Deer Management News This Week  Minnesota Hunters Distribute Tons of Food to Starving Deer March 6, 2014 One Green Planet ... After pressure from deer hunters, however, the DNR has provided $170,000 to purchase deer feed. This is the first incident that the state has sponsored an emergency deer feed since 1997 ... “We had a guy walk into our office yesterday and said, ‘I’ve got a warehouse you can use,’” ... Time to weigh in on deer management March 6, 2014 North Dakota, The Bismarck Tribune ... attendance at last week’s deer management meeting in Bismarck was standing room only.... The decline in the state deer population is not a new story ... North Dakota Game and Fish Department ... has been out front on this issue for a few years. Game and fish officials started talking about the impact to deer herds, pheasants and other wildlife when it became apparent that CRP enrollment in the state would continue its downward spiral... Lengthening winter stresses Iowa’s wildlife March 6, 2014 thegazette.com ... DNR biologist Terry Haindfield said he performed necropsies on two dead deer that had red bone marrow – a sign of starvation... Malnourished does carrying twins involuntarily will direct all available nourishment to one fetus at the expense of the other ... Winter-weakened deer also become much more susceptible to predators such as family groups of coyotes ... Hard winter likely will take a toll on area animal, fish populations March 6, 2014 Indiana, News Sentinel ... A few deer typically starve to death each winter at Fox Island park, Ormiston said. But he and other staff there expect more deer deaths this winter because the deep snow covered up most ground vegetation. About all the deer have left to eat now are twigs and brush ... Wyoming county senator unhappy with DNR commitment to deer farming March 6, 2014 West Virginia, The Register Herald ... Sen. Daniel Hall ... The senator said Wyoming and Raleigh counties could benefit from captive cervid farming because a huge tract of flat land isn’t necessary. ... Currently, deer farms are required to have fences 8 feet high for elk and 10 feet high for all other cervids.... As for chronic wasting disease, Hall said no state deer farm has ever had a confirmed case of the communicable cervid disease ... Legislation Intends to Help Landowners Control Crop-Eating Wildlife March 6, 2014 Kentucky, WKMS ... The bill, easily approved by the House Agriculture and Small Business Committee, would give landowners or their designees the authority to kill or trap any wildlife causing damage to crops or personal property... Deer tests positive for chronic wasting disease March 5, 2014 Maryland, Cumberland Times News Homepage ... The adult female deer was ... killed either in or very near the existing Chronic Wasting Disease Management Zone in the county’s eastern portion ... The first confirmed case of CWD in Maryland was a buck reported in February 2011, also from Allegany County ... Changes may be coming in deer management March 5, 2014 Illinois, Bloomington Pantagraph ... This year 148,569 deer were harvested compared to 180,811 in the same time period a year ago. Biologists believe factors in the decline included very adverse weather with more snow and severe cold, higher than normal deer mortality because of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) or blue tongue, and heavier deer reduction efforts for maintenance of parks and timber in some locations... Senate bill attacks deer hunting March 5, 2014 Indiana, KPC News ... SB52 minimizes the importance of game laws by changing the penalty for violating the majority of them from misdemeanors to simple infractions. ... In opposition to the bill, Jeff Wells, Indiana Conservation Officers Organization, explained ... Reducing the penalty for not obtaining a hunting, fishing or trapping license will likely have an adverse effect on license sales... Near record number of deer taken in Arkansas March 5, 2014 Washington Times ... hunters checked 213,199 deer during the season, fewer than 300 short of the record of 213,487 deer harvested last year. The commission also says that for the first time ever more does than bucks were taken. The commission reports 107,247 does to 105,952 bucks ... North Haven, Mum’s the Word on Status of North Haven Deer Cull March 5, 2014 New York, The Sag Harbor Express ... Last month, Mr. Sander said he expected the village to spend about $15,000 this year to start the deer culling ... Wendy Chamberlin of the Wildlife Preservation Coalition, said ... it was “shocking” for village officials to refuse to discuss the cull. “Officials who behave like this and do not attend to the opinions and desires of their constituents should resign,” ... Aerial deer survey results March 5, 2014 Connecticut, The Redding Pilot ... the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) conducted helicopter aerial deer surveys of four square miles in February 2013 and six square miles in January 2014... Average estimated deer density pre-sharpshoot and post state-regulated hunting season on the four square miles in 2013 was just over 30 deer/square mile. Average estimated deer density on four square miles on non-deer reduction areas (two CDC sites, two non-CDC sites) in 2014 was 34 deer/square mile... Dinner for deer: Emergency feeding program to begin March 5, 2014 Minnesota, Minneapolis Star Tribune ... More than 200 volunteers with the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association (MDHA) will distribute the feed pellets over the next six weeks. “If we feed about one pound of food per deer per week, we’re hoping to take care of about 20,000 deer for six weeks,’’ said Mark Johnson, MDHA executive director... People are enthusiastic about feeding deer, Johnson said. “The amount of recreational feeding is unbelievable,’’ ... Texas Parks and Wildlife puts down local deer March 5, 2014 The Navasota Examiner ... they euthanized about 25 of his captive deer ... TPW Public Information Officer Steve Lightfoot said the deer had to be put down because they were not properly tagged ... test results from Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory in College Station came back clean ... When you kill about 25 deer to determine that they’re healthy, that shows no respect for life,” Pepper said... Follow the rules for feeding deer March 5, 2014 Michigan, Midland Daily News ... the Michigan Department of Natural Resources ... allows what it calls “recreational feeding” ...“Feed should consist only of grains, second cut alfalfa and clover, and pelletized food materials containing no animal protein,” ... the DNR recommends corn be mixed as a minor component (25 percent or less) ... Habitat for quail, mule deer new focus March 4, 2014 Arizona, Arizona Daily Sun ... With the recent large wildfires in the state and current habitat management programs in place, the department is considering units 27, 21 and 22 and 16A to increase mule deer numbers. With some habitat management work in these areas the department believes it can have a noticeable impact on deer numbers... Game farm proposed for Holland Township raises concerns March 4, 2014 Michigan, MLive ... asking township officials to approve a special land use for the 20-acre property ... residents favoring the project saying it would provide opportunities to teach young people about hunting and wildlife and keep the area natural. Opponents expressed concern about stray bullets striking residences or people, as well as noise from the gunfire... Southold, Deer cull fury sparks threats of local wine, produce boycott March 3, 2014 New York, Riverhead Local ... controversy over a sharpshooter program aimed at thinning the deer herd in Southold Town continued to escalate on Monday as animal advocates prepared to head back to court ... others planned to boycott Riverhead and North Fork farms and wineries participating in the cull... 4-Poster program leads agenda for Deer and Tick meeting March 3, 2014 New York, Shelter Island Reporter · ... When the 4-posters were initially deployed on Shelter Island in a test program ... There was a dramatic drop in the tick population during the years of the trial, but with so many fewer units deployed in 2012 and 2013, there was a 200 percent spike in the tick population... Shelter Island, along with most of its East End neighbors, opted out of the sharpshooter program ... Deep freeze of winter bears down on region's wildlife March 3, 2014 New York, Courier-Journal ... The hard, icy snow that covers most of the region now also prevents deer from digging through the crust to dig up food ... . Weakened deer are more vulnerable to coyotes and other predators in winter. Deep snows make escape more difficult ... last season’s bumper crop of nuts, fruits and seeds has made more food available ... Commission approves elk hunting season March 3, 2014 Oklahoma, Oklahoma News ... The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation had proposed the statewide hunting season on private land because the agency’s surveys showed that 33 counties in the state had six or more free-ranging elk... The majority of free-ranging elk in the rest of the state either have been released or escaped from commercial hunting operations or private elk farms ... Habitat management influences overwinter survival of mule deer fawns in Colorado EJ Bergman, CJ Bishop, DJ Freddy, GC White… - … of Wildlife Management, 2014 ... many pinyon pine (Pinus edulis)–Utah juniper (Juniperus osteosperma) woodland habitats reach late seral stages that encroach into forest openings. This encroachment typically occurs at the