DNR conservation officers emphasize tree-stand safety as hunters gear up for fall

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Hunting from a tree stand is a popular way for hunters to enjoy their season, but nearly every year a Michigan hunter is seriously injured or killed falling out of a tree stand. Conservation officers at the Department of Natural Resources remind hunters of the top safety tips when it comes to tree stands.

Before a hunt, know your equipment:

• Read and understand the manufacturer’s instructions and warnings before using a tree stand and harness.
• Check the stand, straps and chains before you go out for signs of wear and tear or missing parts.
• Practice at ground level with your tree stand and harness with a friend or family member.
• Learn how to properly use your harness. The DNR recommends a full-body harness.
• Waist belts or upper body-only harnesses can cause serious injuries or death in a fall. 

When scouting for a tree:

• Choose a healthy, straight tree that is the right size to hold you and your stand.
• Check the tree beforehand for insect nests or animal dens.
• Avoid using climbing stands on smooth-barked trees, especially during icy or wet weather.
• Clear debris from the base of the tree to minimize injury from a fall and to ensure a sturdy base if using a ladder stand. 

During your hunt:

• Tell a reliable person where you are hunting and when you can be expected to return.
• Wear a full-body harness and make sure it is connected to the tree at all times. If using a ladder stand or climbing sticks, attach the harness before securing the platform to the tree or stepping onto it.
• Climb higher than your stand and always step down onto your platform.
• Wear boots with non-slip soles.
• Never carry equipment when climbing – use a haul line to raise and lower equipment, unloaded firearm or bow. Do not attach the line near the trigger or trigger guard of your firearm.
• Have emergency equipment – a knife, cellphone, flashlight and/or whistle. 

"DNR conservation officers responding to tree-stand falls see the same mistakes over and over – not using a harness or a haul line,” said Sgt. Tom Wanless, supervisor of the DNR hunter education program. “Nationally, 82 percent of hunters who fall from a tree stand are wearing a harness, but it’s not connected. And 86 percent of tree-stand falls take place during the climb up or down. Harnesses and haul lines save lives.”

For more information about tree stand safety, go to the Treestand Manufacturers Association website at www.tmastands.com. For more information about hunting in Michigan, visit the DNR website at www.michigan.gov/hunting.  

Michigan DNR honors long-time hunter education instructors

For nearly 70 years, Michigan has conducted hunter education classes for new hunters, teaching firearms safety and the regulations behind having a safe and successful hunt. This year, during special recognition ceremonies at a series of Natural Resources Commission meetings around the state, the Department of Natural Resources is honoring its long-time instructors who have been with the program for more than 40 years.
“Our hunter education program has trained over 1 million hunters since its start in 1946 and currently trains about 20,000 students a year,” said DNR Director Keith Creagh. “We could not do this without the help of our hunter education instructors who volunteer because of their love of the outdoors and their passion for passing along that love to the next generation of conservation leaders. We are proud to honor them for their longtime commitment to making sure everyone has a safe experience in the woods.”
At least 42 active hunter education instructors have given more than 40 years of service to the program, including Charles Duncan of Bay City who is the longest-serving instructor, having volunteered for over 49 years. Other instructors honored at the May 8 NRC meeting include: 

• Jack W. Cox, Battle Creek
• John W. Dicks, Saline
• Glenn C. Duncan, Bay City (son of Charles Duncan)
• Paul C. Hayes, Flushing
• Carl D. Holsinger, Holland
• Wayne L. Hoyt, Commerce Township
• William Johnston, Alto
• Cloyse Lundie, Durand
• Larry E. Martin, Ovid
• Dennis D. McMahan, Freeland
• William G. Osladil, Utica
• Gary L. Pawlitz, Macomb
• Allan G. Smith, Westphalia
• Verne Spiekerman, Reese
• Larry L. Whitney, Dimondale

While having a crop of seasoned, veteran instructors is an advantage for Michigan’s hunter education program, there also is a need to recruit new instructors in all regions of the state, according to Lt. Andrew Turner who manages the recreation safety program for the DNR's Law Enforcement Division. 
“We greatly appreciate our veteran instructors who have been with the program for more than 40 years," said Turner. "If you have an interest in passing along your experience in hunting to new hunters, we need you in our program. This is a great way to ensure that the sport you enjoy today is enjoyed by future generations.”
For more information on Michigan’s hunter education program, visit www.michigan.gov/recreationalsafety. 

