Indiana Deer Bundle

What licenses can the deer license bundle replace?

You can use the bundle to replace the one antlered deer you would harvest using your archery/crossbow license OR your firearms license OR your muzzleloader license.

AND The bundle can be used to replace up to two antlerless deer you would harvest using your archery/crossbow license OR your muzzleloader license OR your bonus antlerless license.

OR You can use the bundle to replace the three antlerless deer you would harvest using your archery/crossbow license, muzzleloader license, and/or bonus antlerless license.

What are the benefits of the deer bundle for multi-season hunters?

The benefits are:

• The ability to hunt multiple seasons (except the urban season) and harvest up to three deer.
• The opportunity to hunt antlered deer in the archery/crossbow, firearms, and muzzleloader seasons until you harvest an antlered deer.
• Increased cost savings the more seasons you hunt.

What are some examples of things you CAN do with the deer bundle license?

• You can hunt for your antlered deer during archery season while filling antlerless bags. If you do not have an antlered deer come by during archery season, pick up a legal firearm and go out during that season.
• You can have three licenses available during firearms season, and if you don't fill them, take your muzzleloader out during muzzleloader season, or take your firearms out in the special antlerless season and try to harvest an antlerless deer.
• You can have a license privilege that allows you to harvest 1 antlered and 2 antlerless or 3 antlerless deer during the archery season, flip back and forth using different types of legal archery equipment (long/recurve/compound/cross) during the archery season if you prefer. If you choose not to harvest all three deer with archery equipment, you can pick up a legal firearm and hunt during firearms, muzzleloader, or special antlerless season until you reach your bag limit for the deer bundle.

Can I use the bundle as a bonus antlerless license on DNR properties?

The bundle cannot be used to take bonus antlerless deer on a DNR property during special antlerless deer season nor during any regular deer season, except where authorized. See the Indiana Hunting and Trapping Guide or contact the DNR property you wish to hunt for exceptions.

Can I use the bundle in the urban deer zone?

No the deer license bundle cannot be used in the urban deer zone to satisfy urban deer zone bag limits. It can be used in urban zones when fulfilling regular season bag limits

Can I use a crossbow with the deer bundle?

Yes, any legal equipment can be used for the seasons that the bundle can be used

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White-tailed deer rut underway across Wisconsin

Reports from across the state indicate the white-tailed deer rut is underway with a surge in scrapes and

rubs that bucks use to mark territory, and bucks being seen in active pursuit of does. Archers are reporting some very good success with larger bucks now on the move. Deer movement has been going on day and night and vehicle deer collisions are on the rise. Motorists need to be alert for deer suddenly entering roadways and remember if one deer crosses there is likely another deer in pursuit.

Cold fronts in the last week have brought increasing numbers of Canada geese into the state. Waterfowl hunters along the Mississippi River and Lake Michigan are reporting increasing numbers of diving ducks including bluebills, redheads, and canvasbacks.

Pheasant hunters are enjoying an abundance of birds on state wildlife areas, with stocking up from 2012. Birds will continue to be released throughout the month of November. Grouse hunters are reporting a few birds but in general the population does seem to be on the lower end of its cycle, though some areas are reporting decent woodcock numbers.

The wolf harvest has reached 181 animals as of October 31 and the season has now been closed in three harvesting zones [PDF], the two most northern zones and the central forest zone. Raccoon trappers are also reporting increased success this season.

With all the hunting activity and colder weather, fishing activity has slowed in many areas, but hardcore musky anglers are still reporting decent success on northern lakes, where some good walleye action has also been reported. Some bluegill action was reported on pools of the Mississippi River. Skim ice has been seen in the mornings on the backwaters of the Mississippi as well as on small Northwoods ponds.

Fishing pressure has dropped off on Green Bay but there were some perch being caught in the Sturgeon Bay area. Lake Michigan tributaries are still producing some salmon and trout, but the fall runs appear to be subsiding.

