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Michigan Hunters Get Special Early Doe Season
From the Jackson Citizen Patriot:
Small herds of deer grazing in soybean fields, year-round car-deer crashes and browse lines in suburban woodlands indicate hunters are not keeping pace with whitetails in southern Michigan.
The newest response by game managers is a special five-day hunt for antlerless deer Sept. 18-22. More than 20,000 doe permits are available in Jackson County.
"We have looked at this for several years because we have a tremendous deer population in southern Michigan," said Rodney Clute, Department of Natural Resources big-game specialist.
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This Michigan county has some biologists that finally have it right. I'm vacationing in the Rocky Mountains and it is obvious that there are such measures needed for the Elk and pronehorns throughout the west. Dito for my home state of Texas--whitetails are everywhere. I am not a professional biologist but as an observer, I am seeing more deer than I ever have seen throughout this state. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept. should institute a similar season as this Michigan county.
Posted by: Jon R | August 21, 2008 at 11:44 PM
me being from michigan i think that this is great, but as is up in the thume we hardly see any deer at all
Posted by: michael Hintz | August 22, 2008 at 09:25 AM
That is why in Georgia we can kill two bucks and ten doe. Huge deer population that is still growing.
Posted by: Jim R. | August 22, 2008 at 09:51 AM
I am from Michigan.What I don't understand is, we have a 3 month long bow season, two week gun season, muzzleloader season, late DOE only season, and a youth season, why do we need a early season? Who wants to shoot a doe in 80 degree weather? The better solution would be to have only one buck tag(instead of two) and make a doe maditory before you can shoot a buck. We don't need more season just some management that makes sense!
Posted by: Tim Halstead | August 22, 2008 at 10:24 AM
In suburban areas of Oakland County, Michigan deer can reach 200 or more per square mile but many of the areas are off limits to hunting because of city ordinances. Many residents have given up on their gardens. Local elected officials are opposed to even controlled culling hunts. Perhaps they are just putting on blinders and hoping the problems just go away. Tough and expensive to control the herd when their only predators are on four and, sometimes very unfortunately, two wheels.
I agree - September hunts may not be the best decision. Deer might initially be easier to hunt, but could this also make them warier earlier and perhaps drive bucks nocturnal even before bow season? Would that offset the amount of deer taken during the regular season?
Posted by: Mike | August 22, 2008 at 12:14 PM
being fromm michigan and hunting here for 20 years i think our dnr has no clue at what they are doing. this early doe season is a joke!!! we should be mandated to shoot one doe before we are issued one buck tag.
Posted by: lawrence shirk | September 18, 2008 at 07:49 PM
me from michigan again. i am just so tired of our dnr treating the hunters of this state like crap. every year our tags go up and the seasons become more and more. they make up every excuse to make another season so they came make more money. i know for a fact that there will be someone that will shoot a nice buck that just happens to be in front of them in the early season. i think the dnr should worry more about the landowners that won't allow people to hunt. these are the same people that complain about the numbers. i don't know how any hunter could shoot a mother doe knowing she could have a fawn or two that will more than likely starve to death. it is no wonder the anti-hunters are gaining on us. WE ARE OUR OWN WORST ENEMY!!!!
Posted by: lawrence shirk | September 18, 2008 at 08:04 PM
me from michigan again. i am just so tired of our dnr treating the hunters of this state like crap. every year our tags go up and the seasons become more and more. they make up every excuse to make another season so they came make more money. i know for a fact that there will be someone that will shoot a nice buck that just happens to be in front of them in the early season. i think the dnr should worry more about the landowners that won't allow people to hunt. these are the same people that complain about the numbers. i don't know how any hunter could shoot a mother doe knowing she could have a fawn or two that will more than likely starve to death. it is no wonder the anti-hunters are gaining on us. WE ARE OUR OWN WORST ENEMY!!!!
Posted by: lawrence shirk | September 18, 2008 at 08:05 PM
In Michigan it would be a smart idea for the Dnr to open up bow season 1 week early, and extend the regular season in the south for one more week. It would affford a few weekend only hunters a little more time in the feild. The early doe season only serves to orphan fawns and reduce their chances for survival. If your with an insurance company thats good for your business, if your at all ethical to any degree it is a shame to see. Just as is the norm all you need to do is look to the south of michigan , grab an indiana hunting guide and make your own comparison.
Posted by: dean | September 21, 2008 at 09:32 AM