2016 Michigan Deer Season Biologist Updates

Hunting Access Program seeks landowners in northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources encourages landowners interested in making the most of their property and supporting local hunting traditions to consider enrolling their lands in the DNR's Hunting Access Program, which provides private-land hunting opportunities for hunters in southern Michigan, parts of the northern Lower Peninsula and the eastern Upper Peninsula. 

The DNR is looking to expand hunting opportunities on private lands in the northern Lower Peninsula in the following counties: Alcona, Alpena, Antrim, Arenac, Benzie, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Iosco, Leelanau, Manistee, Mason, Montmorency, Ogemaw, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle and Wexford. 

“You can help promote wildlife population management, support the local economy, reduce wildlife conflicts, improve your land, and get paid to do it,” said DNR Hunting Access Program coordinator Monique Ferris. 

Landowners with at least 40 acres are eligible to enroll. 

“Providing access to hunting lands that are close to home is critical for supporting Michigan’s strong hunting heritage,” said Ferris. “Our commitment to providing access has more than tripled the number of farms enrolled in HAP the past three years. We now have over 170 farms and nearly 20,000 acres available for public hunting.” 

In the northeastern Lower Peninsula, Ferris said the DNR is hoping for increased Hunting Access Program property enrollments as landowners see the benefit HAP provides, particularly in areas where deer population management is needed, such as those areas affected by bovine tuberculosis.

The DNR received a $951,400 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program last year to expand HAP into the northern Lower Peninsula to increase private-land hunting opportunities.

The Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program encourages property owners to voluntarily allow outdoor enthusiasts greater access to their privately owned land for hunting.

According to a 2013 study by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, outdoor recreation supports 6.1 million direct jobs across the country and $646 billion in spending each year.

“The Hunting Access Program is good for the economy,” said Ferris. “Hunters taking trips to HAP lands contribute $1.7 million annually to Michigan’s economy. The majority of the HAP hunter trips are within 25 miles of the hunter’s home, making HAP lands extremely accessible.” 

Michigan's Hunting Access Program was created in 1977 to increase public hunting opportunities in southern Michigan, where 97 percent of the land base is privately owned. Landowners enrolled in HAP receive an annual payment, up to $25 an acre, for allowing hunters to access their lands. One of the oldest dedicated private-lands, public-access programs in the nation, HAP provides access to quality hunting lands close to urban properties and in agricultural areas. Using funds from the new hunting license package and the new federal grant, the DNR plans to continue expanding the program over the next three years and now offers habitat improvement funds for landowners. 

Landowners have the ability to choose which types of hunting are allowed on their lands. Hunting options include:

• All hunting.
• Youth and apprentice hunting only.
• Small game only.
• Deer only.
• Turkey only.
• Elk only.

Landowners may choose more than one option, such as deer and turkey hunting only. Maximum payments will be given for the all hunting or youth and apprentice hunting options.

In order to control the number of hunters using HAP lands at any one time, hunters are required to register to hunt each time they visit the property. The landowner can select either a mandatory registration at their home or a hunter self-registration box, which the DNR will provide and install. The maximum number of hunters allowed on the property is determined by the total acreage, as well as the habitat type. Leases are on a two- to three-year period, with annual payments made each spring.

To ensure landowner and hunter satisfaction, HAP offers landowner liability protection. Public Act 451 of 1994 addresses the concerns some landowners have over sharing access to their land. In addition, HAP lands are patrolled by conservation officers, with an increased focus on patrolling during the busy fall hunting season.

Visit mi.gov/hap to learn more about the program and to see a current list of private lands available for hunting in Michigan. The HAP web page includes details about enrolled properties, including types of hunting allowed and aerial photos of the properties.  

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Michigan: Antlerless deer license applications on sale through Aug. 15

Antlerless quotas for each DMU can be found at mi.gov/deer

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources reminds hunters that the application period for antlerless deer licenses is now open and runs through Aug. 15.

Hunters may apply for one license in any open Deer Management Unit (DMU) statewide; a nonrefundable $5 fee is charged at the time of application. Hunters may choose to apply for either one private-land or one public-land license online at E-License or at any authorized license agent or DNR Customer Service Center.

Young hunters, ages 9-16, can purchase one junior antlerless deer license over the counter July 15-Aug. 15. No application is required. A 9-year-old must be 10 by Sept. 26 to purchase this license.

