South Dakota GFP Commission Proposes Deer Hunting Season Changes

The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) Commission has proposed an increase in the number of East River deer hunting licenses for 2016. There would be 4,220 fewer one-tag licenses, 5,075 more two-tag licenses and 1,400 more three tag licenses compared to 2015.

The Commission also proposed to establish an antlerless deer unit within Bon Homme County; south of SD Highway 50 and east of US Highway 37. To view a map of this proposed area, visit http://gfp.sd.gov/agency/commission/docs/2016/May/may-materials.pdf.

The East River deer hunting season would run Nov. 19 - Dec. 4, 2016.   The proposal also includes nine days of antlerless deer hunting from Dec. 31, 2016 – Jan. 8, 2017, when only antlerless tags are valid.

The muzzleloader season will run from Dec. 1, 2016 - Jan. 15, 2017, and will have 1,000 any deer licenses and unlimited antlerless whitetail deer licenses available.

The Commission also proposed a decrease of 10 resident and one nonresident any deer licenses for the LaCreek National Wildlife Refuge (NWR).  The proposed refuge deer hunting seasons are:

Sand Lake NWR:

• November 12-16
• November 17-21
• November 22-27
• November 28 – December 4
• December 5-11
• December 31, 2016 - January 8, 2017.

LaCreek NWR:

• October 19-25
• November 23-29

Waubay NWR (includes Waubay State Game Refuge):

• November 12-19
• November 20-27
• November 28 – December 4

The Commission had no proposed changes to the 2016 youth deer hunting season, resulting in the same season structure as last year. The youth deer season will run from Sept. 10, 2016 – Jan. 15, 2017.

The Commission will finalize these proposals at their June 2-3, 2015, meeting at the Watertown Convention Center. Written comments can be sent to wildinfo@state.sd.us. To be part of the official public record, comments must be received by 12 p.m. on June2. Please include your full name along with the city and state of residence. If you would like to comment in person, the public hearing will be held June 2, at 2 p.m. CDT at the Watertown Convention Center.

GFP Commission Proposes West River Deer Hunting Season

PIERRE, S.D. - The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) Commission has proposed the 2016 West River deer hunting season.

A total of 14,345 one-tag, 5,420 two-tag licenses would be available for residents and 1,151 one-tag, 434 two-tag licenses would be available for nonresidents.

The Commission proposed that the season would run from Nov. 5-8 and Nov. 21-27, 2016, for Gregory and Mellette counties. For all other hunting units, the season would run from Nov. 12-27, 2016.

The Commission will finalize this proposal at their June 2-3, 2015, meeting at the Watertown Convention Center. Written comments can be sent to wildinfo@state.sd.us. To be part of the official public record, comments must be received by 12 p.m. on June2. Please include your full name along with the city and state of residence. If you would like to comment in person, the public hearing will be held June 2, at 2 p.m. CDT at the Watertown Convention Center.

GFP Commission Proposes a Change to the
Free Antlerless Deer License Available to Landowners

PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) Commission proposed a change to the utilization of free antlerless deer licenses available to landowners.

These licenses are available to any qualifying farmer or rancher for use in the West River, East River, Youth, Archery and Muzzleloader deer hunting units where at least one antlerless deer tag is available. Previously these have been available after the second lottery drawing from the previous year East River and West River deer seasons. However, no such free antlerless license is valid in counties where antlerless archery or a muzzleloader license is restricted. The requirements and equipment restrictions for each deer hunting season apply to any free antlerless license issued.

The Commission proposed to make free antlerless whitetail deer licenses available to those eligible landowners in hunting units offering deer licenses with multiple tags for antlerless deer in the lottery drawing for the East River and West River deer seasons.

The Commission will finalize this proposal at their June 2-3, 2015, meeting at the Watertown Convention Center. Written comments can be sent to wildinfo@state.sd.us. To be part of the official public record, comments must be received by 12 p.m. on June2. Please include your full name along with the city and state of residence. If you would like to comment in person, the public hearing will be held June 2, at 2 p.m. CDT at the Watertown Convention Center.

