Local organization to host meeting on proposed deer antler point restrictions May 24 in Cadillac, MI

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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, Mason, Missaukee, 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.
"The Northwest Michigan Chapter of the QDMA 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 local meetings to answer questions and provide explanation. The next meeting is scheduled for May 24 at 7 p.m. in Cadillac at the Cadillac Junior High School. Meetings have already been held in Benzie and Kalkaska counties. 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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Fawns born in May; DNR urges people to leave them alone

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May is the month when most fawns are born. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is urging people to leave fawns and other wildlife alone.
While a new fawn may appear helpless, it is important to stay away and not interfere with the doe’s natural instinct for raising its young.
A doe’s method of rearing offspring is different from a human’s, especially for the first few weeks. Within hours of birth, the fawn is led to a secluded spot and the doe lets it nurse.
With a full stomach, the fawn is content to lie down and rest. If the doe has twins, it will hide the second fawn up to 200 feet away. Then the doe leaves to feed and rest herself, out of sight but within earshot. In four or five hours, she will return to feed her young and take them to a new hiding place. They follow this pattern for two to three weeks, and only then, when the fawns are strong enough to outrun predators, do the young travel much with their mother.
Deer have evolved a number of special adaptations that make this approach to fawn rearing successful. Fawns have almost no odor, so predators cannot smell them. Their white spotted coats provide excellent camouflage when they are lying on the forest floor. For the first week of life, frightened fawns instinctively freeze, making full use of their protective coloration.
Older fawns remain motionless until they think they have been discovered, and then jump and bound away. A deer’s primary protection from predators is its great speed. Newborn fawns are not fast enough to outdistance predators, so they must depend on their ability to hide for protection.
Although these adaptations work well against predators, they don’t work very well with people. For the first few weeks, a fawn’s curiosity may entice it to approach a person who comes upon it.
What’s the right way to handle an encounter with a fawn? Never try to catch it. If it’s hiding, admire it for a moment and then quietly walk away. Enjoy the memory, but don’t describe the location to others. If the fawn tries to follow, gently push on its shoulders until it lies down, and then walk away. That’s what its mother does when she doesn’t want the fawn to follow. Leaving fawns alone gives them the best chance for survival. Even most orphaned fawns are best suited to survive without human intervention.
Never feed or place a collar on a fawn or other wild animal. Collaring a wild animal sets it apart from others and increases the likelihood for harm to the animal. Collared wild animals are not protected from hunting or animal control activities by law enforcement.
Conditioning any wild animal to seek human-provided food will cause them to stop seeking their natural food sources. Feeding deer can be especially problematic because it encourages the transmission of animal disease such as chronic wasting disease (CWD). CWD can be spread through saliva when multiple deer eat from the same food source – such as feeders or piles of feed left on the ground.
Feeding deer can concentrate animals in feeding areas, which makes them more susceptible to predation, vehicle collisions or other unwanted human interactions. What begins as a good intention to help the animal, ultimately promotes disease and lessens the animal’s ability to survive independently.
Not all animals survive, and some mortality is a natural occurrence. For more information about an interacting with a wild animal, contact a local DNR area wildlife office for suggestions. In most cases, letting nature take its course is the best advice.

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KANSAS NONRESIDENT DEER DRAWING COMPLETE

A white-tailed deer (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

More than 4,000 permits left over, on sale June 18
PRATT — The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) has completed the nonresident deer permit drawing for the 2012 seasons, and for those applicants who were unsuccessful, there’s good news: more than 4,000 permits are left over from the initial drawing. These permits will go on sale first-come, first-served beginning June 18, online at ksoutdoors.com.
Nonresident hunters who were successful in the drawing should expect their permits in the mail about the second week in June. Those who were unsuccessful — more than 600 applicants — will be notified about the same time. Applicants can check the number of deer permits by unit that are still available online at the KDWPT website, ksoutdoors.com, under “Hunting/Applications-and-Fees/Deer/Quotas-and-Draw-Stats.” Department staff will update this site frequently.
Applicants will be able to check the status of individual applications at https://www1.ks.wildlifelicense.com/results_lookup.php about June 1.
June 8 is the deadline for resident-only firearm and muzzleloader antelope permits. Antelope archery permits may be purchased online and over the counter July 25 through Oct. 30. Archery antelope permits are available to both resident and nonresident.

