Growing number of Michigan deer hunters give crossbows a try

Although the overall number of hunters in Michigan has been on a slight decline, the Department of Natural Resources reports that a recent deer hunter survey shows growth in one method of deer hunting - crossbows.

In the past, only hunters with disabilities had the option to hunt with a crossbow. Beginning in 2009, crossbows were allowed in most areas of Michigan during the archery deer season in an attempt to expand hunting opportunities, retain existing hunters and recruit new hunters. Crossbow hunters were required to obtain a free crossbow stamp to determine the number of hunters who took advantage of the new method.

In 2009, the opportunity to use a crossbow was extended only to hunters 50 years of age or older in the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula, while hunters of any age could use crossbows in the southern Lower Peninsula. In 2010 the age restriction was eliminated statewide.

The archery deer season runs statewide on public and private land and is divided into early and late season segments (Oct. 1 through Nov. 14 and Dec. 1 through Jan. 1). In the Upper Peninsula, crossbows are only allowed to be used in the early archery season.

"We have discovered that in 2011, 25 percent of the crossbow users had not hunted in the archery season in previous years," said DNR Deer and Elk Program Leader Brent Rudolph. "These hunters were newly recruited or drawn back to the sport of archery hunting."

The opinion survey also revealed that hunting with a crossbow met most or all of the archers' expectations, and nearly all crossbow hunters planned to use crossbows again in the future.

The number of hunters who obtained the free crossbow stamp by year is:

• 2009 - 45,692
• 2010 - 64,340
• 2011 - 74,120
• 2012 - 88,565

Although the expanded opportunity increased the number of archery hunters, the amount of deer harvested overall during the archery season did not increase each year. Harvest of deer over all seasons combined declined or was similar to previous years.

"With close to 800,000 hunters in Michigan annually, we know deer hunting is a strong tradition held by many," said DNR Wildlife Division Chief Russ Mason. "The expanded crossbow regulations met all the expectations we hoped for. Our primary goal is to do a good job managing the deer herd, and if new hunting opportunities can also be made, that's a good thing."

To view the entire Crossbow Deer Hunter Survey report, go to www.michigan.gov/hunting and click on Wildlife Surveys and Reports in the left-hand navigation bar.

Hunters are reminded to fill out their 2012 deer harvest survey by going online tohttps://secure1.state.mi.us/deersurvey.

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Numerous hunter education courses open statewide in Wisconsin

Hunter and dog with their catch. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Enroll today so you are ready for opening day of all seasons

MADISON – More than 40 percent of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Hunter Education courses are held in spring, making this an opportune time for you to enroll to complete the class to ensure you can hunt when you want to hunt.

“This truly is the best time to get this important course completed. All too often we see how time can get away from people and suddenly we are into the seasons, and the courses are either full or no longer being held,” Hunter Education Administrator and Warden Jon King said. “If you complete the course early in the year, you are scout, target shoot and have fun preparing so you are ready to take to the woods on opening day.”

The hunter education courses are led by trained and certified volunteer instructors and are offered statewide throughout the year.

Easy ways to get do the course

There are three ways to get hunter education certified:

• Basic Hunter Education – A classroom setting of about 10 hours. Students learn how hunting accidents are caused and how they can be prevented. Hunter responsibility and safety are stressed throughout the classes through lectures, demonstrations, group discussions, practical exercises, and individual study and activity assignments. In most cases, the course also includes a Saturday or Sunday field day at the range. Cost is $10.
• Online Internet Hunter Education and Field Day – Register for a hunter ed internet field day after passing an online course approved by the DNR. You’ll spend a day in the field with certified online hunter instructors testing what you learned online. The field day is mandatory to earn your hunter education safety certification. Cost is $10, and can range depending on what online course you choose.
• Adult (18 years of age or older) Online Internet Hunter Education Test Out – Anyone age 18 or older can register for an adult test out scheduled bi-monthly at DNR service centers. Required online course www.huntercourse.com/usa/wisconsin/ costs $24.95 plus a $10 DNR fee.

To find a course or to sign up for the online course, search the DNR website for hunter education and click on the button for "find a class."

“Thanks to the Hunter Education program, hunting is safe and getting safer,” King said.