Any leftover antlerless deer licenses not issued in the drawing will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis beginningSept. 8 at 10 a.m. EDT, until license quotas are met. 

Antlerless deer license quotas for each DMU can be found at mi.gov/deer. Please note, DMU 333 has unlimited antlerless licenses that may be purchased without application beginning Sept. 8 at 10 a.m.

Drawing results and leftover license availability may be viewed at mi.gov/deer, beginning Sept. 1.

For additional information, the 2016 Michigan Antlerless Deer Digest is available online at mi.gov/dnrdigests.

Hunters also are reminded that chronic wasting disease has been confirmed in a free-ranging deer in Michigan. CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk and moose.

The Michigan Natural Resources Commission expanded the Core Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Area to include 17 townships. This area, which will continue to be referred to as DMU 333, now will consist of Lansing, Meridian, Williamstown, Delhi, Alaiedon and Wheatfield townships in Ingham County; DeWitt, Bath, Watertown, Eagle, Westphalia, Riley, Olive and Victor townships in Clinton County; Woodhull Township in Shiawassee County, and Oneida and Delta townships in Eaton County.

The CWD Management Zone also has expanded; it now will include the remainder of Clinton, Eaton, Ingham and Shiawassee counties, as well as all of Ionia County. The expanded Management Zone will be referred to as DMU 419. To learn more about chronic wasting disease, visit mi.gov/cwd.

Don’t forget you can purchase your $5 Pure Michigan Hunt applications anywhere licenses are sold. Hunters may buy as many applications as they want. Three lucky winners will get prize packages that include elk (Michigan residents only), bear, deer and turkey licenses; first pick at a managed waterfowl hunt area, plus firearms, crossbows and much more – a prize package worth over $4,000. For more information, visit mi.gov/pmh.

How does CWD get Transmitted?

From Michigan DNR

Although CWD is a contagious fatal disease among deer and elk, research suggests that humans, cattle and other domestic livestock are resistant to natural transmission. While the possibility of human infection remains a concern, it is important to note there have been no verified cases of humans contracting CWD.

Transmission: Animal to Animal
Transmission of CWD is possible in species with closely related proteins, thereby being able to exchange prions and cause disease. It is not likely to jump the species barrier. There is no evidence at this time that CWD can be naturally transmitted to livestock or animals other than deer and elk. In deer and elk, the causal agent of CWD is transmissible from infected to uninfected individuals. Both circumstantial and experimental evidence implicates an animal to animal form of transmission. This occurs via horizontal or lateral (contact between adult animal and adult animal, contamination of feed or water sources with saliva, urine, and/or feces, or contact with an infected facility or area), and more rarely as vertical or maternal (adult animal (dam) to offspring via contact). Concentrating cervids in captivity and baiting or feeding animals can greatly increase the chances of disease spread.
Once natural transmission occurs, a minimum incubation period (the time from infection to observance of clinical signs) of 18 months is required between exposure to the causal agent and development of the disease. In captive cervid herds a minimal incubation period of 18 to 20 months for mule deer and 18 to 36 months for elk was observed. Some signs associated with  CWD include: a decline in body conditioning, changes in behavior, tremors, reduced feed intake, and difficulty standing.

Transmission: Animal to Human
To date, there is no evidence that CWD can be naturally transmitted to humans or to animals other than deer and elk. There is no evidence that the agent that causes CWD occurs in the meat. CWD is not a food borne disease. Unlike BSE, CWD is not associated with being spread though the use of rendered meat or bone meal products. Proteins differ from one species to another therefore prions are unlikely to prosper in a new species. There is a "substantial barrier" to CWD transmission between animals and people.

Development
The clinical course of CWD varies from a few days to approximately a year, with most animals surviving from a few weeks to several months. While a protracted clinical course is typical, occasionally acute death may occur; this may be more common in the wild than in the relative security of captivity. Aspiration pneumonia is a common finding at postmortem examination of terminal CWD cases and may confuse the diagnosis if the brain is not examined. Aspiration pneumonia presumably is due to difficulty swallowing, hypersalivation, and inhalation of foreign material into the lungs. Thus the brain should be examined for evidence of CWD on every prime age cervid that dies with pneumonia. Currently there is no clinical treatment available for CWD. Once the disease develops is perceived as fatal. Therefore, within captive facilities CWD management options are limited to quarantine or depopulation. 