South Dakota Archery Deer Season Proposal Would Open More Areas for Antlerless Deer Harvest

A proposal from the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) Commission would open more of the state for deer hunters to harvest antlerless whitetail deer during the archery season.

In recent years, GFP has closed certain areas of the state for antlerless deer harvest due to low deer populations. Whitetail deer numbers are increasing across the state; calling for the Commission to ease restrictions. To view a map of these proposed areas, visit http://gfp.sd.gov/agency/commission/docs/2016/May/may-materials.pdf.

Resident and nonresident hunters may purchase one statewide any deer license or one East River any deer license and one West River any deer license. Residents and nonresidents may purchase one antlerless whitetail deer license as well.

The proposed archery deer season would run from Sept. 24, 2016 – Jan. 15, 2017.  From Jan. 1-15, only antlerless whitetail deer licenses would be valid.

The Commission also proposed to increase the number of antlerless whitetail deer archery access permits from 20 to 25 for the Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve.  Five archery access permits would also be available for Good Earth State Park.

The Commission will finalize this proposal at their June 2-3, 2015, meeting at the Watertown Convention Center. Written comments can be sent to wildinfo@state.sd.us. To be part of the official public record, comments must be received by 12 p.m. on June2. Please include your full name along with the city and state of residence. If you would like to comment in person, the public hearing will be held June 2, at 2 p.m. CDT at the Watertown Convention Center.

MDC reminds public to not feed deer in CWD counties

Regulation banning feeding deer in 29 counties starts May 30.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reminds landowners, deer hunters, and others that a regulation banning the feeding of deer becomes effective on May 30 for 29 counties in north-central, central, and east-central Missouri.

Grain, salt products, minerals, and other consumable products used to attract deer are now prohibited year-round in the following 29 counties: Adair, Boone, Callaway, Carroll, Chariton, Crawford, Cole, Cooper, Franklin, Gasconade, Jefferson, Knox, Linn, Livingston, Macon, Miller, Moniteau, Morgan, Osage, Putnam, St. Charles, St. Louis, Randolph, Schuyler, Scotland, Shelby, Sullivan, Washington, and Warren.  

Exceptions to the regulation include feeding wildlife within 100 feet of any residence or occupied building, feed placed in a manner that excludes access by deer, and feed and minerals used solely for normal agricultural, forest management, or wildlife food-plot-production practices.

The feeding ban is one step MDC is taking to limit the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a fatal neurological disease that infects only deer and other members of the deer family. The disease has no vaccine or cure and is 100-percent fatal. CWD is spread from deer to deer and the potential for transmission increases when deer gather in larger, concentrated numbers, such as at feeding sites.

The 29 counties affected by the feeding ban comprise the Department’s CWD Management Zone. The zone consists of counties within or that touch a radius of approximately 25 miles from where CWD has been found. According to MDC, 33 free-ranging deer in Missouri have tested positive for the disease with 21 found in Macon County, 9 in Adair, one in Cole, one in Franklin, and one in Linn.

Other MDC actions to limit the spread of CWD

The ban on feeding deer is one of several actions MDC is taking to help limit the spread of CWD. MDC also collects tissue samples from several thousand harvested, sick, and road-killed wild deer around the state each year to test for CWD. The sampling efforts focus both on areas where CWD has been found and on broader, statewide testing.

The Department will increase its CWD sampling and testing efforts in north-central, central, and east-central Missouri this fall by requiring hunters who harvest deer in one of the 29 CWD-Management-Zone counties during the opening weekend of the fall firearms deer season (Nov. 12 and 13) to present their deer (or the head with at least six inches of the neck intact) for CWD testing at one of 75 MDC sampling locations on the day of harvest. The testing is free and hunters can also get free test results. Sampling locations will be listed in the Department’s 2016 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet and online at mdc.mo.gov.

MDC has also removed the antler-point restriction in all CWD-Management-Zone counties starting this fall so young bucks are no longer protected from harvest. Young bucks can potentially spread the disease to new areas as they search for territories and mates.

