• Starboard Choice Marine
  • Moore Boats
D&R Sports Center
Clear H2O Tackle

St. Joseph Co. Parks Report

St. Joseph County Parks will implement a deer management program at Bendix Woods County Park located in New Carlisle this November.

To emphasize deer population reduction, the management program will be an antlerless hunt.

Bendix Woods County Park consists of 195 acres with 27 acres dedicated as a state dedicated nature preserves, a classification given to high quality ecosystems. Review and approval for the deer management program was required by the Division of Nature Preserves of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. The district biologist for the Division of Fish and Wildlife assisted in the assessment.

MDNR Report

Whitetail DeerWhitetail Deer

Last year, nearly 7,000 deer hunters voluntarily reported their deer harvest online to help test the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ new reporting system. Starting with the fall 2022 deer seasons, online harvest reporting is required for all hunters who successfully take a deer.

Chad Stewart, the DNR’s deer, elk and moose management specialist, said there are several reasons the department is moving to online harvest reporting, but one of the most important is more precise data. 
 
“The decline in response rate to our post-season mail surveys increases the amount of uncertainty in our harvest estimates, which can lead to incorrect regulation recommendations in some locations,” Stewart said.

Brian Frawley, the DNR wildlife biologist who manages the surveys, agreed.

“Twenty years ago, 75% of recipients responded to the survey, but in recent years we have seen a response rate consistently under 40%,” Frawley said. “If we’re going to provide hunters, wildlife managers and the Michigan Natural Resources Commission with timely, accurate data, we need to change how we collect it.” 

Reporting options

Hunters will have up to 72 hours after taking a deer to report their harvest. The DNR estimates it should take about three to five minutes to complete the report, and there are two ways to do it:

MDNR Report

Michigan BuckMichigan Buck

Though Michigan’s 2021 deer hunting seasons ended in late January 2022, the Michigan DNR is continuing to accept feedback from hunters about their experiences. Hunter harvest surveys have been sent to a random sample of the state’s deer hunters. In addition, hunters can take a brief online survey. Final harvest survey results will be presented later this summer.

Initial data from Michigan’s 2021 deer hunting seasons – including chronic wasting disease testing results and deer license sales information is highlighted below:

A shift in CWD testing

The DNR has finalized its 2021 surveillance efforts for chronic wasting disease, ultimately testing just over 7,200 deer. The more targeted testing goals are part of the department’s new region-by-region strategy aimed at detecting new outbreaks rather than revisiting known ones.

IDNR Report

Deer antler shedDeer antler shed

Many take a break from the woods after the end of deer season, but for others, late winter presents a great opportunity to scout for next season or hunt for treasure.

You can do both through shed hunting. During winter, bucks lose their antlers; once an antler falls off, it’s called a “shed.” Finding these sheds can teach you where bucks are spending time during the late season and can often reveal their core area.

MDNR Report

As you’ve probably read, Michigan deer check station locations and hours and days of operation will be reduced in 2021.

This year, the DNR is beginning a five-year process of strategic, focused chronic wasting disease surveillance by testing deer heads around the state. This year, testing will occur mainly in the southernmost three tiers of Michigan counties. Over the next four years, the remainder of the state will be systematically sampled to determine if CWD is present in other areas where it has not yet been identified.

CWD testing for surveillance will continue free of charge for all deer harvested in Allegan, Barry, Branch, Calhoun, Eaton, Gratiot, southern Isabella, Hillsdale, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Joseph, Washtenaw and Wayne counties, and also from the core CWD surveillance area in the Upper Peninsula (portions of Dickinson, Menominee and Delta counties). Deer heads from these counties can be submitted at any open deer check station from now through early January. Deer harvested in Clinton, Dickinson, Ingham, Ionia, Kent and Montcalm counties can be tested for CWD for free through the DNR from Nov. 15-18 only.