Sandhill crane numbers continue to build as traditional hotspots like Crex Meadows in Burnett County and along the Lower Wisconsin River. Large roosts of blackbirds numbering up to 50,000 are being seen in the south. Tundra swans made their first push into the state this week. The red-tailed hawk migration is just passed peak, while bald eagle numbers are on the rise and golden eagles and rough-legged hawks have moved in from their arctic nesting grounds.

Fall colors (exit DNR) are now past peak across most of the state, but there are still counties in southern and central Wisconsin reporting peak colors. The northern unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest reports colors past peak, but the southern unit reports improved colors for this coming weekend. Some of the best colors across the state now are coming from Wisconsin’s only deciduous conifer, the tamarack. This unique tree found in swamps, bogs, and wet lowlands and its needles turn bright golden color before dropping.

And another sure siga n that winter is approaching, most state parks have now closed campground shower and flush toilet facilities and the three tunnels on the Elroy-Sparta State Trail will be closing for the season next week.

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Baiting of Big Game Prohibited in Five North Dakota Deer Units

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is reminding deer hunters that hunting over bait is

prohibited in deer units 3C west of the Missouri River, 3E1, 3E2, 3F1 and 3F2.

Hunting over bait is defined as the placement and/or use of bait(s) for attracting big game and other wildlife to a specific location for the purpose of hunting. Baits include but are not limited to grains, minerals, salts, fruits, vegetables, hay or any other natural or manufactured foods. The designation does not apply to the use of scents and lures, water, food plots, standing crops or livestock feeds used in standard practices.

In addition to the units where hunting over bait is no longer allowed on either private or public land, hunting over bait is also not allowed on most other public land through the state, including state wildlife management areas; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas; U.S. Forest Service national grasslands; and all North Dakota state school, state park and state forest service lands.

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Time to comment on Wisconsin Deer Trustee Report Implementation

There’s still time to weigh in!

There are still opportunities between now and Oct. 31 to attend one of the remaining statewide public hearings where you can provide input on the proposed Deer Trustee Report implementation rules.

Come and learn more about and comment on the rules that are being proposed to implement the Deer Trustee Report recommendations.

Unable to attend a public hearing? Complete a survey or submit a comment. Both are open NOW until Nov. 8.

Learn more about the Deer Trustee Report. Visit dnr.wi.gov and search keywords “deer trustee report.”

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Conservation officers remind hunters to follow off-road vehicle laws

With deer hunting seasons under way, Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation

officers remind hunters heading afield using an off-road vehicle (ORV) to follow ORV land-use regulations.

”Each year, we see hunters using ORVs where it is illegal to operate them,” said Lt. Andrew Turner, who leads the DNR’s Recreation, Safety and Enforcement program. “We remind hunters that ORV restrictions are in place to protect natural resources and minimize user conflict with other hunters and outdoor recreation enthusiasts. To ensure everyone’s safety and to help everyone have an enjoyable hunt, we ask riders to know the rules and encourage others to do the same.”

ORV land-use regulations hunters should be aware of include the following: 

• It is illegal to operate an ORV on public lands in the Lower Peninsula that are not posted open. ORVs are prohibited on state game areas or state parks and recreation areas unless posted open.
• On state forest lands, ORV use on designated trails is limited to vehicles less than 50 inches in width. Off-trail or off-route ORV operation outside of a designated area is prohibited, except for licensed hunters operating an ORV at speeds of 5 miles per hour or less for the purpose of removing deer, bear or elk. Big game ORV retrieval provisions do not apply to the Pigeon River Country State Forest or to state game areas and national forests.
• In all national forests, motor vehicles can be used only on roads, trails or areas that are designated as open on Motor Vehicle Use maps. For more information, contact the local national forest headquarters.
• It is illegal to operate an ORV from 7 to 11 a.m. and 2 to 5 p.m. on any area open to public hunting during the Nov. 15-30 firearm deer season. For exceptions to these time restrictions, see the 2013 Hunting and Trapping Digest or the Handbook of Michigan Off-Road Vehicle Laws.
• Roads, streets and highways maintained for year-round automobile travel are closed to ORV operation, including the shoulder and the right-of-way, unless designated open to ORV use by local ordinance. ORV operators should check with the county for local ordinances.
• Private land is closed to ORV operation except by the landowner and the landowner’s invited guests.
• An ORV may not be operated in a manner that creates an erosive condition. Michigan’s soils and shorelines are fragile, and ORV operation in these areas and along stream banks and other waterways is restricted.
• It is unlawful to operate any ORV in or on the waters of any stream, river, marsh, bog, wetland or quagmire.