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Report

Ruffed Grouse

Spring continues to be a tease, and Mother Nature is presenting many challenges for wildlife.

Heavy rains over the weekend in southern parts of Wisconsin resulted in significant flooding and greening grass. The recent cold weather has quieted the frogs, although some hardy spring peepers are still calling. Other frogs which had been vocal are chorus frogs and wood frogs.

There are numerous migratory birds coming through Wisconsin now, including many waterfowl species that are enjoying high waters along the lower Wisconsin River. Nine loons were observed Sunday on Lake Eau Claire. It is likely they are waiting for the far north lakes to thaw before returning to that area. Another loon was observed at Devil’s Lake State Park last week.

Portions of the Sauk Prairie Recreation Area are now open to the public through May 27 for outdoor activities, including spring turkey hunting. In addition to turkey hunting visitors can trap, hike, bird watch, pick mushrooms and berries, bike open roads, study nature and take photographs. There will not be any fishing opportunities and horseback riding will not be allowed during this time period. The U.S. Army is opening many of the lands it still owns at the former Badger Army Ammunition Plant to public use during this time. Visit the DNR website and search keyword “Sauk Prairie Recreation Area” for property hours and maps.

Male ruffed grouse are approaching the peak of their annual breeding activities known as drumming. Males locate a downed log, tree or rock on which to display themselves. Typically the display platform is located in thick vertical cover which provides security from avian predators. The males attract females with a series of repeated, rapid wing strokes with 3-4 minutes between series. As their wings compress the air, they create a vacuum which results in a thumping noise. Wildlife biologists use this drumming behavior to create an index to the grouse population. Each year the same route is traveled and drumming grouse are counted. From year to year, population trends can be determined based on the number of drumming males heard per route. Quiet early mornings, with air temperatures between 25 and 40, are the best times to listen for drumming ruffed grouse.

Spring turkey hunting officially kicked off Wednesday, April 16. Last weekend was the youth turkey hunt and many successes were reported statewide. This week’s high water affected fishing across many parts of the state as waters filled with sediment and debris. Some of the northern inland lakes are still covered with ice but travel on these lakes is dangerous and not recommended.

The Wisconsin Conservation Congress held their annual county meetings Monday, April 14, along with the state’s annual fish and game rules hearings. The WCC is the only statutory body in the state in which citizens elect delegates to advise the Natural Resources Board and the Department of Natural Resources on how to responsibly manage Wisconsin's natural resources for present and future generations. This year over 7,000 constituents cast ballots at their local county meetings. For results of hearings, visit the DNR website and search keyword “Conservation Congress.”

Related articles

• Spring conservation hearings Monday (wiscnews.com)
• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Report summary for March 14, 2013 (family-outdoors.blogspot.com)
• UPDATE: Sauk Prairie land open for recreation (nbc15.com)

Michigan Deer hunters may now place ground blinds on public land earlier

The Department of Natural Resources today announced that ground blinds for deer hunting

purposes now may be placed on public land beginning on Sept. 1.
Previously, deer hunters were not allowed to place ground blinds on public land before Nov. 5. This change makes placement dates and opportunities for ground blinds consistent with those for raised platforms/scaffolds (often called tree stands), which also can be placed on public land as early as Sept. 1. 
The Natural Resources Commission adopted this regulation change at its August 2013 meeting - after the 2013 Hunting and Trapping Digest was printed, so the new ground blind placement date does not appear in the printed version of the digest.
For more information about hunting rules and regulations, see www.michigan.gov/dnrdigests.   

