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teamasc
Forum Admin
1127 Posts |
 Posted - 05/09/2008 : 16:42:33
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I didn't think this was going to happen, but I was wrong. Will give folks an early start at putting some meat in the freezer.
An early antlerless season was passed by the NRC this week. This was part of Wildlife Conservation Order Amendment No. 7 of 2008 (Option B). This part of the order reads as follows:
Option ”B”
The estimated deer population in the Southern Lower Peninsula (zone 3) remains above the desired population goal. Additional tools are needed to reduce this deer population. A 5 day early firearm antlerless deer season on private property beginning the third Thursday in September within zone 3 and within Alpena, Alcona, Iosco, Montmorency, Oscoda, and Presque Isle counties will provide deer hunters with additional opportunities to take antlerless deer, assist the Department with population control, and help address bovine TB.
Todd Alexander
ASC Membership Services Manager
talexander@team-asc.com
www.team-asc.com
734-552-4839
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wbaie
Junior Member
297 Posts |
Posted - 05/09/2008 : 17:18:13
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Wouldn't have this problem if more people like deer meat over that perfect set of antlers |
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JimmyC
Junior Member
126 Posts |
Posted - 05/09/2008 : 20:22:28
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I had an inkling about this based on "posturing" by the NRC I had heard about back in March/April. Overall, I am glad they kept it out of bow season and actually look forward to getting an early crack at some venison. Ought to be fun hunting in short sleeves for a change.:)
Thanks for the update, Todd.
Jim |
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frank
Average Member
690 Posts |
Posted - 05/09/2008 : 23:47:43
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I think this is a bad idea for the simple fact it will fall on the same weekend as the Youth deer hunting weekend. What will happen is the same thing that happened with the Youth waterfowl weekend wher dad's where shooting ducks saying they where Goose hunting and the kids where the ones shooting the ducks. I believe the same thing will happen during this deer season you will get some people shooting bucks early saying their kids shot them. I'm all for a early doe season but come on don't do it the same weekend that the kids are supose to be hunting.
Frank Manning
Mid Michigan/Thumb Area
LandManager
frank1968@tds.net
(810)347-5292
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brianjordan
Junior Member
101 Posts |
Posted - 05/12/2008 : 07:54:29
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Should we make sure all the property owners are ok with this? I'm guessing some won't like us out there with guns so early.
Brian Jordan
810-348-1667
jegorah@yahoo.com
*** Taking care of land is everyone's responsiblity. Please do your part to clean up litter when you see it while out scouting or hunting. *** |
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ndede
Starting Member
32 Posts |
Posted - 05/12/2008 : 17:05:52
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| small game starts sept 15, so I don't think their should be a problem. Plus I believe when we lease the land it is for all hunting seasons unless specified. But I also feel that early anterless season is a bad idea. |
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JimmyC
Junior Member
126 Posts |
Posted - 05/12/2008 : 18:12:46
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Todd,
Do you know if they changed the age for a youth to use a firearm during the "youth hunt", by chance? I had heard some discussion about lowering the age as well, but I could be wrong.
Thanks,
Jim |
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teamasc
Forum Admin
1127 Posts |
Posted - 05/13/2008 : 07:16:21
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I have not heard anything on the age lowering. There is a lot of stuff going on in the NRC right now.
As for the new season, I don't see a problem with it from any of our current landowner's perspective. If anything, most of them will probably applaud it if we use it to get the deed done.
I have had extensive experience with this in the DMU 452 region, and it did not in any way hinder the later seasons. Even on a plot of land where we killed 7 does in the same field in one night. One of the biggest bucks taken off that property in 20 yrs was seen that night and taken on the bow opener entering the field from the same exact place as that night.
As far as adults killing a buck while with the kids, not going to be a big factor. The poachers that will pull the trigger on a buck with a kid in the blind are going to do it whether we have an early antlerless season or not.
The problem all hunters need to realize (especially those that ONLY hunt bucks) is that if we don't take care of this problem others will. Right now, there is a big uproar in the TB area because every area farmer with livestock was given unlimited permits to kill deer at any hour of the day, pretty much by any means. This is happening because the farmers are being swamped with deer. Farmers are not going to lose their liveliehood because we (hunters) want to see 50 deer every time out. If we don't do a good job on our leases, the alternative may be the loss of a lease as well.
Now, I think our club does a pretty good job of taking does, based on the harvest report info. Biggest thing I think we need to get a handle on is where to take the does. We'll work on that with the harvest reports (as soon as I can get the current one done). I want to be able to point folks into areas we need more does taken, and possibly put a limit on other areas where they have been really hit hard (if the numbers support that).
Todd Alexander
ASC Membership Services Manager
talexander@team-asc.com
www.team-asc.com
734-552-4839 |
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frank
Average Member
690 Posts |
Posted - 05/14/2008 : 12:23:33
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I agree as a club we are taking our fair share of does, the only problem I can see is we are taking the "Majority" of them off the same 1,2 or 3 propertys. Of the 30(something) deer that the Members harvested last year, nearly 75% of them where taken off of 3 different property's with nearly 2/3 of them being does. This leaves me to believe that we either have 22 proeprtys that either don't have many deer on them or that them same propertys are not being hunted correctly meaning we are not takeing any does off them. I'm all for taking does (as most will contest due to the uproar I created with the antler restrictions from that hillsdale proeprty proposal) and I feel I take my share of them or more (I have only harvested 5 or 6 bucks in my life time) but I do think we need to spread the taking of the majority of does around to more than 3 propertys. I still think we should have some kind of limit as to the number of does that can be taken off of any property ( I don't think the numbers are that high on any property). I know most of the leases we currently have are Farmers and most Farmers feel the same way towards deer as I feel towards (@+$ the only good one is a DEAD one!