Hunter education covers the firearm handling skills, regulations, and responsibilities of a safe and ethical hunter. Nearly 30,000 Wisconsin youths and adults get hunter ed-certified every year. Wisconsin hunter certification is recognized by all states and provinces requiring hunter education.

“Get enrolled now and join the ranks of today’s hunter education graduates who are ensuring the future of our hunting heritage,” King said.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Jon King – 608-575-2294

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No bovine TB found in northwestern Minnesota deer; disease monitoring and management program ended

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

After eight years of monitoring and aggressive management, bovine tuberculosis (TB) is undetectable in wild deer in northwestern Minnesota, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Bovine TB was first discovered in area cattle operations and wild deer near Skime, Minn., in 2005.

“We have accomplished what many believed was not possible,” said Michelle Carstensen, DNR wildlife health program supervisor. “By reducing the incidence of TB in wild deer to an undetectable level and hopefully eliminating it, Minnesota has become an international example on how to successfully respond to a disease outbreak that has a significant wildlife component.”

None of 325 deer harvested during the 2012 firearms season tested positive for the disease, marking the third consecutive year of negative TB testing results and ending DNR sampling of hunter-harvested deer in a 164-square-mile disease management zone.

Cooperation from farmers, landowners and hunters allowed DNR and the Minnesota Board of Animal Health to successfully combat the disease outbreak. Bovine TB is a progressive and chronic bacterial disease that primarily affects cattle but also infects wildlife.

“These people made significant sacrifices to make sure Minnesota livestock and wildlife are free of this disease,” said Bill Hartmann, state veterinarian and executive director of the Minnesota Board of Animal Health. “Their cooperation does not go unnoticed.”

Minnesota regained its TB-free status in cattle in 2011, but the DNR continued testing wild deer until achieving three consecutive years of negative findings for bovine TB. This provides assurance that the disease has been controlled in wildlife as well.

“We appreciated the patience of hunters as we managed this disease,” said Leslie McInenly, DNR big game program leader.

The deer population was reduced throughout the TB management zone through the use of liberalized hunting seasons. Landowner shooting permits, aerial shooting, and sharpshooting by professional contractors were also used in the core area where the TB positive deer were found. “We recognize that this had a significant impact on hunters’ opportunities to harvest deer,” McInenly said. “We’re looking forward to increasing deer densities in the area back to goal levels.”

This will be accomplished through more conservative regulations limiting harvest of antlerless deer, allowing the population to grow.

“Deer populations are resilient and history has shown that they can recover in a short period of time when harvest is restricted,” McInenly said.

Carstensen said the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association and its Roseau River chapter were particularly helpful during disease surveillance efforts by sponsoring a firearm raffle each year to help encourage hunters to submit harvested deer for sampling.

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Hunters Harvest Nearly 219,000 White-Tailed Deer in Ohio in 2012-2013

COLUMBUS, OH – Deer-archery season ended Feb. 3, bringing the white-tailed deer season to a close. Hunters harvested 218,910 white-tailed deer during Ohio’s 2012-2013 hunting seasons for all implements, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). Hunters checked 219,748 deer in 2011-2012, a difference of less than 1,000 deer this season.

“Ohio has become one of the nation’s top destinations for hunting white-tailed deer,” said ODNR Director James Zehringer. “We would like to thank the nearly 500,000 outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen that participated during this hunting season. It is their efforts in the field that help us provide some of the best outdoor recreational opportunities in the country.”

The Ohio counties that reported the most checked deer for all implements during the 2012-2013 season: Coshocton (7,413), Licking (6,928), Tuscarawas (6,813), Muskingum (6,457), Guernsey (6,151), Harrison (5,365), Knox (5,288), Ashtabula (4,974), Carroll (4,825) and Belmont (4,731). The top seven counties remained unchanged from last season.

Hunters continue to support alternate methods to report deer kills. Since the deer season began on Sept. 29, 2012, 44 percent of hunters phoned in their report, 40 percent reported online and 16 percent traveled to a license agent’s location.

Ohio's first modern day deer-gun season opened in 1943 in three counties, and hunters checked 168 deer. Deer hunting was allowed in all 88 counties in 1956, and hunters harvested 3,911 deer during the one-week season.