Related articles

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• Deer Season Debuts With Archery and Muzzleloader (kansas-outdoors.blogspot.com)
• Deadline to sign-up for Wisconsin disabled deer hunt September 1 (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)

Changes abound in Michigan deer hunting regulations

It may be early September, but the first rounds of deer season – the Liberty Hunt and the early

antlerless deer season, Sept. 21-22 – are only two weeks away. There have been some significant changes made to deer hunting regulations for the 2013 season, so hunters expecting to go about business as usual this fall should take a few minutes to familiarize themselves with the rules.

The most significant change is the addition of 12 counties in the northwestern Lower to those with antler restrictions. Beginning this year deer hunters in Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Lake, Manistee, Mason, Missaukee, Osceola and Wexford counties will be restricted to bucks with a minimum of three antler points on at least one antler. The 12 counties join Leelanau County, which has had that regulation for a decade.

The rule was adopted by the Natural Resources Commission after hunters from the area petitioned for the antler restrictions and Wildlife Division officials at the Department of Natural Resources conducted surveys indicating that at least two-thirds of the hunters supported the change.

“The regulation will be in place for five years and we will evaluate support among hunters as to whether they would like to see it remain in place after that,” said Brent Rudolph, the DNR’s deer and elk program.

Hunters who opt for the two-tag combination license will still be restricted to one buck with at least four antler points on one antler if they choose to take a second buck.

The September early antlerless season and Liberty Hunt -- the former hunts for 100 percent disabled veterans and youth – will run concurrently as they did last year. Youths, 16 years of age or younger, may participate, as well as hunters with disabilities who meet one of the following criteria:

• Is a veteran who has been determined to be 100 percent disabled or rated as unemployable by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs;
• Has been issued a permit by the DNR to hunt from a standing vehicle;
• Has been issued a permit by the DNR to hunt using a laser-sighting device; or
• Is legally blind as defined by law.

September hunting dates have been whittled down significantly from several years ago, but they never had a significant impact on deer populations, Rudolph said.

“The early antlerless season is now two days and is open in much of southern Michigan, DMU 487 (the tuberculosis zone in the northeastern Lower Peninsula) and Charlevoix and Antrim counties,” Rudolph said. “Last year hunters took a little more than 6,000 deer in September. In southern Michigan, they took 4,500 antlerless deer in the early season compared to about 17,000 taken during the muzzleloader season. Overall, hunters took 110,591 deer in southern Michigan, so in terms of the number of deer taken in the early antlerless season, it was never a huge percentage of the take. Two years ago, we did have quite a bit of hunting in September, but there were relatively few hunters participating in those hunts.”

The Independence Hunt, Oct. 17-20, is restricted to those hunters with disabilities meeting the same criteria as for the Liberty Hunt. Hunters may take a deer with or without antlers.

Hunters participating in the Liberty or Independence hunts may use a firearms license, combination license or antlerless license. Youths may also use a mentored youth license. Hunters may take one deer, with or without antlers. All antler-point restrictions apply except for youths with a mentored youth license.

The change most likely to affect the most hunters is the creation of new deer management units (DMU) in southern Michigan. There are no antlerless permits for DMU 486, which includes most of southern Michigan, this year. Instead, there are a number of new DMUs which are made up of either single counties or small contiguous groups of counties. There is one four-county DMU (DMU 319) in central southern Michigan, three three-county DMUs, two two-and-a-half-county DMUS, and two two-county DMUS. All other DMUs in the Lower Peninsula are single counties.

DMUs were created based on consistency of deer numbers and other conditions such as the amount of agriculture damage, habitat conditions and urbanization, Rudolph said.

"Essentially, the idea behind the groupings was to provide the largest possible units to give hunters the most flexibility without having to buy multiple tags,” he said. “So we basically looked at how large we could go and still have consistent conditions within the DMU.

