VERMONT NEWS: 14,500 Deer Killed in 2007 Season

The Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife says 2007 was a good fall for the state's deer hunters.

Officials say that during Vermont's archery, rifle and muzzle loader seasons hunters bagged a total of 14,500 deer.

That's up almost 2,000 over 2006. And the deer are bigger than in previous years.
Biologist Shawn Haskell of the state's deer management team says favorable winter conditions and changes in deer hunting regulations contributed to the numbers.
The regulations prevent hunters from shooting spike horn deer. The regulations allow male deer to grow an extra year before they can be taken by hunters.

The largest buck taken in Vermont last fall weighed 225 pounds and was taken in Orleans.

source: http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/79114/

MASSACHUSETTS NEWS: 2007 Is 10% Below 2002 Record Harvest

hile no records were set during the 2007 deer season, both archers and muzzle loaders came close to highs, according to the MassWildlife preliminary deer report

There were 11,132 total whitetails shot by archers, shotgunners and muzzle loaders, falling below the record in 2002, when 12,264 animals were recorded.

The all-time low was in 1967, when only 1,172 whitetails were harvested.

The record year was when a high number of antlerless permits were allotted in an attempt to put doe numbers in a healthy buck-doe relation.

There were 5,745 deer shot by shotgunners in 2007, as compared to the 8,131 taken by gunners in the record year of 1996.

Archers in 2006 took down a record 3,385 deer, as compared to 3,223 in 2007. There were 18 deer shot by bow in the state's first archery season in 1966. Last season's good weather had more bowmen spending more hours in the field than average.

Black powder hunters shot 2,157 deer in 2007. The high was 2,325 shot by primitive weapons in 2005.

There were seven animals shot during the first muzzleloader season in 1972.

The Western District, once the most popular area to hunt as well as the most prolific, was last in nearly every 2007 category,

The Southeast District, followed by the Central, once again led the state in most harvest categories.

Source: http://www.masslive.com/sousa/republican/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1201446752218690.xml&coll=1

CALIFORNIA NEWS: Cull of Exotic Deer Resumes at Point Reyes

Hunters resumed shooting of nonnative deer in the Point Reyes National Seashore Friday, bringing new criticism from animal rights groups.

The National Park Service approved a plan a year ago to get rid of about 1,100 fallow and axis deer using a combination of contraception and high-powered rifles. A Connecticut company, White Buffalo Inc., killed about 400 of the deer in the summer and fall, prompting an outcry from residents who claimed carcasses were being left out to rot.

The hunters reportedly returned on Friday to a place called Muddy Hollow.
The Humane Society of the United States sent a letter that calls on Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., to end the "futile, destructive and inhumane" program. State Sen. Carole Migden, D-San Francisco; U.S. Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Petaluma; and Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, have called for a moratorium on the killing.

Source: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/26/BAGMTUMVIE.DTL

NEW JERSEY NEWS: Cull Underway in Essex Co. Reserve

Sharpshooters will take to the trees next Tuesday in the South Mountain Reservation in Essex County to deal with a problem that has become the scourge of many suburban communities: too many deer.

The 10-day hunt in the 2,000-acre reservation, a picturesque area of woodlands, streams and trails, is scheduled to start on Jan. 29 and continue every Tuesday and Thursday, 5:30 a.m. and 8 p.m., through Feb. 28.

Proponents of the hunt say it is necessary to thin the number of white-tailed deer because they are destroying the vegetation and becoming a hazard for motorists.

"I don't own a gun. I'm not a hunter. It's not something that I want to do, but it's something I have to do," said Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr., who pushed for the hunt.

The state Department of Environmental Protection and leaders of the four municipalities around the reservation have signed off on the hunt. But animal rights activists have criticized it; they prefer a nonlethal alternative such as contraceptives. And some residents worry the shooting will be too close to homes and businesses.

During the hunt, a team of 15 volunteer hunters who've gone through a special training course will be allowed to shoot deer from perches in trees, although only 12 will be allowed in the reservation at one time.

Notices warning residents about the hunt have already been mailed out, and DiVincenzo has been meeting with residents in the communities bordering the reservation -- Maplewood, Millburn, South Orange and West Orange -- to address safety concerns.

The last of those meetings is scheduled for noon Thursday in West Orange.

On hunt days, roads going in to the reservation will be closed off, and people won't be allowed to enter.

Source: http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/01/sharpshooters_aim_to_thin_deer_1.html

MICHIGAN NEWS: Possible Case of Bovine TB in Deer Outside "TB Zone"

A case of bovine tuberculosis may have turned up well outside the part of Michigan where the disease previously has been concentrated.

State officials say a deer recently killed in Shiawassee County is suspected of carrying bovine TB. They are awaiting final test results. A hunter killed the deer more than 100 miles south of the TB Zone in Michigan's northern Lower Peninsula, where authorities have tried to contain the outbreak since the late 1990s.

The Michigan Department of Agriculture plans to schedule cattle herds for testing within a 10-mile radius of where the deer was taken. Meanwhile, the state has declared two sections of Iosco County as "potential high-risk areas" after bovine TB was confirmed in a couple of deer there.

Source: http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/2008/01/state_suspects_new_bovine_tb_c.html

SOUTH DAKOTA OPINION: Bill Would Give Landowners Extra Deer Tags

Two things are quite certain in the rural sections of South Dakota: The deer population is too high, and their constant depredation is tough on farmers, ranchers and landowners.
South Dakota’s landscape is crawling with deer. They’re everywhere — whether it’s along the roadsides at night or in a farmer’s stores of silage at sunup.

Anybody who has a new plan to cut the deer population should speak up. We’re listening.

State Sen. Julie Bartling, D-Burke, has done so.

Earlier this week, she told the Legislature about her plan to allow landowners and lease-holders an additional deer license to be used on their land. The extra tag can be used at the landowner/lessee’s discretion and given to resident or nonresident hunters. The tags would only be valid on the landowner/lessee’s land and can only be issued to those with at least 320 acres of agriculture, grazing or timber land.

Bartling’s plan is backed by the state’s two largest livestock organizations: the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association and the South Dakota Cattleman’s Association.

The state Department of Game, Fish and Parks is trying to cull the herd, and has been for several years now. The agency has increased the number of tags regularly in the past several years, and that has correlated to a much larger harvest. For instance, hunters killed 51,666 deer in South Dakota in 2000; in 2006, the number was 86,806 — an increase of 56 percent.

We need those kinds of harvest increases in South Dakota because the same conditions that have allowed our pheasant population to soar past 10 million have been equally kind to the wild, hooved quadrupeds of our state.

All of those foodplots, trees and switchgrass fields that have been planted to aid pheasants have, in some eyes, backfired when it comes to deer numbers. Several straight years of moderate winters haven’t helped, either.

And as we have said many times before: If you want proof of the state’s growing deer numbers, simply take a drive along a rural highway late at night. They’re everywhere, and they’re a danger to the lives of motorists.

The GF&P does not back Bartling’s second-license plan. The worry is that nonresident hunters would be able to compete more directly in seeking the limited pool of buck licenses during the East River season.

Would this program take a large bite out of the deer herd? Probably not, but we feel that anything to promote more deer hunting in South Dakota is a good idea.

For years, landowners have been dealing with depredation to their valuable crops and stored feed as the deer population grows. We don’t see why they shouldn’t be allowed a chance to harvest more of those troublesome pests.

Source: http://www.mitchellrepublic.com/articles/index.cfm?id=24044§ion=Opinion

MISSOURI NEWS: 2007 Is Third Largest Deer Harvest On Record

Good hunting by archers contributed to the third-largest deer hunting harvest on record by the time the 2007 hunting season ended, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Hunters took 302,666 whitetails during the hunting season.

Although the harvest was seven percent below the previous year’s hunt, the harvest still ranked third.

Several factors made the hunting season difficult to deal with, according to the department.

Acorn production was down, which caused deer to congregate where food was available. But warm, windy weather during November and an ice storm late in the hunting season affected hunter turnout. Biologists also found more evidence deer were infected with epizootic hemorrhagic disease in some areas.

Source: http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080124/BREAKING02/80124020

KANSAS NEWS: More CWD Found Near Nebraska Border

Three Decatur County white-tailed deer have tested positive for chronic wasting disease, a discovery that comes on the heels of a similar discovery just a couple miles across the border in Nebraska.

The announcement concerning the positive tests was made Friday afternoon.

The Nebraska discovery prompted Kansas wildlife officials to accelerate the testing process for deer killed in northwest Kansas. Testing still remains to be done on about two-thirds of the samples collected during the state deer seasons, most of the samples coming during the firearms season, according to Mike Miller, a spokesman for the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.

The hunters who shot the animals and provided samples to KDWP have been notified of the test results, he said.

This is the second time chronic wasting disease -- transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, similar to mad cow disease -- has been found in free-ranging deer in northwest Kansas, the first coming in December 2005 when a white-tailed deer from Cheyenne County tested positive for CWD.

Although there is no evidence CWD is a threat to humans, officials suggest any exposure to infected animals be minimized.

The deer that tested positive all were killed by hunters along Sappa Creek in central Decatur County, north of Oberlin. The Nebraska deer that tested positive was killed along Beaver Creek in Red Willow County about 2 miles north of the Kansas border.

Beaver Creek runs through about 10 miles of northwest Decatur County, while the more than 20-mile stretch of Sappa Creek virtually bisects the county. Sappa Creek passes through Oberlin, the county seat.

The positive results were made by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, after initial screening tests were positive at Kansas State University.

Because of the Decatur County discovery, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks will be implementing its chronic wasting disease contingency plan, which will prompt a series of events similar to what took place in Cheyenne County in early 2006 after the first free-ranging case of CWD was discovered.

That likely will include a public meeting in Oberlin, Miller said, as well as sampling deer in the county.

In the case of Cheyenne County, KDWP employees converged on the area, going afield after dark to sample the deer herd there.

Ultimately, 51 deer were killed in that case, and samples were taken to determine if other deer were suffering from CWD. No samples tested positive.

