Hunters Check 15,036 Deer During Antlerless Season
December 23, 2008
Weather and reduced number of counties contribute to decline.
JEFFERSON CITY— Hunters checked 15,036 deer during the Antlerless Portion of Firearms Deer Season Dec. 13 through 21. That is down by almost 23 percent from last year (19,472). High winds, very cold weather conditions and considerable ice in many of Missouri’s northern counties took a toll on this year’s antlerless harvest numbers. In addition, there were six fewer counties open during this year’s Antlerless Portion.
High counties during the 2008 Antlerless Portion were the same as in 2007. Hunters checked 527 deer in Macon County, 468 in Pike and 415 in Callaway.
When added to the harvests during the Urban Portion of Firearms Deer Season (678), the November Youth Portion (10,400), the November Portion (200,679) and the Muzzleloader Portion (10,254), the Antlerless Portion harvest brings the 2008-2009 firearms deer harvest to 237,047, down by almost nine percent from 2007 (260,162).
Missouri’s remaining 2008-2009 deer seasons are the Archery Season, which runs until Jan. 15, and a portion of the Youth Season January 3 and 4.
The Missouri Department of Conservation recorded no firearms-related hunting incidents during the Antlerless Portion of Firearms Deer Season. It recorded four during the preceding segments. Two involved self-inflicted injuries. None were fatal.
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Michigan DNR Issues Additional Antlerless Deer Licenses for Kent County
December 16, 2008
The Department of Natural Resources has increased the number of private-land antlerless deer licenses available for Kent County (Deer Management Unit 041).
Demand for antlerless deer licenses has been much higher than usual this year, in the wake of the discovery of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in a captive deer in Kent County in August. Wildlife officials believe it is important to test as many deer as possible to learn if CWD is in the wild herd in that area. It is also desirable to lower the deer population in the CWD surveillance zone to minimize spread of the disease if it is present.
CWD is an always fatal neurological disease that infects deer, elk and moose. The DNR initiated a surveillance program within Kent County as part of an effort to monitor wild deer for the existence of the disease. By making more licenses available, additional hunters will have the opportunity to continue taking deer through the remaining deer seasons. Muzzleloader season concludes Dec.21 and the archery deer season concludes Jan 1, 2009. The late, private-land, antlerless-only firearms season is open from Dec 22 - Jan. 1.
Hunters are reminded that all deer taken in the nine-township surveillance zone in Kent County must be submitted for CWD testing. Deer may be taken to the Howard Christensen Nature Center, 530 20 Mile Road, Kent City; the Rockford Sportsman’s Club, 11115 Northland Drive, NE, Rockford; or the Red Flannel Rod and Gun Club on 18 Mile Road in Cedar Springs through Jan. 9, 2009. All wild deer tested to date in 2008 have been negative for CWD.
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Hunting and Trapping Opportunities For Winter in Pennsylvania
December 11, 2008
HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe reminds hunters and trappers that they still have a mixed bag of seasons from which to choose after the statewide firearms deer season concludes on Saturday, Dec. 13. They include seasons for deer, snowshoe hare, ruffed grouse, squirrel, cottontail, pheasant, coyote, beaver and other furbearers, crows, doves and waterfowl.
The statewide late archery and flintlock muzzleloader deer seasons run concurrently from Dec. 26 to Jan. 10. Also, in Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) 2B, 5C and 5D, bowhunters can participate in additional archery season for antlerless deer from Dec. 15-23.
In addition, all hunters with WMU 2B 5C or 5D antlerless deer licenses can use any legal sporting arm to harvest antlerless deer from Dec. 15 to 23, and from Dec. 26-Jan. 24.
The small game seasons are as follows: squirrel, Dec. 15-23 and Dec. 26 to Feb. 7; ruffed grouse, Dec. 15-23 and Dec. 26 to Jan. 24; rabbit, Dec. 15-23 and Dec. 26 to Feb. 7; and snowshoe hare, Dec. 26-Jan. 1. In addition, pheasants (males and females) will be open from Dec. 15-23 and Dec. 26 to Feb. 7, in WMUs 1A, 1B, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4A, 4B, 4D, 5C and 5D.
Hunters who participate in any of these seasons must have a general hunting license, which provides Pennsylvania hunting privileges through June 30. Depending on the deer season hunters are participating in, they also must meet additional licensing and fluorescent orange requirements.
All antlerless deer taken by hunters in the late archery and special regulations area antlerless seasons must be tagged with an unused WMU-specific antlerless deer license harvest tag or a Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) antlerless deer permit harvest tag.
Flintlock muzzleloader season participants may harvest an antlerless deer with either a WMU-specific or DMAP-specific antlerless deer license/permit or general hunting license deer harvest tag. Buck hunting in the late seasons is governed by antler restrictions and limited to only bowhunters and flintlock muzzleloader hunters who possess an unused general hunting license deer harvest tag.