expense of browse species that are preferred by mule deer ... documented changes in deer vital rates in response to habitat manipulations are lacking. ... . Our study provides evidence that habitat management on winter ranges can positively influence a key vital rate for mule deer in pinyon pine–Utah juniper ecosystems ... Bountiful Deer Plan considered March 3, 2014 Utah, Davisclipper ... It would continue a pilot project that has involved non-lethal trapping and relocating of deer ... goal is to remove 150 deer... That differs from a program a couple of years ago where about 16 deer were removed, by lethal means... Emerald Isle, Controlled hunt in Emerald Isle reduces deer population by 50 March 3, 2014 North Carolina, Jacksonville Daily News ... This year’s hunt, which involved volunteer hunters trained in using bow and arrow ... The fall 2013 estimate was 159 deer, up from 141 deer the previous year. The WRC has said the town should strive to remove about 50 deer per year to maintain a healthy deer population... [effect of hunting on urban deer] Wildlife questions: Search for a deer solution March 2, 2014 North Dakota, Minot Daily News ... remember the three severe winters in a row? After the first bad winter, Game and Fish issued approximately 140,000 licenses. After the second winter another 140,000 ...and the third year approximately 110,000 ... it took Game and Fish quite some time ... to finally discover that the mule deer herd was at a record low, and the antelope population was so low in numbers that there were not enough antelope for an antelope hunting season... Stats show drop in deer March 2, 2014 Indiana, South Bend Tribune ... Biologists say two or three factors contributed to the lower harvest — carryover from a widespread outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD), a record antlerless harvest in 2012, and the second season of new hunting regulations aimed at lowering deer densities in some areas of the state... ... the Department of Agriculture is going to be able to regulate the deer farms that have captive cervids (hoofed, deer-like animals) that are used only for meat production ... The risk? Chronic wasting disease, already found in two West Virginia counties, could be imported with the fallow deer, axis deer, red deer, moose, reindeer and caribou that will be trucked in to the new farms ... The hunt is on for a solution to deer problem March 2, 2014 North Dakota, Minot Daily News ... the state's deer herd is in decline ... bad weather, loss of habitat, the impact of energy development and a few seasons of heavy harvest... it seems obvious that there will be fewer licenses issued this year... Vote April 14 to save our white deer March 2, 2014 Wisconsin, Madison ... Question #35, which will be posed to citizens attending the April 14 DNR/Conservation Congress statewide public election and vote: “Would you favor legalizing the harvest of white and albino deer statewide?” ... Mike Crowley, a Boulder Junction photographer, hosts a website picturing white deer ... federal Senate Bill 1996 which has passed the House of Representatives and is poised for a vote in the Senate... opens protected national parks, BLM lands, and national forests for hunting ... Emergency deer feeding could begin this week across Northland March 2, 2014 Minnesota, Duluth News Tribune .... the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association ... is working with a grant of $170,000 from the DNR earmarked for deer feeding, hoping to reach as many deer as possible until the snow recedes. The money comes from a 50-cent surcharge on deer licenses ... Deer permit areas eligible for deer feeding must be below population goals ... Seminar speaks of whitetail ways March 1, 2014 New York, Buffalo News ... After a century of hunter and scientific studies, Ross said frankly, “We don’t know exactly where deer are and where they move.” ... excursions deer will take that often have them off on extensive but short runs out of their home range and core area... One day-long excursion had a monitored deer travel 16 miles... Shrinking deer herd costing the state March 1, 2014 Iowa, Des Moines Register ... Iowa was not the only state that reported a drop in numbers. With the drought and EHD issues the last two years, it created a perfect storm in the Midwest... Virginia confirms two more CWD deer March 1, 2014 Cumberland Times News Homepage ... Two new cases of chronic wasting disease were detected in Frederick County during the 2013 hunting season ... a 1.5-year-old buck was killed on Nov. 23, approximately 10 miles southeast of the previously reported cluster... Federal biologists will relocate endangered deer despite outcry March 1, 2014 Washington, Longview Daily News ... Despite some public objections, federal biologists have begun