KDWP had been planning on sampling the Decatur County deer herd in the wake of the Nebraska discovery but had been expecting to perhaps take a slightly smaller number of deer. KDWP and Nebraska Game and Parks Commission still are planning a joint effort.

That sampling is expected to take place sometime in February and likely will include both the Beaver and Sappa Creek areas. KDWP already had started obtaining permission from landowners along Beaver Creek to shoot deer.

Miller said no timetable has been set for either the public meeting or when agency personnel will go afield to sample deer.

Although Miller said he was unsure when the deer were taken, he's assuming they came from the state firearms season -- primarily because that's when most of the deer in the state are killed. Tissue samples from 2,200 deer have been submitted for testing.

The discovery of CWD-infected deer in Decatur County didn't come as a big surprise to game officials, primarily because it appears where deer concentrate.

"We're pretty sure deer-to-deer contact is a way to spread the disease," Miller said.

Source: http://www.hdnews.net/Story/cwd012008

UK NEWS: Muntjc Spreading North

A foreign breed of deer which threatens wild flowers has arrived in the North East, say conservationists.
Durham Wildlife Trust said recent sightings of muntjac, a small Oriental deer, near Darlington and Sedgefield were "very worrying".

The species, introduced into southern England in the early 1900s, is known to devour endangered bluebell woodlands.

The trust has now launched a survey in a bid to establish the strength of the population in the area.

Muntjac sightings have also been reported near the A1's Washington services, at a farm in Houghton-le-Spring and in the Tow Law area of Weardale.

Jim Cokill, Director of Durham Wildlife Trust, said: "The problem with the muntjac is that it is an alien species, which was brought over to this country because people thought it made an attractive addition to the English landscape.

Real fears

"But as often happens with such species, they escape or are released and damage the ecological balance of the countryside.

"It happened with the likes of mink, which have devastated the water vole population, and grey squirrels, which are out-competing the now endangered red squirrel, and there are very real fears that it will happen again with muntjac."

Muntjac are small, stocky, russet brown in summer and grey brown in winter, with short antlers and a ginger forehead.

Any sightings should be reported to the trust.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/7199963.stm

CONNECTICUT NEWS: Group Lobbies for Deer Kill to Control Lyme Disease

GREENWICH, Conn. - A group of Connecticut residents is lobbying state health officials to kill deer to reduce Lyme disease

Georgina Scholl, vice chairwoman of the Connecticut Coalition to Eradicate Lyme Disease, says the abundance of deer is a public health hazard. She says killing deer is the only method that has been found to reduce Lyme disease.

Lyme disease is spread by ticks, which feed off deer and other animals. Scholl's group cites studies that show the deer play a key role in the ticks' reproductive success and is trying to inform the public and lobby health officials.

"It's something whose time has come," said Scholl, a Redding resident. "There's nothing that's been attempted that has successfully reduced Lyme disease."

Animal protection activists vow to fight any efforts to kill deer.

Natalie Jarnstedt, a Greenwich resident, has organized local efforts to oppose the killing of deer and other animals.

"It would be irresponsible to raise people's hopes on reducing the incidence of Lyme disease," she said.

Opponents to deer kills say studies show that certain mice, chipmunks and other small animals carry the Lyme disease bacteria, and ticks carrying Lyme disease will find hosts other than deer.

In addition, reducing the deer herd in Greenwich could be complicated. It's unclear how many deer are in the area.

A survey seven years ago showed that the town has 68 deer per square mile, but more recent studies show Fairfield County has about 30 per square mile. Researchers acknowledge they do not have an accurate method of counting deer, particularly because the animals can roam large areas.

Rick Ostfeld, an animal ecologist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, N.Y., said evidence shows drastic reductions in deer numbers that can lead to a drop in tick population on islands and other isolated communities, but that's not necessarily the case in wide-open areas.

For instance, on the institute's 2,000-acre property, where 50 to 70 deer are killed a year as part of a deer-management plan, the tick abundance is no different than in the surrounding areas where there is no deer management, Ostfeld said.

"Over the long term, there is no relationship between deer numbers and tick numbers," he said.

Source: http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/connecticut/ny-bc-ct--lymedisease-deer0121jan21,0,3659746.story

COLORADO OPINION: "Emergency Feeding" of Mule Deer Is Not a Good Idea

GUNNISON — Sometime later this week, the Colorado Division of Wildlife will begin an emergency deer feeding program in the Gunnison Basin.

With night-time temperatures hovering around 20 below zero and snow deeper than a deer’s belly blanketing the surrounding hills, biologists fear mule deer will suffer some unacceptable losses should the snow and intense cold continue.

But it’s winter, and deer are genetically programmed for long, hard winters, biologists say. While feeding the deer might be the socially acceptable thing to do, there are reasons why wildlife agencies across the West are reluctant to begin a feeding program unless it’s absolutely necessary.

Once you start feeding big game, you can’t quit until spring when natural forage returns. Deer can’t readily digest hay and require a specially formulated pellet feed that costs about $300 per ton. Figure each of the estimated 20,000 deer in the Gunnison Basin needs two-three pounds of feed per day and the cost spirals very quickly.

Not all those deer will get fed, since some are in inaccessible places and others might be finding enough food. Still, the DOW plans to feed about half the deer in the area.

“In most cases there’s not much benefit for all the expense,” said Rick Kahn, state terrestrial program leader for the DOW.

“Bluntly, deer are programmed to starve to death in the winter, that’s how they get through a winter.”

Not quite starve to death, but close. Once the snow and cold arrive, deer cannot obtain enough high-quality food to gain weight. Instead, they slowly use their summer reserves all winter long, relying on their reserves and what little feed they find to make it to the spring green-up.

“As long as there is forage, they’ll stay on their natural food but when the sage gets buried and the snow gets crusted, they are in trouble,” said Ron Velarde, Northwest Region manager for the DOW.

It’s part of a deer’s make-up to suffer through winter, Kahn said.

“Ecologically, these things are adapted to pretty tough climates conditions and losing body weight is a normal condition,” Kahn said. “Then, from mid-March to mid-May you get green-up and, boom, the deer get back into good enough condition to fawn.”

Feeding also concentrates animals that normally winter in small herds. Bringing together several hundred deer increases stress and the possibility of disease transmission. Plus, the aggressive nature of deer means the weak and the young might starve anyway.

Some winter mortality occurs every year. Colorado suffers about a 10-15 percent loss of does in an average winter, Kahn said, while fawns may suffer up to 30 percent loss.

“But if you anticipate losing 30 percent of your adult females, that’s a significant, significant loss and it’s time to feed,” Kahn said.

That’s where the Gunnison area deer herds are headed should present conditions continue, biologists said last week.

“We have to look at body and weather conditions and you can’t anticipate what the weather is going to do,” Kahn said.

The last time the DOW fed game in the Gunnison area was 1997. Since then, a growing deer population has increased interest in the deer herds. Plus, Gunnison’s deer winter in areas where watchers can easily see them.

“I think the dynamic has changed in the last 10 years,” Kahn said. “There are so many more animals out on the landscape, there is a lot more competition from elk and a lot more development that keeps pushing deer into smaller and smaller areas.”

Elk find it easier going in winter because they are bigger, stronger and able to digest a wider variety of foods. The DOW said it will “minimize” its elk feeding.

Habitat loss because of development, particularly new subdivisions and energy development in what historically was deer winter range, affects deer winter survival as does the prolonged drought that has reduced sagebrush habitat across the West.

Source: http://www.gjsentinel.com/hp/content/sports/stories/2008/01/16/011608_OUT_why_feed_WWW.html

OHIO OPINION: Deer Damage Justifies Expanded Deer Seasons

If there’s anyone out there who still thinks that deer hunting is unnecessary or cruel, they ought to read the story published in Monday’s T-R on the damage deer have caused to area farms and nurseries.

James Smith, who operates Smith Evergreen Nursery in Carroll County, planted 15 acres of Fraser firs earlier this decade. Smith lost 99 percent of them after they were devoured by deer.

The number of deer in Ohio has exploded in the last few decades. In 1970, the statewide population was estimated at 17,000. The current estimate is 675,000. According to the Ohio Division of Wildlife, deer cause $2 billion in damage nationwide, including $100 million in agricultural crop damage, $750 million in damage to the timber industry and more than $250 million in damage to home landscape and nursery damage.

That’s not counting the cost of vehicle-deer crashes. State Farm estimates that one out of every 164 cars on Ohio’s highways will be involved in a deer-related crash within the next 12 months. The average property damage cost of one of these crashes is $2,900, up 3 percent in the last year.

Those opposed to deer hunting “probably don’t have a relative that was killed when their car hit a deer,” Michael Hogan, the Ohio State University Extension agent assigned to Carroll County, told GateHouse Media. “They probably are not farmers; their crops are not destroyed by deer. The problem is we have protected them as a society.”

With no natural predators to control the deer population, hunting is the only practical option available.

And even with an extra weekend of gun season in December, the number of deer isn’t getting any smaller. We think it’s time the state considers expanding gun season again. Perhaps that would help curb the deer population in Ohio.

Source: http://www.timesreporter.com/index.php?ID=78044

MONTANA OPINION: Is Managing Urban Deer Worth the Cost?

Pardon the cliché, but if you want to know why something is happening, follow the money. So, that’s what I did this week, and at the end of my search, I found what must be the most expensive deer in the world.

You could have some of these high-priced deer in your town, too. What’s happening in Helena, Montana, could be coming to a city near you.

Most cities have urban deer populations. In Helena, we host as many as 700 deer, both whitetails and muleys. These are not country deer coming into the city for a geranium treat now and then. These are third or fourth generation city deer born, raised and reproducing within the city limits, deer that have probably never heard a rifle shot or seen a hunter. They’ve become habituated to humankind for a simple reason. Helena is great deer habitat. Cities unintentionally provide the two primary characteristics of quality wildlife habitat, food and security.