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NRC extends 'one-buck rule' for deer hunting

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The Indiana Natural Resources Commission on Tuesday approved an indefinite extension of what’s commonly referred to as the “one-buck rule” for deer hunting.
The decision to extend the rule removes the expiration date on a 10-year-old regulation that limits a hunter to taking no more than one antlered deer during the regular archery, firearms and muzzleloader hunting seasons.
The “one-buck rule” was first applied in 2002 for a five-year period. The Commission approved an extension in 2007 with an expiration date of Sept. 1, 2012.
This year, the DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife proposed extending the rule indefinitely, stating that limiting deer hunters to only one buck per year is not needed to manage the deer herd. The DNR considers it a social issue, not a biological issue.
In other actions, the NRC:

–Approved the permanent appointment of three assistant property managers: Mike Miller at Ouabache State Park; Matt Wronowicz at Brookville Lake-Whitewater Memorial State Park Complex; and Lynda Ellington at Shakamak State Park.

–Granted nature preserve status to three properties: Elliott Woods in Vigo County; Section Six Flatwoods Addition in Posey County; and Glacial Esker at Chain O’Lakes State Park in Noble County.

–Authorized the Division of State Parks & Reservoirs and State Park Inns to conduct negotiations with a potential vendor for a restaurant and other operations at the Indiana Dunes State Park pavilion.

The Commission gave final approval to the following:

–Amendments that govern aquatic vegetation control permits (312 IAC 9-10-3).

–Amendments that govern entomology and plant pathology (312 IAC 18).

The Commission gave preliminary approval to:

–Amendments to fish and wildlife rules that include clarifying requirements for chasing wild animals with dogs during the hunting season, removing restrictions and handgun license requirements when chasing raccoons, adding the late season for taking lesser snow geese and Ross’s geese, adding the monk parakeet as an exempted species of bird that can be taken at any time, adding the use of bowfishing equipment and crossbows for taking Asian carp and other specified fish on rivers and streams, adding the rayed bean as an endangered species of mussel, and removing application deadlines and other changes to the special disability permit for hunters.

–Amendments to Indiana Administrative Code 312 IAC 9 governing commercial fishing, fishing guide licenses, and establishment of the new roe harvesters and dealers licenses.

–A rule to provide administrative review of testing results and continuing education credits required of individuals obtaining certain permits administered by the DNR.

Related articles

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Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Report summary for May 17, 2012

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Baby fawns were being seen in good numbers across Wisconsin this week, and as usual, many people were calling DNR offices to report orphaned fawns. Fawns are rarely abandoned. Does will intentionally leave fawns unattended to prevent leaving scent around their young that can attract predators. Does are generally close by feeding and keeping an eye on their fawns. If you see a fawn in the wild, slowly back away and leave the fawn alone. Do not approach or touch it. Unless you know a doe has been killed, such as in a collision with a vehicle, please do not call DNR offices to report fawns.
Many other wildlife are also giving birth. It appears to be an excellent year for duck and goose production, with many large clutches of both being seen in many areas. Turkey poults have hatched in many areas. First of the year bluebird s are fledging from nest boxes already. Four peregrine falcon chicks hatched this week in a nest box on top of the Madison Gas and Electric Blount Street Generating Station. Trumpeter swans are still sitting on nests, but cygnets should be hatching very soon.

Water levels are very high on the Mississippi and Wisconsin rivers after last week’s rain. The Mississippi was as much as 5 feet above normal in some locations. The Wisconsin was out of its banks in many locations, but was starting to drop. The North and South Forks of the Flambeau River were both high and offering excellent whitewater paddling conditions this week.
With the warmer weather in the last week, fishing picked up in many locations and some very good catches were being reported in a number of areas. Walleye bag limits were being reported on Northwoods lakes this week, as well as on the Upper River Lake Winnebago System and along both the west and east shores of Green Bay. Some of the best northern pike fishing in years was also being reported in the north. Crappies have finished spawning on most northern lakes and bluegills and bass were now on their beds. Anglers are reminded that bluegill and bass as they are very vulnerable while sitting on their beds and can be easily overharvested while spawning.
Despite some windy days, conditions were generally better for Lake Michigan trollers to get out on the water and catching good numbers of fish, with limits of chinook not uncommon, along with a mixed bag of coho and rainbow and brown trout. Anglers fishing at harbors and piers have also been catching a few chinook, browns, and rainbows. Along Door County, bass anglers were out in good numbers prefishing for the Sturgeon Bay Open Bass Tournament this weekend.
Despite the rain in the last couple of weeks, warm, dry, and breezy weather this week kept current fire danger between moderate and very high, with 50 wildfires reported in the last week, causing the suspension of burning permits in several counties.
Turtles are crossing roads now from their wetland habitat to upland sand areas to lay eggs. Please watch for turtles crossing roads and if it can be done safely, move the turtle across the road in the direction that it was heading to help prevent it from being hit by a vehicle.

