By Louie Stout

An Indiana deer hunting group is organizing a county-by-county pilot program aimed at gathering more public input for future deer management decisions.

The group – Indiana White-tailed Deer Herd Management (IWDHM) – is putting together county deer advisory councils, or CDACs, throughout Indiana.

The pilot program is modeled after one that has been highly successful in Wisconsin. In fact, the Wisconsin DNR routinely builds its deer quotas around each county council’s recommendations.

Unfortunately, there are no meetings planned for St. Joseph or nearby counties, but IWDHM President Matt Barton says they’d like to get one in every county of northern Indiana.

“We’re just getting started but it’s taking off fast,” he said. “Our ultimate goal is to give counties’ hunters and stakeholders a voice in how the deer are managed in their county.”

Presently, the Indiana DNR bases its county deer management quotas on harvest numbers, crop damage and deer/car collision reports.

Local groups have little say in those quotas.

Even though the deer hunters’ group is setting up the pilot program, Barton insists it is not just a deer hunter’s program. In fact, CDACs are expected to include representation from agriculture, forestry, local government, tourism, transportation, non-consumptive users, and a disease monitoring organization.

Once organized, the council will gather public input from stakeholders and the public on antlerless quotas for that county and offer its recommendation with the DNR.

“All it takes is three hunters to come forward to help set up the council in their respective counties,” Barton said. “It’s important to add others like agricultural, tourism, local government and non-consumptive users who have an interest in deer populations to help formulate a well-rounded council to represent your county.”

The DNR has agreed to provide the CDACs with information the agency already collects on an annual basis, including harvest data, crop depredation damage, forest damage, and deer-vehicle collision statistics.

Once the council gathers public input, it will provide the DNR specific antlerless quota recommendations for that county on an annual basis. Deer population recommendations would be sent to the DNR every three years.

Barton said the IWDHM will provide direction and assist in setting up the council, but has no say in county findings.

Newly formed councils already have set meetings in Wabash, Kokomo, Huntington, and Noblesville.

For information on the CDAC program and how to set up a council in your county, visit the IWDHM website at www.iwdhm.com or the Indiana Whitetail Deer Herd Management Facebook page.