Some people in Helena consider deer an amenity or at worst, a nuisance, but others consider them a pestilence--no better than oversized, hoofed rats. And sure enough, once or twice each fall, an aggressive, love-starved buck threatens somebody, and the incident gets the front page play it doesn’t deserve. Adding to the furor caused by these high profile incidents, our deer neighbors always make landscaping and gardening a challenge, which most of us solve by fencing or netting and planting deer-resistant species.

(All this has, incidentally, has created a substantive “deer economy” in Helena for fence companies and nurseries--and auto body shops, of course.)

To me, urban deer are just part of the we-don’t-live-in-a-perfect-world deal, no different than pigeons and squirrels and dog poop or your lawn amd neighbors who don’t shovel their walks. We city folks created this great deer habitat, so how can we be surprised or upset when deer use it? As any hunter knows, game animals naturally gravitate to habitat closed to hunting--and stay there if they find enough to eat.

But I might be in the minority in Helena. A survey conducted by the University of Montana Business School for the Urban Wildlife Task Force, (UWTF) created by the Helena City Commission to advise them on what to do about the “deer problem” found that 78 percent of city residents surveyed wanted the deer herd “reduced,” but only 54 percent wanted this reduction if we had to use “lethal means.”

This majority appears to be carrying the day in Helena, and the city commission has decided we need to kill deer because they pose a public safety hazard.

So, here’s the plan. Or perhaps I should say, here’s what probably will happen--unless the city commission steps in and stops it. Sometime next winter, Helena police officers will start baiting deer into open space areas and then in the dark of night using night-vision scoped rifles, they’ll shoot 50 deer.

Plan A was to kill 350, but the Fish and Game Commission, the board that sets policy for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP), rejected this proposal. At a later meeting, though, the commission agreed to allow the city to kill 50, as long as no hunting license dollars were spent on the project. (That qualifier is sort of comical, as you’ll soon read, because lots of “hunters dollars” have already poured into Helena’s deer management plan, and under any government scenario, more will be spent.)

I’m hardly against killing deer, having done it as much as possible in my life. But the Helena plan brings out my fiscally conservative side. When I followed the money, here’s what I found. (As a disclaimer, agencies can’t accurately track all the publicly financed staff time that goes into administering projects, so the following figures certainly undershoot the true expense of killing deer in Helena.)

To get the ball rolling, the City of Helena created the UWTF and tapped its general fund for $12,000 to finance its work. FWP joined in with a $7,000 grant, which covered most of the cost of the survey.

In addition, according to FWP information officer Tom Palmer, the agency has already devoted $23,000 in staff time to work with the UWTF. The city didn’t keep track of the staff time, but parks and recreation director Randy Lilje told NewWest.Net that “a fairly substantial amount” of staff time has gone into the deer plan. Since I’m fiscally conservative guy who supports equality, I’ll be kind and assume the city only did as much as the state, even though the expenditure of city staff time was likely much higher.

If you’re adding this up, you know we’ve already spent $65,000, all public funds, on targeting these 50 deer or $1,300 per deer. And many more thousands will be spent. The city must hold public hearings and plans to lobby the legislature to pay for its deer reduction plan. I doubt the police department has special urban deer-killing equipment, so we have to buy it. And by the way, I’m a bit stressed about my police force out baiting and killing deer when they should be catching child predators, closing down meth labs, or busting those punks who prowl around Helena slashing tires and shooting out car windows with air pistols.

The venison must be handled properly, so somebody has to field dress the deer and take the meat over to Montana Food Share. And clean up the gut piles, of course, because I suspect people might object to finding them in our city parks.

I’ve probably missed a few expenses, but I feel safe saying the true cost isn’t any less than $2,000 per deer this year. It might be less in future years, and I suppose it’s a little unfair to put the entire amount on those 50 soon-to-be-dead deer instead of amortizing it over hundreds of more deer we plan to kill in the future. Killing deer might cost less than $2,000 per animal going forward, but still cost us deerly.

If somebody wants to challenge my numbers, I’ll make the adjustment and move on because the exact cost is not the point.

The point is: Do we want to spend so much public money to kill urban deer? And then repeat it every year to keep up with Mother Nature? Keeping in mind that close to half of Helenans don’t want deer killed, would this public money be better spent on maintaining parks, buying a fire truck, reducing energy use, making our town more pedestrian or bicycle friendly, promoting recycling, repaving streets, or paying for a hundred other underfunded city services? Ditto for FWP money. Would it be better spent on hunting access programs or wildlife research?

In conclusion, I’d like to see the UWTF do another survey and ask this question: Are you in favor of reducing Helena’s deer population at a cost of $2,000 per deer the first year and an undetermined expenditure of public funds in future years? I suspect that when the results came in, I might be in the majority.

source: http://www.newwest.net/city/article/our_most_expensive_deer/C108/L108/

OREGON NEWS: Winter Feeding Kills Deer

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. (AP) — Humans who feel sorry for the deer in the winter can do more harm by feeding them, say some wildlife experts.

Six deer found dead in the Klamath Falls area recently probably died because they were fed an improper diet by humans, officials say.

"Looking at some stomach contents, I'm seeing grain and alfalfa and things they're not supposed to be eating this time of year," said Liz Diver, who operates the nonprofit Badger Run Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. "I've also run into people in the feed store buying grain for the deer, which can be fatal."

She said people believe they're helping deer by feeding them during the winter, she said.

"When you give them apples, carrots, alfalfa and grain, their gut cannot handle it," Diver said. "They get something very similar to colic."

Tom Collom, district wildlife biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, agreed.

He said deer have complex digestive tracts that depend on proper levels of vitamins, minerals and bacteria to digest food.

"If they are subjected to a quick change in diet it takes their system quite a while to change that bacteria makeup to be able to digest that food," Collom said. "It sets the stage where animals can starve to death on a full stomach."

A rapid change in diet actually inhibits the deer's ability to use the food they take in, he said.

Collom said feeding wildlife other than birds is against the law in the city of Klamath Falls under an ordinance approved in the 1990s.

Diver said she's trying to spread the word that feeding deer might end up killing them.

"Sometimes it's accidental," Diver said. "The deer are getting into people's hay barns where they've got it stashed for their horses.

"But you can also walk into feed stores and find people buying sacks of grain and things with the intent of feeding the deer because they feel sorry for them."

source:
http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/news-22/1199848810246700.xml&storylist=orlocal

WEST VIRGINIA NEWS: 2007 Deer Kill Up 6% Over 2006

Deer kills increased 6 percent in West Virginia last year as hunters killed about 7,900 more animals than the previous year.


The Division of Natural Resources says the total kill for the state’s various seasons was 145,577 animals in 2007. Hunters killed 137,621 deer in 2006.


The agency says anterless kills increased 11 percent last year as hunters took advantage of increased bag limits and the opportunity to hunt in more counties. Overall, 43,684 antlerless deer were killed.


DNR Director Frank Jezioro (JEZ’-uh-roh) says the agency will continue to watch the number of antlerless deer in West Virginia to ensure a healthy statewide population.


West Virginia’s various deer seasons started in October and ended Dec. 31.

Source: http://www.herald-dispatch.com/homepage/x607058991

IOWA NEWS: Deer Population Up, Deer Harvest Down

ORAN --- Sometimes you just can't beat Mother Nature.

Ice storms, cold and snow kept many hunters inside instead of stalking deer in December. Initial state estimates indicated the deer harvest was down about 34,000 after the first two shotgun seasons --- when the vast majority of deer are killed --- compared to last year at the same time.

Last year hunters killed a little more than 150,000 does and bucks. State officials hoped to match or exceed that number this year to keep the state's burgeoning deer herd in check.

Alarmed by the shortfall, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources enticed people back into the woods by extending certain hunting seasons and creating new ones so hunters could fill unused tags. The additional hunting time also was intended to help lockers that rely on processing the animals for income.

As numbers were updated and more kills reported, the harvest is still down but not as drastically as once thought. Willy Suchy, DNR wildlife research supervisor, estimates the harvest will be several thousand less than last year once all the deer hunting seasons end Jan. 27.

"The harvest is not where we wanted, but it's in the margin (of acceptability)," Suchy said.

Suchy said studies show Iowans believe a deer herd of about 300,000 is manageable. It's not that deer wouldn't have enough to eat or be more susceptible to disease if the herd was larger, but people believe that size is tolerable from the standpoint of property damage, he said.

The DNR estimates the deer population was about 370,000 after the last hunting season. Suchy said expanded hunting was needed to keep working toward the herd-size goal.

"Hunters are doing a pretty good job managing the deer population, passing on smaller bucks and taking does," Suchy said.

For some lockers that count on deer processing for a significant portion of their yearly revenue, the reduced harvest isn't good news. While some processors say numbers are as good or better than last year, that's not the case for many others.

Normally the locker in Oran is swamped this time of year with more than 900 deer, bringing in more than $120,000. Employees work overtime, just so customers can get their meat back in a few months.

This year, manager Todd Briddle said the deer count is down about 300 to 350 head. The pace is slower, revenue is lower, and customers are getting meat back in a matter of weeks.

"I'm not the only one hurting. I think a lot of lockers didn't get what they want," Briddle said.

From what Briddle can gather talking with customers and hunting himself, the weather played a significant factor. October hunting wasn't as successful, because rain pushed back harvest a little, and deer were feasting on corn and not in the timber. Then, harsh winter conditions hit.

"We got the weather, and it just killed us," Briddle said. "The state did it (extended hunting seasons) for a reason."

Tony Harford, owner of the locker in Wadena, said last year he processed about 500 deer. As of the last of December, the count was a little more than 400.

With three weeks left before deer hunting is done, Harford is optimistic more will come in, but there are no guarantees.

"I definitely count on deer. If you're down 100 deer, that's $10,000 down," he said.

On the bright side, Harford said labor expenses will go down if deer numbers remain behind last year, though that's not how he would like to save money.

At the opposite side of the spectrum, the locker in Edgewood is as busy as ever. As of the last of December, co-owner Terry Kearn said he had accepted about 200 more deer than last year, when the business processed 3,400.

Kearn said deer accounts for 30 percent of his revenue.

"Absolutely, no doubt, for most lockers deer is a pretty big part of their business," Kearn said. "I do think the kill is down, but I hope we're up (due to) what we do."