“After the last 10 years, we’ve finally seen stable, or in some cases decreasing, deer numbers in what was DMU 486,” Rudolph continued. “In addition, we saw several significant outbreaks of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) last summer, so that makes this a good time to make this change.”

Last year the antlerless deer harvest in southern Michigan fell by about 15 percent. Accordingly, fewer antlerless permits will be available in southern Michigan this season.

“We greatly appreciated what people did on the ground reporting EHD losses,” Rudolph said. “It was widespread, so it’s hard to get a good handle on how many deer were lost, but clearly the drought and heat last year created optimal conditions for the disease. Outbreaks were highly localized; hunters just a few miles from some significant losses saw little or no change in numbers of deer. So we encourage hunters with antlerless permits to use their own judgment of what’s appropriate for their localized deer numbers.

“If you’re seeing a lot of deer, don’t worry. And, conversely, if you are in an area that was affected by EHD, it may be a few more years before you begin to see deer numbers again like you did before. Wildlife Division will be conducting research in a few areas hard hit by last year’s epidemic to help judge local recovery of deer populations.”

Antlerless permit allocations were cut somewhat in the Upper Peninsula, too.

“The past winter lingered,” Rudolph said. “We had late heavy snowfalls, enough that we thought it might have impacted the herd – especially in the western U.P. – so we reduced antlerless permits.”

For additional details on regulations, DMUs, antler point restrictions and other hunting questions, please see the 2013 Hunting and Trapping Digest.  

Related articles

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• Minnesota Deer Hunting News Roundup (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)

Michigan Antlerless deer application results now available; remaining licenses go on sale Sept. 10

The Department of Natural Resources reminds hunters to check their antlerless deer drawing results and availability of remaining licenses at www.michigan.gov/huntdrawings.

All remaining public and private-land antlerless deer licenses will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis beginning Sept. 10 at 10 a.m. EDT. Licenses will be sold until quotas are met.

Licenses may be purchased online at E-license, at any authorized license agent or at a DNR Customer Service Center.

A number of new, smaller Deer Management Units (DMUs) have been created in southern Michigan, replacing the large multi-county DMU 486 that has been in place for the past few years. Several of these new DMUs range from two to four counties in size; DMU 308 (Barry, Calhoun and Eaton counties), DMU 311 (Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties), DMU 319 (Clinton, Gratiot, Ingham and Shiawassee counties), DMU 332 (Huron, Sanilac and Tuscola counties), DMU 339 (Kalamazoo and St. Joseph counties), DMU 341 (Kent and Ottawa counties and those portions of Muskegon County in Zone 3), DMU 354 (Mecosta and Montcalm counties), and DMU 361 (Newaygo and Oceana counties and those portions of Muskegon County in Zone 2). Watch the new southern Michigan DMU video to learn more.

Hunters also are reminded to apply for the Pure Michigan Hunt ($4 per application) as many times as they would like. Three winners will receive a prize package valued at over $4,000 that includes an elk and bear license, rifle and crossbow. Visit www.michigan.gov/puremichiganhunt for more information. To purchase Pure Michigan Hunt applications, visit E-license.

For more information, see the 2013 Antlerless Deer Hunting Digest, which can be found at local license agents or online at www.michigan.gov/dnrdigests.

Michigan Hunters - Don’t forget hunter education course requirements before heading out this fall

Don’t forget hunter education course requirements before heading out this fall
Michigan residents considering hunting in 2013 who need to complete a hunter education

course should enroll in a class prior to Oct. 1, when offerings are plentiful. Classes are held year-round, but April, May, August and September are the traditional times when classes are most available.

“With summer winding down and the focus turning to getting the kids ready for the school year, parents should consider that part of that ‘back to school’ routine should be enrolling in hunter education for any child 10 years old or older who wants to hunt this fall,” said Sgt. Tom Wanless, hunter education program supervisor for the Department of Natural Resources. “Waiting until the last minute before you go deer hunting this fall can often translate into difficulty finding a class or an instructor available for a field day if you are planning to take the home-study or online course.”

