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

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

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

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

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

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

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Oklahoma Controlled Hunts application deadline looming

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May 15 is the deadline for hunters to complete and submit their applications for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation's controlled hunts drawings.

            The controlled hunts program offers once-in-a-lifetime elk and antelope hunts, highly sought-after buck deer hunts, and a range of other quality deer and turkey hunting opportunities through randomized drawings that only cost sportsmen $5 to enter. Opportunities offered through the program include hunts on Department or other government-owned or managed lands where unrestricted hunting would pose safety concerns or where overharvest might occur.

            The online application process takes just a few minutes and must be completed through the Wildlife Department's website at wildlifedepartment.com.

            All applicants, including lifetime license holders, must pay the $5 application fee to enter the controlled hunts drawings. The fee is paid only once per person per year regardless of the number of categories entered.

            Applications are offered online through a secure process that only accepts applications once they have been filed correctly, and a print-out confirmation page is available for sportsmen to document their submitted application.

            Log on to http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/controlledhunts.htm for complete application instructions and a full listing of available hunts. The site also provides tips for increasing chances of being selected for certain hunts.

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KDWPT SIGNING WALK-IN HUNTING CONTRACTS

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Signup deadline July 15 for landowners; new counties eligible for incentive payments

PRATT — Landowners interested in the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism’s (KDWPT) Walk-In Hunting Access Program (WIHA) — which pays landowners to allow public hunting access on their land — are reminded that the deadline for enrollment is July 15. The WIHA program, which began in 1995, has grown to include more than 1 million acres and nearly 3,000 contracts with Kansas landowners.

Almost anyone who owns, leases, or manages 80 contiguous acres of land with suitable wildlife habitat can qualify. A little more than half the land enrolled in WIHA is federal Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grass, but other lands are also considered, including native rangeland, weedy wheat stubble, milo stubble, and riparian and wetland areas.
After receiving applications, KDWPT biologists evaluate wildlife habitat on the applicants' land. Payment rates are based on the size and location of tracts and the number of months the landowner will open the land to hunting. A 50-percent additional incentive payment is offered for WIHA in the following urban counties: Butler, Coffey, Cowley, Douglas, Franklin, Harvey, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Kingman, Leavenworth, Lyon, Miami, Osage, Ottawa, Reno, Saline, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Sumner, Wabaunsee, and Wyandotte.

Counties that have had historically low or are declining in program participation are also eligible for the 50-percent additional incentive payment. The following counties are eligible under this criteria: Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Barber, Barton, Bourbon, Brown, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Clay, Cloud, Crawford, Dickinson, Doniphan, Elk, Ellsworth, Geary, Greenwood, Harper, Jewell, Labette, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Mitchell, Montgomery, Morris, Nemaha, Neosho, Pottawatomie, Pratt, Republic, Rice, Riley, Stafford, Washington, Wilson, and Woodson.
Once enrolled, the property is posted with signs indicating access dates, and a map of the tract will be included in a free atlas provided by KDWPT. Natural resource officers periodically patrol WIHA properties. In addition, state law provides protection to private individuals who lease their land to the state for recreational purposes from liability for damages or injuries resulting from ordinary negligence.

Lease options include open periods running Sept. 1-Jan. 31 and Nov. 1-Jan. 31, with the option to run through March 31 in areas where habitat and hunt opportunities are appropriate. A popular spin-off is the Spring Turkey WIHA Program, with lease dates from April 1- May 31. For more information, phone 620-672-5911.

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North Dakota’s Deer Season Set, Online Apps Available May 9

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North Dakota’s 2012 deer season is set, with 65,300 licenses available to hunters this fall, 44,650 fewer than last year and the lowest since 1988.

Randy Kreil, wildlife chief for the State Game and Fish Department, said the decline in the deer population is a result of increased adult mortality and reduced fawn production following the severe winters of 2008-10. In addition, the extreme winter conditions followed nearly a decade of aggressive deer management featuring large numbers of antlerless licenses in many units.

“It is expected there will be very few, if any licenses remaining after the initial lottery,” Kreil said. “Therefore, there is not a concurrent season this year.”

Hunters are able to draw one license for the deer gun season and one for the muzzleloader season, and purchase an archery license. Unlike the past several years, however, Kreil said a hunter will not be able to receive more than one license for the deer gun season.

Low deer numbers are evident in all portions of North Dakota, Kreil said, as all but two hunting units are below management goals. The statewide hunter success rate in 2011 was 52 percent, the lowest on record and well below the typical 70-75 percent success rate experienced by North Dakota deer hunters.

“The large decrease of licenses in 2012 is necessary to allow the deer population to grow toward management goals,” Kreil said.

The mule deer population in the badlands was also stung by three consecutive harsh winters, with the three lowest years of fawn production observed from 2009-11. Survey numbers indicate mule deer in the badlands are down 23 percent from last year and 52 percent below 2007.