The white-tailed deer is the most popular game animal in Ohio and is frequently pursued by generations of hunters. Ohio ranks eighth nationally in annual hunting-related sales and 10th in the number of jobs associated with the hunting-related industry. Each year, hunting has an $859 million economic impact in Ohio through the sale of equipment, fuel, food, lodging and more. For more information on deer and deer hunting, visit wildohio.com.

ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR website at ohiodnr.com.

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Public Invited to Comment on 2013-2014 Hunting Season Proposals

Input also accepted online at wildohio.com 

COLUMBUS, OH – The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) will seek public comments regarding the 2013-2014 hunting seasons. During these sessions, which will be held Saturday, March 2, from 12-3 p.m., input concerning proposed hunting season dates, bag limits and rule changes will be accepted. Comments dealing with white-tailed deer and wild turkey seasons will also be welcomed.

These events are open to the public. Anyone interested in providing input and participating in Ohio’s professional wildlife management process is welcome. ODNR Division of Wildlife biologists and law enforcement officers will be available to answer questions and receive comments.

People who are not able to attend an open house at one of the seven locations can provide input online. Comments are accepted through March 2 at wildohio.com. Click on Open House Comments to submit a response.

Public input gathered at these open houses and through the online form will be considered during the formulation of regulations. For more information or directions to the open houses, visit wildohio.com or call 800-WILDLIFE (945-3543).

Open house location information for March 2:
• Central Ohio: Wildlife District One office, 1500 Dublin Road, Columbus 43215; 614-644-3925;
• Northwest Ohio: Wildlife District Two office, 952 Lima Avenue, Findlay 45840; 419-424-5000;
• Northeast Ohio: Wildlife District Three office, 912 Portage Lakes Drive, Akron 44319; 330-644-2293;
• Southeast Ohio: Wildlife District Four office, 360 E. State Street, Athens 45701; 740-589-9930;
• Southwest Ohio: Greene County Fish and Game, 1538 Union Road, Xenia 45385; 937-372-9261;
• Lake Erie (east): Fairport Fisheries office, 1190 High Street, Fairport Harbor 44077; 440-352-4199; and
• Lake Erie (west): Old Woman Creek office, 2514 Cleveland Road E., Huron 44839; 419-433-7599.

A statewide hearing on proposed rules will be held on Thursday, March 7, at 9 a.m. at the ODNR Division of Wildlife’s District One office. This hearing is open to the public, and comments on the proposed rules will be accepted.

After considering public input, the Ohio Wildlife Council will vote on the proposed rules during its April 17 meeting. Council meetings are open to the public, but there is no opportunity on the agenda for public comment. Questions will be allowed and responded to once the meeting adjourns.

ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR website at ohiodnr.com.

Minnesota deer harvest declines 4 percent in 2012

Minnesota hunters harvested 184,649 deer during the 2012 season, down 4 percent from 2011, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

The decline reflects the fact that hunters had fewer chances to harvest antlerless deer because the 2012 season was designed to help stabilize and increase populations, said Leslie McInenly, DNR big game program leader. “We expected the reduction,” she said.

Firearms hunters harvested 155,599 deer while archery and muzzleloader hunters harvested 21,556 and 7,494 deer, respectively. The statewide archery harvest was up 5 percent, muzzleloader harvest increased 1 percent and firearm harvest was down 5 percent from last year.

The DNR will conduct aerial surveys over portions of the state later this winter. Population modeling, coupled with select aerial surveys, will be used to determine deer density. Management designations for 2013 deer permit areas will be determined once the new density estimates are compared to established population goals.

“Hunters should pay close attention to the hunting synopsis, which comes out in mid-July, to see if they need to apply for a lottery either-sex permit,” McInenly said.

The final deer harvest number is calculated using information provided by hunters when they register their deer. A final report, which includes more detailed harvest information, will be available online in the coming weeks atwww.mndnr.gov/deer.

For the 2013 season, the deadline for the either-sex permit application is Thursday, Sept. 5. Archery deer hunting begins Saturday, Sept. 14. Firearms deer season opens Saturday, Nov. 9. Muzzleloader season opens Saturday, Nov. 30.

