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BWA Newsletter - Fall 2006A Bluffland Whitetails Association quarterly publication for
Deer management changes on the horizon
by Chris Kolbert Southeast Minnesota deer hunters will soon be creating new traditions. That was the message given by Minnesota DNR Farmland Deer Biologist, Dr. Marrett Grund, at the August Board of Directors meeting for Bluffland Whitetails Association. Held at the national Pope and Young Museum in Chatfield, MN, the meeting included a discussion on deer management strategies by Dr. Grund and a summary of the work being done to help keep deer populations in check and improve the age structure of the deer herd. Grund discussed three main projects undertaken by the DNR, including population goal setting, alternative deer management, and population monitoring. Deer population goals were last set in the 1980s and 1990s. But changes in habitat, deer density, and human tolerance have caused the state to reevaluate goals by permit area for deer numbers. The process of population goal setting includes public meetings to establish new goals and has been conducted in several areas across the state. Stakeholders, including hunters, landowners, loggers, and environmentalists, are selected to participate in the program. The group discusses issues that are relevant to deer management, such as deer sightings and car/deer collisions, crop depredation, and hunter success, and makes a recommendation on the status of the population within a permit area. Recommendations are then used by the DNR when establishing whether a permit area should be lottery, managed, or intensive harvest areas. Grund, who worked with Pennsylvania Deer Biologist Gary Alt to implement strategies for increasing the age structure of the buck population, noted that alternative deer management is gaining popularity across the nation. Deer management techniques that decrease herd populations and increase age structures are now being considered here in Minnesota. Tools such as earn-a-buck, antler restrictions, and early antlerless hunts have already been tested in special hunts in Minnesota, and the DNR is further considering a prohibition on cross-tagging of bucks. Data generated in recent hunter surveys suggested that if cross-tagging were stopped, buck survival would increase by 6 to 10 percent. But Grund says that such draconian restrictions aren’t necessarily a done deal. “We would like to take the hunters along with us on this,” he says. That’s one of the reasons for the recent hunter surveys in several areas of the state, and public input meetings will be held before any new regulations are implemented. DNR officials want to know what regulations hunters would prefer, given the current management goals. In part, they got their answer from the hunter surveys; though hunters across the state did not often agree on the methods for deer management. Overall, hunters did not prefer a buck lottery or adjusting season timing. But majorities did prefer early antlerless seasons, prohibiting cross-tagging on bucks, and antler point restrictions. So what is going to happen to the deer season? At this point, no specific methods have been selected; and the studies, including special hunts and opportunities for public input, will continue. But as more changes are made, harvest patterns and herd age structure should change along the way. And somewhere in there, new traditions will be created.
A message from BWA's president...“Opening Day” is a phrase very important to Minnesota outdoors people. For Minnesota hunters, fall is the time of many hunting season openers! Opening day of Minnesota deer season is certainly the granddaddy of them all. Many times at 5 a.m. on opening day of deer season, I try to imagine all of the thousands of other hunters scurrying around in the dark like me, dressed in warm clothes, eager for that first ray of sunlight showing in the east. First light on opening morning is a magic time for most hunters, and it never fails to give me a thrill and renew my love of the sport of deer hunting. It is a good time to remind myself of the most important things about hunting; like enjoying the great outdoors, spending precious time with family and friends, and appreciating what a terrific animal the whitetail deer is. They are a huge asset to our world and are greatly enjoyed and loved by almost all Minnesota citizens, whether they are outdoors people or not. Deer have flourished in the Midwest the past few decades, despite us, so we should remember not to take our deer herd for granted and do our part of preserving the welfare of the herd for many years into the future. Marrett Grund, Minnesota DNR farmland research biologist came recently and made a presentation to BWA board of directors and visitors. Mr. Grund covered the status of Minnesota’s deer herd in relationship to population numbers. Many permit areas in zone 3 have population levels higher than DNR goals. He pointed out data showing Minnesota hunters continue to focus their harvest on the buck population, resulting in poor buck age structure and not controlling population growth since doe harvest is the key factor in population control. Minnesota deer hunters, like you and I, are the main players