Michigan ‘Learn to Hunt’ mentor program gives newcomers a boost

There’s an old saw about how you learn new skills – you learn by doing.

That’s the focus of the “Learn to Hunt” program, a partnership led by Michigan State University, with assistance from the National Wild Turkey Federation, the Boone and Crockett Club, Pheasants Forever and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Learn to Hunt is part of the turkey federation’s Recruit, Retain and Reactivate (R3) outreach program and puts would-be hunters in contact with mentors who can guide them through the hunting process.

“(The program) is designed for adults new to hunting,” said Johanna Dart, a social work graduate student at MSU, who assisted in the design of the program for the university’s Fisheries and Wildlife Department.

Learn to Hunt began last fall with a deer-hunting initiative. Recently, 17 adults signed up for a spring session on turkey hunting that culminated in a late May, weekend hunt at the Barry State Game Area in the southwestern Lower Peninsula.

“We wanted to try to offer another species and apply what we learned from the deer program,” Dart said. “We found in our pre-surveys that learning to hunt with an experienced mentor was important. A lot of adults didn’t feel comfortable going out in the woods with a firearm or bow without someone to show them how.”

Dart, 26, said she thinks it’s difficult to learn to hunt via YouTube.

“You can – you can teach yourself anything online – but to have confidence in yourself and grasp some of the concepts, it helps to have someone show you,” she said. “It’s very helpful.”

Dart would know. She’s been interested in hunting for some time, but she found the prospect of approaching someone for more advice somewhat daunting.

“It’s interesting being in my demographic,” she said. “I was adopted by a single mother and no one in our family knew anything about hunting and was never exposed to firearms.”

Dart said it’s “very intimidating” to go out by yourself or to ask someone to take you.

“I took hunter safety with my best friend and I remember going and everyone else was 9,” she said. “I think when adults see that, they think hunting is not for them.”

Dart took part in a hunting outing herself this spring. She teamed up with mentor Steve Sharp – the R3 coordinator with the turkey federation. She successfully killed a turkey.

Sharp, who is a lifelong sportsman and long-time federation employee, said the program is accomplishing exactly what it needs to.

“We had a great time teaching these folks some new tricks,” said Sharp, who has led workshops on safe firearms handling, scouting for turkey and other topics. “I think we’re recruiting some new hunters and that’s our goal.”

A number of the students enrolled in the program killed turkeys this spring, including two at the May weekend event in Barry County.

Steve Vandermey, a 62-year-old first-time hunter, was one of them.

Vandermey and his wife, Ruth, signed up as a team. They shared time with mentor Brian Medendorp the first morning of the weekend hunt.

“My wife and I had been talking about learning to hunt for a couple of years but couldn’t figure out how to get started,” Vandermey said. “I saw a speaker at a sports show, met Steve Sharp and signed up. We needed to learn and this program was made for us.”

Medendorp, who is a heating and cooling contractor from Hastings and a turkey federation officer, took the couple into the woods where he thought some birds might be roosting.

When the trio didn’t meet with any success at dawn, they began walking through the woods, turkey calling.

“We heard a bird gobbling and walked to within 250 yards and sat down and started calling,” Medendorp said. “We got him to come in the rest of the way. He shot it at 27 yards. Perfect.”

The Vandermeys agreed, saying they think they’ll go out turkey hunting again.

“It seemed like it was pretty imposing at first, but now it seems like it’s doable,” Vandermey said. “This program was just what we needed.”

Ruth said, “It was an awesome experience – fun.”

Brooke Burns works at the Gander Mountain sporting goods store in Lansing. She met Mike Vanderguchte, a senior at MSU and an instructor in the Learn to Hunt program, at the store. She signed up for the program when Vanderguchte told her about it.

Burns went out during the first morning of the hunt with her mentor, Wendy Osterbaan, a member of the Thornapple Valley Chapter of the turkey federation. Though they had three birds within shooting range, the turkeys never presented an opportunity.

That evening, the two women went back out.

The pair climbed into a blind and heard a bird gobble at 5:45 p.m. Osterbaan called the turkey. Thirteen minutes later, Burns had killed a 20-pound-plus tom.

“It was pretty exciting,” Burns said. “I think I’m going to have to go again in the fall.”

Sharp said that’s the goal, adding that he was especially inspired by the young adults who attended the program.

“Sometimes we miss the boat by going directly to the kids and not recruiting their parents,” Sharp said. “When these folks start having families, they’ll take their kids out.”