moving Columbian white-tailed deer from Puget Island to the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge ... The deer are native to the bottomlands of the Columbia River, and their numbers dwindled as those lands were drained and developed... Life and death in the New Hampshire woods: Deer carcass feeds coyotes and their fetal pups March 1, 2014 Union Leader ... We hear coyotes howling more frequently over the course of winter as deer weaken in the deep snow ... The deer ... tend to ascend and descend in the wooded corridors between adjacent fields and houses. Coyotes drive deer uphill into ambush positions where steep terrain slows the prey and hinders escape from pursuing hunters as other coyotes wait at the base of the ledges or bottlenecks where trails converge... Cases of CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease) continue to rise in Wisconsin March 1, 2014 Madison.com ... In CWD’s core area west of Madison ... For bucks 21/2 years and older, 24 percent had the disease, up from 8 percent in 2002 and from 22.5 percent in 2012. In females 21/2 and older, nearly 11 percent had the disease, up from 3 percent in 2002 and from 9.5 percent in 2012. In 11/2-year-old deer, the rates were 7.5 percent for bucks, up from 1.8 percent in 2002 and from 6.5 percent in 2012; and 6.5 percent for does (3 percent, 2002; 5.5 percent in 2012)... Importing deer may lead to criminal charges March 1, 2014 Arkansas, Magnolia Reporter ... The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission reminds state residents that importing deer violates both state and federal regulations ... three men and a corporation have been cited with a 13-count federal indictment...violations of the Lacey Act for importing live white-tailed deer into Mississippi... Sunday hunting expected to be signed into law March 1, 2014 Virginia, Tidewater News ... House Bill 1237, patroned by Delegate Todd Gilbert, R-Woodstock, passed the General Assembly and now is in the hands of the governor. A similar bill, Senate Bill 154, is expected to pass the General Assembly later this week. Both bills would allow for Sunday hunting of deer and wild animals only on private property... Idaho seeks middle ground on wolf control March 1, 2014 Idaho Statesman ... lawmakers and other state leaders call for cutting the wolf population— now estimated at a minimum of 650 — to about 300... the testimony of new Fish and Game Commissioner Brad Corkill. At his Jan. 15 confirmation hearing, he said: “If every wolf in Idaho disappeared, I wouldn’t have a problem with it.” ... Since August, Idaho hunters and trappers have killed 251 wolves... Idaho Fish and Game kills 23 wolves in Lolo Pass area March 1, 2014 Idaho, Missoulian ... USDA Wildlife Service agents ... have killed 23 wolves in northern Idaho in an effort to boost the number of elk in the region... It's the sixth time the agency has taken action to kill wolves in the Lolo zone in the past four years, bringing the total number of wolves killed there to 48... Idaho lawmakers in the House voted last week to direct $2 million to help kill problem wolves ... Deer farming bill passes in House unanimously February 28, 2014 West Virginia, The Register Herald ... the Captive Cervid Farming Act. If passed by the State Senate, the law would allow deer farming, which is legal in neighboring states... Farmers may raise fallow deer, red deer, axis deer, moose, reindeer and caribou, none of them native to West Virginia... Kansas sees chronic wasting disease cases February 28, 2014 News-Press Now ... five whitetail deer tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD) during the 2013-2014 hunting season. Shane Hesting, wildlife disease coordinator, said a total of 389 deer were tested statewide... Since the first CWD case in the state was found in a captive bull elk in the South Central Zone in 2001, there have been 58 whitetail deer and one mule deer that tested positive bringing the total to 60 infected... HE Johnson, JW Fischer, M Hammond, PD Dorsey… - Wildlife Society Bulletin, 2014 ... polyrope electric fences reduced deer and elk damage and presence within plots, while the repellent and winged fences did not reduce ungulate activity.... In Colorado, use of an effective exclusion technique such as polyrope electric fence could also decrease the need for lethal depredation permits and damage compensation payments, and increase satisfaction among producers and the public. Aerial vertical‐looking infrared imagery to evaluate bias of distance sampling techniques for white‐tailed deer JT Beaver, CA Harper, RE Kissell, LI Muller… - Wildlife Society Bulletin, 2014 ... Despite its higher cost (US$10,000) over spotlight surveys, we recommend aerial imaging instead of road-based ground surveys for monitoring populations of deer and