News/Info- 2000-02

Table of Contents (click to jump to topic)

2001 DMU 452 BAITING REGULATIONS
        2001 Map of 452 and TB Checkstations*
TB DATA (ALCONA Co.) ALL YEARS
        TB DATA MAP
TB Info
Summer 2001 Newsletter- (By-laws, ethics, dues, meetings)
        Summer 2001 Newsletter (Microsoft Word Doc)
2001
CONSOLIDATED- Quarterly newsletter of the CHLHA
       Winter 2001 Newsletter 
                 Winter 2001 Newsletter (Microsoft Word Doc)
2000 Annual Meeting QDM Presentation
        2000 Annual Meeting QDM Presentation (Powerpoint file)
DNR Harvest Report, 1999
Bear Application Changes
Scrape Hunting for Mature Bucks
DNR Grants
BY-LAWS of the CHLHA

*Some of these documents require Adobe Acrobat Reader a FREE upgrade for your browser found here: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html

DMU 452 Baiting Regulations

Recent observations of the Natural Resources Commission members visiting private lands within Deer Management Unit (DMU) 452 and discussions with the landowners and property managers lead commissioners to believe that the deer harvest by bow hunters within DMU 452 has declined dramatically due to reduced bow hunter participation and reduced bow hunter effectiveness associated with the prohibition of baiting as a hunting method.

Map of DMU 452 and a listing of local check stations*

Since this is a core area in our bovine tuberculosis (TB) eradication efforts, this reduced bow hunter deer harvest may reduce the effectiveness of our efforts to eradicate bovine TB from our deer herd and prevent its transmission back to cattle. At the Natural Resources Commission meeting on September 14, 2001, the Commission directed the Department of Natural Resources to prepare an Interim Order of the Commission to amend the baiting regulations within DMU 452.


1. Baiting of deer within DMU 452 will be allowed from October 1 to November 30, 2001.

2. Hunters may only use one gallon of grain or shelled corn per day per hunting site, which
must be spread, on the ground in a 10' X 10' area. Mechanical spin cast feeders which
meet these requirements are allowed.

3. All deer harvested in DMU 452 during the above dates must be submitted to the DNR for
testing within 5 days of harvest.

A complete listing of Deer Check Stations is available at DNR License Agents and on the web at this link: http://www.michigandnr.com/SubPage.asp?sec=hunt. When you have your deer checked you will receive the 2001 Deer Management Cooperator patch.

Sincerely,

Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

P.S. You will need to have Adobe Reader to view the map, which can be downloaded for free at this link: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html

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TB Deer Data - ALCONA Co. -
ALL YEARS to CURRENT

First the deer results, followed by the carnivore results:

County-TBStatus-Year-Number of Deer
Alcona-Negative-1995-12
Alcona-Negative-1996-1123
Alcona-Negative-1997-950
Alcona-Negative-1998-2217
Alcona-Negative-1999-1815
Alcona-Negative-2000-1547
Alcona-Negative-2001-18 (ongoing)
Alcona-Positive-1975-1
Alcona-Positive-1995-1
Alcona-Positive-1996-14
Alcona-Positive-1997-28
Alcona-Positive-1998-32
Alcona-Positive-1999-26
Alcona-Positive-2000-25
Alcona-Positive-2001-0 (ongoing)

County-Species-TBStatus-Year-Number of Animals
Alcona-badger-negative-2
Alcona-black bear-negative-23
Alcona-bobcat-negative-3
Alcona-coyote-negative-77
Alcona-feral cat-negative-1
Alcona-feral dog-negative-1
Alcona-opossum-negative-21
Alcona-otter-negative-3
Alcona-porcupine-negative-1
Alcona-raccoon-negative-17
Alcona-skunk-negative-4
Alcona-black bear-positive-3
Alcona-coyote-positive-4
Alcona-opossum-positive-1

I have attached a MAP of the all the positive deer from all years in
Alcona Co. Some deer are under others in the picture, but it gives you an idea
of where the positives were taken.