Source:
http://www.wcfcourier.com/articles/2008/01/07/news/top_story/1d1fe4d84c4add87862573c9004c7f35.txt

MINNESOTA NEWS: HUNT TO SLOW BOVINE TB UNDERWAY

Hunters harvested 48 deer during the first weekend of a special hunt in northwestern Minnesota that aims to reduce deer density and stop the potential spread of bovine tuberculosis (TB), according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

The hunt began Dec. 29 and continues through Jan. 13 in Permit Area 101, which is considered the bovine TB zone in far northwestern Minnesota. It is open to hunters who have a valid, unused permit to harvest deer regardless of the zone in which a hunter was licensed.

To date, four deer harvested in the TB zone during the regular firearms season in November have tested presumptive positive for bovine TB. Three tested positive prior to the DNR's Dec. 5 announcement of the late-season hunt. Since then, lab results have indicated that an additional deer taken during the regular firearms season has tested positive.

"Finding one additional deer with the disease is a concern," said Michael DonCarlos, DNR wildlife research and policy manager. "But the prevalence of the disease remains low and is confined to a small geographic region." All four of the infected deer from the fall 2007 hunt have been found within a five-mile radius of Skime.

After the late season hunt concludes, the DNR will conduct an aerial survey of the area to determine deer distribution and abundance. Once that information is collected, the DNR will finalize plans on the need for additional deer removal by sharpshooters. DNR also will continue to work with the agricultural community to expand and improve programs and policies to help prevent contact between cattle and deer.

This fall's testing of deer harvested in Permit Area 101 was part of the DNR's ongoing TB surveillance program, which began in 2005 when the disease was first discovered in cattle. Since then, DonCarlos said, bovine TB has been detected in eight cattle herds and 17 wild deer in Roseau and Beltrami counties. Officials from the DNR, Minnesota Board of Animal Health and U.S. Department of Agriculture have been aggressively working to manage the disease in deer and livestock so Minnesota can regain its bovine TB-free accreditation.

"This may be a narrow window of opportunity to stop this disease in its tracks," DonCarlos said. "As long as bovine TB continues to be found in deer, DNR will continue to work with local hunters, landowners, other wildlife and agriculture organizations and agencies to eliminate bovine TB in Minnesota."

Details of the special late-season hunt being conducted in deer Permit Area 101 only are:
- season dates are Saturday, Dec. 29, to Sunday, Jan. 13, 2008
- deer of either sex may be taken
- hunters can use any 2007 license or permit from any zone
- a hunter must have a license and use the legal weapon for that license; for example, a hunter cannot use a rifle if he or she does not
have a valid 2007 firearms license
- new or replacement licenses can be obtained at any Electronic Licensing System agent, and hunters can buy additional disease
management permits for $2.50
- deer also can be tagged with any remaining unused tags from the 2007 season; for example, deer can be tagged with an unfilled
firearms license, disease management permits, bonus permits or all-season tags.

All harvested deer must be registered at Olson Skime store in Skime; Riverfront Station in Wannaska; Thief Lake Wildlife Management Area headquarters during regular business hours; or Red Lake Wildlife Management Area headquarters during regular business hours.

DNR employees will staff the Skime and Wannaska registration stations during each weekend (Saturday - Monday) of the special season to examine harvested deer for clinical signs of bovine TB. If a deer is taken during the week that exhibits signs of bovine TB, such as lesions on the lungs, hunters should contact the Thief Lake Wildlife Management Area at (218) 222-3747 or the Red Lake Wildlife Management Area at (218) 783-6861.

Temporary deer population reductions may create short-term hardships for deer hunters in this particular area of northwestern Minnesota, Cornicelli said. But reducing the long-term risk of bovine TB becoming established and spreading in the deer population is extremely important.

"In the short term that means deer densities in the bovine TB area will need to be kept low," Cornicelli said. "However, Minnesota's deer populations are resilient, and while we recognize that dramatic reductions in populations won't be popular with everyone, history tells us deer rebound very quickly."

Following two severe winters in the mid-1990s, Minnesota's wild deer population was very low, he said. But fewer than 10 years later, deer populations had expanded to record levels.

Source:
http://www.buckmasters.com/bm/Resources/Articles/tabid/135/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/553/Default.aspx

MISSOURI NEWS: Hunters Can't Keep Up With Deer Population

I failed … again, as my wife would say.

I predicted the fall firearms deer season would set a new harvest record. The sun, moon and stars all seemed to line up as I thought about the upcoming deer season and penned my November column.

Lonnie Hansen, Missouri Department of Conservation’s deer expert also thought the season would produce a new record kill.

It wasn’t meant to happen. Missouri deer hunters killed 214,404 during the November firearms season, and for all seasons combined, we killed 260,162 deer, making 2007 the third-largest deer harvest, but not a new record.

Weather played a part, I’m sure. It was unusually warm the first weekend. I quit hunting early to process two antlerless deer I’d killed, and I’m sure many other hunters did, also.

There is another reality dawning on Missouri’s managers. The deer herd continues to grow despite increasing deer harvest, new seasons and increasing liberal harvest regulations. Heck, harvest is almost unlimited. You can kill as many antlerless deer as you have tags and can purchase more tags as the season progresses.

And each year we see different harvest regulations, seasons and expectations as managers continue to fine-tune the harvest and season.

Next year will be no different. MDC will propose new deer harvest regulations and different seasons, to increase, they hope, antlerless deer harvest. The experimental four-point regulation for 29 counties may be modified. It didn’t increase antlerless deer harvest, as managers hoped. Managers are now considering an antlerless season in October, rather than December, and changes in the four-point regulation.

The Missouri Department of Conservation’s Lonnie Hansen estimates Missouri’s current deer herd ranges between 1 million and 1.5 million deer. That’s a lot, and the population is still growing.

You have some control on how to manage that population. Beginning this month, MDC is holding a series of public meetings across the state to listen to your concerns and to discuss proposals for deer regulation changes. Once they hold the public meetings, the managers will propose regulation changes to the Conservation Commission for next year and the following year.

MDC managers are between a rock and a hard place. They must balance hunter expectations, maintain a healthy deer herd and consider social ramifications of an expanding deer herd. Crop depredation and deer automobile contacts continue to increase.

Let me stick my oar in the water on this topic.

In my opinion, Missouri’s deer herd is following the classic sigmoid population curve. The sigmoid curve is "S" shaped with slow growth on the left side, very rapid growth in the middle, followed by population maintenance as the population reaches carrying capacity for the habitat.

Missouri’ deer population is somewhere between full carrying capacity and the rapidly expanding segment, where the herd continues to increase. Current management slows the deer herd’s expansion. However, it isn’t able to stop the expansion.

There is another problem, however, nibbling at the edges of Missouri’s management approach.

What’s first prize: one deer? Second prize: two deer? Third prize: three deer? What do you do with all of the meat?

I suspect the amount of Missouri deer hunters is stagnant or decreasing, while deer numbers continue to increase. The only tool to manage the herd in our manager’s pocket is hunter harvest, and I fear we have reached saturation with regards to the number of deer that hunters are willing to harvest. I have an extended family that uses part of the meat I harvest each year. I process the meat myself. I don’t have to pay a processor $60 to $70 for each deer.

Hansen and MDC’s other managers continue to look for ways to increase deer harvest. Yet, the market is saturated. If you can’t kill a deer or two or four in Missouri, you’re not trying. How do you increase the harvest when fewer hunters participate? This is the conundrum MDC managers face.

Please don’t misunderstand. I believe MDC is doing a great job of managing our deer herd and meeting hunter expectations. Yes, I’d like to see more mature bucks with large racks, but for me, deer hunting is a food gathering exercise, all wrapped in a social event.

The nearest meetings to Columbia will be held Feb 4 at Marshall High School or February 7 at St. George Catholic Church in Linn. Both meetings will run from 7 to 9 p.m. If you can’t attend and would like to comment, write the Missouri Department of Conservation, Box 180, Jefferson City, 65102.

Source: http://www.columbiatribune.com/2008/Jan/20080106Spor001.asp

MICHIGAN NEWS: Cull in Jackson's Ella Sharp park Underway

Sharpshooters stationed themselves Sunday in Ella Sharp Park for the first day of a deer harvest that was to kill dozens of the animals that regularly roam the Jackson park's golf course and fields.

Eight men or women with Centerfire rifles shot antlerless deer, beginning after 4:30 p.m. and ending about 11 p.m. Sunday as part of an effort to control a deer population so prevalent many residents have deemed it a nuisance.

Late Sunday, there was no count available on the total number of deer killed. Park Superintendent Eric Terrian said he would not know until early today.

The shooting, depending on the weather conditions, could continue at 4:30 p.m. today and every night until the sharpshooters down 80 deer, Terrian said.

They are shooting in the afternoon to allow children to get safely home from school and avoid times of the day when people are more likely to visit the park and its museum.

Tuesday, sharpshooters also will station themselves in the Cascades Golf Course in Summit Township.

Shooting has been permitted by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources until Feb. 29, but Terrian said he is hopeful the harvest, discussed and planned for years, could wrap up as early as the end of the week.

By about 5:20 p.m. Sunday, as a fog made fuzzy the Jackson landscape, "several" deer already had been killed, said Terrian, who was sitting in a meeting room at the Ella Sharp Golf Course.

He said the shooters, who fire in close range of the animals, indicated the fog was not bothersome.

The roads around the golf course and park were closed, blocked with road signs that read "Deer harvest in progress." Police responded twice to calls about cars or people in the closed area.

Residents who live nearby said they did not hear shots nor see the sharpshooters.
"We were surprised," said Jeff Thomasson, who lives on Horton Road near the park and expected he'd notice when hunters took to the area.

He said he supports the harvest. "We need to thin them out for sure."

The deer overpopulate the park, causing car accidents and property damage. Neighbors have complained and many support efforts to reduce their numbers.

"We can't have flowers or flower beds. They just chew them up and eat them," Thomasson said.

Others say killing the deer is cruel.

