As part of the permitting process, the Fish and Wildlife Service reviews each application received for import of such trophies and evaluates the information provided in the application as well as other information available to the Service as to the status of and management program for the species or population to ensure that the program is promoting the conservation of the species.

Read the entire memo here:

AIA/DMA/BOP/Animal Species Memorandum To: Assistant Director, International Affairs, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Servic From: Principal Deputy Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ,  Date: March 1, 2018 Subject: Withdrawal of Certain Findings for ESA-listed Species Taken as Sporthunted Trophies.

In response to the D.C. Circuit Court’s opinion in Safari Club Int’!, et al. v. Zinke, et al., No. 16-5358 (D.C. Cir., Dec. 22, 2017), the Service hereby withdraws, effective immediately, the 2014 and 2015 Endangered Species Act (ESA) enhancement findings for trophies of African elephants taken in Zimbabwe.

The findings are no longer effective for making individual permit determinations for imports of sport-hunted African elephant trophies.

Consistent with this approach, the Service hereby also withdraws, effective immediately, the following findings: ESA enhancement findings for trophies of African elephants taken in Zimbabwe signed in 1997 and 2017; ESA enhancement finding for trophies of lions taken in Zimbabwe signed in 2017; ESA enhancement findings signed in 1997, 2014, and 2015, and CITES non-detriment findings signed in 2014, 2015, and 2017 for trophies of African elephants taken in Tanzania; ESA enhancement finding for trophies of African elephants taken in South Africa signed in 1995; ESA enhancement finding for trophies of bontebok taken in South Africa signed in 1997; ESA enhancement findings for trophies of lions taken in South Africa signed in 2016 and 2017; ESA enhancement finding for trophies of African elephants taken in Botswana signed in 1997; ESA enhancement finding for trophies of African elephants taken in Namibia signed in 1995; ESA enhancement finding for trophies of African elephants taken in Zambia signed in 2012; ESA enhancement finding for trophies of lions taken in Zambia signed in 2017; and the ESA enhancement and CITES non-detriment findings for trophies of African elephants taken in Zambia signed in 2017.

All of the above referenced findings are no longer effective for making individual permit determinations for imports of those spo11-hunted ESA-listed species. However, the Service intends to use the information cited in these findings and contained in its files as appropriate, in addition to the information it receives and has available when it receives each application, to evaluate individual permit applications.

The Service is continuing to monitor the status and management of these species in their range countries. At this time, when the Service processes these permit applications, the Service intends to do so on an individual basis, including making ESA enhancement determinations, and CITES non-detriment determinations when required, for each application. The Service intends to grant or deny permits to import a sport-hunted trophy on a case-by-case basis pursuant to its authorities under the ESA and CITES. As part of the permitting process, the Service reviews each application received for import of such trophies and evaluates the information provided in the application as well as other information available to the Service as to the status of and management program for the species or population to ensure that the program is promoting the conservation of the species. Each application must also meet all other applicable permitting requirements before it may be authorized.

Phoenix, AZ  – Arizona Mule Deer.org (AMD), whose focus is the recovery of Mule Deer in the state, conducted their first official Board of Directors’ Meeting in Deer Valley, Arizona on March 1.  The Board had a busy night, adopting the organization’s bylaws, electing its first-ever slate of Officers, and attending to other organization business. Annual membership dues were set at $40 for Individuals and $1000 for a Lifetime membership. Read more

By Glen Wunderlich

With another deer season behind us, wildlife professionals across the country will be compiling data relative to numbers and health of respective deer herds.  However, the Quality Deer Management Association has published its 2018 Whitetail Report, which compares data from the three most recent seasons available 2014-15, 2015-16, and 2016-17.  This summary will provide details of Michigan’s whitetail management practices and how we stack up with the rest of the Midwest segment.

