Deer hunting season reaches final stretch

Skittish doe checked out the dangers in a vacant corn field last week. STATEWIDE — Hunters still have nine days left in the 2009-10 deer hunting season with the opening of the late anterless-only segment on Dec. 21 on private land only throughout much of southern Michigan and the six-county tuberculosis zones in northeastern Michigan. The segment runs through Jan. 1, as does the remainder of the archery deer hunting segment. Crossbows are still legal to use in any firearm segment of deer season. Crossbow laws changed this year for hunters that met the requirements and in previous years were restricted to hunters with disabilities.

A late season is typically put into place in areas in the state where the whitetail deer population remains at what the Dept. of Natural Resources calls significantly above management goals or where disease concerns warrant exceptional management measures.

Hunters that still possess and have not filled their valid antlerless licenses can use firearms, crossbows or archery equipment during the last segment.

"We believe the late antlerless deer season presents an excellent opportunity for families to get together and hunt deer during the holiday season," said Brent Rudolph, the DNR's deer program leader. "At the same time, this late season offers hunters the chance to meet their management goals for their property and fill any unused antlerless tags they may have in their pockets."

The state’s management goals take into consideration the overall health of the deer herd, their habitat in the specific Deer Mangement Units, the threats of disease like in the TB and chronic wasting disease quarantine areas and much more.

“Specific to the region, all open areas for the late antlerless hunt are over goal because of population,” Rudolph added. “Potentially we want to take more anterless deer out of the population and each DMU may be more or less over goal.”

Rudolph reminds readers of the preliminary firearm estimates that were released at the beginning of the month

“In our preliminary estimate all indications showed that the deer harvest compared to last year was down in all regions,” Rudolph added. “We kind of expected that in the Upper Peninsula in particular because of harsh weather and the drop in population. In southern Michigan it was because of warm weather and the corn coming down so late. With the fewer number of hunters that took advantage of hunting because of the conditions, this last segment should offer some real good opportunities for folks. TIming-wise, we have the holiday season, kids are back from college and this all provides some great opportunities for everyone to see more deer and potentially help thin out the antlerless deer that are in abundance.”

Rudolph is right about one thing. With the corn finally harvested the deer have fewer places to hide and are revealing a heavy doe and yearling population that enjoyed that corn cover in and around our office area in Lapeer County. They’re skittish now because once they venture out of the woods and forage for the corn left by the harvest process, they now have vast acreages they have to cross safely from bedding to feed areas.

Rudolph encourages and reminds all hunters that the open units are PRIVATE land only and some have restricted boundaries. He suggests checking specific units online at www.michigan.gov.dnr or in the 2009 Hunting and Trapping Guide.

OUTDOORS

THRU JAN. 1, 2010
Archery deer hunting season. Statewide.
THRU JAN. 1, 2010
Late anterless deer hunting season. PRIVATE
land only, can use bows and arrows
or firearms. For specific zones, check at
www.michigan.gov/dnr. Ends Jan. 1, 2010.
FRIDAY, Jan. 2, 2010
Waterfowl season opens in southern
Michigan. Includes duck seasons and late
Canada goose in the South Zone, excluding
selected Goose Management Units.
Duck season closes Jan. 3, goose season
runs through Jan. 31.
THRU MARCH 1
Squirrel hunting season.