"I think they are beautiful," said Nancy Crandell, who lives on Park Road across from the golf course. "I feel sorry for the deer. It's not their fault everyone encroached on them."

She said she has safety concerns about the harvest. "We didn't like the idea of guns and bullets. You don't know where they are going to end up."
Terrian said the process is safe.

Police are monitoring the area. Two DNR officers were at the park Sunday to make sure sharpshooters, who have to follow stringent guidelines, were following the rules, he said.

Once killed, at a price of about $110 a deer, the animals were taken out of the park.
The deer are to be locally processed, and the meat is to be donated to the food pantry at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 1505 W. Michigan Ave.

"We'll be glad to get it and put it to good use and distribute it," said Alice Wiltse, pantry coordinator.

She said demand is high. Last year, the pantry served 10,742 families, up 33 percent from 2006.

"There are many people in Jackson that need the food," she said.

Often, the pantry cannot get meat at a decent price, she said, and pantry clients enjoy venison.

With the donated meat, the pantry can use its money to buy more vegetables and fruit, and meet its goal of giving more food in 2008, she said.

Source: http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/01/deer_herd_gets_thinner_in_park.html

WISCONSIN NEWS: You Have a 1 In 99 Chance of Hitting A Deer in 2008

If snow or ice doesn’t mangle your car, a deer might.

State Farm Insurance says Wisconsin drivers have a 1 in 99 chance of hitting a deer in the New Year.

That’s the third highest in the nation, behind only Michigan and West Virginia.

Eric Englund of the Wisconsin Insurance Alliance says about five cents of every dollar spent on auto policies pays for deer damage.

Those claims totaled $100 million statewide last year.

Keith Warnke of the state Department of Natural Resources says you’re 209 times more likely to hit a deer on the road than to get injured in a hunting accident.

Warnke should know. His vehicles have struck five deer in his lifetime.

A year ago, Waupaca County had the most deer crashes in the state, just more than 1,900.

Dane and Eau Claire counties were next on the list.

Most insurers include deer crashes in their comprehensive policies which also cover things like fires and vandalism.

About three-fourths of insured Wisconsin motorists have comprehensive coverage.

Source:
http://www.newrichmond-news.com/articles/index.cfm?id=19445§ion=Wisconsin%20News

CALIFORNIA NEWS: Plan to Remove Deer from Santa Rosa Island Clears Hurdle

WASHINGTON — Congress appears on the verge of overturning a year-old federal law that critics say would in effect have allowed deer and elk hunting to continue indefinitely on Santa Rosa Island.

Language that would repeal the law and allow for the herds' removal from the island has been included in a $500 billion, end-of-year spending bill that Congress is expected to approve this week.

The House passed the bill Monday night on a vote of 253-154. The Senate is expected to give its approval later this week.

"This marks the end to a long battle over Santa Rosa Island," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who inserted the language into the massive spending bill during negotiations between the House and Senate.

The Santa Rosa language is part of a 1,482-page bill that covers the budgets for every Cabinet except the Pentagon. Because it is included in the broader budget bill, opponents will have little, if any, opportunity to strip the language from the legislation.

President Bush said Monday he is hopeful he can sign the bill, but only after Democrats agree to accept funding for U.S. troops in Iraq.

If approved, the measure would mark a huge victory for environmentalists and other groups who have been battling for years to get the non-native deer and elk removed from Santa Rosa by the end of 2011, as mandated by a court settlement.

Santa Rosa, which sits off the coast of Ventura County, is part of Channel Islands National Park.

Ron Sundergill of the National Parks Conservation Association said the Santa Rosa language in the spending bill "would turn around something that shouldn't have been done in the first place.''

"It is a huge victory for all Americans who own the national parks and should be able to use the national parks at all times," Sundergill said.

Lawmakers have been battling over the future of the park for more than two years, when California Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, began pushing legislation to allow the deer and elk to remain on the island permanently.

The herds are owned by Vail & Vickers, a company that runs a commercial hunting operation on the island. Hunter has said he wants the animals to remain on the island so members of the military and their families can continue to take part in the trophy hunts.

The federal law, passed last year at Hunter's urging, rescinded the court settlement and would have allowed the deer and elk to stay on the island permanently. While the law says nothing about the hunting operation, critics have argued it would in essence allow the hunts to continue indefinitely.

Vail & Vickers has said it has no desire to continue the hunting operation beyond 2011.

Regardless, the new legislation pushed by Feinstein and other congressional Democrats would reinstate the terms of the court settlement, facilitating the herds' removal and ending the hunting operation after 2011.

"Santa Rosa Island is a jewel in our national park system and should be open to all of our people, not just a select few," said Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., who had worked with Feinstein to overturn the law.

"With this legislation, we are correcting a mistake that should never have been made," Boxer said.

Rep. Lois Capps, who had pushed similar legislation in the House, said the repeal of the federal law would guarantee that the court-ordered settlement will be fully carried out to protect Santa Rosa and provide unrestricted access to the island year-round after 2011.

Most of the island is closed to the public for four to five months of the year because of the hunts.

"As someone who's visited Santa Rosa Island and witnessed its beauty and rare archaeological and natural resources, I know we have to do all we can to protect this unique national treasure for future generations," said Capps, D-Santa Barbara.

Channel Islands National Park spokeswoman Yvonne Menard declined to comment directly on the legislation because it is pending.

But, she said, until the animals are removed and the hunting operation ends, "much of the island will remain closed to the public for nearly half a year."

"We're very anxious and eager to make this island, which has spectacular resources, available to the public full time for their enjoyment," Menard said.

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: www.venturacountystar.com/news/2007/dec/18/santa-rosa-deer-elk-law-may-be-repealed/

PENNSYLVANIA NEWS: Suburban Cull Impinges On Deer Season--Anger Ensues

Over six months sharpshooters have killed 465 deer in Solebury in a program that farmers and hunters say has led to a noticeable drop in the whitetail population — though they disagree on whether that is a good thing.

“We're seeing an immediate response,” said Harris Glass, who is overseeing the cull. “The deer are just not there.”

This year, supervisors approved a more than $250,000 plan that calls on the federal Department of Agriculture to kill deer at volunteer properties over 24 months. In June, a three-man crew began the effort, which provoked outcry from animal lovers and sportsmen, who feared it would hurt the hunting season.

Glass, the state director of USDA's Wildlife Services, said 465 whitetails have been taken— made up of 126 bucks, 181 does and 158 deer less than 1 year old.

That's out of a Solebury population originally estimated at 4,500, or roughly half the number of people in the township. Officials say the program is necessary to reduce a nuisance animal that threatens farmers' livelihood, slows reforestation and causes almost daily car accidents.

But the lower numbers have some hunters saying it has hampered their sport, as they have found fewer, and smaller, deer.

It's a constant topic of conversation among sportsmen, said Bill Campo, a Doylestown bow and muzzle-loader hunter who has hunting spots in Solebury.

“The opportunity to take larger does and larger bucks is a lot less,” Campo said. “It's kind of sad because you've got the sharpshooters hunting a lot of older does and just leaving the yearlings.”

In total, the crew spent 26 nights in the field, and shot deer — including bucks — throughout the six months.

That runs counter to statements Wildlife Service made earlier this year, when it said it would take only does while hunters were in the field during the primary sport season, which ran from Nov. 26 to Dec. 8.

Glass said the crew reduced its effort during that time, and focused on does. But four bucks were among the 42 deer killed in November and December, he said.

“If we found the deer in the act of doing damage, we did take bucks. If they are in a fenced in, enclosed nursery, they are fair game,” Glass said.

It is rare for culling programs to continue at all during the hunting season, said Jerry Feaser, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Usually, they are held afterward, to avoid competing with sportsmen, he said.

“This is unusual,” Feaser said. “But the driving force behind the effort in this case is based on reducing the amount of deer depredation to nursery stocks, arboretums, etc.”

Lars Crooks, who helps manage a tree farm off Route 263, said he is seeing a fifth of the deer he used to at his family's 72 acres. Instead of herds of deer, smaller family groupings are more prevalent, he said.

“We've absolutely seen a reduction in numbers. There's no doubt about it,” Crooks said. “Before it was almost the suburbs for them, they were just everywhere.”

He said the impact is sure to show for farmers who have long seen significant losses to deer grazing.

“This is the first year that I remember that I've found acorns on the ground at this time of year,” he said. “Usually, the deer would have eaten them all up by now.”

Paul Lanctot, a bow hunter who lives on Laurel Road in Solebury, said he did get his buck this year, though it took longer than expected.

“There are a lot less deer, no question about it,” Lanctot said. “I'm not the only one; we've all said the same thing.”

Solebury's effort comes as many communities are looking at ways to bring down high deer populations.

Upper Makefield has hired a private company to coordinate bow hunting in the township. Lower Makefield is also considering encouraging archery after they had mulled sharpshooters.

Solebury's crew bags deer only from properties that have signed up for the program. It has been granted access to 13 percent of the township's acreage, though it has so far been concentrating on the largest parcels, Glass said.

On those lands, the number of deer has fallen significantly, Glass said. But in other places in the township, he said he is sure strong deer populations remain.

“We pass up numerous properties where we're seeing deer, but we don't have permission to enter,” Glass said. “The bucks are still there to be taken. And I'm sure [hunters] have taken them there, nice ones.”

Wildlife Services gives the meat of the deer it takes to area food banks. So far, more than 12,000 pounds of venison have been donated, Glass said.

Source: http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/111-12182007-1458015.html

GERMANY NEWS: Germans Seek Bad Odors to Combat Deer

Hanover, Germany - A motorists' group in Germany on Monday demanded greater use of repulsive odours to keep deer off roads. Deer are scared by the smell of humans and wolves, so the decade-old German technology requires a foam containing those odours to be stuck to trees every 5 metres along the side of the road.

The noise of traffic combined with the scent deters deer from crossing the road and being killed in collisions with cars. When the road is quiet, the deer pluck up courage to run across.

The Lower Saxony branch of the ADAC appealed for hunters to create more of the odour barriers, saying 2,300 people were injured or killed last year in 220,000 collisions with wild animals. A much higher number of the deer and boar perished in the crashes.

