Michigan DNR invites Upper Peninsula deer hunters to series of open houses

Information meetings will cover new hunting license structure, regional deer management and the U.P. Deer Advisory Team

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Upper Peninsula Deer Advisory Team (UPDAT) invite Upper Peninsula deer hunters to a series of open houses in January and February to learn more about regional deer management, UPDAT activities, and hunting license changes for 2014.

Open houses are being held in eight U.P. locations through Thursday, Feb. 6.

The open house format includes a short presentation on the above-mentioned topics followed by a question and answer session and the opportunity to visit with local UPDAT members and DNR biologists.

“The first two meetings in Sault Ste. Marie and Ironwood had a good turnout of local deer hunters,” said DNR deer program biologist and UPDAT co-chair Ashley Autenrieth. “Everyone seemed to enjoy the chance to talk to each other, and we even had several attendees submit applications to be future UPDAT members.”

Each open house takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. local time. The remaining open houses are:

Jan. 21 - Iron Mountain, Bay College West, Fornetti Hall, Room 104
Jan. 23 - Marquette, Ramada Inn
Jan. 28 - Munising, Sydney's Restaurant
Jan. 30 - Baraga, Ottawa Sportsmen's Club
Feb. 4 - Newberry, Comfort Inn
Feb. 6 - Escanaba, Bay de Noc Community College

"It is our hope that by the end of the evening, you will know how the UPDAT functions, the type of issues being discussed, the name and contact information for your local representative, and – most importantly – how you can participate in the process," said DNR Regional Wildlife Supervisor Terry Minzey.

The UPDAT is a group of citizens who work with the DNR Wildlife Division to provide input from local communities on regional deer management issues.

Each region of the state – the U.P., northern Lower Peninsula and southern Lower Peninsula – has its own Deer Advisory Team. Similar open houses will be held in the northern and southern Lower Peninsula in the future when the Deer Advisory Teams for those regions have proposals ready to share with the public.

Visit www.michigan.gov/deer for more information on the DNR's Deer Advisory Teams and deer management in Michigan.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state's natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.

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U.P. conservation organizations awarded DNR deer habitat improvement grants

Six Upper Peninsula conservation organizations will receive Deer Habitat Improvement Partnership Initiative (DHIPI) grants from the Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Division in 2013, DNR officials announced today.

The projects, totaling $50,000 of DHIPI grant money, will improve deer habitat in Alger, Dickinson, Iron, Mackinac, Menominee and Ontonagon counties.

The DHIPI grant program is designed to attract and support proposals from non-government organizations interested in improving white-tailed deer habitat in the Upper Peninsula. The competitive grant program, funded by the state’s Deer Range Improvement Fund (DRIP), requires the projects be located on non-state-owned land, including private property and Commercial Forest Act-enrolled land.

The following organizations will receive 2013 DHIPI grants:

• The Dickinson Conservation District will receive $7,700 to plant crab apple and oak trees on 40 parcels of privately owned land in Dickinson, Iron and Menominee counties to improve hard and soft mast availability.

• U.P. Whitetails, in partnership with The Forestland Group LLC., will receive $9,500 to plant conifers and advanced oak saplings on Heartwood Forestland Fund IV property where hard mast-producing beech trees have been lost due to beech bark disease. Approximately 400 acres in Alger County will receive 8-foot-tall saplings in a concerted effort to establish acorn-producing oak groves and enhance historic winter deer range.

• Wildlife Unlimited of Iron County will receive $7,500 to partner with the Natural Resources Conservation Service to enhance wildlife openings on 10 sites with native prairie and cool-season plantings. This project partners deer habitat improvement with Wildlife Unlimited’s youth hunter recruitment program. It also provides new opportunities for disabled hunters using the group’s specially outfitted accessibility hunting trailer. 

• The Ontonagon chapter of Whitetails Unlimited will receive $7,850 to create a 10-acre wildlife opening project adjacent to a deer wintering complex. This project is intended to provide nutritious wildlife forage to deer during the snow-free months, especially the critical weeks in the spring and fall as deer migrate to and from winter habitat.

    

• Straits Area Sportsmen’s Club will receive $9,200 to plant 20 large red oak trees (each at least 15 feet tall) on U.S. Forest Service land in Mackinac County. These unique plantings are designed to introduce acorn-bearing trees onto the landscape where hard mast is deficient, and the advanced size of the trees means they can produce acorns within a few years and are above the deer browse line.

• The Alger and Schoolcraft County chapters of U.P. Whitetails and the Alger County Fish and Game Alliance will receive $8,250 in partnership to enhance a 50-acre wildlife opening on private land. This area is immediately adjacent to the Petrel deer wintering complex and will benefit deer in the spring and fall as they move to winter habitat.

"All of these projects are prime examples of how communities of sportsmen can partner with the DNR to enhance deer habitat in their local area," said DNR wildlife biologist Bill Scullon, who oversees the DHIPI program. “Not only are there the direct habitat benefits of the projects, but the partnerships that develop can provide the basis for many more community-based conservation efforts.”  

“Habitat improvement projects like these give us the ability to test novel mechanisms, evaluate what works, and incorporate those successful efforts into the future planning for the broader landscape,” according to Natural Resources Commissioner John Madigan of Munising.  