Jean S. Fierke
Laboratory Scientist
Wildlife Bureau
Rose Lake Wildlife Disease Lab
8562 E. Stoll Rd.
East Lansing, MI 48823
Tx: 517-373-9358
Fx: 517-641-6022
Email: fierkej@state.mi.us

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TB Checks

Please remember to take your deer to a deer check station to test for TB in our CHLHA herd. This is very important for the welfare of yourself and monitoring our harvest.The closest location to the camps is at the BP gas station on the corner of M65 and M72 W. a few miles north of the M72 E. blinking light. Here is a link for the results of your test: http://www.bovinetb.com/negdeer.asp. For a list of all the check stations in MI check this link: http://www.midnr.com/pdfs/hunting/deer_2001deerchk.pdf* and also be aware most weigh stations on the south bound I-75 corridor have been converted to check stations. If your deer or club has been positive for TB please inform the rest of the CHLHA in the discussion.

For the MI TB site check out http://www.bovinetb.com

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CONSOLIDATED
Official publication of C.H.L. Hunting Associates, Inc. Hubbard Lake, Michigan Fall 2000 Vol. I, No 1

2000 Notes of Interest

Consolidated Newsletter- This is the first issue of a quarterly newsletter that will be distributed to all CHL members. You may "Subscribe" to receive this newsletter and other mailings via Email from the main page.

Your comments and input are welcome.
Please contact: Consolidated Editor
Kevin D. Clark
9435 Cherry Bend Rd.
Traverse City, MI 49684
(231) 947-6612

Gate Passes - same as last year - only $10.00 each. Pat Dean will be manning the gate again this year. The gates will be closed on Nov. 26th. Gate keys will only be $10 starting Jan. 1, 2001.

Hunters Ponder the Great Bait Debate

In most states the baiting of deer for hunting purposes is illegal and is viewed as unethical. But in those states where it is legal, a debate rages over its effectiveness and ethics. Michigan, with its 800,000 hunters, may be the hot spot of the debate. Hunting whitetails over bait piles is a widespread and controversial subject, with the state's Department of Natural Resources merely an interested bystander. "It's not a biological issue. It's not a safety issue. It's a social issue that the government has no business regulating," said a DNR spokesman from Lansing. One side sees baiting as an unfair advantage (like snagging spawning salmon) and a tactic that is legal in a few Great Lakes states, but is fading fast. Others see baiting as providing better shot selection (fewer wounded animals); as providing an expedient means of hunting for those with little leisure time. They also see it as an aid in managing the deer population. "To my way of thinking," said Dave Richey, longtime outdoors writer at the Detroit News, "with baiting we've lost the hunting urge. It's been replaced by the urge to kill. Baiting offers very little hunting in the truest sense." But it is big business. Unlike states like Wisconsin, where bait piles are limited to a few square feet, Michigan's piles are unlimited. Richey surveyed a typical bait dealer ($60 per ton for sugar beets, $50 per ton for carrots) in 1993. The dealer filled 248 orders (ranging from 1 to 5 tons per order) on the day prior to the season. The pro-bait sportsmen argue that improved positioning of the hunter over bait and the high harvest of does and immature deer (big bucks don't generally come to bait piles) are strong arguments for baiting. They point out that bait piles provide supplementary food sources for the animals. Opponents of baiting say it fails to teach hunting. They say baiting turns deer nocturnal and changes patterns, makes poaching easier, and generally cheapens the sport. They point out jurisdictional problems people hunting pathways to and from bait piles that someone else has paid for and labored to put in place. They say deer become accustomed to human scent and are thus not as wary. They also point out the "garbage" problem represented by large piles of rotting vegetables and that the practice is fuel for anti-hunting sentiment. "In some circles it's seen as an unfair advantage," Richey said. "Bait hunters need to question themselves about `sporting chance' - could I be as successful if I hunted differently." "Driving is a much more effective method than baiting;" said a DNR spokesman. "Hunting scrapes was shown to be more effective than baiting. Baiting wasn't much of an issue until the mid-1970s, but it took off when we legalized tree stands for archers (1975). Most gun hunters at the time didn't realize that baiting was legal for them." DNR studies found no biological consequence to baiting. Deer are very selective eaters and bait piles didn't skew their nutritional intake as some anti-baiters predicted. Nor did the concentrations of deer caused by baiting lead to any disease problems. The studies also found that while a deer will wander slightly off its traditional migration path to go to a bait pile, it will not stay long and won't wander more than a half-mile off the path before returning. A Michigan survey of hunters in 1987 showed opinion on baiting divided evenly - one-third supported baiting, one-third was against, and the other third had no opinion. In 1991 the same survey questions showed 41 percent approved of baiting, 24 percent disapproved and 35 percent didn't care. Greg Gutschow, a spokesman for the 600,000member Minnesota-based North American Hunting Club, noted that the club supports all legal means of hunting, recognizing the necessity that wildlife must be managed by different means in different areas. But Gutschow also noted that baiting with vegetables is not the same as using scents or rattling to attract deer. Baiting is not natural, he contends, while the other means are. "And we can't say that baiting is the same as hunting over agricultural fields or food plots," Gutschow said in an address to the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers. "They are much larger and the hunter can never be sure where the deer is going to come out, while a concentrated bait pile can be covered from all angles very easily." And the Great Bait Debate rages on.