For more information about ORV regulations – including rules for transporting weapons and hunting provisions for those with disabilities – see the Handbook of Michigan Off-Road Vehicle Laws atwww.michigan.gov/orvtrails. Maps of state-designated ORV trails can also be found there.

Violations of these and other rules should be reported by calling the DNR’s Report All Poaching (RAP) Line at 800-292-7800. 

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Freedom Hunt grows every year at Fort Custer

When state wildlife officials expanded efforts a number of years ago to make deer hunting more

available and accessible to hunters with disabilities, they realized early on that some of those hunters needed a little assistance from able-bodied helpers to pull it all together. Plus, the Nov. 15-30 time frame wouldn’t work because many of those potential helpers would be busy hunting themselves.
So the Natural Resources Commission approved a hunt for mid- to late October, when more sportsmen and women might be available to assist.
Jonathan Edgerly, a natural resources specialist at Fort Custer Training Center, the state-operated National Guard facility near Battle Creek, thought he had the perfect venue for a holding an event for hunters with disabilities. The deer herd on the base needed thinning and – because of the amenities, including barracks and mess hall – Fort Custer would offer the perfect situation to hold a deer camp for guys who might not be able to go to camp in November. He enlisted partners from the conservation community and created the first “Freedom Hunt,” which was attended by eight hunters.
Seven years later, the only thing that has changed is that a lot more hunters are involved. This year, Edgerly said, was a rousing success, with a record 47 hunters in on the Oct. 17-20 hunt.
“Everything went well,” Edgerly said. “We got some, missed some, saw the big one that got away, and everyone’s excited about next year. That’s what we aim for; we’re just looking to have a good deer-camp experience.
“We just try to provide a deer-camp atmosphere, where someone’s disability is not an issue, where they can show up and enjoy deer camp without having to worry about additional hurdles.”
Participants, who apply to be part of the hunt, must qualify under fairly strict criteria. Only those who have been issued a permit to hunt from a standing vehicle, have been deemed 100-percent disabled or unemployable by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, or are legally blind or have a permit to use a laser-sighting device, are allowed.
The hunters are spread out over some 3,000 acres of the 7,500-acre fort. Each is assigned a volunteer guide, who assists the hunter in taking his position. In some cases the guide stays and sits with the hunter throughout the hunt. In others, the guide might sit in the vehicle or even go back to the mess hall and await a cell phone call when the hunter is ready to call it a day.
“They can hunt as much or as little as they want,” Edgerly said. “Most guys stay over at least one night. Some guys are die-hards, got to get a deer, and get out there all day. Then there are guys who will go out for an hour.”
Some 200 volunteers are involved the hunt, Edgerly said. “We have some people who come early and set up blinds or trim shooting lanes, some work in the kitchen, and some come after the hunt and take down blinds or clean up.”
Volunteers come largely from conservation and sporting clubs. Tony Snyder, president of the Michigan chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, said his group has been in it since day one and takes a lot of pride in the hunt.
“The National Wild Turkey Federation has a program for sportsmen with disabilities – Wheeling Sportsmen – and this thing ties right into that,” Snyder said. “This will probably be the biggest NWTF Wheeling Sportsmen’s event this year. It would have been last year, but I didn’t submit the paperwork.
“Our guys, who come from the Turkeyville Toms – the Calhoun County chapter of NWTF – have been steady. We initially started out just providing all the help for breakfast, but now our guys are staying around all day, helping retrieve deer and everything else.”
Most of the hunters use pop-up blinds that have been donated by equipment manufacturers, though some local Boy Scouts built two wheelchair-accessible blinds this past year. Brian Woodward, a 54-year-old quadriplegic who works in information technology for Ford Motor Company, used one of them.
“I got to break it in for them,” said Woodward, who was an avid hunter when he broke his neck in an auto accident in 1983. “It’s pretty cool.”
Woodward uses a joystick to maneuver his shotgun – which is mounted on an adaptive device and equipped with a camera that gives him a view of the sight picture – and a straw, on which he inhales, to pull the trigger. Woodward killed a deer from the blind, the second he’s taken in the seven year he’s attended the Freedom Hunt.
Woodward wasn’t the only wheelchair hunter to score this year. Mario Muscat, 54, killed an eight-point buck opening day. Muscat, who has used a wheelchair since a construction accident when he was 19 years old, has taken two deer in the six years he’s attended the Freedom Hunt. He’s a huge fan.
“This is the greatest – lots of good guys,” said Muscat said. “It’s a deer camp – good stories, good help, and there are a lot of guys who are disabled worse than me and they do a great job with them.”
Claude Miller, a 66-year-old disabled Vietnam veteran, killed a five-point buck that he called in with a grunt tube. Miller, who’s been attending the Freedom Hunt for six years, said “this has been the greatest thing I’ve been to ever since I started coming. It’s a bunch of guys who just click, though vets usually do. Good food, great camaraderie, good times.”
Edgerly said he was hoping to attract veterans when he started the Freedom Hunt – the name was coined by a disabled vet on the steering committee, he said – but never intended to limit it to them.
“We’re geared toward veterans,” Edgerly said. “But we’re not excluding anyone. The past two years it’s really taken off. The word’s getting out and people are taking advantage.”
The Department of Natural Resources, a sponsor of the Freedom Hunt, is expanding its outreach to veterans and others with disabilities, too.