The Department has also increased the availability of firearms antlerless permits from 1 to 2 in all CWD-Management-Zone counties starting this fall to help prevent undesired population increases in local deer numbers.

MDC also strongly discourages the removal of deer carcasses from CWD-Management-Zone counties. Moving carcasses of potentially infected deer out of the immediate area where they were harvested and improperly disposing of them can also spread the disease. Certain carcass parts, such as boned out meat, are okay to move because the protein that causes CWD is not concentrated in these parts.

Learn more about CWD at mdc.mo.gov/CWD.

North Dakota 2015 Deer Season Summarized

A total of 39,470 North Dakota deer hunters took approximately 26,700 deer during the 2015 deer gun hunting season, according to a post-season survey conducted by the State Game and Fish Department.

Game and Fish made available 43,275 deer gun licenses last year. Overall hunter success was 68 percent, with each hunter spending an average of 4.3 days in the field.

Hunter success for antlered white-tailed deer was 70 percent, and antlerless whitetail was 64 percent.

Mule deer buck success was 86 percent. No mule deer doe licenses were issued in 2015.

Hunters with any-antlered or any-antlerless licenses generally harvest white-tailed deer, as these licenses are predominantly in units with mostly whitetails. Buck hunters had a success rate of 75 percent, while doe hunters had a success rate of 67 percent.

A total of 826 muzzleloader licenses were issued in 2015, and 745 hunters that participated harvested 348 white-tailed deer (194 antlered, 154 antlerless). Hunter success was 47 percent, with each hunter spending an average of 5.9 days in the field.

A record 25,703 archery licenses (23,710 resident, 1,993 nonresident) were issued in 2015. In total, 21,680 bow hunters harvested 7,527 deer (6,777 whitetails, 750 mule deer), for a success rate of 35 percent. Bucks accounted for 75 percent of the deer harvested with a bow. Archers spent an average of 10.7 days afield.

In addition, 4,004 youth licenses were issued in 2015. During the youth season, 3,487 hunters harvested 1,832 deer (393 bucks, 1,439 does). Hunter success was 52 percent, and each hunter spent an average of 2.9 days in the field. Youth hunters in the regular deer gun season harvested an additional 240 deer (196 bucks, 44 does) for an overall success rate of 59 percent.

The department is in the process of determining recommendations for licenses in the 2016 deer proclamation. The proclamation will be sent to the governor’s office for approval in late April.

In addition to harvest rates and winter aerial surveys, the department monitors a number of other population indices to determine license numbers, including depredation reports, hunter observations, input at advisory board meetings, and comments from the public, landowners and department field staff.

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. 

Missouri deer-hunting seasons end with harvest of nearly 280,000

2015-2016 harvest is increase of more than 21,000 over 2014-2015.  

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missouri's 2015-2016 deer-hunting seasons ended Jan. 15 with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reporting a preliminary total harvest of 279,401 deer. Top counties for the overall seasons were Texas with 5,812 deer harvested, Franklin with 5,463, and Howell with 5,440. Hunters harvested 258,341 deer during the 2014-2015 deer hunting seasons.

Deer hunting ended with the close of the archery season. Preliminary data from MDC showed that hunters checked 50,085 deer during the archery season. Top counties for the archery season were Jefferson with 1,153 deer harvested, St. Louis with 1,051, and Franklin with 1,012. Archery hunters checked 51,755 deer the previous year. 

2015-2016 fall archery turkey hunting also ended Jan. 15. Preliminary data from MDC showed 3,067 turkeys harvested. Top counties for the fall archery turkey season were Texas with 80 birds harvested, Franklin with 74, and Laclede with 67. For the previous year, huntersharvested 2,587 turkeys.       

For more information on this season’s deer harvest numbers (Telecheck: Deer and Turkey Harvest Data) and past-year harvest summaries (Deer Harvest Summaries), go online tohuntfish.mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/species/deer/deer-harvest-reports.

For more information on this season’s fall turkey harvest numbers (Fall Turkey Harvest Map) and past-year fall harvest summaries (Turkey Harvest Summaries For Past Seasons), go online to huntfish.mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/species/turkey/turkey-reports.