Quality Deer Management- from the Whitetail News

Over the last several years I've had many people approach me and ask, "I believe in the Quality Deer Management concept, but how do I sell it to my neighbors?" Of all aspects of QDM this may well be the most difficult to accomplish: There is no "best" way to do it, though there are certainly some "don'ts."

HARD-SELL CONCEPT- The hard-sell approach, in most instances, would constitute a "don't." An example of hard sell would be approaching someone and saying, "We've started quality deer management on our property and want you to try it. It's easy to do. First, you'll need to have your hunters stop shooting small bucks. If your hunters don't like the program ask them to leave. It's also important that you plant some food plots so the deer will have adequate food. You'll also need to get your hunters to kill more does than you have in the past. Doing this will be tough at first but it's the only way to see the program work. Can we count on you to go along with us?" This approach is not the way to make friends and influence neighbors. For the most part, American's hate having someone tell them what to do, especially if they are told how to use their property. Such an approach to selling the QDM concept will only alienate your neighbors.

SOFT SELL CONCEPT- The adage "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink" certainly applies to QDM. Forcing QDM on your neighbors will seldom work. Let me provide an example of what I mean. This past year there's been a growing movement in southeastern New York to legislate for quality deer management on a county-wide basis. The public meetings to sell the concept have been met with mixed feelings (often very emotional) and in a few cases the gatherings turned ugly. If anything was learned from the meetings it was that using force through legislation, particularly when it comes to QDM, is not the way to go. I'm a firm believer that QDM should be started on a personal level. This means that before approaching the neighbors you do it on your own land first. Granted the process is slower, but it gives bordering landowners a chance to see a change in the deer herd with their own eyes. In my own case I practiced QDM on our 200 acres for three years before ever mentioning to my neighbors what I was doing. Was it frustrating doing it this way? You bet, but I knew if I tried to force the concept on some of my neighbors they'd reject it in a heartbeat. So, I plodded along, having a few successes, waiting for the right time to approach those living around me. My feeling was that once they began seeing better deer around they'd get an idea something was happening. One of my first chances to share my ideas about QDM came when a neighbor killed a huge buck on his farm, which bordered our property. The buck had spent a lot of time on our property and I'd hunted him hard for two years, trying to get him in my sights. Though he eluded me, the buck proved to be the opener I needed to share the QDM concept. Needless to say the big buck drew quite a crowd. As several people gathered around looking at the buck, a conversation ensued concerning what it took to grow such an animal. One thing led to another and before I realized it I had the chance to share some of the buck's personal history, along with what I was doing on our property. Some standing there on that cold December day said, "I don't think your ideas will ever work here." However, I could tell that a couple guys left thinking about both the buck and what I had shared relative to what it would take to see bigger-racked bucks in our area. In time these individuals called me asking for more information. Before the following season began I was able to get the two to refrain from killing small bucks on their property. It wasn't much of a start but it was a beginning. The whole process evolved because these individuals saw the results, heard an unforced presentation, and felt like it was something they'd like to try.