The group said animal-car collisions had been reduced 80 per cent in places in Lower Saxony where the virtual barrier was employed.

The blobs of polyurethane foam about the size of tennis balls have to have fresh scent repeatedly added to them.

Source: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/160246.html

OHIO NEWS: Village of 3500 To Kill Deer

AMBERLEY, Ohio (AP) - A southwest Ohio village is spending $3,000 for a professional deer count to make sure no more deer will be killed than necessary during a thinning of the herd.

Amberley officials say deer-related traffic accidents and residents' complaints about deer prompted the village to authorize culling, or thinning, the herd.

Councilman Louis Katz convinced the village council to wait to cull until a professional deer count is taken.

Katz says it's true the only way to have no deer-related accidents is to kill all the deer, but that's not what Amberley is all about.

Village police say there were 22 deer-related traffic accidents in Amberley in 2006 and 13 so far this year. None were fatal.

Source: http://www.wdtn.com/Global/story.asp?S=7503389

AUSTRALIA NEWS: Farmers Want Introduced Sambar Deer Declared Pest

East Gippsland farmers in south-east Victoria are continuing their campaign to have sambar deer declared a pest animal.

A scientific committee has recommended to the State Government that the deer be declared a threat to biodiversity under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act.

Shooters' organisations want the deer protected so their numbers are maintained for controlled hunting.

The Member for Gippsland East, Craig Ingram, says landholders should be able to kill deer grazing on their properties, and use the carcasses.

"I've copped a bit of criticism from the shooting fraternity, but if they think about this rationally their sport should not be impacting upon the biodiversity in the state forests and national parks and so their game species should not be impacting upon private landholders," he said.

source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/12/17/2120818.htm

WISCONSIN NEWS: Deer Baiting #1 Season Violation for 4th Straight Year

by Pat Durkin, Green Bay Press-Gazette

With the U.S. dollar worth less than its Canadian counterpart, maybe some people no longer gasp and clutch their chest when handed an unexpected bill for $530.

Some of us might even smile and pay up if it secured two premium tickets to a Green Bay Packers playoff game.

One thing $530 doesn't do, however, is deter everyone from illegally baiting and feeding deer, which usually means exceeding the 40-acre limit of 2 gallons of shell-corn or bad apples.

For many folks, a $530 fine must be an acceptable risk. What else can you conclude when 331 citations during the November firearms deer season made illegal baiting the No. 1 offense on the Department of Natural Resources' "Top 10 Violations" list the fourth straight year?

This was also the fourth consecutive year illegal baiting citations increased since the Legislature in 2003 rescinded the DNR's statewide ban, which the agency imposed after chronic wasting disease surfaced in February 2002.

Those 331 baiting violations are a 30 percent increase from 254 in 2006, a 50 percent increase from 221 in 2005, a 120 percent increase from 150 in 2004, and a 336 percent increase from 76 in 2003.

In similar fashion, deer-feeding citations increased the third straight year, jumping to No. 3 with 82 offenses, an 82 percent increase from 45 in 2006 when it ranked No. 7. Further, baiting/feeding violations accounted for 413 (47 percent) of the 881 citations on the DNR's top 10 list.

Roughly speaking, the difference between baiting and feeding is baiters intend to shoot deer after luring them into range with handouts. In contrast, feeders like to watch deer on their property, and hope the free food keeps "their deer" nearby so others can't shoot them.

Meanwhile, citations for transporting a loaded gun in a motorized vehicle held the No. 2 spot for the fourth straight year, with 120 offenses.

Another perennial violation, transporting an uncased gun, dropped from third in 2006 to No. 4 with 80 citations.

That means the No. 2 spot is within reach of deer-feeders. After all, citations for transporting a loaded gun averaged 111 citations the past five years. With just a few more phone tips from concerned citizens, deer-feeders could overtake road-hunters in 2008.

Eye on the prize, and all that.

These dismal numbers for baiting and feeding look even worse when noting the practices are allowed in only 46 of Wisconsin's 72 counties. They're banned in the DNR's South-Central district and most of its Southeast District because of CWD. Baiting and feeding are minor problems there, accounting for 45 (11 percent) of the 413 citations statewide.

For further reference, DNR wardens wrote only 87 baiting citations statewide in 2002, the one year it was illegal throughout Wisconsin. Of course, apologists often blame the DNR for Wisconsin's baiting/feeding problems.

Some even fault conservation wardens for not enforcing the 2-gallon limit, but seconds later claim wardens overlook safety infractions to "harass" baiters/feeders.

The numbers don't support either claim. The four most common safety violations since 2003 are transporting loaded guns, 553 total citations (an annual average of 111); transporting uncased guns, 444 (89); hunting within 50 feet of a paved road's center, 300 (60); and shooting within 50 feet of a road or across it, 300 (60).

During November's gun season, citations for those offenses were 120, 80, 62 and 46, respectively, with citations up from 2006 in two categories and down in two.

Meanwhile, pitiful souls often beseech the DNR to ban baiting and feeding, even as they receive the $530 ticket. They must have forgotten the Natural Resources Board voted for statewide bans in 2003 and 2007, but was ignored both years by the Legislature.

Until baiting/feeding opponents apply heat to lawmakers to rescind the 2003 law written by Rep. Scott Gunderson, R-Waterford, passed by the Legislature, and allowed to stand by Gov. Jim Doyle, baiters shouldn't expect salvation from anyone but themselves.

Source: http://www.tinyurl.com/336cnu

IOWA NEWS: State Ponders Emergency Hunt Extension

Iowa's recent stretch of lousy weather will likely give deer hunters another shot at bagging a trophy this year.

The Natural Resources Commission meets Thursday morning to decide whether an emergency hunt is necessary. Poor weather made this years deer season difficult especially for those in southern Iowa.

Now the DNR is hoping to make it up to hunters. "Hopefully, provide a better opportunity for the hunter to harvest a deer," said State Conservation Officer Randy Schnoebelen.

The DNR says they are about 34,000 deer short of last years harvest and their target. The emergency hunt would be open to anyone with an unfilled first and second season shotgun tag, or a youth hunting tag.

If the commission approves the special season it would be the first of its kind in Iowa.

The DNR says a new computer tracking system is helping them keep closer tabs on the hunt. "It's so immediate, the data is right there, in years past the harvest reporting was done the old fashioned method," said Schnoebelen.

There is another catch. Sportsmen will only be able to take antlerless deer. If the commission approves the emergency hunt, the special season will be held the following weekend.

It's expected that the Natural Resources Commission will announce details of how folks can get special hunting licenses after they make their decision.

source: http://www.kimt.com/news/local/12449921.html

MARYLAND NEWS: County Eases Rules for Urban Hunts

The County Council approved a new deer management bill Tuesday that will loosen county deer hunting laws while aligning many regulations with state law.

The bill was passed by a vote of 7-0.

It allows deer hunting in urban areas on private properties that are at least 50 acres. It also reduces the safety zone for firing weapons from 200 yards to 150 yards from a home or other occupied building, as is prescribed by state law.

"The main purpose of the bill is to make the county laws regarding deer hunting more flexible,” said Kathleen Boucher, senior legislative attorney for the council. "It implements the recommendations of the deer management work group. The main change is inside the urban boundary; it allows hunting on parcels 50 acres in size. That is new.”

Boucher said the bill was written to address many problems related to the overpopulation of deer, including vehicle collisions and damage to crops and landscape. The county executive has 10 days to sign the bill into law, and the law will take effect 90 days after it is signed.

Rob Gibbs, chairman of the county’s deer management work group, said that he hopes landowners in urban areas will take advantage of the bill that makes it easier for them to manage deer.

‘‘I would not expect to see a huge surge in hunting throughout the urban parts of the county,” he said. ‘‘Some landowners will take immediate advantage and others will learn about it.”

Wade Butler, owner of Butler’s Orchard in Germantown, said the bill is long overdue. He installed a $100,000, 8-foot fence around 265 acres of his property five years ago to try to stop the deer from damaging crops.

‘‘With the amount of deer hunting we were doing, we weren’t getting the job done,” Butler said. ‘‘We were having terrific losses.”

The bill also reduces the buffer zone for firing a gun near a public road from 100 to 50 yards. A council committee had originally recommended eliminating the buffer zone around a road completely, but the council decided to retain a buffer that prohibits the shooting of a gun from a road based on input from the county’s Firearms Safety Committee and county police Chief Thomas J. Manager.

The police chief expressed concern a few weeks ago in a letter to the council, writing that drivers would have difficulty seeing the hunters discharging guns along the side of a road if the buffer was removed.

The council’s Public Safety Committee agreed, according to the staff report. The bill also kept the stipulation that prohibits the discharge of a gun or bow on or across from a road.

Council President Michael J. Knapp (D-Dist. 2) of Germantown, who introduced the bill two years ago, said the most important aspect of the bill was the stipulation that allows hunting in urban areas with large tracts of land.

Knapp said it will help landowners manage deer and reduce the crop damage for farmers in the county.

‘‘I’m pleased we finally got it through,” Knapp said. ‘‘Because of the extra time we took, we made sure we had the right safeguards in place.”

Councilman Philip M. Andrews (D-Dist. 3) of Gaithersburg, chairman of the Public Safety Committee, said he is confident the bill will help reduce vehicle collisions and make the county safer.

‘‘We gave it careful scrutiny,” he said. ‘‘I’m satisfied with how the bill came out. I think it will help reduce the overpopulation of deer.”

Source: http://www.gazette.net/stories/120607/damanew123018_32376.shtml

NORTH CAROLINA NEWS: Town Residents Petition for Urban Deer Hunt

People in Eden are asking city officials to take a controversial step to help thin the deer population.

Some say the animals are becoming a nuisance and a hazard in urban areas, particularly for drivers.

Homeowners and garden club members in the Oaks subdivision in south central Eden think a bow-hunting season could help curb the number of deer that destroy landscaping and cause traffic problems.

