A late antlerless firearm hunt on private land in southern Alpena County will be held Jan. 3-6 and 10-13. The Department of Natural Resources is offering this season to provide an opportunity for deer management at a localized scale in the bovine tuberculosis (bTB) area. The hunt area is private land south of Highway M-32 in Alpena County.
This portion of Alpena County is a mosaic of land used for cattle farming, crop production, and deer habitat. Increased antlerless harvest in this targeted area will reduce the number of deer interacting with farms and help limit the number of bTB-infected wildlife and cattle herds in the future.
People who would like to hunt, but do not own property in the area, are still able to participate. The DNR’s Hunting Access Program, or HAP, provides access to quality private land across the state to increase public hunting opportunities. Multiple locations in the southern half of Alpena County are currently available for all hunting seasons, with additional properties being enrolled in a short-term lease exclusively for this January 2019 hunt. Enrolled properties can be viewed at michigan.gov/hap.
Hunters can take antlerless deer with an unused 2018 deer license or deer combo license or a private-land antlerless license for DMU 487, or with previously issued disease control permits. Additional tags can be purchased at any DNR license agent through Jan. 13. Successful hunters can bring their deer to the Alpena or Atlanta DNR deer check stations between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. all eight days of the season.
Want to donate your deer to help others? Sportsman Against Hunger, the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan and the DNR are working together to collect any deer to be donated during this hunt. Drop off deer at the Alpena or Atlanta DNR deer check stations between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. during the eight days of the hunt.
Contact DNR wildlife health specialist Emily Sewell at SewellE@michigan.gov or 231-340-1821 with any questions.