Michigan has three types of hunter education courses – a traditional classroom, a home-study and an online version. Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1960 is required to complete the course before buying a Michigan hunting license or taking an out-of-state hunting trip. Exceptions are made for youths under the age of 10 hunting under a mentored youth hunting license or hunters older than 10 hunting with an apprentice hunting license. Hunters can hunt under the apprentice program for two years before they are required to take hunter education.

The traditional classroom course is a minimum of 10 hours and includes both classroom and field work with an instructor. The home-study course features a workbook to complete classwork and requires a field/skills day. Michigan also offers two approved online hunter education courses, at www.hunter-ed.com/Michigan and www.huntercourse.com/usa/michigan. Students who opt for the online course complete their classwork online, and then have a field/skills day with an instructor and take a written exam.

Additionally, the DNR is seeking those interested in becoming hunter education instructors. There is a strong need for instructors in southeast Michigan. For more information on becoming an instructor in southeast Michigan, contact Specialist Peggy Ruby at rubyp@michigan.gov or call 586-405-5359.

For more information about hunter education or to find a class in your area, go to www.michigan.gov/huntereducation.

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• South Dakota and Michigan Deer Hunting Information and Deadlines (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Bear license drawing results posted; leftover licenses on sale in July (family-outdoors.blogspot.com)
• Pure Michigan Hunt prize package continues to grow (family-outdoors.blogspot.com)

Spring is best time to take hunter education classes

Michigan residents considering hunting in 2013 and who need to complete a hunter education course should enroll in a class this spring, when offerings are plentiful. Classes are held year-round, but April, May, August and September are traditionally the months when classes are most available.

"We encourage anyone considering hunting this year who needs to complete a hunter education course to enroll now in a spring course,” said Sgt. Jon Wood, hunter education program supervisor for the Department of Natural Resources. “Waiting until the last minute before you go deer hunting this fall can often translate into difficulty finding a class or an instructor available for a field day, if you are planning to take the home-study or online course.”

Michigan has three types of hunter education courses – traditional classroom, home-study and online. Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1960, is required to complete the course before buying a Michigan hunting license or taking an out-of-state hunting trip. Exceptions are made for youths under the age of 10 who are hunting under a Mentored Youth Hunting license or hunters older than 10 who are hunting with an apprentice hunting license. Hunters can hunt under the apprentice program for two years before they are required to take hunter education.

The traditional classroom course is a minimum of 10 hours and includes both classroom and field work with an instructor. The fee for the class is $10 or less to cover field supplies. The home-study course features a workbook to complete classwork. A field day is required with the home-study course and must be scheduled with an instructor prior to starting the course. Michigan also offers two approved online hunter education courses, www.hunter-ed.com/Michigan and www.huntercourse.com. Students who choose the online course will complete their classwork online, and then have a field/skills day with an instructor and take a written exam. The field day must be scheduled with an instructor prior to starting the online course.

For more information about hunter education and locations of classes, go to www.michigan.gov/huntereducation.  

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• Pure Michigan Hunt winners - from McBain, Kawkawlin and Westland - take home their prizes (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Michigan Spring turkey applications on sale now through Feb. 1 (family-outdoors.blogspot.com)
• Growing number of Michigan deer hunters give crossbows a try (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• 2013 Pure Michigan Hunt winners named (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)

Public meetings set to develop Deer Trustee Report implementation plans

MADISON - The public is invited to play an active role in the implementation of Wisconsin’s Deer Trustee Report through direct participation in a series of meetings hosted by the Department of Natural Resources, starting March 9, in Stevens Point.

map of the UW-Stevens Point Campus

The meeting will take place at UW-Stevens Point’s Lee S. Dreyfus University Center, Alumni Room (350), from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is the first of seven meetings to develop action plans for moving recommendations in the 2012 report forward with the intent of enhancing deer management in the state.