The petition was spearheaded by Janis Davis, who said she is fed up with her yard on Laurel Wood Drive being a buffet for deer.

"It is frustrating to know you've planted things in your yard and you have no control over what they eat," Davis said.

The group cites heavy development in the area, once woodlands, as the cause of the wandering deer. In the past 20 years, developers built two shopping centers, two apartment complexes, a church, a hospital facility and the 48-home subdivision.

The N.C. Wildlife Resource Commission estimates more than 45 deer per square mile in Rockingham County east of Wentworth, including Reidsville and Eden. The commission estimates 30 to 45 deer per square mile west of Wentworth along the county's southern border.

Davis tried dozens of deterrents before arriving at bow hunting. She said she tried all manner of store-bought and home remedies with no success.

"I have been on the Internet and made this terrible-smelling egg stuff you're supposed to spray on your plants to stop them from eating them, but it didn't work," she said.

Fences work, Davis said, but the homeowners association does not allow them. What's more, she really doesn't want a fence.

Davis and her neighbors want the city to file for a special deer-hunting season, allowing permitted hunters to hunt within the city limits using a bow and arrows.
Nearby Danville, Va., adopted a similar ordinance two years ago. Permitted hunters there can kill deer on their property or property in which the owner has granted them permission to hunt. Hunters must be at least 10 feet off the ground from their target, and their arrow must not leave the property on which they are hunting. Hunters cannot fire an arrow across any public right of way, such as a street or sidewalk, nor can they fire an arrow toward a building.

Danville Deputy City Manager M. Lyle Lacy III said residents wanted the hunting season for the same reason advocates in Eden are looking at it - safety and landscaping.

"Those two things together, the former more so than the latter, because it was putting lives in danger, prompted us to put in place the ordinance," Lacy said.
Lacy said the program is still too new to know whether it has been a success, but a report is expected in April.

Eden City Manager Brad Corcoran included the petition and Davis' letter in a weekly report to the City Council two weeks ago. But, Corcoran said, he does not intend to include the item on an upcoming city agenda, nor has a council member instructed him to.

Corcoran, who lives in The Oaks, said he often sees deer in his backyard. He agreed it was a nuisance but said people who live close to woods have to expect it. A hunter himself, Corcoran said he is not comfortable with the idea of an urban hunting season.

"While there's a lot of good hunters and safety-minded hunters, you still hear about a lot of accidents," he said.

The idea does not sit well with Eden Police Chief Gary Benthin, either. Although the issue is not a police matter, Corcoran said he conferred with the chief on the issue because of the safety concerns. Benthin said he believes it is "terribly unsafe to hunt in the city limits."

Benthin also questions arguments about deer affecting traffic safety in the city.
"The original complaint I heard months ago was the deer were eating shrubbery. I really don't consider that a safety concern," he said.

Lacy said Danville police have not received any reports of hunting accidents in the city since the policy was adopted.

"The conditions we have in the permit-granting address that," he said.
Davis said she understands the concerns the city and some of her neighbors have about the safety issues. She said she shares many of those same concerns but still believes the hunting season could help - with the proper limitations.

Davis said she does not have plans to press the council on the issue until she has done more research on how other communities are handling the issue.
"I'm really just looking for some help here," she said.

As for her landscaping, Davis said she has learned what not to plant - pansies, for example - which, she says, deer love.

"They won't eat cactus," she said with a chuckle.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/yphor7

INDIANA NEWS: Overabundant Deer Prompt Culling, Park Closings

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources plans to temporarily close 18 state parks, including Fort Harrison State Park in Indianapolis, and one nature preserve in the coming weeks for deer hunts.

The parks and nature preserve will be closed Nov. 26-27 and Dec. 10-11.

The DNR says the deer populations have grown too large for the areas to support them and maintain an ecological balance.

The parks to be closed are Chain O'Lakes, Charlestown, Clifty Falls, Fort Harrison, Harmonie, Indiana Dunes, Lincoln, McCormick's Creek, Ouabache, Pokagon, Potato Creek, Shades, Shakamak, Spring Mill, Tippecanoe River, Turkey Run, Versailles and Whitewater Memorial. The Twin Swamps Nature Preserve near Evansville will also be closed.

source: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071120/LOCAL/711200455

UK NEWS: Cull in Quantock Hills Called "Shooting Spree"

THE number of red deer on the Quantock Hills could be halved if plans by a conservation group go ahead.

The Quantock Deer Management and Conservation Group has sent letters to landowners on the hills to drum up support for a mass cull of red deer on November 30, which will target fe-male and young deer.

The group claims deer numbers are 'unacceptable' and that the animals are causing damage to forestry and farming interests.

The group aims to hold an annual cull over the next five to ten years to reduce population levels.

But the South West Deer Protection Group has condemned the cull and branded it "a shooting spree".

Its chairman Kevin Hill said: "One problem with the proposed shooting spree is that any deer in the sight of the gun might be shot.

"We're not against the principle of culling deer. Our job is to make people think.

"I'm into the minimum number being culled, but this looks like one big blast."

Deer biologist and secretary of the Quantock Deer Management and Conservation Group, Dr Jochen Langbein, told the County Gazette that action must be taken to protect farmland from damage.

"I think they don't really understand that it's meant to be one day of culling not a major slaughter of deer.

"We're aiming to try and get deer back to levels people are happier with over a period of about five years," he added.

"Almost every farm we work with feels there are too many deer and most are happy to see 20 or 30 deer roaming the fields, not 50 or 60."

The group hopes the cull will take place in the morning and evening of November 30.

The Quantock Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty group is also supporting the plans.

Group development officer Iain Porter said: "It's not designed to eradicate red deer but to bring levels back to a sustainable deer heard."

Source: http://tinyurl.com/2n3n8u

WISCONSIN NEWS: Wausau Takes Aim At Urban Deer

A flurry of resident complaints about deer foraging in yards has led city officials to find a safe method to control the urban deer population.

The favored method involves hiring sharpshooters. Several residents on the outskirts of the city claim deer ravage their landscaping and create a safety hazard for traffic. Based on police records, there were about 100 deer-related crashes within city limits the past five years.

"The consensus has been that we need to do something to control the deer in the city," said Dave Erickson, the city's environmental engineer.

Deb Hadley, president of the City Council, said Monday at a public hearing that some council members, including herself, started receiving complaints this summer about the deer. Erickson said a state grant could provide up to $5,000 for urban deer control, and the city has applied for a grant.

At the public hearing, four Wausau residents spoke about the deer issue -- three raised no objections to the sharpshooters, though Brad Hoffman did.

"I think the bow is the effective way of getting rid of (the deer problem)," Hoffman said, adding that Rhinelander used bowhunters last year to control deer herds within city limits.

Wausau Police Chief Jeff Hardel said he's received requests from bowhunters to help control the urban herds, but police have yet to authorize hunting within the city.

"We're just not comfortable allowing hunting in the city," he said. "We feel more comfortable with sharpshooters."

If sharpshooters were used, Hardel said they would put up deer stands near a problem area -- mostly on the northeast, northwest and westernmost outskirts -- bait the deer and then shoot them during evening hours. The sharpshooters would not be positioned in someone's backyard, Hardel said.

The city expects to hear back from the state regarding the grant in January.

Source: http://www.fdlreporter.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071113/FON0101/311130051/1985

NORTH DAKOTA NEWS: Will Record Deer Licenses Translate to a Record Deer Harvest?

North Dakota Game and Fish Department officials are hoping a record number of deer licenses and hunters will help control the state's burgeoning deer population.

The state's deer gun season opens at noon Friday and continues through Nov. 25.

"I think we'll have a real good deer season," wildlife chief Randy Kreil said. "The deer are healthy, the weather looks good and the enthusiasm is certainly there, with a record number of people wanting to participate."

Kreil said about one in six North Dakotans are expected to hunt deer this year.

The Game and Fish Department issued a record 148,550 deer licenses, up 5,050 from 2006. An additional 4,350 whitetail and 700 mule deer licenses are available this year.

Kreil said 97 percent of the licenses had been issued by Thursday afternoon.

"Our deer population - especially for whitetail - is at an all-time high because of an unprecedented decade of mild winters," Kreil said. "We've jacked up the numbers of licenses to meet our management goals and get the population back in check."

Woody Woodward, an owner of Gun and Reel Sports Inc. in Jamestown, has been seeing more deer.

"There sure are a lot of deer around, and a lot of dead ones on the road," he said.

Woodward said the week before the opener is among the busiest times of the year at his business. The store opens an hour earlier on the opening day of deer season.

"Most deer hunters are good customers, but they wait to last minute - more so than bird hunters," Woodward said.

Deer hunters usually are lined up at the store before it opens, "but by noon, you can shoot a cannon through here and not hit anybody," Woodward said.

Last year hunters - including those with bows and muzzleloaders - killed more than 100,000 deer in North Dakota, besting the previous record of 99,600 set in 2005. The success rate was pegged at about 77 percent, Kreil said.

Wildlife officials are hoping hunters best last year's record harvest by about 10,000 deer, he said.

Roger Johnson, a Game and Fish big game biologist in Devils Lake, said hunters are happy with the number of deer in North Dakota this year, and they could see success rates of more than 80 percent in fields without row crops.

"When sunflowers and corn don't get harvested, it makes for better hiding," Johnson said.

Kreil said the number of deer licenses issued in 1976 was about 40,000, and has increased since.

Opening weekend is when the bulk of hunters go afield, Kreil said. Deer are North Dakota's most sought-after game, followed by pheasants, he said.

"I expect 70,000 to 80,000 people out chasing deer around this weekend," Kreil said. "I think there will be a lot fewer deer around on Monday."

source: http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/ap/index.cfm?page=view&id=D8SPP5F80

KENTUCKY NEWS: EHD Outbreak Over--4000 Dead Deer

This year’s outbreak of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) in deer appears to be over.

Killing frosts of the past week have eliminated most of the midges (gnats) which carry the disease. Biologists with the Department have not received new reports of deer deaths associated with the disease in several days, said Tina Brunjes, the department’s big game coordinator.