As a result, no antlerless mule deer licenses are available for the 2012 deer season in units 3B1, 3B2, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E and 4F, Kreil said. “This restriction applies to regular gun, resident and nonresident any-deer bow, gratis and youth licenses,” he added.

The number of licenses available for 2012 is 1,200 antlered mule deer, a decrease of 3,350 mule deer licenses from last year; 1,282 for muzzleloader, down 826 from last year; and 120 restricted youth antlered mule deer, a decrease of 130 from last year.

North Dakota’s 2012 deer gun season opens Nov. 9 at noon and continues through Nov. 25. Online applications for the regular deer gun, youth, muzzleloader, and resident gratis and nonresident landowner seasons will be available about May 9 through the Game and Fish Department’s website at gf.nd.gov. Also, paper applications will be at vendors throughout the state the week of May 14. The deadline for applying is June 6.

Total deer licenses are determined by harvest rates, aerial surveys, deer-vehicle collision reports, depredation reports, hunter observations, input at advisory board meetings, and comments from the public, landowners and department field staff.

2012 Deer License Questions and Answers

In past years, hunters have been able to receive more than one license that is valid during the deer gun season. Will that be the case this year?

No. The number of licenses remaining after the first drawing will be small, if any at all. Therefore, hunters can receive only one license for the deer gun season. If any licenses remain after the first and second lotteries, they will only be available to those who applied in the first lottery and still have not received a license, or for those who did not submit an application for the first lottery.

If I receive a deer gun license, will I still be able to receive a muzzleloader license or purchase an archery license?

Yes, hunters can draw one license for the deer gun season and one for the muzzleloader season, and purchase an archery license. However, there won’t be any additional antlerless deer licenses available this year, that in the past could be used during the archery or muzzleloader season in the unit designated on the license.

Can I use my deer gun license during the muzzleloader or archery season?

No. The deer gun license is valid for only the regular deer gun season. That option in past years was only available for second, third, or additional antlerless licenses.

I want a deer license this year so I want to increase my odds and apply for a doe license as a first choice. If I receive the license, will I lose my preference points?

Yes, preference points are based on your first choice. If you receive your first choice, you lose your preference points.

Can I use my gratis license to take a mule deer doe?

Gratis hunters whose land is located in 3B1, 3B2, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E and 4F may not take a mule deer doe with their gratis license. Gratis hunters in all other units may take any deer, including mule deer does.

As a landowner, if I apply in the regular lottery for a buck license as my first choice and a doe for my second choice, and receive a doe license, can I still submit a gratis application to get a license to hunt a buck?

No. If you submit a regular lottery application and receive a deer gun license, regardless if it is for a buck or doe, you are not able to receive a gratis license, as only one deer gun season license per hunter is allowed this year.

Since only one deer gun season license is available this year, does that mean landowners can receive either a gratis license or a lottery license, but not both?

That’s correct. If a landowner applies for and receives a license in the regular lottery, he or she cannot also receive a gratis license. Landowners who apply in the regular lottery and are not drawn for a license can still receive a gratis license as long as there are unissued licenses.

I am a landowner, and often delay submitting a gratis license application until I know if I will have time to hunt deer. If I wait until later in summer to apply, will I still be able to get a gratis license?

Gratis licenses can be issued as long as licenses remain. However, with the dramatic reduction in licenses this year there is no guarantee that any licenses will be available after the initial lottery. Once all licenses are issued, Game and Fish is not able to provide further gratis licenses. Therefore, we suggest that landowners eligible for gratis licenses submit their application prior to the June 6 deadline to ensure receiving a license.

Related articles

• Deer Harvest Down in 2011
• North Dakota: Nonresident Any-Deer Bow Licenses Issued for 2012
• 2012 Kansas Nonresident Deer Application Deadline April 27
• North Dakota Fishing and Hunting Opportunities
• Indiana: Deer harvest down in 2011, but still 4th best

Minnesota Hunting and Fishing More Expensive

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The price of Minnesota hunting and fishing licenses will increase in March 2013 for the first time in 12 years, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said.
On Thursday, May 3, Gov. Mark Dayton signed a House- and Senate-approved bill that, among other things, raises the cost of an annual resident fishing license from $17 to $22 and a resident deer hunting license from $26 to $30. Most resident youth hunting and fishing licenses will be $5 or free. Youth under 16 do not need a fishing or small game hunting license.