During the flintlock season, only single-barrel long-guns .44 caliber or larger and flintlock handguns .50 caliber or larger with a flintlock ignition system are permitted. The firearm must be an original or reproduction of a gun used prior to 1800. Peep sights and fiber-optic inserts are permitted, as well as iron, open “V” or notched sights. A flintlock ignition system consists of a hammer containing a naturally-occurring stone which is spring-propelled onto an iron or steel frizzen, which, in turn, creates sparks to ignite the gunpowder. Flintlock muzzleloader hunters may use “any single projectile” ammunition.
Hunters are reminded that firearms limitations for special regulations counties – Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia – remain in effect for the extended antlerless season in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D. Those restrictions do not apply to those portions of Beaver, Berks, Butler, Lehigh, Northampton, Washington and Westmoreland counties contained in WMUs 2B and 5C, where firearms deer hunters may choose to use a rifle, shotgun or crossbow.
Hunters using archery or muzzleloader licenses, and hunting with those special sporting arms, are not required to wear fluorescent orange clothing while afield, but are encouraged to do so where the seasons overlap with late season firearms deer hunters. Special regulations area hunters must wear 250 square inches of fluorescent orange clothing, unless they possess an archery or muzzleloader license and are hunting with a bow, flintlock or crossbow.
Those hunting in the late seasons also may take coyotes with either a general hunting license or a furtaker license, 24 hours a day, from July 1-June 30, including Sundays, as per specifics listed on page 86 of the 2008-09 Hunting and Trapping Digest. The bag limit is unlimited, and hunters may use electronic calls and can pursue coyotes without wearing fluorescent orange in most instances. Also, trappers can take an unlimited number of coyotes until Feb. 22.
Trappers also may use cable restraints for foxes and coyotes from Jan. 1 through Feb. 22. In order to participate in this season, trappers must have passed a mandatory cable restraint certification program, which was developed and implemented with the assistance of the Pennsylvania Trappers Association. For information on courses, visit the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us
) and click on the “Hunter Education” link in the right-hand column and choose the month of interest to find the nearest course.
Furbearer hunting seasons continuing through the winter months, include: red and gray foxes, until Feb. 21, including Sundays; raccoons, until Feb. 21; bobcats, for those with special permits, until Feb. 21; and skunks, opossums and weasels, until June 30 (certain restrictions apply during the spring gobbler season, so please refer to page 86 of the 2007-08 Digest).Â
Furbearer trapping seasons include: beavers, Dec. 26-March 31 (bag limits depend on WMU, which is outlined on page 86 of the 2007-08 Digest); minks and muskrats, until Jan. 11; raccoons, skunks, opossums, foxes and weasels, until Feb. 22; and bobcats, for those with special permits, until Feb. 22.Â
“Trappers seeking new locations to place sets are encouraged to contact any of the agency’s six region offices for contact information for landowners looking for relief from nuisance beavers,” Roe said. He also recommended trappers review the various “Field Officer Game Forecasts” available online (www.pgc.state.pa.us).
Crows may be hunted on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until April 5.
Dove hunters also will have late season opportunities when dove season reopens Dec. 26-Jan. 1. Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset, and the daily limit is 15.
Waterfowl hunters have plenty of hunting opportunities to pursue from December into March. Hunters can take Canada geese and white-fronted geese during the following upcoming seasons: Atlantic Population Zone, Dec. 19-Jan. 24; Southern James Bay Canada Goose Hunting Zone, Dec. 15-Jan. 28; and Resident Canada Goose Zone, from Dec. 22-Feb. 28. Statewide snow goose season runs until March 10.Â
Ducks, sea ducks, coots and mergansers may be hunted in the Lake Erie Zone until Jan. 3; in the North Zone, until Jan. 9; in the Northwest Zone Dec. 10-Jan. 9; and in the South Zone until Jan. 15.Â
For details on waterfowl bag limits in each of the zones, please consult the Pennsylvania 2008-09 Guide to Migratory Game Bird Hunting, which is available on the agency’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) in the Quick Clicks Box under “Waterfowl Brochure 2008.”
In addition to a regular Pennsylvania hunting license, persons 16 and older must have a Federal Migratory Bird and Conservation Stamp, commonly referred to as a “Duck Stamp” to hunt waterfowl. Regardless of age, hunters also must have a Pennsylvania Migratory Game Bird License to hunt waterfowl and other migratory birds, including doves, woodcock, coots, moorhens, rails and snipe. All migratory game bird hunters in the United States are required to complete a Harvest Information Program survey when they purchase a state migratory game bird license. The survey information is then forwarded to the USFWS.
