Michigan: Local organization to host meeting on proposed deer antler point restrictions June 21 in Custer

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 June 21 at 7 p.m. at the Mason County Eastern Middle and High School in Custer. Meetings have already been held in Benzie, Kalkaska, Manistee and Wexford counties. Landowners in any of the 12 proposed counties who would like to offer input on the proposal may email comments to DNR-wildlife@michigan.gov.

The final meeting is scheduled for July 28 at 4 p.m. at the Petoskey High School.

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 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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South Dakota: GFP Finalizes West River and Black Hills Deer Hunting Seasons

.(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Game Fish and Parks Commission has finalized several deer hunting seasons.

The Commission reduced three-tag deer licenses for the West River Deer Season, but increased single-tag and double-tag licenses in some units.  Compared to 2011, there will be a reduction of 2,540 resident licenses and 11,630 tags this year.

The Commission also modified hunting area WRD 27-L to add some public lands adjacent to the Cheyenne River and Angostura reservoir.

For the 2012 West River Deer Season, only unfilled Antlerless Deer and Antlerless Whitetail Deer tags will be valid during the nine-day Antlerless Deer Season extension beginning the Saturday after Christmas.  In addition, West River Antlerless Deer Tags will not be valid during the firearms antelope season in their respective units.

The West River Deer Hunting Season will run from Nov 10-25 in most units, with the Antlerless Season extension running from Dec. 29, 2012 – Jan. 6, 2013.

Black Hills deer hunters will find 200 resident and 16 nonresident Any Deer licenses, 3,000 resident and 240 nonresident Any Whitetail Deer licenses and 150 resident and 12 nonresident Antlerless Whitetail Deer licenses for the 2012 Black Hills Deer Hunting Season

The Black Hills Deer Hunting Season will run from Nov. 1 – 30.

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South Dakota: Archery, Muzzleloader, Youth Deer, Fall Turkey and Archery Antelope Hunting Seasons Finalized

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota archery hunters have a few changes to be aware of for the 2012 Archery Deer Season.

Brookings, Deuel, Hamlin and McCook Counties have been added to the restricted area where only one Single-Tag Antlerless Deer license is valid.

Any antlerless deer licenses will not be valid in the Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge during the Archery Deer Season.

During the archery deer season, 45 Any Antlerless Deer and five Any Deer resident access permits will be allowed for the Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve and five Any Deer and five Any Antlerless Deer resident access permits will be allowed for the Blood Run Nature Area.  Archery hunters who wish to hunt in those areas will have to enter a lottery drawing for the free access permits via the online licensing system.

The South Dakota Archery Deer Season will run from Sept. 22, 2012 – Jan 15, 2013.

The 2012 Muzzleloader Deer Hunting Season will run from Dec. 1 – Jan. 15, 2013.  Muzzleloader hunters will have 1,000 Any Deer and unlimited single and double Any Antlerless Deer licenses available.

Brookings, Deuel, Hamlin and McCook Counties have been added to the restricted area where only one single-tag Antlerless Deer license is valid.

The South Dakota Youth Deer Hunting Season will run from Sept. 8, 2012 – Jan. 15, 2013.  Youth hunters who have not reached the age of 18 by June 30 will be eligible to receive up to two Any Antlerless Deer licenses.  Only one of those licenses is valid in the counties of Brookings, Codington, Deuel, Grant, Hamlin, Lake, Lincoln, McCook, Minnehaha, Moody, Roberts, Turner, Yankton and the Black Hills Fire Protection District.

The 2012 South Dakota Archery Antelope Season will run from Aug. 18- Oct. 31, except when and where the Firearm Antelope Season is open.  Archery hunters will be issued a single Any Antelope license.
Individuals with a 2012 Archery Antelope license will be eligible to apply for one of five free access permits allowing them to hunt the portions of Custer and Pennington counties in the Black Hills Fire Protection District.  Resident archery hunters who wish to hunt in that area will have to enter a lottery drawing for the free access permits via the online licensing system.

The 2012 South Dakota Fall Turkey Hunting Season will run from Oct. 1, 2012 – Jan 31, 2013.  There will be 2,000 resident and 160 nonresident one-tag Any Turkey licenses available in the Black Hills; 1,600 one-tag and 690 two-tag  Any Turkey resident licenses available for the East River Unit and unlimited resident and nonresident two-tag Any Turkey licenses for the West River Prairie Unit.

Turner and Harding counties will be closed to fall turkey hunting.

