2011 Deer Hunting Season Disappointing For Many – ANNARBOR.COM

By Rick Taylor

The 2011 whitetail deer hunting season was fruitful for some and highly disappointing for many. I’ve heard the same story of disappointment from a multitude of hunters in our area and across the state.

So, what happened to all the deer this year? Some farmers say they’re still here living and feeding in the standing corn yet to be harvested. Other local farmers say they haven’t seen many deer at all this entire year. Matt Koenn, a local farmer saw so few deer this year on his farm that he didn’t apply for a “Crop Damage” permit this summer. Periodic phone calls to Matt only verified the low deer numbers on his farm.

Is this bad or good news for Matt and farmers like him? Well, it’s all in the way you look at it. Hunters will certainly be frustrated by low deer numbers but farmers like Matt will have less crop damage leading to higher profit margins for a change. I’ve often written about my Dexter “Honey Hole” over the years and how it consistently produces deer. Well, this year has proven to be amazingly unproductive. I haven’t seen a single deer the last 4 times I’ve been out there this fall.

Furthermore, there isn’t a rhyme or reason for this. There are very few hunters in the area, the weather patterns are similar and their food source remains unchanged. If you take anything away from this article then remember this; “there’s a reason why the DNR needs an accurate accounting of harvested deer in your area”. I strongly believe that hunters need to let their local DNR office know harvest numbers so they can more accurately forecast deer numbers the following year.  Click Link Below For Full Story!

via 2011 deer hunting season disappointing for many.

Kentucky Hunter Takes 18-Point Monster Buck | Outdoor Life

By Travis Faulkner

Sometimes in life we don’t always get our first choice, but that’s not always a bad thing. For example, recently a hunter named Greg Allen decided to go ahead and cash in his one Kentucky buck tag on a deer that was actually not his first choice. However, it would be pretty difficult for any serious whitetail hunter to let a giant 18-point buck walk in order to hold out for something bigger. Here is an inside look at how this amazing hunt unfolded in Washington County, Kentucky just a few weeks ago.  Click Link Below For Full Story!

via Kentucky Hunter Takes 18-Point Monster Buck | Outdoor Life.

Maine Deer Hunting Season Begins Amid Conservation Efforts – MPBN

The state has reduced any-deer permits by 46 percent in an effort to boost Maine’s beleaguered population.

As Maine’s deer hunting season gets underway, the state is taking steps to conserve the population. Maine Conservation Commissioner Chandler Woodcock says any-deer permits–in other words, permits to take a doe–have been reduced by 46 percent for the coming season.

Hunters are allowed to take one antlered deer annually, but those with any-deer permits can bag a deer with or without antlers. State deer biologist Lee Kantar says the doe harvest this year has been set fairly low.

“By decreasing any-deer permits by 46 percent for the coming season, we hope to give a boost to deer numbers across the state for future growth,” he says in a statement.

Kantar says harsh winters in 2008 and 2009 took a tool on deer populations across the state. He predicts that about 4,800 antlerless deer will be harvested this fall and about 12,000 antlered bucks.  Click Link Below for Full Story!

via Maine Deer Hunting Season Begins Amid Conservation Efforts.

For deer hunters, rutting season is best time to harvest | lehighvalleylive.com

By Mark Demko

Archery hunters in search of a mature white-tailed buck know there’s perhaps no better time to be in the woods than the first two weeks of November.That’s because with the rut here, it’s the one time of the year that the big boys are likely to give up their primarily nocturnal ways as they head out in search of receptive does to breed.For archers who are hoping to score on a nice buck during the rut, one of the primary keys to being successful is keeping your impact on the whitetail’s world to a minimum. As with any time during the season, paying attention to wind direction is crucial and a hunter should refrain from over-hunting his favorite stands if possible, so as not to alert deer to his presence.Petersen’s Bowhunting editor and former Hellertown resident Christian Berg says if a hunter wants to harvest a mature buck, he has to be on top of his game and pay attention to detail at all times. “That means carefully planning entry and exit routes to your stands, never hunting a stand when the wind is wrong and doing your best not to educate lesser deer of your presence,” Berg said. “Remember, there aren’t many mature bucks out there and you are going to encounter a lot more does and young bucks. Many times a mature buck may be hanging back out of sight and if you spook the deer you don’t want to shoot, you may never see the one you do.”  Click Link Below For Full Story!

via For deer hunters, rutting season is best time to harvest | lehighvalleylive.com.