“Part of enhancing deer management is incorporating the observations and wants of a diverse audience of people with a stake in deer and deer hunting in Wisconsin,” said Eric Lobner, DNR Wildlife Supervisor assigned to implementation coordination. “We are inviting the public, tribes, stakeholders and other partners with hopes for a strong response from all. In order to be truly effective, we need people to turn out and weigh in on how to implement recommendations in the report.”

The report contains 62 recommendations assembled by Dr. James Kroll, along with Drs. Gary Alt and David Guynn, who were commissioned by the Governor as the state’s deer trustees to perform an objective evaluation of deer management practices. Four action teams have been formed to help move ideas from recommendations to implementation on the ground.

Each action team will be responsible for reviewing an area-specific grouping of recommendations pulled from the report. The team focus areas are: Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP); herd health and Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD); regulations and seasons; and science and research.

Action teams will meet simultaneously, so groups are encouraged to send multiple representatives if there is interest in serving on more than one action team. Additionally, team members are asked to attend all meetings

Action team meetings are currently all scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the UW-Stevens Point location above. The additional dates are April 6 and 27, May 18, June 8 and 29, and July 20, 2013. All meetings are scheduled to be completed by July 20 in order to meet deadlines for the official rule making process.

“DNR’s current role is to create an effective system for collecting, organizing and forwarding the input from the action teams. The efforts of these teams will guide the next steps of the agency, whether that means seeking administrative rule changes or changing how we communicate with hunters,” said Lobner. “We aim to be the ears, while others are the voices, in this process.”

In addition to the meetings, DNR will launch a survey to collect feedback on various aspects of the report with the overarching goal of getting a better understanding of what aspects of the deer management program should change and how. DNR will also use social media and the web to keep the public informed and engaged throughout the process.

More information and the full report are available at dnr.wi.gov, search keywords “deer trustee report.”

Related articles

• Michigan DNR now taking applications for deer habitat improvement grants (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Growing number of Michigan deer hunters give crossbows a try (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Michigan Northern Lower Deer Advisory Team to meet for third time Feb. 16 in Cadillac (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Study continues to monitor cause of mortality among Wisconsin deer (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)

Additional 140 acres of public hunting land now available in Sanilac County

g (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Department of Natural Resources today announced a new parcel of land is now open to the public at the Sanilac State Game Area. This 140-acre parcel, called the Petroglyph Tract, offers quality deer, turkey and ruffed grouse habitat.

The new parcel is in Sanilac County, section 11 of Greenleaf Township, near the Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park. The area features relatively flat-bottom land along the headwaters of the North Branch of the Cass River and is 90-percent forested with aspen, lowland hardwood and a small stand of planted white pine. The balance of the acreage consists of an old field and a small area of seasonally flooded lowland brush. The parcel can be accessed from an existing DNR parking area at the end of Leslie Road, one-half mile north of Cleland Road. Currently there is no formal access from Germania Road, but plans are in place to develop access in the near future.

See the attached PDF file (available for download below) for a map of the Sanilac State Game Area showing the location of the new parcel.

“It is always exciting when we are able to make more land available to the public for hunting and recreation,” said Don Bonnette with the Michigan DNR. “This area offers some great opportunities and has always provided quality hunting in the past.”

Although the area is called the Petroglyph Tract, it is not believed to have had petroglyphs on the property.

The funding for the purchase was provided by the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF). The Michigan Land Trust Fund (MLTF) program was originally created in 1976 to provide a source of funding for the public acquisition of lands for resource protection and public outdoor recreation. Funding is derived from royalties on the sale and lease of state-owned oil and gas rights. This program has evolved over the years to become the MNRTF, which has now provided over $800 million in funding for approved projects and purchases and has become an example of an extremely successful partnership between industry and conservation.

Maps of all state game areas can be viewed on the Michigan DNR website at www.michigan.gov/dnrby choosing the “Where Can I Hunt?” link under “Hunting & Trapping.” New state land acquisitions, most of which are open to hunting, can be found on the same webpage by choosing the “New Public Land Acquisitions” link under “Land.”