in the future of the well being of our Minnesota deer herd. Let’s talk about me. I am part of the problem in the managing of our herd. I started hunting many years ago (1957); harvesting many deer in my youth. In 1972, on opening morning, I harvested my last doe. I became a 3A “buck hunter!” In 1986 I decided to harvest only mature bucks. The end result is that the last twenty years I have mostly not harvested “any deer!” 2006 would be a good year for me, and others like me, to change our ways and become a part of the heritage of Minnesota hunters helping the DNR manage our priceless herd and deer hunting future. This year the hunt is on for me to harvest a fine Minnesota antlerless deer! This will be my last “President’s Letter!” My term ends in December, and it’s time for another person to step up and lead BWA in future years. The past years serving on the BWA board have been very enjoyable and rewarding. I have met a lot of great people, and I think BWA has had a positive impact on the future of Minnesota’s deer herd and deer hunting. I would like to invite any interested member to step up and serve on the board of directors and bring your new and positive input. —Jim Vagts, president
Perspectives of a Houston County board memberEditor’s Note: The last issue of the BWA Whitetail News included an article about the recent approval of a conditional- use permit for a game preserve that would allow shooting of whitetail deer for a fee. During the voting process, Houston County board member Kevin Kelleher was one of two dissenting members. Here, he explains his opposition and the process by which the permit was approved. “Houston County OKs shooting fenced deer,” the headline screamed at me. How embarrassing that any elected body would allow something as unsporting as that to happen. Well, first of all, it was a 3-2 vote, so two of us felt strongly that this was the wrong direction for the county to take. My reasons for voting in the negative were many, and I argued each. 1. This is not a hunting preserve. There is no “hunting” taking place, and we aren’t “preserving” anything either. 2. The ethics of non fair-chase shooting of any animal are not sporting in any way. The business of fenced killing is ultimately bad for the sport and will help contribute, in my view, to further efforts of animal rights groups to portray sportsmen and women as blood thirsty killers. Hunting doesn’t need any more image problems. 3. While the Department of Animal Health down played the possibility of chronic wasting disease (CWD) being an issue, I am not convinced that current testing methods are a safe guard. One case of CWD and the impact on southeast Minnesota would be devastating. If Mount Horeb in Wisconsin is an accurate example, the first effect is loss of hunters in the field. With the deer herd at record levels, it’s hard to imagine what even one year with 70 percent less hunters would do to the herd. Farm crop damage would sky rocket, and damage to the forest would be substantial. The economic impact on hotels, restaurants and gas stations would be large as well. Automobile deer collisions would increase as well as endangering our lives and increasing insurance rates. 4. The negative impacts of “hunt harvesting” of fenced deer far outweigh any potential benefits that the community or any individual may incur. So how did Houston County end up allowing the conditional use permit (CUP)? First of all, a CUP must come before the county planning commission, a group of volunteers, whose job it is to investigate zoning and planning issues on behalf of the county. They are not biologists or wildlife experts. Much of this issue was far beyond their scope of responsibility or knowledge. After a review and a public hearing, they are to recommend approval or disapproval of the CUP to the County Board. While the commission was presented a petition opposing the CUP, few neighbors attended the two hearings or the site visit. The neighbors’ concerns primarily centered on the use of rifles and the length of the “harvest,” though concerns regarding CWD were voiced as well. The planning commission clearly was not in a position to investigate hunting regulations or cervid diseases. Their job was complicated, in my opinion, by the presence of Carl Denkinger from the Minnesota Department of Animal Health. He voiced that state testing of cervid farms made CWD exposure a remote possibility. He also stated that his position was that if CWD did enter Minnesota it would most likely come from wild deer coming in from Wisconsin. Also attending was Holly Johnson, President of the Minnesota Deer Breeders Association (MDBA). She indicated that the 727 cervid farms in Minnesota posed no danger to the wild deer population and that the method of “harvesting” was inconsequential. She stated that the Minnesota Legislature “strongly supported cervid farming.” She cited the defeat of the bill banning big game hunting behind fences as proof of that support. The Houston County planning commission given these arguments passed the CUP on to the county board with a recommendation for approval with the seven stipulations listed below:
It is rare that the county board overrules the recommendation of the planning commission; however, this time I felt we had a chance. The county board took up the CUP on June 6. The same cast of characters was present, including the applicant, his son and his attorney. Mr. Denkinger again reiterated his opinion that there was no threat of CWD posed by this facility. What is interesting to me is that in all the animal feedlot issues that have come before the county board in my 16 years of service, I have never seen an employee of the Board of Animal Health come to a hearing. Mr. Denkinger’s testimony about the possibility of escape was interesting even though illogical. He did admit that he was aware of incidents of cervid escapes but told the board that the producer has 24 hours to capture the animal(s) or the DNR is then supposed to dispatch the animal. I could only imagine the possibility of first realizing an escape on 360 acres and then what it would take for the “producer” to recapture the now free deer. How the DNR would go about euthanizing the escaped deer was not discussed. Ms. Johnson of the MDBA attended the hearing as well and aggressively defended the proposal citing freedom to farm rights and property rights. Only one neighbor attended the hearing. We agreed to do a site visit the following week which three commissioners attended. I was unfortunately unable to attend, but since I live about five miles from the facility, I know the area well. Two neighbors attended the site visit as well. No new information was presented. On June 20, the county board took up the CUP for a final vote. We already had one commissioner who serves on the planning commission as a vote to approve, so they needed two more. The owner, his attorney, son and daughter had a new strategy. They indicated they were ready to give up the use of rifles. That sucked in one commissioner. Now they needed one more vote. To capture the final vote they proposed allowing only archery from July through September. There went the final vote. On a three to two roll call vote, the “farm deer harvest” facility was approved by the county board with the addition of two stipulations: Here’s the bottom line.
I believe the future of our sport is at issue here, not the future of farming. Hunters need to unite behind a hunting ethic we can explain to our children and defend a sport which is beneficial to our community. Sincerely, Kevin Kelleher
DNR releases survey resultsBluffland Whitetails Association was formed a few years ago to stimulate interest in the future management of deer among hunters, the Minnesota DNR and landowners of zone 3. The following is an excellent article written by Lou Cornicelli, DNR Big Game Coordinator, about the work he has done looking towards the future of Minnesota deer hunting and herd management. Lou has been very supportive of the goals of BWA, and it has been a pleasure working with him when looking at the future of zone 3. When you read his article, you will notice he even refers to “more and older age class bucks,” which is a very positive step. With Lou and DNR researcher Marrett Grund working on deer management issues, the future looks great for zone 3! Jim Vagts, BWA President
How to resolve that issue preoccupies the majority of my time these days. By all accounts, we’ve entered a new age of deer management. The ‘old’ days of protecting does and shooting only bucks have led to record deer populations and high satisfaction among hunters for total deer numbers. However, the downside is it’s also led to dissatisfaction with the numbers and quality of bucks in the field. So, how does an agency balance the issue of needing to manage deer populations with desires from the hunting public to see bigger bucks? Historically, agencies have employed something called an authoritative approach, where professionals told the public what was best for them. Starting in the 1970s, agency approaches to wildlife management evolved to a more interactive approach. In essence, we now take issues to the public to try and build support for program direction. Today, I would argue that a lot of what I do involves direct interaction with individuals and groups to determine how best to manage deer populations. Okay, now I’ve come full circle to the survey that I’ll discuss in this article. The current survey was designed to not only assess support for increasing both antlerless harvest and mature buck populations; it was designed to determine how best to do if needed. In October 2005, DNR mailed 6,000 surveys to Minnesota deer hunters. In total, 1,500 of those surveys went to zone 3 hunters; and for this article, I’ll concentrate on those hunters. Overall, we achieved a 58 percent response rate, and the survey has a 3 percent margin of error. In other words, if we were to do this survey 95 more times, the percentages would fall within 3 percent of what I’ll talk about today. Finally, 3A and 3B hunters were not differentiated in the sample. General results On average, southeast deer hunters have been hunting 23 years, and 89 percent hunt the same location every year. You’re also a knowledgeable group; 97 percent indicated they knew at least ‘a little’ about the deer management program, and 83 percent were satisfied with their ability to comprehend the deer regulations. With respect to deer populations, 70 percent were satisfied