Hunters donate venison to needy – Coldwater, MI – The Daily Reporter

Hunters who are willing to share the rewards of their deer hunting efforts with the less fortunate should check out Sportsmen Against Hunger.

The program, which began in 1991, is designed to help hunters donate venison to those in need.

“The program’s a win-win situation,” explained Dean Hall, an officer with the Michigan Bow Hunters Association and chairman of Sportsmen Against Hunger. “We have a lot of people who out there — especially during times like these — who need help getting enough to eat. We can help the soup kitchens and shelters and food pantries with donations of venison.”

Although the program is designed for deer hunting season, Hall said his crew has been active all summer, too, working with landowners who have crop-damage permits identify programs that can use the venison.

“Anyone who donates a whole deer does not have to pay any processing fees,” Hall said. “We reimburse the processors for their efforts. And sportsmen who wish to donate as little as a pound or two of venison can donate, too.”

Hall recommends interested hunters go the group’s website www.sportsmenagainsthunger.org for a list of processors who are enrolled in the program.  Click Link Below For Full Story!

via Hunters donate venison to needy – Coldwater, MI – The Daily Reporter.

An old art to stalking deer | Sun Journal

By V. Paul Reynolds, Outdoors in Maine

Soon we will be out in the deer woods. Depending upon our personal hunting styles, we will be spending long hours in a tree stand waiting for a big buck to make a foolish mistake, or we will be still-hunting our way through a beech ridge or a dark cedar swamp.

Maine deer hunting, or more specifically Maine deer hunters, have changed, I think. More and more deer hunters, spurred by the popular outdoor media and modern marketing razzle dazzle, will spend hours in comfortable tree stands, some equipped with heaters and camo umbrellas that help fend off the elements.

This is a far cry from the Maine deer hunters of my, or my late father’s, generation. In the 1940s through the early 1960s, most deer hunters that I knew, still-hunted deer. Still-hunting, or course, is a bit of a misnomer. Still-hunters move in the deer woods, but move ever so slowly, at least the most skillful ones do. And they stop a lot, to listen in hopes of hearing or seeing a moving whitetail before it detects their presence.

As a youthful, wet-behind-the-ears hunter, the most skillful deer hunter that I knew was my Uncle Bud. He always got his deer and, it can be told now, sometimes more than one. From my observations, he was, as a hunter, more of a stalker than a still-hunter. He was blessed with keen eyesight, lots of patience, and had that 6th sense about deer movements during any time of day. It is said that in Maine, year after year, there is a certain group of hunters who almost always get their deer. Like most of the other keen-eyed huntsmen of this special fraternity, Uncle Bud spent long hours in the woods, too. You know the type, they grab a sandwich at deer camp, head into the woods at first light and stay until dark, rain or shine.  Click Link Below For Full Story!  This is a great read.

via An old art to stalking deer | Sun Journal.

The Badger Herald: Earn-A-Buck deer hunting law repealed

By Annie Murphy

Hunters in the state would no longer have to shoot an antler-less deer before killing a buck, a policy enforced by the Department of Natural Resources, under a bill recently passed in the Assembly.

On Tuesday, the Assembly voted in favor of a bill which would repeal the Earn-A-Buck Bill, which is now headed to Gov. Scott Walker for final approval. The program is a Wisconsin law that requires deer hunters in specified areas first kill an antler-less deer before they can aim for bucks.

Rep. Kelda Roys, D-Madison, said the law was “inconvenient” for trophy hunters who only desired the big antlered bucks.

She also said the law also has had many positive effects, including helping DNR scientists monitor the deer population in Wisconsin to make sure it remains stable.

“Deer hunting is a strong tradition in the state and an important economic driver. Deer hunting in Wisconsin creates more than $1 billion of economic activity annually and supports 16,000 jobs,” Kurt Thiede, an administrator for the Division of Lands in the Department of Natural Resources, said in testimony before the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources.