discourage the continued use of non-random road-based surveys as a method for estimating white-tailed deer populations. Wisconsin Deer Project February 28, 2014 First For Wildlife ... In the first three months of life, survival of newborn fawns in the Northwoods varied substantially year-to-year, with survival ranging from 22 percent to 52 percent. Predation is the most common cause of death for fawns in the Northwoods. Predation of fawns by bears, bobcats, and coyotes have all been confirmed. In the farmland study site, fawn survival has ranged from 58 percent to 62 percent. Surprisingly, the most common cause of death for fawns in the farmland was starvation, not predation... Long winter for EUP deer February 27, 2014 Michigan, SooEveningNews.com ... deer are having a difficult time in our region moving around and finding food... Supplemental feeding, for private parties who have obtained the proper permits, has been helping in certain areas where deer gather to spend the winter season... the number of animals who fail to make it could be substantial ... Round two for deer birth control plan on Bald Head February 27, 2014 North Carolina, Port City Daily ... The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission ... permitted the operation, which allows the use of a drug called GonaCon to vaccinate the animals against reproductive abilities... the cold, rainy weather was just one challenge that resulted in the mission–said to be the first of its kind in North Carolina, after several years of talk and study–only reaching eight females, not enough for the “immunocontraception” program to be truly successful... Deer harvest numbers down in KMAland February 27, 2014 Iowa, KMAland ... Dollison tells KMA News the latest numbers show a 14% decline in deer harvest numbers statewide this past hunting season--and an even deeper drop in southwest Iowa. He says deer numbers were down 20% in the six-county area Dollison covers... Deer harvest down for 2013 February 27, 2014 Indiana, WANE ... The reported harvest of 125,635 deer by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) was about 10,600 fewer deer than the record harvest of 136,248 in 2012, a decline of 7.8 percent.... very similar to what we’re seeing in a lot of other Midwest states ... Roanoke, 2013 hunting season sets records February 27, 2014 Virginia, WDBJ7.com ... Roanoke is one of the few cities in the commonwealth that contracts out its deer culling ... paid an outside company $40,000 to kill those 210 deer... Experts say that lack of acorns drove more deer into more populated areas... Krapp honored for work by Mule Deer Foundation February 27, 2014 North Dakota, Bismark Tribune ... Ryan Krapp, Bismarck, North Dakota state chair for the Mule Deer Foundation, received the Maggie Justice Award for leadership at the group’s Western Hunting & Conservation Expo recently... active in working with private landowners to improve mule deer habitat ... DNR unlikely to act as deer face possible starvation in deep snow, frigid cold February 26, 2014 Wisconsin, Spooner Advocate ... Deep snow and severe cold has some people concerned that the state’s deer herd will starve, and while Minnesota has begun an emergency deer feeding program, Wisconsin won’t follow suit... Illinois, Wisconsin differ in culling deer to control disease February 26, 2014 Great Lakes Echo ... Researchers found no statistical differences in the CWD rates between the two states from 2003 to 2007 when both actively culled deer. However, the disease rate increased in Wisconsin in the five years after it ended culling... The study recently published in the journal “Preventive Veterinary Medicine” was done by scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign... Southold Deer Cull 'On Track' To Start This Month February 26, 2014 New York, Patch.com ... Joe Gergela, executive director of the Long Island Farm Bureau, the agency that has contracted directly with the United States Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Division for the cull, said that on the advice of legal counsel, he was not able to speak on the issue... On Tuesday night, members of the public spoke out against the cull at a Southold town board meetng... Southold, Judge shoots down attempt to stop deer cull February 26, 2014 New York, Suffolk Times ... A “type 2 action” is not subject to a full environmental review, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation. It exempted the plan from more in-depth analysis by categorizing the proposal as agricultural farm management practices. ... The Wildlife Preservation Coalition of Eastern Long Island filed the suit ... So, where are the deer in Iowa? February 26, 2014 Iowa, Des Moines Register ... Since 2003, the state has aggressively sought to reduce the deer population... “We