THE TEAM APPROACH- It wasn't long before I became aware that two other landowners in our area were also practicing their own style of QDM. The movement had begun. One night I received a phone call from one of the individuals: "Charlie, do you think there is any chance we could share the QDM concept with the public? Based on what I'm hearing I think the time is right." "What do you have in mind?" I asked. "Well, maybe we could hold a public meeting at the school or a local municipal building and have you give a slide presentation on what you are doing and what's being done around the country concerning QDM." I responded by saying, "Why don't you contact a few of the others and we'll have a meeting at my house to see how we should do it." From this conversation a meeting was formed and the handful of guys that showed up organized a public meeting. That night we "passed the hat" so we'd have enough money to take out an ad in the local newspaper to publicize the meeting. When the date rolled around we were more than surprised to find an overflow crowd. Some came to make sure we weren't trying to shove something down their throats. But most came because they were interested in hearing what Quality Deer Management was all about. The first few minutes of the Q&A were spent convincing some in attendance that we weren't working for the state and that our purpose was not to force QDM on anyone. Rather, our purpose was to show how our local deer herd could be improved. After the crowd realized we didn't have an agenda, meaningful questions about the nuts and bolts of QDM were discussed. The meeting was a huge success and the newspaper coverage we received kept our phones ringing for several days. From the calls it became obvious that a lot of people felt as we did - that having a quality deer herd, rather than a quantity deer herd, was the way to go.

OSMOSIS OF A MOVEMENT After the first public meeting, several of the organizers got together and decided to form a local county wide quality deer management group. We felt that the purpose of the group was to disseminate information to the public on QDM benefits. We also felt it would be a way to keep interest in the concept. We didn't want to see the fire die once the interest was there. We decided to hold an "Antler Round-up" each January to showcase the kinds of bucks being harvested in our county with an emphasis on what QDM lands were producing. The antler round-up has proved to be a success. It gives people a chance to get out on a cold winter's night, see what was taken during the past season, hear how they can implement QDM, and light their fire for the upcoming season. With growing frequency our group has been asked to speak (often in someone's kitchen) to local landowners on how QDM can be accomplished in a certain area. In all cases our approach is low key and non-threatening. We don't preach, just lay out how it can be done and what can be expected. We cover everything from restraint on killing younger bucks to food-plot/food-source management. Through what can best be described as osmosis, QDM in our area has taken on a life of its own.

THE FUTURE- Even a good concept cannot sell itself. QDM isn't a silver bullet and it doesn't just happen. It takes sound concepts and people willing to implement them. But first and foremost it takes sales skills to get the message across. The beauty is that it doesn't take a college grad to get the word out, only a little common sense. Forcing the issue won't cut it with deer hunters. No, as Steuben County's QDM group knows so well, success comes from first doing then sharing with one person at a time. This is how to sell QDM. The bottom line is that QDM is a marvelous management concept whose time has come. But its future depends on how well it's sold. Charlews Alsheimer - the Whitetail News Food plots make more sense than baiting deer The planting of food plots to attract and hold deer in a particular area has long been an accepted practice in the south where deer otherwise hole up in thick swamps or thickets. Southern food plots were traditionally planted with wheat, rye or oats to attract deer. In 1988 the Whitetail Institute of North America introduced a specialty blend of clover that could be planted in a food plot to not only attract deer but also improve the herd through better nutrition, which results in more healthy deer and larger antlers. The idea only recent began spreading in northern regions of the country. Realizing this, the Whitetail Institute designed different blends of its Imperial Whitetail Clover to suit the various growing seasons, soils and weather in specific areas of the country. So what is the difference between hunting over a food plot and hunting over a bait pile? Plenty. A food plot, particularly one planted with a specialty clover blend, provides nutrition for the deer throughout the 200-day antler-building cycle from spring through fall as well as during the does' gestation and nursing season. A pile of carrots or sugar beets put out during the hunting season is like a birthday cake - a good-tasting, low-nutrition attractant that serves only a very short-term goal. The food plots are still producing nutrition long after the leftover bait has rotted alongside the woodland trail. For example, Imperial Clover provides 30-35 percent protein all year. This is especially critical during the 200 days of antler development. Research has shown that when a buck is provided higher protein levels during antler development his antlers will improve in size. Certainly a good food plot does attract deer. In fact, it may draw deer from neighboring areas. Food plots not only hold deer better year-round, but they also tend to spread deer out more than bait piles so diseases are not spread as easily. Food plots tend to concentrate deer, critics say. Well, that's where management comes in. Deer concentrated in a specific spot by food plots can be evaluated and the less-essential animals may be culled. Being able to observe the herd readily rather than sitting on a stump waiting for something to stride by, is an obvious advantage to good management. Hunting over food plots is ethically and aesthetically no different than hunting over a bait pile? When hunting over a food plot, the hunter can never be sure exactly where the animals will enter the field. Hunting over a bait pile allows the hunter to know exactly where the animal will be. Food plots not only make more sense from a nutritional, trophy and management standpoint, they also eliminate the controversial aspect of hunting over bait piles.

