The impact and significance of deer hunting season is not lost on outgoing DNRE director Rebecca Humphries. As she sees it, "Michigan is a place we put 10% of our population in the woods every year. We run a small army out into the woods and so every person in Michigan is touched by deer season. That is what is special about Michigan. It is like our holy season."
If you gave most hunters in Michigan the opportunity to ask outgoing DNRE director Rebecca Humphries a question or two, odds are the first one would be something to the effect of "is the baiting ban ever going to be lifted?" It's a question that viewers have urged me to ask her every time I have sat down for an interview with her. While imposing the ban has proved in many hunters eyes to be unpopular decision for the DNRE, it is one that Humphries has never back down from. She has repeatedly stated the importance of protecting the deer herd for the future. I asked her what it would take to lift the ban, and simply she replied, "in order for us to go back we would have to determine that it is not a threat to the health of our deer herd."
Humphries, the DNRE, and the Natural Resource Commission (NRC) right now say chronic wasting and TB are both still threats. The situation maybe compounded by the recent test results from Wisconsin. That being said, Humphries does point out the ban will be reviewed this winter to decide if it will be lifted, expanded or left unchanged. She explained "they (NRC) are going to be listening again to the experts. We are going to be reviewing out TB program yet this year, starting with the resource commission meeting, hearing form the national and international experts and then we will decide where they want to go from here."
Another hot topic for hunters recently is that of antler restrictions or quality deer management. It's a practice that has been gaining popularity with some deer camps on a voluntary basis, but one Northern Michigan county has seen, at least if you speak to hunters there, a dramatic change in the size of deer racks. So will the DNRE look to embrace QDM. Humphries says "I think there are some areas where it works very well. People are really supportive; Leelanau County is a perfect example. They have good support and people are thrilled with what they are seeing out of it."
But Humphries is quick to point out not everyone wants or needs to harvest a big racked animal. She feels those decisions are best made locally not at the statewide level, so don't expect a statewide QDM anytime soon.
As Humphries sees it "I think we need to be cognizant of the fact that people have different wishes and our regulations allow us to work with folks."
As for the challenges of funding deer check stations, whose numbers have been dramatically scaled back, Humphries admits "what we have cut back to at this point is bare bones." But she says any data collected will help the department make better decisions in the future. When it comes to that future and the deer herd, Humphries is a firm believer that the state's recently completed Deer Management Plan is positive, essentially giving more power on the local level to make decisions that impact local hunters. Humphries says "as we move close to having regional deer management advisory teams, which will allow us to get back at issues like quality deer management, harvest objectives, population objectives, and at the regional level. That is where we have always struggled when you are managing a statewide herd."
What changes would you like to see when it comes to the DNRE and the deer herd? Antler restrictions, youth hunts, length of season, doe permits? Let us know, leave a comment below.