Not all the participants killed birds, but they said they now know what to do.

“Only about 20 percent of turkey hunters harvest a bird,” said DNR upland game bird specialist Al Stewart. “Turkey hunting is more about the outdoor experience. Just like fishing, the best stories are about the ones that got away.”

Stewart said he observed students learn this firsthand.

“They had many thrilling stories to share by the campfire each evening,” Stewart said. “Learn to Hunt participants also learned that they can harvest their own food and provide a Thanksgiving meal for friends and family. I’m very pleased with the results of this program.”

Chris Henderson, a doctoral student at MSU in fisheries and wildlife, said the program was just what he wanted.

“I just never had a pathway into it,” he said. “I wasn’t raised around it. I heard about this program and jumped at it.

Henderson said there are some pretty big barriers to getting started.

“Getting your first firearms, learning where to go, this program takes care of all that,” he said.

Dawn Street, a 47-year-old real estate agent from Clarkston, said she has always been intrigued by turkey hunting. She accompanied her sister to a turkey federation “Women in the Outdoors” event, met some turkey hunters, heard about the program and signed on.

“I always had the equipment to go, but nobody to take me,” Street said. “Now I can go by myself.”

But will she?

“Absolutely,” she said. “Yes, yes, yes.”

Check out a video on the Barry State Game Area Learn to Hunt outing.

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Michigan confirms additional CWD-positive free-ranging, white-tailed deer, bringing the total to seven

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Landowner assistance critical to continued management of deadly disease

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has confirmed two additional free-ranging deer have tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD), a fatal neurological disease that affects white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk and moose.

One of the newly confirmed CWD-positive deer is a 9-month-old male from Meridian Township (Ingham County), and the other is a 2 ¾-year-old female from Watertown Township (Clinton County).

Since May 2015, nearly 4,900 deer have been tested for CWD. Seven of these have tested positive for the disease. 

At this time, samples are being collected through road-kill pickup and professional sharpshooters from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Wildlife Services. Since the initial case was confirmed, four of the last six positives were collected through efforts of USDA Wildlife Services staff. 

In total, sharpshooters have collected just over 630 deer from the Core CWD Area, which includes nine townships. Of those, 467 deer were taken from Meridian Township, 108 from Williamstown Township, 41 from Bath Township, 12 from Lansing Township, six from DeWitt Township, and none from the remaining townships. Another 33 have been taken outside the core from Watertown Township.

“The partnership with area landowners and USDA Wildlife Services is a critical component of our surveillance efforts to determine the distribution of this fatal disease,” said Chad Stewart, DNR deer specialist. “Now, with these additional CWD-positive deer, that support is needed more than ever.” 

Stewart continued, “The intensive removal of deer in these areas has a two-part benefit. One, it helps us understand prevalence rates and spread so we can make informed decisions on disease management moving forward; and two, by removing individual deer around areas with known disease occurrence, it reduces the potential for spread and accumulation in our deer herd, which has benefits not only locally, but on the periphery of the management zone as well.”

Landowners who would like to directly help with surveillance can apply for disease control permits, which allow a landowner to harvest deer on his or her own property and turn in the head to the DNR for testing. To apply for a disease control permit, contact the DNR Wildlife Disease Laboratory at 517-336-5030. 

Another option for landowners to help address this disease is allowing USDA Wildlife Services sharpshooters access to their property to collect samples. Sharpshooters work closely with landowners on the number and type of deer that can be taken, and they will conduct surveillance only on property where they have permission. To inquire about working with USDA sharpshooters, contact the DNR Rose Lake field office at 517-641-4092.

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 contaminated venison. However, as a precaution, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization recommend infected animals not be consumed as food by either humans or domestic animals. 

The DNR asks the public to continue to report deer that are unusually thin and exhibiting unusual behavior (for example, acting tame around humans and allowing someone to approach). 

To report a suspicious-looking deer, call the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-9453 between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. After hours, call the DNR Report All Poaching hotline at 800-292-7800. Do not attempt to disturb, kill or remove the animal.

DNR staff will continue with road-kill collection in the Core CWD Area. To report road-kills found in the Core CWD Area, call the Wildlife Disease hotline at 517-614-9602. Leave a voicemail with location information and staff will attempt to pick up carcasses on the next open business day.  

The DNR provides CWD biweekly updates online at www.michigan.gov/cwd. 

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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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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