The DNR estimates the size of the state’s deer population by analyzing the data from the previous year’s deer hunting reports, Thiede said.

Hunters had previously opposed the Earn-a-Buck program, saying it caused disruption to the archery season and required hunters to pass on a trophy buck if the hunter had not had the option to shoot a doe first, he said.  Click Link Below For Full Story!

via The Badger Herald: Earn-A-Buck deer hunting law repealed.

Kentucky Afield Outdoors: Questions And Answers For Modern Gun Deer Season

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Modern gun season for deer, the highlight of the fall hunting calendar, opens Nov. 12, 2011.

Hunters often wonder about rules and regulations concerning deer hunting. Here are some FAQs (frequently asked questions) about Kentucky’s most popular big game hunting season:

Q: Does modern gun season for deer open on Nov. 12 every year?

A: No. It opens statewide on the second Saturday in November. The actual date changes annually due to calendar shift.

Q: How long is modern gun season open?

A: Kentucky’s 120 counties are divided into four deer management zones. Counties in Zones 1-2 have a 16-day season (Nov. 12-27) and there’s a 10-day season in the counties of Zones 3-4 (Nov. 12-21).

Q: How many bucks can a hunter take during modern gun season?

A: All hunters have a bag limit of one antlered deer per season, no matter what they hunt with (modern gun, bow, crossbow, or muzzleloader), or the seasons they choose to hunt.

Q: How many antlerless deer (does) can a hunter take during modern gun season?

A: In the Zone 1 counties, hunters may take an unlimited number of antlerless deer. There’s no “daily” bag limit on deer. In Zones 2-4, the combined bag limit for all deer seasons is four deer. Hunters are reminded that in the Zone 4 counties, antlerless deer may not be taken during modern gun season.

Q: How do hunters check in the deer they take during modern gun season?

A: Hunters now have three Telecheck options: The first is to call (800) CHK-GAME (245-4263). The second and third options are online. Visit the department’s website at fw.ky.gov from a home computer or laptop, or a phone with a web browser, and follow the prompts. All deer taken in Kentucky must be Telechecked.

Q: Can hunters use archery gear or muzzleloaders during modern gun season for deer?

A: Yes; any legal rifle, handgun, bow, crossbow or muzzleloader may be used. All deer hunters must wear hunter orange clothing and must follow all firearm season restrictions, zone guidelines and other hunting requirements.

Q: A 30-year old resident who is new to hunting wants to know what license and permits are required for modern gun deer season. A co-worker invited him to hunt on their family’s farm.

A: Kentucky residents must purchase an annual hunting license and deer permit. Additionally, anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1975 must carry a valid hunter education course completion card while hunting. Anyone hunting for the first time is also eligible to buy a hunter education exemption permit. This permit allows apprentice hunters to hunt for one year without a hunter education card. The permit requires its holder to hunt with a licensed, adult hunter who meets the hunter education requirement.

Q: Where can a hunter get more information about Kentucky’s deer seasons?

A: A summary of Kentucky’s deer season dates, a list of counties in the various management zones and other important laws can be found in the 2011-12 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, a 66-page booklet that’s available wherever licenses are sold. Also, deer season regulations are posted online at: fw.ky.gov.

This September, Archers Post New Deer Harvest Record And 50 Percent Success Rate During Early Bull Elk Season

Oct 04, 2011

FRANKFORT, Ky. – It’s a September to remember.

Kentucky archers bagged a record number of deer and had better than a 50 percent success rate during the new 14-day early bull elk season.

A total of 4,947 deer were checked in for the month of September, the first 28 days of archery season, surpassing the record harvest of 4,407 taken last year.

The sex ratio of deer harvested was 34.0 percent bucks and 66.0 percent female deer (does).

“It’s encouraging that our archery hunters were so successful and took such a high percentage of does, especially in the Zone 1 counties, where we are trying to reduce the herds,” said Tina Brunjes, deer and elk program coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “The percentage of does in the harvest was as high as 70 percent in some counties.”