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Late Muzzleloader Deer Season Opens December 20 in Maryland
December 9, 2008
Annapolis, Md. — Maryland’s muzzleloader deer season reopens on Saturday, Dec. 20. and continues through Jan. 2, 2009. An estimated 59,600 resident and 7,900 nonresident hunters enjoy pursuing deer with muzzleloaders annually. Last year, muzzleloader hunters took 7,614 deer (1,870 antlered and 5,744 antlerless) during the late season, a 10 percent increase over the previous year.
“Muzzleloader season is an integral part of managing deer numbers in Maryland,” said Wildlife and Heritage Service Deer Project Leader Brian Eyler. “Generally, the October and December seasons account for nearly 20 percent of yearly deer harvest.”
In Region A (Garrett and Allegany Counties), the total muzzleloader season bag limit is two deer, one antlered and one antlerless. On public lands, only antlered deer may be taken from Dec. 20, 2008 through Jan. 2, 2009, and either sex deer may be taken on Jan. 3, 2009. On all other lands in Region A, only antlered deer may be taken from Dec. 20 through Dec. 31, and either sex deer may be taken from Jan. 1 through Jan. 3, 2009. No more than two antlerless deer may be taken on public lands in Region A with any combination of the bow, muzzleloader and firearm bag limits.
In Region B (all counties except Garrett and Allegany), the total muzzleloader season bag limit is two antlered deer and ten antlerless deer, which may be taken during the entire two week season. Hunters in Region B are reminded they must take two antlerless deer and purchase a Bonus Antlered Deer Stamp before pursuing a second antlered deer.
Sika deer muzzleloader season runs from Dec. 20 through Jan. 3 in Caroline, Dorchester, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico and Worcester Counties. The total muzzleloader sika deer bag limit is two deer, one antlered and one antlerless.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources urges hunters to inspect any permanent and portable tree stands before using them. Harness-style safety belts should be used while climbing into or out of a tree stand, as well as while in the stand. Hunters should always exercise the fundamental commandments of firearms safety while afield.
Deer hunting provides outdoor recreation for over 68,000 Marylanders, is a vital tool in managing deer populations, and contributes more than $150 million to the state’s economy each year.
Successful Maryland deer hunters must register their deer within 24 hours of harvest by calling 1-888-800-0121 or through the Internet at www.gamecheck.dnr.state.md.us. Hunters must immediately attach a field tag to the deer’s head and record the harvest on the Maryland Big Game Harvest Record portion of their hunting license before moving the deer from the place of kill. Both forms must be completed in ink. Upon registering the deer, hunters will be given a confirmation number that is to be recorded on the Big Game Harvest Record. Detailed instructions for this registration process are located on pages 32 – 33 of the 2008-2009 Maryland Guide to Hunting & Trapping issued with each hunting license.
For bag limits, season dates, and other deer hunting information visit www.dnr.maryland.gov/huntersguide.
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Ohio’s Popular Deer-Gun Season Is Open Statewide From December 1 Through December 7
November 21, 2008
Additional weekend of gun hunting for white-tailed deer on December 20-21
COLUMBUS, OH - Ohio’s popular deer-gun season opens statewide on Monday, December 1, offering hunters a full week to harvest a whitetail. The upcoming season will again include an extra weekend of gun hunting on December 20-21, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.
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Deer can be legally hunted with a gun from one half-hour before sunrise to sunset through December 7 and during the extra designated weekend. With a pre-hunting season population estimate of 700,000 white-tailed deer, the Division of Wildlife anticipates 115,000 to 125,000 deer will be killed during the nine-day season. Approximately 400,000 hunters are expected to participate in this year’s season, including many out-of-state hunters.Â
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The white-tailed deer is the most popular game animal in Ohio, frequently pursued by generations of hunters. Ohio ranks 6th nationally in annual hunting-related sales and 4th in the number of jobs associated with the hunting-related industry. Each year, hunting has a $1.5 billion economic impact in Ohio. Hunting related retail sales in Ohio total more than $700 million.
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Venison is delicious and nutritious meat, low in fat and cholesterol. It is the number one wild game served by hunters in Ohio. Deer hunters also contribute thousands of pounds of venison to organizations that help feed less-fortunate Ohioans through special programs.Â
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Ohio is divided into three deer hunting zones. A limit of one deer may be taken in Zone A (20 counties). Hunters may take a second deer in Zone B (30 counties). A total of three deer may be harvested in eastern and southeastern Ohio’s Zone C (38 counties). Any time a hunter is allowed to take more than one deer, they must purchase an additional permit. The antlerless deer permit will be valid for deer-gun week only in Zone C. Hunters may purchase up to four antlerless deer permits to take antlerless deer within the designated urban deer zones located around Columbus, Cleveland, Akron, Youngstown, Toledo, Dayton, and Cincinnati. Antlerless deer permits must be purchased by November 30.