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SD: Elk, Paddlefish, CSP Deer and Bighorn Sheep Application Deadline Approaching

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Paper applications for the 2012 SD Elk, paddlefish, Custer State Park Deer, and Bighorn Sheep Hunting Seasons must be postmarked by Friday, May 18.  Online applications will be taken until 8 am CDT Tuesday, May 22.  To apply online, visit: https://appsf5.sd.gov/applications/gf79biggame/login.asp

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South Dakota Hunting Seasons Proposed

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CUSTER STATE PARK – The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Commission has proposed changes in several fall hunting seasons, including West River Deer, Black Hills Deer, Archery Deer, Archery Antelope, Youth Deer, Muzzleloader Deer, Fall Turkey and the August Management Take for Canada Geese.

Changes proposed for the West River Deer Season include:

• Adjust the number of resident licenses that were issued in 2011 by increasing one-tag licenses by 1,590 to 2,625; increase two-tag licenses by 830 (1,660 tags) to 16,735 (33,470 tags); and reduce three-tag licenses by 4,960 (14,880 tags) to 3,340 (10,020 tags)
• Adjust the number of nonresident licenses that were issued in 2011 by increasing one-tag licenses by 128 to 212; increase two-tag licenses by 67 (134 tags) to 1,342 (2,684 tags); and reduce three-tag licenses by 397 (1,191 tags) to 268 (804 tags)
• Modify the boundary for Fall River County Unit 27L to add some public lands adjacent to the Cheyenne River and Angostura Reservoir and make the unit boundary more easily identifiable for hunters
• Only unfilled antlerless tags would be valid during the antlerless deer extension beginning the Saturday after Christmas and running for nine consecutive days
• Eliminate antlerless deer hunting during the Antelope Rifle Season

Changes proposed for the Black Hills Deer Season include:

• Adjust the number of resident licenses that were issued in 2011 by reducing "any deer" licenses by 200; "any whitetail" licenses by 500; "antlerless whitetail" licenses by 50
• Adjust the number of nonresident licenses that were issued in 2011 by reducing "any deer" licenses by 16; "any whitetail" licenses by 40; "antlerless whitetail" licenses by four

Changes proposed for the Archery Deer Season include:

• Add Brookings, Deuel, Hamlin and McCook counties to the area where only one, one-tag "antlerless" deer license is valid
• Antlerless deer licenses would not be valid for Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge
• Allow issuance of access permits for five "antlerless deer" and five "any deer" resident-only licenses for Blood Run Nature Area, along with the 45 "antlerless deer" and five "any deer" resident-only licenses for Adams Nature Area
• Modify an existing rule to allow an individual to possess an uncased bow and allow the use of bow-and-arrow to hunt deer and turkey within the Blood Run Nature Area

Changes proposed for the Archery Antelope Season include:

• Eliminate the two-tag license valid for one "any antelope" and one "doe/fawn antelope"
• Include those portions of Custer and Pennington counties within the Black Hills Fire Protection District (except Custer State Park) and issue by lottery drawing five special-access permits to licensees who possess a valid "any antelope" resident archery license

Changes proposed for the Youth Deer Season include:

• Add Brookings, Codington, Deuel, Grant, Hamlin, Lake, Lincoln, McCook, Minnehaha, Moody, Roberts, Turner and Yankton counties to the restricted area where only one youth deer license is valid

Changes proposed for the Muzzleloader Season include:

• Add Brookings, Deuel, Hamlin, and McCook counties to the restricted area where only one, one-tag "antlerless" deer license is valid

Changes proposed for the Fall Turkey Season

• Offer residents 410 more one-tag licenses and 1,550 fewer two-tag licenses in East River units
• Offer 500 fewer one-tag licenses for residents and 40 fewer nonresident licenses in the Black Hills
• Close Harding and Turner counties to fall turkey hunting
• Season dates Oct. 1-Jan. 31

 

Changes proposed for the August Management Take of Canada Geese include:

• Expand the hunting area to include Brown, Hutchinson, Spink, and Turner counties

More information and highlights from the May GFP Commission meeting are available online.

People who wish to provide written comments on those commission hunting proposals may do so until 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 6. Comments may be mailed to Game, Fish and Parks Commission, 523 E. Capitol Ave., Pierre, SD, 57501 or emailed to wildinfo@state.sd.us . Comments must have the sender's full name and address in order to become part of the public record.
Comments may also be made in person at the next GFP Commission meeting during a public hearing at 2 p.m. CDT on Thursday, June 7, at the Ramkota in Pierre.

Related articles

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