The six grant recipients were also congratulated by Natural Resources Commission Chairman J.R. Richardson of Ontonagon. “These habitat improvement projects bring real value back to the resource, and I have to thank the sporting groups and community partners for their dedication and involvement,” Richardson said.

For more information about the Deer Habitat Improvement Partnership Initiative or the DRIP Fund, contact Bill Scullon at 906-563-9247. More information about deer management in Michigan can be found online at www.michigan.gov/deer.

Created by legislation in 1971, the DRIP fund is supported by a $1.50 allocation from each deer license sold (except for senior licenses), which equals $2.2 to $2.8 million in funding annually. This restricted funding is for the enhancement, maintenance, and acquisition of deer habitat statewide.

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Heavy late-winter snow will challenge Upper Peninsula deer population

Snow Cat (Photo credit: clickclique)

Although early winter snow in was mild compared to the past few years, precipitation late in the season resulted in above-average snow depths that are continuing well into spring. These conditions are challenging deer in the region, and are expected to lead to lower survival and fawn recruitment rates than seen during the last few years.

Winter conditions are a significant factor for the U.P.’s deer herd. Mild winters, such as those experienced from 2010-2012, provide favorable conditions for over-winter survival and allow pregnant does to produce healthy fawns. Harsher winters with deep snows restrict movement and challenge energy reserves. Those conditions affect survival rates, particularly for deer living in harsher conditions, and put additional stress on pregnant does.

Due to the importance of winter conditions for Michigan’s deer population, weekly snow depth measurements are taken at various U.P. stations throughout the winter. This year, snow depths through January were below average, suggesting that winter may be mild once again. However, heavy precipitation in February and March left deep snows across the peninsula. Those conditions have extended well into April.

Biologists anticipate negative impacts to the deer herd when winter conditions persist longer than three months. Because of the heavy late-winter snowfall, U.P. deer are showing visible signs of winter fatigue, including thin body conditions and lethargic behavior. Biologists have already received reports of deer mortalities. Additional reports are anticipated in the coming weeks.

Population indices indicate that the deer population across the region experienced a low in 2009 following two consecutive harsh winters. The population has since been increasing. Although it is too early to determine the full impact of this year’s winter, biologists expect population growth will at least slow this year given the conditions.

Michigan: Northern Lower Regional Deer Advisory Team Will Meet For the First Time Feb. 11

Image via Wikipedia

The inaugural meeting of the Northern Lower Regional Deer Advisory Team (NLRDAT) is set for Saturday, Feb. 11. The meeting will be held at the Ramada Inn Conference Center, 2650 I-75 Business Loop, Grayling, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

With the approval of the Michigan Deer Management Plan on May 6, 2010, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) committed to establishing Regional Deer Advisory Teams (RDAT) for each Michigan region. Each RDAT corresponds to the boundaries of the DNR Hunting and Trapping Zones ? Zone 1 being the Upper Peninsula, Zone 2 the Northern Lower Peninsula, and Zone 3 the Southern Lower Peninsula.

The NLRDAT will serve as an advisory team to the DNR on deer management in the Northern Lower Peninsula. The goal of the team is to serve as a conduit between the public and the DNR to better understand the major concerns surrounding white-tailed deer.

"This is a great opportunity to engage members of the public about deer-related issues," said DNR Deer Biologist Ashley Hippler. "We are looking forward to working closely with this group."

The NLRDAT is made up entirely of volunteers who have been appointed by the Natural Resources Commission and the DNR, for either two or three years; team members will attend local open houses, which will be public meetings for sharing information and gathering public input in their region.

"The Regional Deer Advisory Teams are a critical connection between the public and the DNR," said DNR Wildlife Division Chief Russ Mason. "Understanding the public's views on deer management is the only way we can have successful deer management in Michigan."

Members of the public are welcome to attend as observers, although the meeting is not open for public comment. If time permits, the NLRDAT will take questions and comments from the public.

If you have topics you would like the NLRDAT to discuss, email Ashley Hippler at hipplera@michigan.gov, or share your comments at http://deer.fw.msu.edu/involved/nlteam.php.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state's natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go towww.michigan.gov/dnr.

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Michigan Deer Hunters: Don't Miss 'Ask the DNR' Nov. 3 on WNMU Public Television

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"Ask the DNR" returns to WNMU-TV Channel 13 in the Upper Peninsula Thursday, Nov. 3, at 8 p.m. The entire hour will be dedicated to questions about deer hunting in the Upper Peninsula and hunting regulations.

This special deer hunting episode of "Ask the DNR" will feature a panel of Department of Natural Resources employees taking questions from viewers who call in during the live show to 800-227-9668, or submit email questions before Thursday, Nov. 3, to DNR Communications Representative Debbie Munson Badini atmunsonbadinid@michigan.gov.

Questions are answered live on the show; any questions not answered before the end of the episode will be answered by phone call to the viewer.

Thursday's show will feature Jared Ferguson, conservation officer from Delta County; Doug Hermanson, conservation officer from Baraga County; and Terry McFadden, wildlife biologist from Marquette. The episode is sponsored by the U.P. Whitetails of Marquette County.

"Ask the DNR" is produced five times a year on WNMU-TV 13, the public television station in Marquette. It is aired live on public television stations throughout the Upper Peninsula and northeastern Wisconsin and typically replays the following day at noon. Please consult local television listings to confirm replay times for the program.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state's natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go towww.michigan.gov/dnr.

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