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Study continues to monitor cause of mortality among Wisconsin deer

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MADISON – Hunting continues to account for the largest number of adult white-tailed deer mortalities in Wisconsin, while predation accounts for the highest death of fawns, according to recent results from an ongoing deer mortality study.

“Hunter harvest continues to be the greatest cause of death of both adult and yearling bucks,” said Jared Duquette, research scientist and lead researcher for the study, “while predation was the leading cause of fawn mortality, with most predations occurring within the first four to six weeks following birth.”

The Department of Natural Resources Bureau of Science Services has compiled data collected during 2011-12 on the causes of death in white-tailed deer into a new report, “Wisconsin Deer Research Studies, Annual Report 2011-2012.” The report is available on the DNR website by searching for “deer research” (click on the tab for resources).

Prompted by questions asked by hunters, two groundbreaking studies are currently underway in Wisconsin. A five-year study of causes of adult deer mortality is quantifying, for the first the various causes of deer death and overall survival rates in deer in a northern forest environment and in an eastern farmland environment. A similar three-year study looks at causes of mortality in fawns.

Duquette said the data will play a role in future deer management decisions and addresses recommendations forwarded by study groups reviewing Wisconsin’s deer population estimating process.

A brief summary of the 2011-12 report shows:

Buck and doe mortality

• 16 adult males (deer greater than 1.6 years old) and 25 male fawns (deer 8-10 months of age) were radio-collared and ear tagged in the northern study area.
• 15 adult males and 40 male fawns were radio-collared and ear tagged in the eastern farmland study area.
• Adult male survival (10-12 months post capture) was 31 percent in the north and 27 percent in the eastern study area; hunter harvest was the greatest source of mortality in both areas.
• Yearling male survival (10-12 months post capture) was 52 percent in the north and 58 percent in the eastern farmland; hunter harvest was the greatest source of mortality in both areas.
• 30 adult does were radio-collared in the northern and seven in the eastern study areas.
• Adult female survival (10-12 months post-capture) was 73 percent in the north and 86 percent in the east.
• Predation (44 percent) was the leading cause of adult female mortality followed by hunter harvest (33 percent).

Fawn recruitment

• 30 fawns (16 males; 14 females) were radio-collared and ear tagged in the northern study area; 46 fawns (26 males; 20 females) were radio-collared and ear tagged in the eastern farmland study area.
• Fawn survival at 6-7 months post capture was 47 percent in the north and 63 percent in the east.
• Predation was the leading cause of mortality for both study areas, followed by road kill.
• Most fawn mortality occurred shortly after birth in May and June mainly due to predation.

Capture of adults will continue through the 2012-13 and 2013-14 winters. Fawns were live-captured in May and June in 2011 and 2012 and will be captured again in 2013. A number of captured adults and fawns are fitted with radio collars. All are fitted with ear tags. Additional metrics are collected including body weight and size, blood samples, sex, presence of external parasites and age. Does are also examined for pregnancy. Deer are followed by radio signal until death, at which time researchers study the mortality to determine cause.

Radio collars emit a special signal when a collar doesn’t move for a specified period of time indicating the animal possibly has died. Researchers and volunteers zero in on the radio signal and attempt to determine cause of death. Information on deer harvested by hunters is collected when the hunter registers a collared or ear tagged deer.

Radio-collared and ear tagged deer are legal for harvest during the hunting seasons. Essential information is collected on these deer when they are registered. Hunters or others finding a dead deer with an ear tag are asked to report the find by phone, calling the number on the ear tag, so that researchers can gather any available mortality information the caller may be able to provide.

Volunteers contribute to success

“Hundreds of citizen volunteers and partner groups have participated in this effort,” said Mike Watt, DNR research scientist and volunteer coordinator, “without them, I doubt we could pull this off. The participation and enthusiasm of these individuals and groups has been fantastic. Their contributions have been invaluable.” Participants included University of Wisconsin-Madison, Safari Club International, UW-Stevens Point, Union Sportsmen’s Alliance, Wisconsin Conservation Congress, Whitetails Unlimited, AFL-CIO, U.S. Department of Agriculture-APHIS, and Applied Population Laboratory

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