Sanilac-SGA_Petroglyph_Tract map.pdf

Wisconsin: Deadline for learn to hunt deer program at Sandhill extended

White-tailed deer doe (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Program for adult novice hunters who must be accompanied by chaperones

BABCOCK, Wis. -- Adults who have had an interest in hunting but weren’t sure how to give it a try are encouraged to consider a fall Learn-to-Hunt outing at the Sandhill Outdoor Skills Center – on the stunning 9,150-acre Sandhill Wildlife Area managed by the Department of Natural Resources.
Applicants will need to recruit a chaperone (or mentor) to attend the hunt with them. The chaperone is necessary to ensure novice hunters get the complete hunting experience in a safe environment. Chaperones help hunters with firearm safety, deer identification, scouting, and field dressing, among other things.
Adults have been learning how to hunt at the Wood County-based center, located between Black River Falls and Stevens Point, since 1990. Last year, one novice hunter from Maryland sent this note: “I was intrigued by hunting here, but daunted by all the gear and knowledge that seemed necessary. The Learn the Hunt program was a great crash course that made me feel like I had a chance in the woods. My mentor was a crucial part of that.”
There are two parts to the Learn to Hunt Deer at Sandhill. First, the workshop is held from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. on September 22 at the Sandhill Outdoor Skills Center at Babcock. Attendance by hunters and chaperones is mandatory. Second, the hunt occurs November 3 and 4 on the property. Hunters will have an assigned a hunting area.
This learn to hunt event is for persons ages 16 and over. Applicants must sign an affidavit indicating they have not hunted deer with a gun before. All participants must be enrolled in or have completed a Hunter Education course.

Chaperones also are needed, says DNR Hunting and Shooting Sport Coordinator Keith Warnke.
“If you are a hunter and want to give back to the hunting heritage by getting a new hunter started, your skills are needed!” Warnke said.
The deadline to participate in this annual event has been extended by one month from May 31 to June 30. People interested in participating must complete the Sandhill Learn-to-Hunt application and mail it to the address on the application.
“Learn to Hunt events are a great way to break into hunting. Novice hunters paired up with an experienced hunter will learn about conservation, safety, ethics, deer hunting tactics and firearm safety during a one-day workshop,” Warnke said. “Then, the novice hunters get a chance to experience a two-day November gun deer hunt.”
Sandhill was named for a series of gently rolling sandy ridges crisscrossing the property. The State Wildlife Area lies within the bed of ancient Glacial Lake Wisconsin an expansive region of flat, marshy land interspersed with forests covering parts of seven counties in central Wisconsin. The property features low, sandy uplands of oak, aspen and jack pine forests, large marshes, and many flowages.

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(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

MADISON – Dozens of volunteers assisted state wildlife researchers in capturing and placing radio-collars on 132 yearling and adult deer in January, February and March. Now the call is going out again for volunteers to help locate fawns born to does that were fitted with implant radio transmitters designed to signal when fawns have been born in mid- to late May.
“With the whitetail birthing season just around the corner, volunteers are again needed to sweep the woods looking for the newborns,” said Chris Jacques, Department of Natural Resources research scientist. “When located, fawns will be fitted with expandable radio collars so we can follow them through their first year of life to determine causes of death, whether it be due to nutrition, environment, vehicle, hunters or predators. This is real applied research and last year’s volunteers found the work rewarding.”

Some hunters have questioned assumptions about fawn recruitment used by wildlife biologists for estimating deer populations. Recruitment is the net addition of new fawns to a population each year and is an important input in estimating deer population numbers. At the end of this three-year effort to monitor fawns, researchers hope to fine tune their inputs to population estimates based on real-world data collected in this research effort.
Volunteers will be assigned to search teams working in the vicinity of Shiocton in Shawano County and Winter in Sawyer County. When transmitters have been expelled (presumably when a fawn has been born), a search team will form a line and comb the woods, somewhat similar to a deer drive, in search of bedded fawns. Opportunistic searching in high quality fawning habitats also will be conducted across both study areas. Captured newborns will be fitted with a radio collar of their own and left for the doe to raise normally.
If a fawn dies, the collar will emit a unique signal that researchers will again use to locate the animal to determine cause of death. The collars are designed to expand as the deer grows and eventually drop off as the animal approaches its first birthday.