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Wisconsin: Learn to hunt deer at Buckhorn State Park

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Opportunity is not just for kids

NECEDAH, Wis. -- Anyone 10 years old and older including novice adult hunters who have had an interest in hunting but weren’t sure how to give it a try are encouraged to consider a Learn-to-Hunt deer outing at Buckhorn State Park along the Castle Rock Flowage in Juneau County.
Heather Wolf, Buckhorn State Park manager, says this is the 15th year the park has hosted a Learn to Hunt Deer Hunt program.
“We have had 693 participants over the years. First time hunters and their chaperones have learned together at the workshop and have enjoyed their time spent in the woods,” Wolf said.
To participate in the November 2012 hunt, search the Department of Natural Resources website for “Buckhorn,” and then click on the "learn to deer hunt" link on right column. Download the application form [PDF], complete it, and mail it to the address shown by August 10.
There are two parts to the Learn to Hunt Deer at Buckhorn. First, a workshop is held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 8 or 9 at the LaValle Sportsman’s Club. Attendance by hunters and chaperones is mandatory. Second, the hunt occurs Nov. 3 and 4 at Buckhorn State Park and adjacent wildlife area.
Applicants will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis and will be notified upon receipt of their applications.
A chaperone must accompany each applicant. Applicants may select a chaperone (i.e., family or friend) or authorize Buckhorn staff to assign a qualified chaperone. This person will not be allowed to hunt or carry a firearm and must be at least 18 years old. The chaperone must have at least five years of deer hunting experience. The chaperone is necessary to ensure novice hunters get the complete hunting experience in a safe environment. Chaperones help hunters with firearm safety, deer identification, scouting, and field dressing, among other things.
Successful applicants and their chaperones must attend a workshop in order to participate in the hunt.
A hunting license is not required and back tags will be furnished. This is a bonus deer and will not preclude the harvest of a deer during the regular season. The bag limit will be one deer of either sex. Only shotguns will be permitted; muzzleloaders and rifles are not permitted.

Chaperones also are needed, says Keith Warnke DNR Hunting and Shooting Sport Coordinator. “If you are a hunter and want to give back to the hunting heritage by getting a new hunter started, your skills are needed!” Warnke said. To volunteer to be a chaperone, contact the park at 608-565-2789
“Learn to Hunt events are a great way to break into hunting. Novice hunters paired up with an experienced hunter will learn about conservation, safety, ethics, deer hunting tactics and firearm safety during a one-day workshop,” Warnke said. “Then, the novice hunters get a chance to experience a two-day November gun deer hunt.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Heather Wolf – 608-565-2789 or Keith Warnke – 608-266-5243

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IOWA: Popular Youth Hunting Event Turns 20

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

INDIANOLA - The 20th year of Iowa’s youth hunter education challenge (YHEC) wrapped up on June 10, with 68 kids ages 12 to 18 participating in the eight station competition. 

The event has changed little competition-wise during its two decades.  The format has remained the same. The set up has been pretty consistent.  About the only thing that has changed are the competitors and the event location.

“We moved from the 4H camp at Madrid to Wesley Woods three years ago and that has provided us a better layout to set up the stations and allows us to go through the course much faster,” said Donise Grygierczyk, who coordinates the challenge for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Youth from all over Iowa compete as part of a team in four shooting events and four non-shooting events.  The events include the Hunter Responsibility Exam; the Hunter Safety Trail Challenge that simulates hunting and includes the ‘dos and don’ts’ of firearm safety and shoot/don’t shoot situations; the Hunting Shotgun Challenge, including shooting at clay and/or life-size targets.

Other events include the Light Hunting Rifle Challenge; the Hunting/Wildlife Identification Challenge to identify animals, tracks, or wildlife signs without an identification book; the Hunting Orienteering Skills Challenge covering map and compass skills; the Hunting Muzzleloader Challenge taking shots at life-sized targets at varying distances and positions; and the Hunting Archery Challenge requiring shots at life-size game targets. 

Each event is scored. Teams compete against each other in each event and for the overall competition.  Hunter education instructors are encouraged to put a team together and coach their participants. 

It takes nearly as many volunteers as competitors to put on the event and over the 20 years, five volunteers have seen each and every competition: Bill Shipley, of Birmingham, Craig Glosser, of Batavia, John Sears, of Ottumwa, Loren Zaruba, of Charlotte, and Dean Ross, of Jefferson.

“We couldn’t do this without the volunteers,” Grygierczyk said. “They are the reason this event has been successful and around for 20 years.”

Iowa will have a team entered in the 2013 International YHEC in Raton, N.M. The team from Eddyville will be raising money to offset the $8,000 needed for the competition.

Iowa YHEC is co-sponsored by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Iowa State University Extension Wildlife Programs, National Rifle Association and the Iowa 4-H Safety and Education in Shooting Sports program. 

The 2013 Iowa YHEC is scheduled for June 7-9, at Wesley Woods, near Indianola.

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Michigan's NRC expands deer hunting territory for the fall

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Hunters will have a little more territory to hunt for antlerless deer this fall as the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) opened a few more deer management units (DMUs) in the Upper Peninsula and Northern Lower Peninsula at its regular monthly meeting Thursday in Lansing.