Nationally speaking and on a positive note, yearling buck harvest rates (deer 1.5 years of age) remain at record low numbers, and the percentage of 3½-year-old and older bucks remains at a third of the total antlered buck harvest.   Conversely, the biggest issues and trends include the continued spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD), which has made major headlines in Arkansas, Michigan and Montana in 2017.

From 2015 to 2016, a total of nine free-ranging deer tested positive for CWD in Michigan in two counties, Clinton and Ingham. In 2017, at least 47 new cases had been identified, including 36 confirmed positives in Montcalm County and 10 in Kent County.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service indicates hunter numbers have declined by over two million from 2011 to 2016.  With regard to expenditures, hunters’ spending dropped nearly $11 billion dollars or 30 percent. Adding insult to injury, the number of hunters is expected to continue declining as baby boomers exit the hunting scene.  Michigan is no exception with hunter participation tumbling 14 percent in the same period.

The top-5 states for harvest of antlered bucks 1 ½ years and older in order are Texas, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Georgia, with Texas coming in at a whopping 399,487 bucks and Michigan with 196,233.   Although steadily increasing over the past three seasons, Michigan’s buck harvest totals are still down 3 percent compared to the 5-year average. Michigan tops the country with an average of 3.5 antlered bucks taken per square mile.

Allowing deer to mature is a worthy goal of all states and Arkansas leads the way with a mere 5 percent of its buck harvest being yearlings.  Michigan continues to rank near the top (or, bottom, if you will) of states with the highest percentage of yearling bucks taken at 47 percent with Wisconsin hunters killing yearlings at the rate of 65 percent of all bucks taken.

The top-5 states with the highest percentage of 3½-plus-year-old bucks taken last season are Mississippi (78), Arkansas (77), Louisiana (72), Oklahoma (59), and Texas (59).  Michigan is holding steady at 27 percent of its total buck kill being 3 ½ years old or more.          

Michigan’s antlerless take of 145,054 is up 6 percent compared to the previous season but down 15 percent compared to the 5-year average.

Monitoring the percentage of fawns in the antlerless harvest is one method for estimating the fawn recruitment rate (those surviving from spring births), and this statistic is one of the most important pieces of data a deer manager needs when assessing a herd’s growth potential and applying a prescribed antlerless harvest.  Accordingly, Michigan hunters are killing fawns at the rate of 26 percent of the total antlerless harvest – a sign that indicates hunters need a better understanding of distinguishing fawns from adult does.  On the plus side, however, Michigan hunters took adult does of 3 ½ years of age or older at the rate of 38 percent of the total antlerless numbers.   

Archery hunters in Michigan took some 37 percent of the total deer harvest ranking near the top nationally.   Our rifle/shotgun kills are down to 48 percent compared to 60 percent the previous year.  Muzzleloaders, on the other hand, took 15 percent of all whitetails – up dramatically from 6 percent the year prior.

The takeaway continues to be the decline in hunter numbers and the resulting wildlife conservation funding from license fees, as a disturbing trend.  To stabilize, or even increase hunter participation, our best bet is to continue to mentor youngsters and there are lots of programs to do just that.  This strategy is not up to someone else, however; if each of us can introduce a youngster to the outdoors, we will have done our part to further the cause of wildlife conservation.

ATHENS, GA (February 13, 2018) – The Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) today released its 10th annual Whitetail Report, a comprehensive update on the status of white-tailed deer including deer harvest trends through the 2016-17 season, the most recent hunting season with complete deer harvest data available from most whitetail states and Canadian provinces.

“There are some very positive tends occurring,” said Kip Adams, QDMA Director of Conservation. “Yearling buck harvest remains at record low numbers, and we took 4 percent more antlered bucks in the 2016-17 season than the year before.”

Conversely, said Adams, other trends and issues are not as positive. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) continues to spread and make major headlines. Also, the antlerless deer harvest has now declined 19 percent in the past decade, potentially ending a nearly 20-year streak in which hunters annually took more antlerless than antlered deer. Read more