Up North Journal - Deer Co-op Gathering, Doe Management, DMU Management Guidelines, Change Opening Day of Deer Season

Episode description

A deer co-op leader meeting this past weekend

1. Co-op leaders met to share ideas and have a little fun together
2. Different dynamics for co-ops in southern Michigan vs northern Michigan and non in the Upper Peninsula!
3. All seem to have landowners in their co-op that don't shoot does
4. Archery shoot for all to have a little fun
5. Long distance shot at 90 yards!
6. Took a tour of the event host's hunting property and got to see how they are managing it.

Hot dry weather is affecting our food plots and habitat.

1. No rain on recently planted food plots
2. Trees dropping leaves early and stressed out due to no rain
3. Too hot for bear hunting, one bear seen and taken at camp this week
4. An EHD case here in our home county

Doe Management, to shoot during bow season or to wait until late in gun season?

1. 1/3 rule, you need to shoot 1/3 of your doe population from year to year to maintain herd population
2. Deer typically eat about 5 pounds of food a day
3. Do you take does early so you can have more forage for the remaining deer to eat the rest of the season?
4. Do you wait to take your does late in the season to have them around to attract the bucks?
5. Shooting a doe with twin buck fawns

Michigan DNR has an interactive webpage that allows you to click on your DMU and see how they set the regulations for that particular area.

1. Shows all Michigan DMU's
2. Talks about factors that affect the deer herd in that area
3. Gives soil types and land types
4. They tell why the limits are set where they are at and what the goals are for that area
5. How many deer you typically expect to see in a day's hunt
6. How many deer taken per square mile

Should we change the date of Opening Day of Deer Season?

1. November 15th has been the opener forever
2. Change to the Saturday nearest the 15th?
3. This would give three complete weekends for gun season

Do we as outdoorsmen and women complain too much?

1. We complain about too many deer, not enough deer, baiting, not baiting, license fees too high, etc.....
2. Does our complaining simply show the passion we have for the outdoors
3. Or are we simply just grumpy and like to complain
4. Allow yourself to listen to something different and compare to others before you make a decision