Last season Kentucky bow hunters checked in a record 16,650 deer, including record harvests for the months at the beginning and end of the season. In the last decade, the archery deer harvest has been steadily climbing, up about 33 percent since the 2000-01 season, when archers checked in 12,478 deer.

The 2011-12 Kentucky archery season for deer is 136 days long. It opened Sept. 3 and continues through Jan. 16, 2012.

The hunter success rate for the new 14-day archery bull elk season was higher than anticipated.

“I would have never predicted that the success rate would be above 50 percent,” said Brunjes. “Unseasonably cool weather and a poor crop of white oak acorns across the region may have been contributing factors to the excellent success rate for archers.”

Eighty permits were awarded to archers for the new bull elk season which began Sept. 17 and ended last Friday, Sept. 30.

2011 Michigan Deer Hunting Forecast

2011 MICHIGAN DEER HUNTING PROSPECTS
THE STATEWIDE FORECAST
Brent Rudolph, Deer and Elk Program Leader
517-641-4903 ext. 248
Statewide
Over the last few years, around 700,000 individuals have purchased a license to hunt deer in
Michigan. These hunters ultimately spend more than 9.6 million days afield and take more than
400,000 deer. Over 300,000 hunters participate in Michigan’s archery season, about 600,000 hunt
with a firearm and 200,000 with a muzzleloader. While the number of firearm season hunters often
rises and falls as the traditional November 15th opening day rotates through days of the week,
expanded youth hunting programs and crossbow hunting opportunities have increased
participation among other segments of the hunting population. Although surveys show that the
leading reasons many participate in deer hunting is simply the opportunity to spend time outdoors
with friends and family, many hunters prepare each season to give themselves the best chance to
see and take deer.
Deer are not evenly distributed across the state. There are considerable differences in habitat and
deer numbers across Michigan’s three regions – the Upper Peninsula (UP), northern Lower
Peninsula (NLP), and southern Lower Peninsula (SLP). In addition to this regional variability, every
year hunters only a few miles apart have very different experiences observing and harvesting deer.
Across the state, reports on the soft mast crop are generally positive, with particularly good
production of apples. The hard mast crop has shown low production overall, though some
scattered areas have noted fair amounts of acorns and beechnuts. Maps and computer-based
tools are increasingly available to narrow in on the best locations to focus scouting efforts,
including the Mi-HUNT interactive web application available at www.michigan.gov/mihunt. While
these and other resources are a great benefit for hunters, there is no substitute for personally
scouting areas in advance of a hunting trip.
Part of hunting preparations each year includes becoming familiar with the most recent regulations.
The deer website of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and a new collaborative
website with the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Michigan State University provide
highlights of regulations changes, information about deer management, and links to additional
resources, such as a list of deer check stations. These sites are located at www.michigan.gov/deer
and http://deer.fw.msu.edu. Please refer to the 2011 Hunting and Trapping Digest and Antlerless
Digest, available at DNR Operations Service Centers, license vendors, or available in electronic
formats through links at these sites, for a map of all Deer Management Units and other regulations
details.
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The DNR also reminds hunters not to overlook the many other hunting and trapping seasons
available in Michigan. These other seasons provide their own unique opportunities and can offer
chances to scout or find potential new deer hunting locations. Explore your options at
www.michigan.gov/hunting or www.michigan.gov/trapping. With preparation, attention to safety,
and awareness of current hunting regulations, hunters can be ready to head into the field to enjoy
the recreation opportunity offered by the 2011 Michigan deer season.
As an important reminder, those hunting within the UP and the multi-county Deer Management
Unit (DMU) 487 in the tuberculosis (TB) zone must decide, before purchasing their deer license, if
they wish the opportunity to take one or two antlered deer. Those desiring the opportunity to shoot
two bucks must purchase a combination license. Both bucks have antler point restrictions. One
buck must have one antler with at least 3 antler points; the other buck must have one antler with at
least 4 antler points. Those choosing to purchase a firearm deer license and/or an archery deer
license are limited to taking only one buck from within these areas during all seasons combined.