Newly opened DMUs reflect increased deer populations in those areas, explained Department of Natural Resources (DNR) deer and elk program leader Brent Rudolph. The DNR will seek low quotas for the newly opened DMUs, Rudolph said.

A total of 72 DMUs will be open to antlerless deer hunting on public land, and 86 DMUs – plus the two multi-county DMUs in the Lower Peninsula (DMUs 486 and 487) -- will be open on private land. A complete list of open DMUs and their quotas will be published shortly in the 2012 Antlerless Deer Hunting Digest.

Antlerless deer license applications go on sale July 15 at all license agents and online at www.michigan.gov/huntdrawings.

In addition, the NRC voted to restrict hunters in DMUs 486 and 487 to a maximum of 10 private land antlerless licenses this season, a decrease from five per day in 2011.

Special statewide hunts for youth and 100 percent disabled veterans will be held Sept. 22-23. The early antlerless season on private land in portions of the Lower Peninsula is being reduced from five days to two, also Sept. 22-23.

“There have been increasing concerns from some members of the hunting public that the recent expansion of September hunting is causing deer to be more wary during the traditional seasons,” Rudolph said. “By reducing and consolidating the September seasons, we’re addressing those concerns while maintaining opportunities for youth and disabled hunters throughout the state and for early harvest of antlerless deer on private land where it is most needed.”

In addition, the NRC changed conditions on special crop-damage permits in accordance with recent legislation. Public Act 65 of 2012 allows up to 15 authorized shooters on Deer Damage Shooting Permits. In the past, special authorization was required to allow more than three shooters to be designated per permit.

In other action, the NRC reaffirmed that naturally shed deer and elk antlers may be legally collected, possessed and sold.

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Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Report summary for June 14, 2012

The Wisconsin River delta into the Mississippi River taken at Wyalusing State Park in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin flows from the near right to the Mississippi River. The Mississippi River flows from the right to the left. Iowa is visible in the distance on the other side of the Mississippi River. Prairie du Chien is just out of view to the right. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Areas of Wisconsin have received some scattered showers in the last week, but many areas of the state are quite dry, with very little rain reported so far in the month of June. Water levels on lakes and rivers are mostly dropping, with the exception of the Mississippi River, which is still running 3 to 4 feet higher than normal at Prairie du Chien because of heavy rains in northern Minnesota. The lower Wisconsin River is running very low, with numerous sandbars making navigation difficult on some stretches.

Windy and variable weather made for some tough fishing conditions at times this week, though success has continued to be pretty good. Mayfly hatches are subsiding in the north and allowed for a more consistent walleye bite. Musky success continues to be very good, with anglers reporting quite a few catches and some multiple fish days. Panfish have been the highlight of the week, with some good catches of bluegill and pumpkinseed reported. Both largemouth and smallmouth bass action during the northern catch and release season has been very good. Most bass have finished up their spawning activity, and with that, the success on larger fish should begin to improve as the northern bass harvest season opens up on Saturday.

Very good walleye fishing continued to be reported on the east shore Lake Winnebago, but there are still cautions about blue-green algae on Lake Winnebago and on other waters across the state. Exposure to this algae poses a health risk to people and pets. Avoid contact with blue-green scum, and shower or rinse off after swimming in any water body.

High water has slowed Mississippi River fishing, but some good fishing for bass and catfish has been reported in the deeper holes below sandbars and against steep banks on the lower Wisconsin River, while bass and catfish were reported farther north near Wausau.

Along Green Bay, some very good walleye action continues to be reported along both the east and west shores. Smallmouth bass fishing has kicked into high gear along the Door County shoreline, with good catches reported at many locations. Some perch have also finally been reported in some areas. The phenomenal chinook salmon fishing reported out of Lake Michigan harbors has slowed some, but fishing has still been good to very good with coho salmon and brown, rainbow and lake trout now making up more of the bag.

With Father’s Day this Sunday, kids looking for a fun way to get out with dad can download a free Father’s Day Fishing Certificate from the "Fishing Wisconsin" DNR Web page to take dad out for a fun day on the water.

White-tailed deer are wearing their red summer coats and bucks are developing velvet-covered antlers. Black bear breeding season in full swing, and sows have chased off yearling bears, so these young bears are on their own for the first time and they are being sighted at back yard bird feeders. Remove feeders to avoid unwanted black bear encounters.

Snapping turtles are being seen all over right now depositing their eggs in the gravel most often near a roadway that is adjacent to water.

Sandhill crane chicks are growing rapidly and can be viewed feeding with parents in wetlands and agricultural fields. Ruffed grouse broods are being seen in the north. Warblers, tanagers, and orioles are beginning to fledge young in the south.

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