with the number of antlerless deer, and 66 percent were satisfied with total deer numbers. But, when we start asking about bucks, satisfaction starts to tail off. Only 45 percent and 41 percent were satisfied with the quality of bucks and number of mature bucks in the deer population, respectively. I know… tell me something I didn’t already know. I’ll get there, I promise. We also asked how hunters feel about managing for more mature bucks and what regulations hunters could support to get there. In previous surveys of deer hunters, we’ve found great support for the question “do you support regulations that would increase the number of mature bucks,” but we’ve not been able to build majority support for any regulation that would accomplish that desire. While I was hoping something definitive would fall out from this survey, I think I knew better. Unfortunately, the same general pattern developed among hunters in this survey. In total, while 69 percent of respondents (zone 3 only) wanted to see regulations that might increase mature bucks, we barely had majority support for any regulation that would get there. In total, an early antlerless season and antler point restrictions both garnered 51 percent support, but the option that surprised me most was the elimination of buck cross-tagging, which received 48 percent support. Total support for all the options is presented in the graph. So where do we go from here? There’s definitely an interest in mature bucks and the Division has a pressing need to lower deer populations. While moving away from the ‘buck season’ has lowered the percentage of antlered males in the total harvest, it has not appreciably lowered deer populations. To answer my own question, we added a new design to this survey that hopefully will give us a range of deer management options that hunters can support. Choice survey design This portion of the survey was not designed to gauge hunter support on an issue; rather, it was designed to determine a rank-ordered preference for management alternatives in response to a specific scenario. As noted previously, while most hunters would support antlerless regulations and would prefer to see more mature bucks in the deer population, there is no majority opinion on how to achieve that preference. Consequently, we developed 5 scenarios and asked hunters to rank their preferences for regulation change. The scenarios were:
For each scenario, we developed 7 choices for hunters to complete. To condense if further, we randomly gave hunters 3 of those 7 choices. When the responses came back, they were combined to calculate an average. An average close to 1 was preferred, while an average near 3 was least preferred. It is important to note that we only offered choices that were germane to the scenario. In other words, we did not offer earn-a-buck as a choice when the deer population was stable because earn-a-buck can dramatically lower deer populations. Conversely, we didn’t offer ‘move the deer season’ as a choice when we wanted to lower the deer population. Quite simply, adjusting season timing won’t lead to measurable declines in deer populations. While it may save some bucks (we can debate that another time), it would do little to increase antlerless harvest. Overall, zone 3 hunters had a definite preference for the early antlerless season and antler point restrictions. Following behind those two options were earn-a-buck, moving the deer season, and buck license lotteries. Finally, the option of moving to another location if regulations were implemented scored last in every case. That tells me that even if we choose an unpopular regulation (say buck lottery), hunters will continue to hunt the same location anyway. Of course, the point of this survey was to avoid choosing an unpopular regulation! Summary In summary, while I was disappointed that no clear pattern developed from the ‘mature buck’ questions, I do think we’ve hit on something with this survey. We are facing some real management challenges in Minnesota. We have record deer populations, high harvest rates, and increasing complaints about too many deer. I really believe we’ve exhausted the season length and bag limit options, and we need to find some other way to lower densities. Of course, lowering densities saves bucks and could increase those animals in the total population. The choice portion of the survey revealed some powerful information. If we need to lower the deer population by 25 percent, I think we can implement early antlerless seasons and antler point restrictions. Conversely, I think a buck license lottery would be an unwise choice from a management perspective. It’s loud and clear that hunters want the opportunity to shoot a buck. While you may be restricted to a type of buck (antler point), or be forced to take a doe first (earn-a-buck), you still want that buck opportunity. I have only briefly recapped this very large survey. I apologize for giving readers so many numbers, but it’s tough to explain a survey without numbers. The full report is available on the DNR website. It’s a big read, but I hope you find it interesting. I hope you all have a safe and enjoyable hunting season. This will be my daughter’s first year, and I can’t wait to get out in the deer stand.