intentionally reduced the herd. We were seeing too many accidents. But we’ve gone down too far,” said Sen. Dick Dearden, chairman of the Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee... Hunters in Missouri worry about bill to give lawmakers greater power over rule-making February 26, 2014 STLtoday.com ... The Missouri Department of Conservation, under a unique arrangement ingrained in the state constitution, decides how to manage the state’s fish, forests and wildlife... Aaron Jeffries, assistant director of the conservation department, said he was working with lawmakers to have the agency exempted from the bill... North Haven Seeks Multi-Year Deer Culling Contract February 26, 2014 New York, 27east.com ... the North Haven Village Board voted to begin negotiations, the village granted access on Monday to the minutes of its February 4 meeting after at first denying a Freedom of Information Act request... use of shotguns to kill more than 100 deer ... the village can hire a company for a cull throughout the 2.7-square-mile village without the consent of the affected property owners. “We would only need the permission of the board members,”... 1 in 4 deer in Iowa, western Dane counties has chronic wasting disease February 25, 2014 Wisconsin, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ... Chronic wasting disease continues to spread in western Dane and Iowa counties, where about 1 in 4 male adult deer is believed to have the fatal deer malady... That's more than double the figure of 2002 ... a prevalence rate of about 10% among adult females, compared with 3% to 4% in 2002... Re-examining deer densities around Minnesota February 25, 2014 Minneapolis Star Tribune ... A three-year process that began quietly last week at the Lake City High School auditorium ultimately will determine whether deer populations around the state are increased, decreased or left the same... Key to the process is the selection of a citizen advisory team for each region ... Names of the members are on the DNR’s website along with other details of the process ... Deer harvest down in Illinois, Kane County February 25, 2014 Illinois, Chicago Sun-Times ... , hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 148,569 deer during all 2013-14 seasons, compared with a total harvest of 180,811 in 2012-13... adverse weather, herd reductions to achieve management goals and, in some locations, deer mortality due to outbreaks of epizootic hemorrhagic disease,” the release states... Bronx Bambi head count as Parks set to monitor deer population February 25, 2014 New York, Bronx Times ... The planes cruise 1,000 feet above the park and use infrared radar to hone in on the deer ... The project costs Parks $19,000 ... The agency says it will use its baseline deer count to track deer population changes over time, and then use it as a resource to manage deer population... Chapel Hill, Urban archery season aimed at deer population reduction February 25, 2014 North Carolina, Daily Tar Heel ... This was the fourth urban archery season since the highly contested decision was made to institute it. The Town Council made the move to protect motorists and preserve the landscaping homeowners often pay thousands of dollars for... Saving Minnesota deer, then and now… February 24, 2014 UpNorthExplorer.com: ... For the second consecutive year our northern Minnesota deer herd is in trouble... The concept of “saving Minnesota deer,” and even the name, began right here in Grand Rapids during the incredibly harsh winter of 1968-69, in late January, to be exact, when a group of Grand Rapids hunters/conservationists/civic leaders “banged the drum” loudly on behalf of our dwindling deer herd.... [this year] Commissioner Landwehr reversed DNR’s stance against feeding ... How to Judge Winter Impact in Your Deer Woods February 24, 2014 outdoorlife.com ... If they are eating browse species down the thickness of your little finger then you have very, very, hungry deer that are getting little nutrition from their browsing ... ... digging deeper than [a foot of snow] ...could be a sign of excessive hunger... you can decide either to let this tough winter play out or fire up the saw and put some natural vegetation on the ground. But, whatever you do, do not put out corn piles or other foods they haven’t used in months... Deer Relocated To Cherokee February 24, 2014 North Carolina, WLOS ABC 13 ... Wildlife officials are moving deer from the over-populated Morrow Mountain State Park and sending them to Cherokee ... There are less deer on the reservation because of over-hunting years ago... Tribe replenishing western North Carolina deer population February 24, 2014 North Carolina, theonefeather.com · ... “The white tail population native to the Qualla Boundary, home to our tribe for centuries, has