Officials have documented more than 4,000 deer deaths from the disease. “There’s no way to put an actual number on the deer that have died as a result of EHD,” Brunjes said. “However, hunters have taken more than 18,000 deer this season, which is around average at this point of the season.”

The disease, while fatal to deer, cannot be transferred to humans. Eating the meat of deer that appear to be healthy poses no risk to humans even if the deer is infected with hemorrhagic disease.

Hunters, however, should not eat animals that appeared emaciated or weak prior to harvest, due to the risk of secondary infections. Hemorrhagic disease can cause large abscesses to form in the body cavity, muscle tissue or under the skin. These abscesses render the meat inedible.

Modern gun season for deer, which opens statewide Nov. 10, will provide the best indication of the severity of the outbreak. Most deer are taken during the modern gun season. If the numbers are down considerably, that will provide biologists a better idea of the size of the state’s existing deer herd.

“We will continue to track harvest throughout the modern gun season in an effort to gauge the total impact of EHD,” said Wildlife Division Director Karen Alexy. “Right now, there’s no way to estimate the number of deer that have died from EHD.”

Officials in several surrounding states reported similar outbreaks this year.

Department officials will evaluate total deer numbers and recommend any changes to deer zones in 2008, if needed, at the March meeting of the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission. Prior to the outbreak, Kentucky’s deer herd numbered nearly a million.

Brunjes noted that deer are prolific breeders. Even if the disease hit a local area hard this year, she said, the number of deer in the area will likely rebound within two years because of reproduction and animals moving in from other areas.

Source: http://www.glasgowdailytimes.com/sports/local_story_312185503.html

OPINION: Sport Hunting Losing Efficacy

The state's annual November deer hunt, which is the primary method that the Department of Natural Resources uses to reduce the number of deer in the state, begins in another 10 days.

But in recent years, the DNR and many observers have realized that the hunt is not reducing deer populations adequately.

Tom Givnish, Henry Allan Gleason professor of Botany at UW-Madison and a member of the Chronic Wasting Disease Stakeholders Advisory Committee established by the DNR, says he is concerned that recreational hunting can no longer control the deer herd in Wisconsin.

A native of Pennsylvania who previously taught at Harvard before coming to UW 27 years ago, Givnish says that deer densities are much higher than they should be and as a consequence researchers have documented adverse effects on natural communities.

Deer are hindering the establishment of several tree species, such as yellow birch and hemlock, and driving to local extinction dozens of herbaceous species and shrubs.

"It is clear that our forests are much less diverse now than they were 50 years ago," Givnish said.

Because people have eliminated predators, such as wolves and bears, in southern Wisconsin, society relies on hunters to control deer densities.

"There is a social contract between hunters and the rest of society, because deer are owned by the state for all of us," Givnish said. "Hunters are allowed to harvest deer and in exchange the expectation is they will help manage deer so they don't have an adverse impact on the ecosystem. That hasn't worked out in recent decades in Wisconsin or in the eastern U.S."

Givnish points out that this wasn't always the case, as toward the end of the 19th Century people virtually drove deer to extinction in many areas. Conservationists realized that harvest restrictions were necessary.

Those restrictions, including shortening seasons and limiting the way deer could be hunted, worked and populations increased.

"But today we find ourselves hip-deep with deer and they are causing enormous ecological damage, interfering with tree reproduction, eliminating shrubs, there are high numbers of car/deer accidents affecting insurance rates, and they are a reservoir for Lyme disease," Givnish said.

He attributes this to the fact that the country has had a cultural change since the 1930s. The country is richer so the need for wild meat is not as great, and cultural changes mean that older hunters haven't convinced their youngsters to take up hunting.

"The DNR and the hunters have failed to control the deer herd," he said. "Deer have a very high rate of reproduction, sometimes dropping two fawns in their first year. When the deer population and density is high with a limited number of hunters, they escape control, which has happened."

The DNR and hunters are hunting with regulations and an "ethos" that were right in the 1930s and '40s, but are not the right thing now, he said.
"Back then it was right that you don't kill female deer and fawns, they were the future of the herd," he said. "But today the only way to control the deer herd is to shoot female and young deer. It is paradoxical that a system that involves forests, deer and humans, the intelligent part of that system is lagging in response."
In fairness, he notes that the regulations are changing, but there is resistance to things such as the Earn-a-Buck rule that requires hunters to shoot an antlerless deer before they can shoot a buck.

Rather than the traditional views on regulations and deer management, he believes there must be a place for minority and rational views.
Despite the DNR's best intentions, deer populations have not been reduced. But he said the DNR operates under the old rules and ethos, and hunters are currently not able to reduce damage to the environment.

"I would recommend reexamining some of the assumptions behind hunting regulations," he said. "I would greatly lengthen the hunting season, and in some extreme areas we should consider hunting with dogs, using bait, and hunting at night."
There is nothing in the Constitution that prohibits that and the situation has changed from decades ago.

Givnish, who is not a hunter but says that he is not an animal rightist and has no problems with hunting and thinks it is wonderful because it gets people outdoors, said he does not know how to recruit more hunters but so far those efforts have not brought out a substantial increase in hunter numbers.

He thinks that many people believe that ethics are timeless, but he believes current
ethics were good under different circumstances. They are learned and they can change with circumstances.

The solution, Givnish says, is to either increase the number of hunters or to increase the efficiency of the hunt.

Source: http://www.madison.com/tct/sports/255520

MISSOURI/KANSAS NEWS: City Parks Open to Hunting This Year

Kansas City parks traditionally are havens for deer searching for rich foliage, but officials again this year will allow hunters into some parks to reduce the wildlife population.

The parks that will be open for special archery deer hunting are Tiffany Springs Park, Riverfront Park, Hodge Park and Jerry Smith Park.

The hunting will be in wooded areas away from trails and picnic areas frequently used by the public, said Debra Burns, a wildlife management supervisor for the Missouri Department of Conservation. Department officials are coordinating the hunts with the Kansas City Parks and Recreation Department.

Officials are trying to reduce deer herds at urban parks to make highways safer from deer-vehicle collisions and to protect park habitat from damage caused by too many deer. Similar bow hunts for deer have been conducted for several years at other state, city and county parks in the area.

“In areas where we’ve had them for 12 years, we do see a decrease in the deer herd,” Burns said.

In hunts last year at Tiffany Springs and Riverfront parks, there were no problems as archers killed more than 40 deer.

Registration for this fall’s hunt is closed and the slots are full, Burns said. There will be 105 hunters. All will use tree stands and they will be shooting toward the ground at close range for safety.

Park officials say they hope the hunts also will discourage illegal firearms hunting in remote areas.

THE HUNT SCHEDULE

•Riverfront Park, now through Nov. 25.

•Hodge Park, Saturday through Nov. 25.

•Jerry Smith Park, Saturday through Dec. 9.

•Tiffany Springs Park, Nov. 24 through Dec. 9.

Source: http://www.kansascity.com/115/story/346965.html

MINNESOTA NEWS: 34 State Parks Open to Deer Hunting in 2007

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has issued a reminder that deer hunts will take place this fall in 34 state parks for those who have received special deer hunt permits.

Most parks holding a special hunt will remain open to the public. However, DNR officials strongly suggest visitors wear blaze orange remain within the designated no hunting areas.

For safety reasons, public use of some parks will be restricted.

Restrictions for parks in southern Minnesota

At Beaver Creek Valley State Park in Houston County and Frontenac State Park in Goodhue County, only the campgrounds are open to the public. All other areas of these parks are available to hunters only.

Due to the extensive area open to hunting at Lake Shetek State Park, the public is encouraged to visit a neighboring park such as Camden, Split Rock Creek or Kilen Woods instead, during the hunt scheduled for Dec. 1-2.

Visitors who plan to use the parks during the special hunt event should stop at the office when they arrive to pick up a map of the no-hunting zones in the park and remember to wear blaze orange. Maps of these zones will also be posted in various locations in the park.


Visitors might also consider choosing an alternate park nearby for recreation if a special hunt is being conducted at the park they had planned to visit.

For information, people may contact the park, or the DNR Information Center at (651) 297-6157 or (888) 646-6367.

State parks open to hunters only during the special deer hunt

Crow Wing State Park (Nov. 30 - Dec. 2), Nerstrand Big Woods (Nov. 24-25), St. Croix State Park (Nov. 10-13).

Whitewater State Park (Nov. 17-19), Wild River State Park (Nov. 3-6) (Accessible elevated platform for disabled hunters available); William O'Brien State Park (Nov. 3-4).

State parks that will remain open to the public during the special deer hunt

Blue Mounds State Park (Nov. 3-4), Buffalo River State Park (Nov. 3-4),

Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park (Nov. 17-19, Nov. 23-25).

Glacial Lakes State Park (Nov. 10-13), Great River Bluffs State Park (Nov. 17-19, Nov. 23-25), Hayes Lake State Park (Nov. 3-18).

Itasca State Park (Nov. 3-11), Lake Bemidji State Park (Nov. 3-6), Lake Bronson State Park (Nov. 3-11).

Lake Carlos State Park (Nov. 3-6), Lake Louise State Park (Nov. 24-25), Lake Shetek State Park (Dec. 1-2).

Maplewood State Park (Nov. 3-11), Myre-Big Island (Nov. 24-25), Scenic State Park (Nov. 3-18), Zippel Bay State Park (Nov. 3-18).

State parks where access is limited during special hunt

Beaver Creek Valley State Park (Nov. 3-4), Frontenac State Park (Nov. 17-19), Gooseberry Falls State Park (Nov. 3-18).

Interstate State Park (Nov. 29-Dec. 2), Jay Cooke State Park (Nov. 24-28), Judge Magney State Park (Nov. 3-18).

Savanna Portage State Park (Nov. 10-18), Split Rock Lighthouse State Park (Nov. 3-18), Tettegouche State Park (Nov. 3-18).

For information, call the DNR Information Center or visit the state park pages at www.mnstateparks.info.

Source: http://www.stillwatercourier.com/articles/index.cfm?id=26102§ion=Outdoors&property_id=23