register their deer in-person and are strongly encouraged to let students take measurements as the data allows DNR to assess buck age structures over time and make sound biologically based decisions.

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