Managing Deer and Deer Hunters in Northeast Lower Michigan Brent Rudolph, Ph.D. Michigan Department of Natural Resources Michigan Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division Wildlife Division Deer and Elk Program Leader (517) ext. 248 Brent Rudolph, Ph.D. Michigan Department of Natural Resources Michigan Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division Wildlife Division Deer and Elk Program Leader (517) ext. 248

Overview Summary of deer permits and licenses Deer Management Unit 487 special regulations Review of northeast Michigan deer harvest, population, and TB trends Hunter opinions regarding TB management

Disease Control Permits Deer Damage Permits (“Crop Damage” Permits) Deer Management Assistance Permits (“Block” Permits) Antlerless Licenses Archery, Firearm, and Combination Licenses Deer Permits and Licenses

Livestock producers and private landowners in a county with a confirmed case of TB or 30 mi radius of confirmed disease Antlerless or antlered deer Antlers must be submitted; heads must be submitted if required Free of charge Disease Control Permits WCO Section 5.77

Deer (Crop) Damage Permits WCO Section 5.40 Landowners with significant agricultural or horticultural damage documented by Department Not valid during deer hunting seasons Antlerless, or antlered deer if approved by Wildlife Supervisor Free of charge

Landowners or their designated agent where a variety of conditions exist, including where “regulations are insufficient to achieve landowner deer management objectives” Only valid during deer hunting seasons Antlerless deer Deer Management Assistance Permits WCO Section 5.80

Separate Private & Public licenses and quotas Early & Late Antlerless Seasons (private land) Archery, Firearm, Muzzleloader Seasons Liberty Hunt & Independence Hunt Antlerless Licenses WCO Section 3.101

Archery and/or Firearm: new license package replaces with single tag, all season license Combination License (2 tags) Typically “buck” tags –Some opportunities for antlerless deer –Some restrictions on types of antlered deer Archery, Firearm, Combination Licenses WCO Section 3.101

DMU 487 Regulations

DMU 487 Only 50-60% of hunters purchase 1 or more antlerless licenses >50% of harvest is antlered bucks >50% of antlered bucks harvested are yearlings DMU 487 Hunting & Harvest Statewide ≤50% of hunters purchase 1 or more antlerless licenses Hunting strategy of ~40% of hunters: take 1 st legal buck Point restrictions typically increase 2 ½-yr-old buck harvest

DMU 487 Regulations Antlerless deer: firearm hunters use any license Antlered deer: min 3 antler points OR 1 buck –shift harvest pressure from young bucks to antlerless deer (to reduce the population) –do not constrain harvest of older bucks (more likely to be TB positive) Assessments will consider: –Short-term success: increasing antlerless deer harvest over last 4 seasons? –Long-term success: decreasing TB prevalence, population size?

Harvest, Population, TB Trends

5-County Deer Harvest

5-County Deer Population Trend Relation to Highest and Lowest Antlerless Harvest

, DMU 452 TB Deer Trend Apparent Prevalence and 95% Confidence Limits, Adult White-Tailed Deer No Trend, 2005 – 2009

Hunters, TB, and Deer Management

Hunter Opinions: TB and Deer Management It is important to reduce or get rid of TB… From deer: Strongly Agree23.2% Agree56.5% Not sure 5.0% From livestock: Strongly Agree35.4% Agree54.6% Not sure 3.5%

Hunter Opinions: TB and Deer Management It is possible to get rid of all TB… From deer: Strongly Agree 4.7% Agree19.4% Not sure14.1% From livestock: Strongly Agree 8.2% Agree38.3% Not sure13.9%

TB Management Volunteers The opportunity: Michigan sportsmen & women outnumber Detroit Lions & Pistons combined home attendance The Limitation: Hunting is another form of recreation, and participants expect to enjoy the product

Thank You!