dwindled,” says Principal Chief Michell Hicks ... Like the successful elk reintroduction that took place 12 years ago, these deer represent a stock in the future of wildlife ...The deer were released into the Eastern Band’s 5,130-acre natural preserve on Cherokee tribal lands where they will be carefully tracked ... State wants to boost deer numbers, but not here February 24, 2014 Illinois, Robinson Daily News ... "The IDNR manages deer by county and state population goals, and as a result of our two-year review we're making changes for many counties. In these counties our strategy is shifting from deer herd reduction to maintaining or increasing deer populations," said IDNR Director Marc Miller... Harvest numbers were down significantly for the 2013-14 season ... Montana FWP Joins North Dakota in Mule Deer Study February 24, 2014 mt.gov Forty mule deer in Regions 6 and 7 were recently captured and fitted with GPS (global positioning system) collars as part of a larger study looking at the effects of energy development on mule deer. Last year, in light of the increasing energy development overlapping with primary mule deer range in North Dakota, the North Dakota Game and Fish initiated a 5-year research project (3-year field season) to investigate the effects of energy development on mule deer space use, survival and demographics....The study is expected to provide valuable pre-development demographic data (reproduction, survival, abundance, and distribution), resource selection data, and any avoidance information they detect from collared deer... Illinois Whitetail Alliance addresses concerns on low deer population February 24, 2014 ConnectTriStates.com ... 2013 was one the worst hunting seasons he's seen. Hunters and non-hunters reported a significant decrease in deer sightings... Davenport has associated the low population with several reasons, including too many issued permits, disease, and poor state management. [see video below] Hastings Mayor Swiderski: What to Expect During Deer Immunocontraception February 24, 2014 New York, news.hamlethub.com ... This weekend, we begin the deer immunocontraception study ... The darting professionals will wait until they have a clean shot at a still deer when the dart will hit the flank of the deer.... the professionals will tag both ears with very large and visible tags, carry out some measurements, and then inject the deer with the immunocontraceptive ... The deer will amble off with its new ear-tags and hopefully not calve new fawns in the subsequent two years... Gun Season Over, But Local Deer Hunting Lasts Through March 2 February 24, 2014 Florida, NorthEscambia.com ... Zone D’s late muzzleloading gun season runs a week longer until March 2... No dogs may be used in the pursuit of deer during this season. However, leashed dogs can be used to track a wounded deer if necessary... allowed to take deer and hogs over feeding stations on private land, but it’s illegal to do that on WMAs... Rory Kuenzi's appeal won't be heard by state Supreme Court February 24, 2014 Wisconsin, WTAQ ... Rory Kuenzi and two other men were convicted of running down deer with their snowmobiles and killing them... sentenced Kuenzi to 11 years in prison... Science, not politics, should guide DNR February 23, 2014 Iowa, Des Moines Register ... a significant decline in the whitetail deer population the last few years in central Iowa... I was shocked to learn that by executive order the governor is now calling the shots relative to deer population management in Iowa. Apparently the governor is ignoring the DNR’s recommendation to reduce the number of anterless-only licenses in certain counties.... Winter stressing NWI wildlife February 23, 2014 Indiana, NWI.com ... A thick blanket of snow on the ground practically for the entire winter in Northwest Indiana is placing the lives of deer and other forms of wildlife at risk by making it more challenging to uncover food. Local wildlife experts said the effect from one of the most brutal winters in recent memory won't be known until the snow melts or whenever springs decides to arrive... Outlook on deer situation remains bleak February 23, 2014 North Dakota, Minot Daily News ... The number of deer in the state has plunged in recent years... a few seasons of bad weather, loss of Conservation Reserve Program acres, recent record numbers of licenses issued and the energy boom in western North Dakota, and you have what NDG&F Wildlife Division Chief Randy Kreil calls a "train wreck." ... Georgia professor unloads on USDA's new CWD certification program February 23, 2014 Wisconsin, Madison.com ... “In the revised version of the CWD program, nearly all of the guidelines, all the options that were more stringent, were deleted at the request of the captive-cervid industry; and more liberal guidelines were added that greatly increase risks,” ... Professor John Fischer of the University of Georgia told the 37th meeting of the Southeast Deer Study Group ...