As the Oct. 1 deer archery season and the Nov. 15 firearm season approaches, local hunters will not be counting points on their bucks.
In 2013 regulations required hunters in the northern lower peninsula counties of Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Lake, Manistee, Mason, Missaukee, Osceola and Wexford to count horns for the first time during last deer hunting season. Antlered deer must have at least one antler with a minimum of three points, with each point at least 1 inch long. The process to make the change required a DNR survey of deer hunters in the proposed area, which in this case found that 69 percent of hunters approved of the regulation.
A DNR antler restriction survey has been mailed out for southern Michigan, which includes Oakland and Genesee counties that could impact the 2014 deer hunting seasons. Under the process, restriction must protect at least 50 percent of the yearling bucks, say Michigan Department of Natural Resources biologists. This ensures that restrictions impact the number of bucks likely to survive their first hunting season, leading to a herd with more, older bucks in it.
The surveys to southern Michigan hunters would have restricted to four points on one side.
However, local hunters will not have to count points before they shoot this fall.
‘There will be no change with regard to points this season (for southern Michigan),? said Russ Mason, DNR wildlife division chief. ‘There was no majority of the polled hunters in the area to change the rule right now. We surveyed hunters, not just residents of the given area. The change will not be addressed for three years moving forward.?
‘In southern Michigan there’s a cultural divide among hunters. It seems the older hunters want to hunt the more traditional way and keep rules the same,? he said. ‘The younger hunters, ages 30-40, are more in favor of the antler point restriction.?
Larger bucks are already common in southern Michigan, added Russ.
‘Consider four factors about deer in southern Michigan. First, there’s a lot more food in southern Michigan since there’s more agriculture. Second, deer feed in the edges between the forests and fields’there’s plenty in the lower counties. Third, winters are bad, but not as bad as northern Michigan. With a few exceptions, by March most of the snow is gone. And finally with lots of private land in southern Michigan’for the most part hunters are restricted.?
Russ added that southern Michigan deer population is a management of abundance.
‘Compared to northern Michigan winters, where the big factors are bobcats and coyotes,? he said. ‘Hunters should see bigger bucks in the 2014 season in northern Michigan and even more in 2015. There may not be a lot of trophy bucks next year, but more than what we had.?