LAWSUIT FILED OVER BAITING BAN

Alpena, Mich. - While some hunters complained about the state's handling of the deer baiting and feeding ban in DMU 452 (the TB zone), Citizens Against the Political Eradication of Deer (CAPED) is doing something about it. The grass-roots conservation organization based in Alcona County has filed a lawsuit in the Ingham County 30th Circuit Court against the state of Michigan and the DNR in an effort to have the baiting and feeding ban overturned. "We feel that the DNR is abusing its authority and not using sound scientific management as Proposal G calls for," said Tom Stojsik, one of the founders of CAPED and one of four plaintiffs in the suit. "We've lost our choice as citizens and we're losing our freedom more and more every day." The basis of the suit stems from a claim by Stojsik that he has scientific documentation from the state that shows that spreading deer and elk feed does not increase the risk of spreading tuberculosis any more than a food plot does. He alleges that the information he possesses was removed from a report presented to the state Legislature while it was considering Amendment No. 9 of the Wildlife Conservation Order earlier this year. Amendment No. 9 provides for an outright ban on baiting and feeding in any county which has had a deer test positive for bovine tuberculosis. "Some of the information sent to the Legislature was misleading and misquoted," Stojsik said. "Amendment No. 9 was passed without legislators knowing the total truth." The lawsuit contends that Amendment No. 9: Violates Proposal G, which calls for the use of scientific evidence in managing wildlife; Violates due process because it is arbitrary and deprives the plaintiffs of property rights; Violates the Equal Protection clause of the Michigan Constitution because it treats the plaintiffs in a disparate manner without any rational basis; Violates the Environmental Protection Act because lack of supplemental feeding threatens a natural resource (deer) with impairment and destruction; Results in constitutional taking because it deprives the plaintiffs of their right to enjoy their property. "We're not against the eradication of TB. If they can show us some scientific documentation that proves wiping out the deer herd would eradicate TB we'd be 100 percent behind them," Stojsik said. "But spreading feed doesn't spread TB any more than natural food sources and they have the scientific documentation to show it. They just choose not to use it." Stojsik and the three other plaintiffs are being represented by attorney Thomas J. Emery, the former assistant attorney general for DNR and NRC issues. The suit was filed Sept. 8 and the defendants had 21 days to respond.

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DNR Harvest Report 12/99

I prepared a table for your viewing pleasure, thanks to Mike Wakely, Pioneer Club for this emailed article!

