GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — Why is the Michigan Department of Natural Resources seeking recommendations for deer management?
Is it the decline in the number of deer hunters?
"Within a 20-plus year period, we'll, we will have lost almost a quarter million deer hunters in Michigan," said DNR Wildlife Biologist Chad Stewart.
The spread of diseases?
"The potential spread of bovine tuberculosis not only within the deer herd with but within our agricultural community, the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease is obviously a concern," said Stewart.
Increasing deer populations within Michigan's urban communities?
"If we have a lot more deer, the likelihood of hitting a deer with your car goes up considerably," said Stewart.
Stewart said those reasons, and more, are why two appointed groups will be looking to forward recommendations to the state about safely managing the deer population.
According to Stewart, the population continues to grow at a fast rate.
"I think the bigger challenge is trying to understand how to manage a growing deer herd with fewer hunters than we've ever had before," said Stewart. "So that's going to be I think a major part of our discussion is what is this new normal look like with fewer hunters on our landscape?"
If a decreasing number of hunters is driving a larger deer population, why are fewer getting into the sport?
We asked Safari Club International's Michigan Chapter President Mike Kwast.
"The harder you make it to hunt, meaning the more expensive it is, the more difficult it is to either get a license, or to get a to get a firearm or a bow, the more limits there are on where you can do those things," said Kwast.
Kwast has been hunting since he was a kid.
"We need to keep the numbers in check, or they get too many and you get too many car accidents, you start having other problems. So if we can keep the herd numbers in a good spot, you know hunters can get out in the woods be successful."
Deer management is important for not only hunters, but for all aspects of a growing state.
"That's why it's regulated hunting," said Kwast. "It's not just people out there shooting whatever and how many of whatever they want. It's very regulated by our government so that things are in check. And we have biologists who are watching those things to make sure everything's right."
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