Operation Freedom Outdoors is a partnership the DNR has formed with a number of conservation organizations and groups that advocate for those with disabilities to create top-notch outdoor recreation opportunities in Washtenaw and Jackson counties by connecting Camp Liberty – a recreation facility for veterans with disabilities – with the adjacent Sharonville State Game Area.
“Veterans and others with disabilities deserve the same opportunities as the rest of us to enjoy our natural resources,” said DNR Wildlife Division Chief Russ Mason. “Providing that opportunity is really what Pure Michigan is all about.”
For more information on Camp Liberty, visit www.camp-liberty.org.
For more information on the Freedom Hunt, visit www.fortcusterhunt.org. 

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Sportsmen Against Hunger Accepting Deer, Light Goose Meat

North Dakota’s Sportsmen Against Hunger Program is again accepting donations of deer at select

processors across the state. In addition, the program is also able to accept light goose breast meat (snow, blue and Ross’s geese) for the first time this fall.

Canada goose meat, while accepted during the early goose season, is not eligible for donation during the regular waterfowl season.

Sportsmen Against Hunger is a program administered by the North Dakota Community Action Partnership, a nonprofit agency that serves low-income families across the state. SAH raises funds to pay for processing of donated deer and geese, and coordinates distribution of ground venison and goose meat to food pantries around the state.

The State Game and Fish Department strongly supports the SAH program and encourages hunters to consider donating deer, according to agency Director Terry Steinwand. The program can accept whole deer only, which must be processed at a participating licensed meat processor.

According to NDCAP Executive Director Andrea Olson, the SAH program has sufficient funding available to process deer and geese this fall. “The meat that is generated is so appreciated by the families who receive it,” Olson said. “They are all so grateful for access to a nutritious source of protein; something that is often expensive and otherwise difficult for them to obtain.”

A list of participating processors and more information is available on the Community Action website at capnd.org.

Participating processors will not accept deer shot in the hind quarters, and donated deer will be processed individually or only with other donated deer.

Hunters can clean their light geese at home prior to delivery to a processor, but breast meat brought from home without a wing or head attached to the meat, must be accompanied by written information that includes the hunter’s name, address, signature, hunting license number, date taken and species and number taken.

Hunters may also deliver light geese directly from the field to a processor, but identification must remain attached to the bird until in possession of the processor.

Hunters interested in donating light geese are encouraged to call processors to have a clear understanding of how goose breasts will be accepted.

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