Member profile
Tom McConnell I started squirrel hunting with friends and neighbors when I was 13 years old with a single shot Remington bolt action .22. I tagged along with my older brother trapping gophers and raccoon and this led to deer hunting and duck hunting with friends. I bagged my first deer when I was 20, with a shotgun, and started bow hunting when I was 23. Bow hunting and hunting with my boys are my main passions now. My children all got .22's for their 13th birthday and enjoy shooting targets and being outdoors. The last few years I have done more out of state hunting in Iowa, Colorado, Montana, Kansas, Missouri, and Quebec, Canada. I've gotten a lot of satisfaction from seeing my boys getting their first deer and how excited they were. My wife Shannon will be bow hunting this year for the first time. I'm looking forward to hunting with her and seeing her get her first deer. I got involved with BWA through some friends who are board members, and I believe in the concept of improving whitetail deer management strategies. I have shot does and passed up small bucks for many years, so joining BWA was a natural for me. I appreciate all the hard work that has been done by BWA members in the past and especially appreciate the organizing of the Whitewater youth hunt, the Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry(FHFH) venison donating program, and the efforts to stop shining and poaching. We are heading in the right direction, but much more work needs to be done.
Widening the door for new hunters
Ryan Bronson The competition for young people’s time might be worse than any time in history, but DNR wildlife managers are trying to make hunting licenses and regulations more versatile. In 1985, the year I turned 12 and began deer hunting, there was one firearms deer license you could buy. An individual deer license cost $15, and you had to select one season option, and then apply for a doe permit. Luckily, I drew a permit that year and was lucky enough to shoot a fawn opening morning. It made the next several deerless years a lot easier to deal with. Four years later, my younger brother diligently sat in his stand and watched as doe after doe walked by. Despite being 12 years old and on his first hunt, he had to wait for a buck since no doe permits ever arrived in the mail that year for our family. Antlers never appeared, and while he learned a great lesson in conservation and patience, my brother lost a little bit of the excitement for hunting. My how times have changed. With declining hunter numbers in some parts of the country, particularly among young people, researchers have been looking at what factors may affect a young person’s recruitment as a hunter. Researchers have identified five critical factors: access to land and game, access to gear, a mentor/teacher, social support, and a positive introductory experience. If a young person is lacking any of those factors, he/she is unlikely to become a hunter. Countless barriers to hunting participation exist. To recruit new hunters, the DNR is looking for ways to reduce barriers as much as possible. In recent years, we have made a lot of adjustments to the license requirements for young hunters to try to make the sport a little bit easier to get into. Several years ago, young people were given the automatic privilege to take an antlerless deer, even if they hunted in a lottery zone. Research indicates that the act of harvesting a first deer is very important to the recruitment process, largely because of the stage of social development pre-teens and young teens are at. Harvesting game is a high priority for them. Most kids consider themselves full-fledged hunters after they kill their first deer. It is a right of passage. Kids who consider themselves “real” hunters are more likely to keep hunting. Therefore, giving a kid a chance to shoot the first deer that come by increases the chances that they will hunt for life. That is also why a kid’s antlerless privilege isn’t transferable to other members of his/her party. We want them to shoot their own deer, not to provide an extra tag to the party. In 2003, we cut the cost of youth deer licenses in half for those under 16, and expanded that fee reduction to those under 18 in 2004. Why? Because we wanted the cost of taking kids hunting to be less of a burden. The fee cut has apparently contributed to more girls hunting deer with a gun, and an explosion in the number of youth that hunt with a bow. This past legislative session, we made one more drastic change to the youth license. Kids who buy a youth firearms license are not limited to one zone. They can hunt opening weekend in Winona, the second weekend in Warroad, and the final weekend of the zone one season in Two Harbors, all for just $14. Why did we do this? A couple of reasons. First, the growing popularity of the All-Season License has given hunters more versatility in zone options, but to bring the kids along to multiple zones can get very expensive. We don’t want the All-Season hunters leaving the kids at home. Second, because family structures are more complicated by divorce these days, kids often have options to hunt with dad, step-dad, maternal uncles, etc. For $14, they can now buy a license that allows them to hunt all those different places, even if they cross deer zone boundaries. Obviously, deer hunting is in a period of change in Minnesota. Biologists like Marrett Grund and Lou Cornicelli are revolutionizing the way we manage the herd, but they would be the first to tell you that long-term deer management success requires a stable hunting population willing and able to harvest deer within management parameters. Efforts to get more young people out hunting go hand in hand with their efforts.
Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry
With the FHFH program, a hunter can take a legally harvested deer to a participating meat processor and donate it at no cost to themselves. The meat is distributed to food shelves and food banks for needy people. It also is a useful tool in deer herd reduction. So, if you're after more time in the woods, or if you just want to do something good, buy some of those management or intensive harvest tags and shoot some does. Donation sites are Burt's Meats in Eyota (507) 545-9904 and Litscher Processing in Rushford (507) 864-7906. Due to limited funds, participants may want to call ahead. If you have any questions, or wish to make a tax deductible donation to Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry, please contact John (Jack) Peck at (507) 319-3036 or by e-mail at lnjpeck@hotmail.com.
2006 Whitewater Youth Hunt winners
Acorns
Jim Edgar Changing leaf color, frosty mornings, clear starry nights and burlap bags full of acorns in our seed cooler: all signs of fall that I like to see. Acorns in the cooler aren’t a part of fall for most folks. Since adequate seed is a critical early step in producing oak trees for the future, acorns are pretty important to a forester in southern Minnesota. Deer, a big interest for the readers of this newsletter, are also interested in acorns this time of year. I thought I’d share a few facts about acorns this fall.
We have an abundance of acorns this fall in southeast Minnesota. It is the second good year in our area for seed. (Some locations had a poor crop last year due to late spring frost.) I just shipped off a pickup load of acorns that will be tree seedlings in the spring of 2008. A couple bushels are still in the cooler waiting to be seeded into an open field reforestation project. So far it has been a good fall. The first frost this morning, clear blue sky, color beginning to show in the woods and reforestation for 2008 already underway. One of my four favorite times of year is upon us. I plan to spend some time hunting with my boys over that acorn crop for deer and squirrel. It should continue to be a good fall. Sources of information include:
Winter whitetails and ground blindsby Colin Williams Rarely do I venture far into the “how-to” category of hunting articles, unless under close supervision and direction of someone who actually knows “how-to.” Thus, this piece is something of a stretch, but bear with me. I like hunting December whitetails, OK, maybe it’s an exaggerated truth based on still having my buck tag, but let’s approach this under the veil that hunting winter whitetails is a truly unique experience. While late-season hunting has its advantages, such as less hunting pressure and concentrated deer numbers, it certainly comes with its disadvantages as well. For example, the suggested benefit of concentrated deer numbers can also lend itself challenging as well. With more eyes to notice any untimely movements, and noses to detect any swirling scent, bowhunting the grouping deer of winter can be quite vexing. I can’t recall how many times I’ve been busted as I drew my bow as a “herd” of six, eight or ten deer worked their way by a stand location, or one lone doe worked her way downwind as the bulk of the herd approached where intended. Although hunting out of tree stands is the norm, a tree with no leaf cover whatsoever does little to camouflage a two-hundred-pound mass of hunter bundled in winter clothing. Precaution must be taken as well, as slippery stands and icy tree pegs can make a descent from a stand much quicker than a hunter may have intended. Tree-stand noise is almost a guaranteed drawback of hunting from above, as each movement in the stand is followed by an unnatural noise of some kind; and after being pursued for months, late-season whitetails are very much on edge. Late December can be cold, and spending more than a couple hours sitting motionless on stand can be a daunting undertaking. I would like to paint this picture that I enjoy hunting in the backdrop of pure white snow and the quiet beauty of the winter woods as merely for its ambiance; but for this bowhunter, the obvious sign of beaten down winter trails gives this archer the advantage of not having to try and guess where the deer may be. Yes, any advantage to put myself into a position to fill my tags is welcome. Several years ago, in an effort to try and swing the odds in my favor, I adapted a new approach to hunting winter whitetails; hunting out of a ground blind. I know what you’re thinking, “That sure is some great insight, oh mighty outdoor writer guy, ground blinds have been around for years – thank you, Putz.” While questioning my tips may be wise, at least entertain my thought here anyway. I