Within most of the areas, a deer must have just one antler 3 or more inches in length, but point
restrictions remain in place for some individual DMUs as well. These include DMU 117 (Drummond
Island) and DMU 122 (primarily in southern Dickinson County, along the Wisconsin border) in the
UP, and one small DMU (DMU135 in Iosco County) in the TB zone. In DMU 117, bucks must have
at least one forked antler. In DMU 122 bucks must have at least one three-point antler. And in
DMU 135, bucks must have at least one forked antler to be legal. Finally, within DMU 487 ONLY,
hunters may harvest an antlerless deer with a firearm or combination license within the Nov. 15-30
firearm season or the Dec. 9-18 muzzleloader season.
Upper Peninsula
More than 100,000 hunters have pursued deer in the UP in recent years, including approximately
30,000 participants in the archery season, over 90,000 firearm hunters, and more than 20,000
hunters pursuing deer with a muzzleloader.
Within the UP, deer populations continue to slowly increase following a second mild winter in a
row. Fawn production should be good, though predation may have produced some losses.
Antlered buck numbers will likely be on the rise, as the increased production of fawns in 2010
should lead to greater antlered buck numbers this year. More deer will be found in the Southern
UP near Lake Michigan, with fewer in the Northern UP near Lake Superior. Antlerless licenses are
available in DMUs 022, 055, 122, 152, 155, 252, and 255 for 2011. Special buck harvest
restrictions noted above are in place throughout the UP.
Northern Lower Peninsula
An average of about 285,000 hunters have pursued deer in the NLP over the last few years,
including more than 115,000 participants in the archery season, an average of over 250,000
firearm hunters, and more than 50,000 hunters pursuing deer with a muzzleloader.
Baiting has been reinstated as legal for most of the NLP; however, baiting is still banned in DMU
487. Baiting may only occur from October 1 through January 1. Hunters are restricted to no more
than 2 gallons of bait per hunting site; the bait must be spread over 100 square feet (equivalent to
a 10 foot by 10 foot area).
Within the eastern portion of the NLP, TB prevalence continues to show a declining trend over the
long-term, but no detectable change has occurred over the previous 5 years. Goals and hunting
regulations in the eastern NLP are therefore driven more by the objective to continue to reduce TB
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prevalence than by numbers of deer in this region. It is important for hunters to continue to observe
the ban on baiting and feeding in DMU 487 and to harvest at least as many antlerless deer as
bucks.
Mild winter conditions for the second year in a row in the NLP should lead to increasing deer
numbers. Deer numbers on many state land areas appear to be on the rise, though they are still
below goal in some areas. In some NLP units, indications are that there is an overabundance of
deer on private land but lower than desired populations on public land. Special antlerless seasons
and private land license quotas are used in these units to target deer on private land even if
abundant sign and sightings do not occur on public land. The number of antlerless deer licenses is
the same as last year in eastern NLP multi-unit area DMU 487, while no antlerless permits were
made available in four counties (Cheboygan, Otsego, Roscommon, and Kalkaska). Special buck
harvest restrictions noted above are in place in DMU 487. Within DMU 487 ONLY, hunters may
harvest an antlerless deer with a firearm or combination license within the Nov. 15-30 firearm
season or the Dec. 9-18 muzzleloader season.
Southern Lower Peninsula
An average of nearly 360,000 hunters have pursued deer in the SLP over the last few years,
including more than 185,000 participants in the archery season, more than 290,000 firearm
hunters, and an average of about 125,000 hunters pursuing deer with a muzzleloader.
Baiting has been reinstated as legal throughout the SLP. Baiting may only occur from October 1
through January 1. Hunters are restricted to no more than 2 gallons of bait per hunting site spread
over 100 square feet (equivalent to a 10 foot by 10 foot area).
The deer population in southern Michigan is expected to be similar to the last few years. Abundant
food and cover in the form of agricultural crops and scattered swamps and woodlots provide very
good habitat across the southern Michigan landscape. This high quality habitat, combined with
relatively mild winter conditions, results in an abundant and productive deer population. Deer
populations generally exceed DNR goals and fawns generally come in sets of twins and triplets.
High numbers of antlerless permits are available again this year, particularly in the multi-county
DMU 486 (most of southern Michigan except St. Clair, Macomb, Wayne, and Monroe Counties).

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