1999 FIREARM DEER SEASON HARVEST ESTIMATES FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, 9 DEC 99 CONTACT: John Urbain, 517-373-1263 LANSING--Preliminary harvest estimates for the 1999 Michigan firearm deer season show there were 340,000 deer taken, of which 184,000 were antlered and 156,000 antlerless. The harvest during the November 15-30 firearm deer season comprises about 60 percent of the total annual harvest of deer. The archery seasons contribute about 25 percent, muzzleloading about 5 percent and special antlerless seasons about 10 percent. The total deer harvest from all seasons is expected to be about 550,000 for 1999. This preliminary firearm season harvest is estimated from a survey of southbound traffic during the 16-day firearm deer season. Trained observers, located at strategic locations on the state's major highways, record the number of vehicles that pass by with harvested deer visible during each day. DNR-operated highway deer check stations provide additional information on the ratio of visible/not visible deer coming through these stations. This data is incorporated into mathematical models that provide estimates of harvest for the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula. Estimates for the southern Lower Peninsula harvests are obtained from wildlife management unit supervisors, who rely on an extensive network of employee/hunter contacts during the firearm season. Final deer harvest figures, which are based on a mail survey of about 45,000 deer hunters, will be available in late spring. Biological information on herd condition gathered at deer check stations is currently being summarized and will be available in the next few months. An estimated 750,000 hunters took to the field during the Nov. 15-30 hunt. "As expected, the statewide harvest was a litle lower this year because the deer population was smaller than last year. We definitely are encouraged by the harvest in the southern Lower Peninsula," said Rebecca Humphries, Chief of the Wildlife Bureau. "The harvest of 88,000 antlerless deer was slightly down from last year, reflecting our focus on achieving a good antlerless harvest in areas with high deer numbers." Humphries said the antlerless harvest to date, along with the archery and late firearm seasons, will "put the DNR on target with our management goals for the southern Lower Peninsula." There was a small decrease in the northern Lower Peninsula antlerless harvest over 1998 while the buck harvest was similar to last year. "Last winter was mild, and this had a positive effect on the condition of the deer in the northern deer herd. Antler development has been very good," said John Urbain, DNR big-game specialist. Favorable hunting conditions throughout the season kept hunters afield longer. Private land hunter numbers were down slightly from last year's estimate. Public land hunter numbers were similar to last year. An estimated 38,000 bucks and 17,000 antlerless deer were taken during the firearm deer season by Upper Peninsula hunters. "The recovery of the deer population from the impacts of two severe winters was obvious to hunters this year," said Humphries. "People were seeing deer, deer sign and enjoying life in camp." The condition of deer being checked is excellent again this year in the Upper Peninsula, with impressive yearling antler development. Deer season is far from over, and hunters have additional opportunities for deer hunting this winter. About 20 percent more deer are expected to be taken during the remaining deer seasons, especially antlerless deer on private land. Archery deer hunting season continues through Jan. 2 statewide. Muzzleloading deer hunting season runs Dec. 3-12 in the Upper Peninsula and Dec. 10-19 in the Lower Peninsula. There also is a late firearm antlerless deer season (December 18 through January 2) on private land for antlerless deer in all of the Lower Peninsula.

1999 FIREARM DEER HARVEST TRAFFIC SURVEY ESTIMATE TABLE
(1998 FINAL ESTIMATES IN PARENTHESES)

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Bear Hunting Changes

Dear bear hunter:

Beginning with the 2000 bear season, the DNR is changing the way bear hunting licenses are issued by adopting a "cumulative preference point" system.

Here's how it works:
This system guarantees that everyone who applies will receive a license in the future.
All applicants will have an equal chance in this year's drawing; however, hunters who apply and are not issued a license will receive a "preference" point.

Applicants have the choice of applying for a harvest tag, or electing to purchase and bank a preference point; only one point may be purchased in a given year.

Beginning next year, applicants with the greatest number of points will receive licenses, and their point totals will return to zero.

Hunters who do not apply for three consecutive years will forfeit any points they have accumulated.

How often a person draws a license will depend on the bear management unit and hunting period that he/she is applying for.

Hunters who apply for areas with lower application numbers may receive a second license before hunters in areas of high application rates receive their first.

In addition to changing to the cumulative preference point system, the bear license application deadline is being moved forward one month to allow hunters more time to plan their bear-hunting activities. Hunters can apply at license agents and DNR offices that sell licenses beginning April 15, 2000. The application deadline is May 15, 2000.

Because of the earlier application period, hunters will find "preliminary" license quotas for each hunting period in the application guide. The final quotas, however, should not be significantly different from the figures printed in the guide, so they should be of little consequence when deciding which hunting period to apply for.

Tim F. Reis
Bear Management Specialist
Wildlife Bureau

Some details about the new cumulative
preference point system for issuing bear
hunting licenses...

Hunters receive a preference point each year they are unsuccessful in drawing a harvest tag.

Applicants have the choice of applying for a harvest tag, or electing to purchase and bank a preference point; only one point may be purchased in a given year.

Each year, licenses for a particular hunting period and unit will be issued to applicants with the most points. If there are not enough licenses available for all persons with the same number of points, a random drawing will be held to distribute those licenses.

Up to four hunters may apply as a party; the party's preference standing will equal that of the party member with the fewest number of points; all party members will receive a tag if the party is selected.

A person's preference standing will return to zero points upon selection, including successful applicants who are notified and do not purchase their license.

Preference points will be awarded following the 2000 drawing (preference standing will not be retroactive).

Any person making a duplicate or faulty application is eliminated from the drawing, but awarded one point.

The current limit on the number of nonresident licenses issued (no more than 2% of the available tags) remains in effect. Therefore, nonresidents will require a greater number of points than residents to obtain a license.