have tried hunting out of the “traditional” style ground blinds in the winter, but I have found concealment and fooling the wary senses of a whitetail difficult. Most of the blinds are developed with dark, green or fall patterns in mind. With a backdrop, consisting of predominantly white, more deer than not noticed the blind and knew something just wasn’t right. While the blind may not have scared them into the next county, deer were certainly on edge, thus creating a situation where only a risky shot, at best, could be attempted. I have found however, a white-camo pattern ground blind very effective for late-season whitetails. Whether you have a blind specifically designed for late-season hunting in the snow, as I have (http://www.luckyshuntingblinds.com), or simply make a white-camo shell for a blind you already have, you will find taking the extra effort into blending in with the snow worth it. Solid white may not be your best bet, depending upon location.
The prospect of hunting places you may not have been able to before, plus the flexibility to move in reaction to wind directions, creates other advantages. I have even experimented with setting the blind in the middle of a field, and it works for late-season muzzleloader hunting, but before deer would come in bow-range, they would notice something wasn’t quite right. Yet, for gun hunting, if you have snow to blend in, you could set the blind in the middle of a field, just be sure to not set the blind on the crest of a hill or somewhere approaching deer could silhouette the blind. Ground blind hunting does much to camouflage and comfort a late-season hunter. December hunts are an unbalanced mix of many hours of enjoying the solitude of the winter woods, and you must stay comfortable while waiting for that flurry of action and adrenaline rush. Hidden inside the blind also gives you the opportunity to bundle up with heavy clothes and gloves that would otherwise curtail any attempt at drawing and shooting your bow. As you see deer coming, you can simply remove the gloves, and, if need be, a coat to prepare for your shot. Keeping that winter wind off you also does much to both control body temperature and minimize scent distribution. You will certainly stay warmer hunting out of a blind, which will mean more time in the field and a better opportunity to hunt when late season hunting is at its best; the colder the better. While a tree stand may be your best bet in some late-season hunting situations, incorporating ground blinds concealed with a snow pattern may do much to improve your December bowhunting success. Come December, while many of you are perched precariously in a leafless oak tree, shivering and questioning your sanity, I’ll be on the ground in relative comfort, totally concealed, wishing I could see farther.
Pawlenty announces fourth annual Governor's Deer Hunting Opener in Rochester areaEvent will celebrate the tradition and economic benefits of hunting in Minnesota News Release: August 30, 2006 Saint Paul – Governor Tim Pawlenty today announced that the fourth annual Governor's Deer Hunting Opener will be held in the Rochester area on Saturday, November 4. "I look forward to the opportunity to enjoy Minnesota's great outdoors during this year’s Deer Hunting Opener," Governor Pawlenty said. "Southeastern Minnesota and the Rochester area are home to some of the finest deer and turkey hunting in the state. The Deer Hunting Opener is a great way to celebrate this Minnesota tradition, which brings families and friends together and benefits Minnesota’s economy.” This year’s event will build on the success of the past three Deer Hunting Openers, which raised thousands of dollars for habitat and conservation projects in Minnesota. The event will also give families a chance to enjoy the natural resources of Minnesota and the Rochester area. Minnesota's 475,000 deer hunters spend $240 million in retail sales every year and create nearly 5,000 jobs in Greater Minnesota, according to the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Governor Pawlenty began this new tradition in 2003. The first three Governor’s Deer Hunting Openers were held in the Brainerd Lakes area, the Grand Rapids area and the Perham area. For more information, please contact David Bergman with Explore Minnesota Tourism at 888-563-7777, or Ryan Bronson with DNR at 651-296-0776. As part of the festivities, hunt organizers are looking for up to 20 "Host Hunters" to take a media representative hunting on the opening morning of the 3A season. It is recommended that hosts go afield within an hour of Rochester, as participants will meet at a rendezvous point at 11:00 a.m. If you are interested in applying, contact BWA President, Jim Vagts at 507-772-4422.