MDC reported seven firearms-related hunting incidents during the fall deer and turkeyhunting seasons. All were non-fatal and involved self-inflicted injuries. In addition, the Department was notified of three tree-stand falls, one of which was fatal.

Conservation makes Missouri a great place to hunt deer and turkey. For more information, go online to huntfish.mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping.

Related articles

• Deer, turkey hunting dates set for 2016 (ky3.com)
• MDC sets turkey and deer hunting dates and regulation changes (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
• Missouri Department of Conservation proposes new regulations for CWD management zones (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)

Michigan DNR lauds partners in continuing battle against chronic wasting disease

Deer suspected positive for CWD found in Watertown Township; Jan. 12public meeting set

With deer hunting seasons coming to a close, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources wants to thank the important partners who have emerged in the ongoing fight against chronic wasting disease (CWD) – a neurological disease always fatal once contracted by deer, elk or moose.

Earlier this year, Michigan’s first case of CWD in free-ranging white-tailed deer was confirmed in Meridian Township in Ingham County.

Since May, nearly 4,000 deer have been tested for CWD. Of those deer, four have been confirmed positive for the disease in Clinton and Ingham counties. One new suspected CWD-positive deer was found recently in Clinton County.

Although discovering CWD in Michigan’s wild deer herd was something wildlife officials had hoped to avoid, DNR deer program managers are pleased with the cooperation and commitment that have made surveillance of CWD more productive.

“From the individual who reported the initial sick deer, to U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services doing targeted surveillance, to the hunters who complied with regulations and checked their harvested deer, to the township officials who have supported DNR efforts - they are all important pieces to hopefully eradicating this disease in Michigan,” said Chad Stewart, DNR deer, moose and elk management specialist.

The latest suspected CWD-positive deer was located in Watertown Township, a new location for CWD in Michigan.

The DNR is trying to inform individuals near that area of the critical role they can play.

“An archery hunter brought his deer from Watertown Township into a DNR check station to have it aged and receive a successful hunter patch. He wasn’t going to have it tested,” Stewart said. “We suggested that he test just in case. If he hadn’t agreed, we may not have found another suspect.”

To inform area residents about what this most recent finding of the disease may mean for them, the DNR has scheduled a town hall meeting from 6 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 12 in the DeWitt Charter Township Valley Farms Community Center, which is located at 16101 Brook Road in Lansing.

At the meeting, Stewart and Dr. Steve Schmitt, DNR wildlife veterinarian, will provide information on CWD, its impacts on deer and deer populations, and how the DNR has responded to the discovery of the disease thus far.

There will be plenty of time for questions.

“We would like to build the same type of support in DeWitt and Watertown townships that we have seen in Meridian,” Stewart said. “Township officials, hunters and landowners are critical to our plan.”

Schmitt said in many instances, misinformation, especially on electronic media, has caused resistance to DNR plans and actions to battle CWD.

Some groups do not believe CWD has a devastating impact on deer populations and instead think that by leaving deer alone they will grow resistant to the disease. On the contrary, some infected western deer populations have been reduced by half, with CWD contributing greatly to this decline.

“We have individuals and groups who want to provide their own opinions on this disease,” Schmitt said. “The information they are putting out is blatantly incorrect, and we want hunters and landowners to inform themselves through credible science.”

This disease is serious.

There will be no new hunting regulation changes from now through the end of the deer season as the DNR conducts CWD surveillance and decides what additional steps might need to be taken for next year's seasons.

CWD 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 the fluids including soils, or the carcass of a diseased animal.

To date, there is no evidence the 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 infected animals not be consumed as food by either humans or domestic animals.

Hunters submitting a deer head for testing will be able to find out the test results for their deer within seven to 10 days.

To learn more about CWD, visit www.michigan.gov/cwd.

Related articles

• Suspect deer confirmed positive for chronic wasting disease in Clinton County, Michigan (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• MDC reports CWD found in Franklin County (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
• Well-known buck killed illegally in county park (jsonline.com)