Impact of predators on deer populations of special interest to hunters

“Determining causes of death in fawns is vital to the accuracy of our deer population estimates,” said Jacques. “Of special interest is the impact of predators on fawn deaths. We have a suite of predators in Wisconsin, including black bears, bobcats, coyotes, and gray wolves, that may have some impact on yearly fawn production. What we are less certain of are the relative roles that each of these predators may play on fawn recruitment over the course of an entire year.”
During 2011, thanks to the help of volunteers across the state, researchers enjoyed tremendous success capturing fawns. A total of 104 fawns, including 68 (48 radio collared, 20 ear-tagged) in the Shawano area and 36 (30 radio collared, six ear-tagged) in the Winter area, were captured.
“Though we have collected just one year of field data, preliminary evidence indicates that predation (primarily by black bears and bobcats) is likely having some measurable impact on fawn survival across northern Wisconsin, having accounted for 14 of 22 (64 percent) deaths during the first month of life,” according to Jacques. “The predation impact across east central Wisconsin appears to be considerably lower, having accounted for just six of 18 (33 percent) recorded fawn deaths. Vehicle collisions and fawn abandonment appear to be primary causes of death, accounting for half of all recorded fawn deaths in the eastern farmland region. Fawn survival through December 2011 in the northern and east central study areas was 27 and 63 percent, respectively, indicating that the northern forest region is a much tougher place to scratch out a living for fawns than the eastern farmland region of Wisconsin.”
This work is possible only with the involvement and work of dozens of volunteers representing hunting groups such as the Wisconsin Conservation Congress, Safari Club International and Whitetails Unlimited, the University of Wisconsin- Madison and UW-Stevens Point, the AFL-CIO Union Sportsmans Alliance, and hundreds of Wisconsin citizens.
“Anyone who has looked for newborn fawns or been startled to discover a fawn lying motionless in the forest or field next to them knows what a challenge it is to find them,” says Jacques. “They have excellent natural camouflage and instinct to remain absolutely still when approached. The transmitters will give us a better idea of where they are but it will still take time on the ground to locate them.”
For more information and to sign up as a volunteer search Deer Research on the DNR website.

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Wisconsin: Strong turnout, new online survey highlight statewide deer forums

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

MADISON - Participation in the 2012 deer forums was significantly higher than in the previous year, with double the number of people turning out for meetings and more than 6,500 providing comments online, state wildlife officials said.

Throughout March, Department of Natural Resources wildlife staff held 36 deer forums throughout Wisconsin to listen to hunters and others interested in deer and to share current information about deer management and prospects for the 2012 season.

New this year, the public was also able to get unit-specific information and contribute feedback about their favorite deer management unit through the DNR website. While attendance at the forums was just shy of 1,200 people, more than 6,500 provided feedback through the DNR website.

“Attendance at the local meetings more than doubled this year, but the response to the online forum option has been very good, in fact it greatly exceeded our hopes,” said Kevin Wallenfang, DNR big game ecologist. “With three times the people taking advantage of the on-line forum it seems we’ve found a good way to accommodate people who don’t want to drive great distances, but still want to participate in some way.”

Results of both the local forums and on-line survey indicate strong public support for reduced permit numbers in the north for the 2012 deer season and DNR is listening to this feedback, Wallenfang said.

Preliminary results indicate the majority of on-line feedback came from people in northern Wisconsin, with 39 percent representing the northern forest deer management region, 21 percent southern farmland, 18 percent eastern farmland, 13 percent western farmland, and 9 percent central forest. The majority of online respondents were hunters, and most hunt deer during both the gun and archery season.

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