Comments on: Regional Deer Advisory Teams Formed in Michigan

By: Amy Trotter

Amy Trotter — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 19:26:00 +0000

Future dates have not been set yet, but now that we know they are open to the public we will get them out as soon as we know them.

By: Captdoug69

Captdoug69 — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:38:00 +0000

I will monitor this close. I am in the North East part of the State that is trying to kill all the deer because of BOVINE TB. This is a cattle and farming problem not a hunting problem!!!!!! The Farm Bureau is powerful and lobbying to make it a deer problem. The deer wouldn’t be spreading it if the cattle hadn’t started this problem. The meat cooked properly dosen’t effect anything. Also how many years have they been trying to kill all the deer in this area? Thank goodness local hunter’s are concerned what wiping out the local deer herd would mean to their sport, freezers and economy. They are NOT buying it. It hasen’t worked yet. If farming wants to help with this problem let them put their land in the State open access program that let’s hunter’s hunt their property. The State even will lease their land for hunter’s to hunt on.

By: Fredtebbets

Fredtebbets — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:10:00 +0000

I have been hunting in Missaukee county Dead Stream Swamp area (between the Addis Creek & Dead Stream ) since 1960 & have missed only 2 seasons for rifle &/or muzzle loading. The 60′s through the early 80′s were very good years. Starting in the 90′s the deer sightings started to really go down.
The deterioration in the deer herd over the last 12-15 years is pitiful. We use to see multiple deer every day & it was encouraging to wait for a buck. I probably spend a total of 10 days a year in these woods. Over the last 3 seasons (22 full days) I have only seen 16 deer while hunting/setting in blinds from sun up until sun down. The only thing we see are beavers & squirrels. In the 2010 rifle season I didn’t see one deer during the 6 days I hunted, again sitting in my blind from sun up to sun down each day! During the muzzle loading season I only saw 3 deer. I hunt with 15 other hunters in this area & all of us are experiencing the same conditions. Oh and by the way none of us ever take a doe! There are very few hunters that even come into the area any longer even though the roads/2tracks are in very good shape.
The DNR/Forestry service has been select cutting plots of high ground non-cedar trees over the last 10 years for the timber. It has not helped improve the deer population in any way. Prior to that they had high ground areas cut leaving the timber lay on the ground. This ruined those high ground hunting areas & again did nothing to improve the herd.
While I cannot prove the following statements I agree with other hunter observations that:

1. Poaching is completely un-checked especially around the near buy public roads, farms, cabins, etc. But who’s watching?I’m sure the poor economy is contributing to some of this.
2. Baiting at the above locations is anything but controlled.
3. The coyotes populations are growing every year. You can hear them running at night probably chasing deer.
4. Have not seen a DNR officer in the area in over 10 years.
5. The hunters you do see come in are road hunters driving around in trucks up & down the 2-tracks, pipelines, etc.
Anyone & everyone we talk to in the small towns like Moorestown, are saying the same thing….where have the deer gone.

Recommendations:
1. stop the Doe permits for at least 5-years.
2. Put bounties on coyotes.
3. If you don’t have enough DNR officers try a volunteer group to assist in patrols of territories. Maybe the volunteers could work the offices, handle calls, process paper work or other non-patrol activates to free up the actual officers to do more patrols. There are a lot of retired hunters out there that would be glad to help in this effort.
4. Stop the baiting, period! Where is it said that Michigan hunters are so bad at hunting that they need to bait to see/get deer? Is it really necessary to bait deer in onlt to be slaughtered by lazy hunters? Is that really a true sportsmans technique that needs to be used. We have never baited for deer & never will. Hunting has only gotten worse since baiting was legalized especially during gun season!

By: Tarlington

Tarlington — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 15:20:00 +0000

I would like to attend a meeting. Are Dates set ?

By: Fred

Fred — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 13:17:00 +0000

Shorting the gun season to a seven days only and not having it at the same time as the rut will help GREATLY. Look what Illinois does for their gun season! I’ts a 3 day season in Nov. and a 4 day season in Dec. and you see the bucks they produce!

By: Badazztonk

Badazztonk — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 23:56:00 +0000

In Lake County, people shoot the first buck they see, the result, a three year old buck is a grampa. If there was a one buck a year limit, I think some guys might pass on a spike or four point.

By: Mcnameegd2

Mcnameegd2 — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 23:08:00 +0000

We have had a regional Deer advisory group in the U.P. for two years and they have met twice….That’s progress?

By: rork

rork — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:54:00 +0000

Thankyou for this article.

Future: Maybe interview land or deer managers from Ohio or Pennsylvania, or review how things are going there. Tell us if MUCC is collecting any data, or doing any science, or if we helping to fund any science or habitat work by DNRE.

Not so deer related: Try to help launch “adopt a 40″ initiatives for our public lands. Stand in favor of $5 per car per year (every car) registration to fund DNRE.

By: Kasey Thren

Kasey Thren — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:39:00 +0000

I would like to see it allowed the use of minerals or some other natural supplement for the deer during their stress periods of December -to spring green up. This is when they really need that vitamin (sort of speak) to help with their digestive systems and allow them to reach their full potential. With proper education and possibly getting a permit to do so, this would really help the health of the herd, and I believe it would make hunters happier in the long run, if that’s possible.