A specialized gut
Marrett Grund, Ph.D. Have you ever noticed that a deer has a huge stomach when field-dressing a deer? A common question that I get from hunters is “Why does a deer have such a large stomach?” Actually, deer have much larger stomachs than most hunters think. A deer has a “compound stomach” in that there are four distinct parts to the entire stomach. The four parts of their stomach are referred to as the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum. The rumen The rumen is the largest stomach part and is the part most hunters think of when they refer to the “stomach” of a deer. There are a number of benefits of having a rumen. Wild animals are most vulnerable to predation when they are feeding. Typically, a deer has its head up so that it can scan for moving predators and listen for approaching animals. As successful bowhunters know very well, the best time to draw your bow is when the deer has its head down. The deer is less likely to detect a moving object when its head is down feeding on plants. A primary benefit of a rumen is that it allows a deer to quickly fill its rumen with food then regurgitate it later when the animal is in a safe environment. Therefore, the rumen acts as a survival mechanism for deer. The rumen also acts as a specialized fermentation chamber to facilitate breaking down food for the other parts of the stomach. Foods that deer eat are laden with materials called cellulose and lignin (substances included in woody plants that deer eat). Other animals cannot easily break down these materials. The rumen aids in the digestive process by mixing the food with bacteria and protozoa to break down these materials for the deer. Regurgitating and re-chewing food also facilitates the breakdown of these materials. In conclusion, the rumen allows deer to quickly eat relatively low-quality foods that other animals cannot eat. The reticulum The reticulum is next to the rumen. The reticulum provides water to the rumen so that the food can be suspended in water and moved back toward the reticulum. The reticulum is somewhat similar to the rumen in that it continues to break down food using similar processes. However, the food in the reticulum consists of smaller particles. The omasum The omasum is next to the reticulum and is the third part of the stomach. The primary function of the omasum is to absorb water and minerals from the digestion process and continue moving food to the last stomach part. The abomasum This part of the stomach resembles stomachs in other animals. The abomasum secretes enzymes (a substance to speed up the process) to further break down the food particles from the other three stomach parts. The food particles then move to the intestines, like other animals. Summary This specialized stomach system is really fascinating. Compared to other animals, this stomach is very efficient at breaking down low quality foods. The fact that deer can survive on low-quality foods is one of the primary reasons they are so adaptable in so many environments. It is also one of the reasons that high densities of deer can survive in a forest depleted of higher-quality foods. Deer may weigh less, and bucks may have smaller antlers, but this specialized stomach allows deer to survive and reproduce by switching to lower-quality foods when the deer population has consumed the more palatable food items, like acorns, in the environment. However, other wildlife species are not as fortunate and pay the price when this happens because other animals do not have complex stomachs like a deer. That is one of the primary reasons we hunters need to keep harvesting antlerless deer so that deer populations do not become so high that they negatively affect forests and other wildlife species.
Reader snapsThe following pictures are courtesy of Todd Grimes of St. Charles.
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As I sit in my office, the phone starts ringing (it does that occasionally). What’s it going to be this time? Too many deer, not enough deer, not the right type of deer? Of course, I won’t know until I pick up the receiver and answer the call …
Bluffland Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry (FHFH) is reminding hunters to help feed the hungry and reduce escalating deer numbers by donating a deer to FHFH.
These snow-blinds give you the opportunity to hunt out of the blind the same evening you set it up, which is difficult to do with ground blinds designed for fall use. Most of the deer I have harvested out of the blind have been the same evening I set it up. Most often, I try and tuck the blind in a brush pile – they just don’t seem to pick it up. White and snow pattern clothes are necessary in order to blend in, and you do have to be cautious of movement while deer can see through your shooting holes.
