By Glen Wunderlich
Charter Member Professional Outdoor Media Association
Change is the law of life. And, those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future…John F. Kennedy
At a May 14th meeting, the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) put a bevy of proposals on the table for consideration by the Department of Natural Resources (Department). Most of them are aimed at streamlining and clarifying practices and language across the state relative to deer hunting; others are attempts at making hunting safer. All issues have been evaluated on social, biological, and economic impacts – both pro and con – and can be reviewed in their entirety online at www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/DeerRegulations_689593_7.pdf. What follows are some of the highlights.
* The Department recommends a statewide season purchase limit of up to 10 private land antlerless deer licenses. There may be a perception that a purchase limit of 10 private land antlerless deer licenses will result in an overharvest of deer. However, data show that approximately 60 percent of hunters don’t purchase an antlerless license and approximately 30 percent purchase one.
* The Department recommends removing Antler Point Restrictions (APRs) for all youth hunters (16 years of age and younger) and apprentice hunters. The Department does not expect a biological impact. Even if success rates increase, the Department does not anticipate the level of harvest to have a negative biological effect by impacting the age structure of male deer on the landscape.
* The Department recommends that ground blinds placed on public or private lands must display hunter orange of at least 144 square inches so that it is visible from all directions while deer hunting during any deer season in which a hunter is already required to wear hunter orange. This proposal has been on the table before and was shot down, even though a number of Midwestern states have similar rules for hunting blinds. Currently, Michigan hunters have the option to use hunter orange on their blinds if they wish, but it is not mandatory.
* The Department recommends removing the single-site bait regulation and allowing hunters with disabilities to use any legal type of bait during the Liberty and Independence Hunts provided that all other baiting regulations are followed.
* The Department recommends opening opportunities to more hunters in the muzzleloader season in zone 3 (including the full counties of Oceana, Newaygo, Mecosta, Isabella, Midland, and Bay counties) by allowing all firearms, that are legal during the firearms season for that respective zone, to be legal during the muzzleloader season. Though it was only one year of data, from the 19 counties that had this option in 2018, a total of 10,081 deer were taken, representing an increase from 2017 where 8,146 deer were taken during the muzzleloader season.
With the diminishing amount of hunting licenses being sold, there are far fewer deer being taken compared to the past and that’s a concern because of issues with vehicle/deer collisions and other factors. Obviously, many of the proposed changes are focused on herd balance and minimizing disease issues by taking more female deer. Heck, maybe someday the cost of antlerless tags will be reduced to get the job done.