On another note, what is the DNR going to do with the Antlerless permits? Last year we could only get 3 perperson. Are they gonna leave it to the 3 or is that number going to raise does anyone know?
Frank Manning
Mid Michigan/Thumb Area
LandManager
frank1968@tds.net
(810)347-5292
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Plore
Junior Member
374 Posts |
Posted - 05/14/2008 : 18:49:46
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Makes sense. These 3 properties are the best ones and hold the most deer. People figure that out, want to be successful, and go to those spots. They hold the most deer so the result is whammo .. Brown it's down.
Maybe we could start to relocate some deer. We'll snare them, give them a go to sleep dart, then transport them to other units.
Paul Lorenc
734-558-3554 (cell)
Southern Michigan Land Manager |
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teamasc
Forum Admin
1127 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2008 : 08:20:03
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Frank,
That the case in Hillsdale is that most of the property is adjacent to each other. With 122 in the center (pretty much). Deer taken off it, spend time on the other property, so it is affecting all in that area. Not so on 116, but we are pulling more deer from adjacent property. One thing to remember in all these deer densities, the MDNR is reporting deer/sq mile. It may be 45 up by you, but that doesn't mean every square mile has 45, in some sections the number may be near zero, and in other two or three times that. This whole deer number thing is tough to get your mind around. It's hard to get a consensus on the number that is ideal. One thing that I do know, if we (hunters) don't do something about the numbers, they will find a way to bring them down and most hunters aren't going to like the other options.
As for the tag limits, I beleive that the limit is going to be removed in the areas that need the most deer taken. Personally, I wish they would make the antlerless permits in the lower good for all private land. Part of the reason folks concentrate on one property is if they have a tag that is good for St Clair, but not Hillsdale, they aren't going to hunt Hillsdale. They need to open it up similar to how they handle private land in ZZ for turkey. That's why I always buy the combo tag. Have never killed two bucks, but usually fill one with a doe using my bow. Gives me a little more flexibility.
Todd Alexander
ASC Membership Services Manager
talexander@team-asc.com
www.team-asc.com
734-552-4839 |
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teamasc
Forum Admin
1127 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2008 : 08:34:05
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Holy crap, I must be in sync with someone in Lansing! 
At Thursday's Natural Resource Commission meeting Bruce Levey, president of the Michigan Bow Hunters Association, recommended that there be a ZZ antlerless tag structure (the way its done for turkeys) for the southern lower rather than have to buy tags county by county. This suggestion was received favorably by the commissioners. Commissioner Brown started to push that and told Director Humphries that "it was time for the DNR to start stepping out of the box and find ways to get things done." Director Humphries immediately assigned her senior staff to get on top of creating a ZZ type antlerless license option.
The ZZ antlerless concept may require a director's order and could be acted on at the June meeting as well. There was no stated opposition to the ZZ concept.
Todd Alexander
ASC Membership Services Manager
talexander@team-asc.com
www.team-asc.com
734-552-4839 |
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brianjordan
Junior Member
101 Posts |
 Posted - 05/15/2008 : 09:31:58
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Wow... sweet ! Maybe you should run for a political office 
Brian Jordan
810-348-1667
jegorah@yahoo.com
*** Taking care of land is everyone's responsiblity. Please do your part to clean up litter when you see it while out scouting or hunting. *** |
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brianjordan
Junior Member
101 Posts |
Posted - 06/10/2008 : 07:38:07
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Question... will 104 be open for the early anterless season? It has the restriction in place for the first week of firearm season, so wasn't sure.
Thanks,
Brian Jordan
810-348-1667
jegorah@yahoo.com
*** Taking care of land is everyone's responsiblity. Please do your part to clean up litter when you see it while out scouting or hunting. *** |
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teamasc
Forum Admin
1127 Posts |
Posted - 06/11/2008 : 10:38:15
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quote:
Originally posted by brianjordan
Question... will 104 be open for the early anterless season? It has the restriction in place for the first week of firearm season, so wasn't sure.
Thanks,
Brian Jordan
810-348-1667
jegorah@yahoo.com
*** Taking care of land is everyone's responsiblity. Please do your part to clean up litter when you see it while out scouting or hunting. ***
As far as I know it will be. The first week closure is so the landowner and his father can hunt. They only gun hunt for that week. In Sept. they are busy with the harvest.
Todd Alexander
ASC Membership Services Manager
talexander@team-asc.com
www.team-asc.com
734-552-4839 |
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teamasc
Forum Admin
1127 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2008 : 10:48:38
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Pulled this off the MI-Sportsman Forums. Folks need to be careful during the early season:
Doc is correct, crossbows are not legal during the early September hunt, only firearms (including muzzleloaders) and vertical bows.
Must wear hunter orange, regardless of weapon.
Private land only, no public land hunting allowed.
Must use private land antlerless tags, bow hunters cannot use either parts of the combo tag to harvest an antlerless deer for this hunt.
Antlerless deer only.
No baiting, including mineral blocks, allowed.
Todd Alexander
ASC Membership Services Manager
talexander@team-asc.com
www.team-asc.com
734-552-4839 |
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Early Antlerless Season approved by the NRC.