“What’s at risk here is the health of our nation’s wildlife populations.” ... Deer hunters found prey hard to find February 23, 2014 Missouri, Columbia Daily Tribune ... during the summer of 2012 a widespread outbreak of hemorrhagic diseases killed off many deer in Missouri... gun hunters in 2012 killed the third-highest total ... Acorns were extremely scarce in 2012, so deer had to cover more ground and use open-field food sources more frequently. Hunters took advantage... the double-whammy of disease outbreaks and high hunter success in 2012, the number of deer roaming our state took a hit in 2013.... Airport deer hunt yields limited harvest February 23, 2014 Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ... Lottery applications: 2,933. Hunters chosen: 157. Total deer harvest: 11. Doe harvest: 4... archery-only ... If continued as expected, the pilot project could evolve in its second year... Deer season features cold weather, few changes February 23, 2014 Alabama, Montgomery Advertiser ... The Game Check program, which was voluntary this past season, resulted in a little more than 20,000 reports of deer harvested.... “According to the estimate from our mail surveys, and again this is just an estimate, we got 3- to 4-percent compliance ... Deer season yields some big deer, drought still a concern February 22, 2014 Texas, Tyler Morning Telegraph ... Texas’ 600,000 or so white-tailed deer hunters ... it looks like once again that between 500,000 and 600,000 deer were taken ... in South Texas where drought continues to impact the habitat... an estimated population of 3.8 million white-tailed deer before the season ... Southold sued for role in deer cull February 22, 2104 New York, Newsday ... Animal preservation and hunting groups have filed suit against the Town of Southold and its leaders in an effort to stop a federal sharpshooter deer cull program... the town board "failed to consider whether there were reasonable means to control and stabilize the deer population in the town through nonlethal methods." ... Virginia will have Sunday hunting on private lands February 22, 2014 Cumberland Times-News ... The Virginia Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would repeal the state’s ban on Sunday hunting on private property... Block Island Deer Slaughter Canceled February 22, 2014 Rhode Island, GoLocalProv ... After a meeting with the Attorney General’s office the Department of Environmental Management has backed off what they describe as a “non-recreational” deer culling operation ... one Connecticut community reported that White Buffalo is under investigation by conservation police for shooting deer without permission on private property ... Their website boasts that they have killed 9,000 deer... Deer Classic a tradition for sportsmen, modern deer management February 22, 2014 Iowa, Times-Republican ... good deer management objectives by trained professional biologists over many decades has been one of the reasons for a long run of top quality potential for trophy animals. A careful shaping of regulations to put doe and buck harvest numbers in the correct proportions for each county of Iowa is one key element of this success... State hunting license changes to take effect March 1 February 22, 2014 Michigan, The Detroit News ... all hunters will be required to have a base license ... $11 ... Licenses for other species will have to be purchased separately ... $20 for deer and $100 for wolves ... Under the old price structure ... deer licenses $15 ... Bountiful council favors non-lethal deer control February 22, 2014 Utah, Davisclipper ... This follows a short-lived effort about four years ago where about 16 deer were shot by DWR sharp-shooters ... people spoke in support of using non-lethal means ... conducting a non-lethal deer removal program using traps ... Deer are removed to a site in Tooele County... cost of removing deer averages between $400 and $1,000 ... Mortality averages about 50 percent ... Strong deer advocacy group formed & meet Miller February 22, 2014 Illinois, voices.suntimes.com ... A group of Illinois deer hunters formed the “Illinois Whitetail Alliance” to promote proactive deer management in Illinois. This group met with Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) officials and presented a plan for deer management changes on the heels of a record harvest drop during the 2013 deer season and eight consecutive years of decreased deer numbers. The proposed changes would help offset several years of overharvest from liberal seasons and bag limits, and loss of deer due to disease... |
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