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Hunters may take only one antlered deer, regardless of zone, hunting method or season. Hunters can harvest no more than seven deer total during the 2008-09 season. A deer permit is required in addition to a valid Ohio hunting license.
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Hunters are encouraged to kill more does this season using the reduced-priced antlerless deer permit and donate any extra venison to organizations assisting Ohioans in need. The Division is collaborating with Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry to help pay for the processing of donated venison. Hunters who give their deer to a food bank are not required to pay the processing cost as long as the deer are taken to a participating processor and funding for the effort lasts. Counties being served by this program can be found online at www.fhfh.org
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Additional hunting regulations and maps of the state’s deer zones are contained in the 2008-2009 Ohio Hunting & Trapping Regulations. This free publication is available wherever hunting licenses are sold, online at wildohio.com or by calling 1-800-WILDLIFE.
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The Ohio Department of Natural Resources ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. For more information, visit the ODNR web site at ohiodnr.gov.
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Countdown To Deer Season in Pennsylvania Has Begun!
November 18, 2008
HARRISBURG – The state’s biggest draw for hunters is set to begin the Monday after Thanksgiving, according to Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe, when the two-week firearms deer season opens.
“When hunters begin to mobilize for the start of our traditional firearms deer season, there’s an unmistakable change that sweeps throughout Pennsylvania,” Roe said. “Fluorescent orange and camouflage clothing instantly become as common as denim. The crack of firearms being sighted in at rifle ranges can be heard in the distance. Cars are parked on the shoulders of roads that bisect or border most forested areas, as hunters scout for deer sign and look for the perfect stand locations. Newspapers advertise hunter breakfasts and write stories about mom-and-pop butcher shops that process deer for hunters.
“Deer season has a dramatic effect on the Commonwealth. It provides recreation to hundreds of thousands of hunters, and for those who take a deer, dozens of meals of tasty venison. It also provides an economic surge that local businesses and national chain stores count on annually. Hunters buy everything from clothing and equipment, to fuel and food. Their economic impact is substantial.
“Deer season also is an important tool that the Game Commission has used for more than a century to manage Pennsylvania’s whitetails. The efforts of hunters are far-reaching, and they help to keep deer populations at levels to meet deer management goals.”
The Game Commission manages deer for a healthy and productive deer herd that provides recreational opportunities within acceptable ecological impacts and human conflicts. It’s a never-ending job, and one that will always be influenced by Pennsylvania’s changing landscape and the varying viewpoints of its residents. But, the agency is committed to providing sound deer management.
One of the biggest changes in deer season this year is the new five-day, antlered deer-only season in Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) 2D, 2G, 3C and 4B. It starts the Monday after Thanksgiving and concludes Dec. 5. It is followed immediately in these four WMUs by seven days of concurrent, antlered and antlerless deer hunting beginning Dec. 6 and continuing through Dec.13. The rest of the state follows the two-week concurrent, antlered and antlerless season – Dec. 1-13 – that has been in place since 2001.
The changes to these four WMUs will pave the way for the Game Commission to investigate the relationship between antlerless allocations and season length. These WMUs were chosen because: WMUs 2G and 4B have ongoing deer research in them; WMU 2D is an area where antler restrictions are set at four points on one side, and is where the agency previously had deer research conducted; and WMU 3C is an area where antler restrictions are set at three points on one side, and is a physiographic area of the state where no extensive deer research has been conducted so far.
The Game Commission will use a four-year study to determine the impact and effectiveness of the proposed five-day antlered/seven-day concurrent season before additional WMUs may be considered for this season configuration. It also will assess hunter satisfaction with the modified season structure in the four WMUs.
Hunters must wear 250 square inches of fluorescent orange material on the head, chest and back combined at all times while afield durin
g the seasons. They also are advised that it’s illegal to hunt, chase or disturb deer with a firearm within 150 yards of any occupied building without the occupant’s permission.
All hunters who take a deer must fill out their harvest tag and attach it to the deer’s ear before moving the carcass. The tag can be secured to the base of the ear with a string drawn very tightly, if the hunter plans to have the deer mounted. Cutting a slit in the ear to attach the tag will require additional work by a taxidermist.
A harvest report card – which is provided with every license sold - must be mailed to the Game Commission within 10 days after taking the deer. Hunters who lose or misplace a deer harvest report card are urged to use or copy the big game harvest report card found on page 33 of the 2008-09 Pennsylvania Hunting and Trapping Digest, which also is provided to all license-buyers.
Deer hunters with an unused bear license also are reminded they may take a bear in the state’s extended black bear season. The extended bear season will be held in WMU 3C, and portions of 3B and 2G, from Dec. 1-6. In WMUs 4C, 4D and 4E, the extended season will run Dec. 3-6. Bear licenses must be purchased prior to Dec. 1 to participate in these hunts.