License fee increases were widely supported by hunting, fishing and conservation organizations. The last general license fee increase was approved in 2000 and implemented in 2001.
“This action was critical to maintaining the world class fishing and hunting that Minnesota enjoys,” said DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr. “I appreciate all the efforts of the organized groups and the individual hunters, anglers, trappers and others who supported new license prices. I also thank the Legislature for its bipartisan leadership and support on this important conservation initiative.”
Enacting the license fee bill maintains the solvency of the state’s Game and Fish Fund for the remainder of this biennium, which ends June 30, 2013. New revenue will begin to come into the game and fish fund in March 2013. The DNR estimates the fees will generate about $5 million in fiscal 2013 and approximately $10 million per year in following years.
“The fishing and hunting community has spoken that they are willing to pay for good conservation,” said Landwehr. “We will put these dollars to their highest and best use for game and fish management and enforcement. That means providing the results that hunters, anglers and the conservation community are asking for.”
Landwehr said specific uses of new license fee revenues will be proposed in the months ahead as the agency develops a biennial budget proposal that the governor will submit to the Legislature in January 2013

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Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Report summary for May 3, 2012

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Wisconsin’s general inland game fish season opens this Saturday and state fisheries managers say the early spring that arrived this year should result in some excellent fishing conditions for anglers. In the north, ice-out was early and water temperatures have climbed into the low to mid-50 degree range even on northern lakes. Most lakes across the north are about three to four weeks past the main walleye spawning period, so the fish should be fully recovered and getting back to active feeding. Northern pike should also have recovered from their annual spawning ritual and look for them to be active near any new green weeds that are starting to grow in the shallows. In addition, crappie, bluegill and perch have been starting to get active near the shallow and warm bays

Walleye fishing activity was picking up on Lake Winnebago, which is open all year to walleye fishing, and limits of fish were being caught by anglers. Lake flies have emerged along the shoreline and while these flies can be a nuisance they are non-biting and harmless, and are an important food source for sturgeon and other fish. The walleye bite has also been exceptional so far this year on the upper Fox and Wolf rivers.
Water levels have been coming up on the Mississippi River with the recent rains. Fishing has been slow in some areas but picking up in others. Anglers were still catching a fair number of northern pike and smallmouth bass action seems to be picking up near La Crosse and Genoa, but walleye action has been slower.
High winds again in the last week have continued to slow fishing activity along Green Bay and Lake Michigan. Some good walleye fishing was reported off Oconto on the west shore of Green Bay and a few nice walleye were caught at Little Sturgeon Bay in Door County. When trollers were able to get out on the lake, they were catching a mixed bag of chinook and coho salmon along with, rainbow, brown, and the occasional lake trout.
Musky season opens May 5 in the southern zone and new this year the statewide minimum length limit has increased to 40 inches from 34 in order to help boost natural reproduction. Just in time for the opening day of the 2012 inland fishing season, anglers have a new and easier way to figure out what fishing regulations are on their favorite inland lake. A new searchable database allows anglers to search by lake, by county and by multiple counties to pull up an interactive map and a listing of the fishing regulations for that water. Go to the DNR website and search for “fishing regulations" to reach the database.
As boaters head out for the opener this weekend, conservation wardens are reminding them to check safety equipment. This includes a life jacket for each person on board, make sure batteries are covered and tied down, and that navigation lights working. Fisheries managers are also reminding people to help keep Wisconsin fish and lakes healthy by following rules to avoid spreading the VHS fish disease and aquatic invasive species like Eurasian water-milfoil and zebra mussels.
Turkey hunters continue to report hens have been nesting for a while, thus a few toms are searching pretty hard for hens. More and more gosling and duckling broods are being seen. There were about 30 bluebird chicks growing in boxes at Perrot State Park.
Birders reported a major migration event for Neotropical birds in the last week, which stalled out over southern Wisconsin due to recent storms, resulting in 18 different species of warblers seen at the State Capitol in Madison on Tuesday

Related articles

• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Report summary for April 26, 2012
• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Report summary for March 29, 2012
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Indiana Residents Have Chance for Hunting and Fishing Regs Input

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The DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife wants to hear your ideas on fishing, hunting and trapping regulations in Indiana, and it doesn’t require attending a meeting to give your input.

Call it a “virtual” open house.
From May 15 to June 1, the public will be able to use a convenient online form to contribute ideas and suggestions as well as provide input on issues the DNR has identified for consideration.
To find the online form, go to wildlife.IN.gov and click on the “Got INput?” box near the middle of the page. The form will be available for use beginning May 15.
“This is an opportunity for people to let us know what changes they would like us to consider,” said Gregg McCollam, assistant director of the Division of Fish & Wildlife. “This process also allows us to get much needed feedback on issues that the division is in interested in moving forward.”
The online form allows people to comment quickly and enables DFW staff to organize the public input into categories.
Input on fishing, hunting and trapping regulations also can be mailed to:
DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife
Attn: Proposed Regulatory Changes
402 W. Washington St., Room W 273
Indianapolis, IN 46204
After compiling the input, DFW staff will evaluate the comments and suggestions and come back in mid-summer with a second round of feedback both online and at open house meetings before proposing rules to the Natural Resources Commission.

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