A person must apply at least once every three years; persons who fail to apply for three consecutive years will lose their points.

Bear hunters will continue to apply and purchase licenses at point-of-sale (POS) terminals.

Definitions

Preference points: are used to determine who will receive a bear hunting license each year. A preference point is awarded to anyone who applies for license but does not receive one, or applies but elects not to be considered for a license. Those who do not apply, but purchase a Participation License over the counter will not receive a preference point.

Preference standing: Applicants for each hunting period are ranked from highest to lowest points. Those with the highest number of points are issued licenses first each year.

Revised: June 07, 2000.

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Scrape Hunting for Mature Bucks

By John Eberhart

As is everything in the pursuit of whitetails, hunting over scrapes is a controversial subject. Some bow hunters think it is a waste of time due to their lack of success on the numerous times they tried it. Others freak out when they see a fresh scrape and think a big buck is going to come prancing in when they sit over it. And then there is the seasoned hunter that evaluates the time of season with the location and quantity of scrapes in the immediate area, along with other signs prior to making a decision on whether to hunt it or not.

What is a scrape? A scrape is an area of ground ranging from 1 foot to 6 feet in diameter in which a buck or bucks have cleared all the leaves, grass, weeds, or whatever, down to bare ground. They are made for several reasons, territory, dominance, frustration, and focal points for Does coming into estrus. Scrapes can be found from September through January, but how do you know when and how to hunt them? Let's start by identifying the 4 phases of scrape activity.

1. Pre-Season and Early Season Scrapes: These scrapes are generally made by mature bucks with at least one breeding season behind them. Most areas that I have found scrapes in, in September (and they are rare), I have also had visual sightings of a 3 ½ year old buck in the immediate area during the summer. They are generally found around perimeters of food sources or bedding areas.

2. Pre-Rut Scrapes: My definition of "pre- rut" is the one to two week period just prior to the rut. This period generally runs from October 25th through November 10th, depending on the year. Scrapes become very frequent sights during this time of season. Testosterone levels are high and the does are not in estrus yet, so the small trees and the earth take the punishment of the buck's breeding urges. Even the 1 ½ year old bucks try to get involved in the breeding process by this time of season.

Traditional primary scrape areas (which are hard to find) become extremely active at this time. A primary scrape area consists of several scrapes around the same tree, or in a small area or both. They will always have a licking branch over them, and will be a major focal point of social behavior for several weeks. Immature bucks and the dominant bucks will frequent these areas, as well as the matriarch does when they get close to their estrus cycle.

3. Rut Scrapes: The Does are now coming into estrus (definition of estrus-a state of intense sexual activity and receptivity in female mammals other than humans). Testosterone levels in bucks are at their peak (definition of testosterone-a male sex hormone produced to influence vigor of sexual activity). Mature bucks (2 ½ years old or older) are finding does in estrus and staying with them during their cycle, and then searching for another. Scrape activity by mature bucks slows down drastically during this period, which in Michigan runs from about November 10th through the 25th.

4. Post-Rut Scrapes: This is the period after the first rut and preceding the second rut. Scrape activity will depend on what bucks are left after gun season, as well as how much stress, due to hunting pressure, was put on them during gun season. That same pressure will also affect whether the scrapes, if any, are being made at night or not. Even in a non-pressured area, the scrape activity will be greatly reduced from the pre-rut activity level.

Let's discuss hunting these 4 stages of scrape activity.

Pre and Early Season scrapes: These are usually located in traditional spots and have a licking branch over them that is used year round by mature deer passing by. There is no frequency to the use of these scrapes. If you have no other place to hunt on opening day, and a fresh scrape offers some cover from which to hunt, your odds should be decent since your hunting prior to any amount of pressure. Whitetail patterns are fairly consistent early in the season, so there is a good chance the buck will go through the area, even if he doesn't pay any attention to the scrape.

After a couple days of season in pressured areas, most of the scrape activity (if any), will be done primarily after dark. Human presence or pressure will make the 3-week window from early through late October very difficult to hunt successfully if you are after dominant bucks 3 ½ years old or older. During this period, I try to stay out of any areas that I know are going to heat up during pre-rut. Hunting small parcels of property on a regular basis during this 3-week period can potentially ruin any chances of you taking a mature buck. The big bucks will be moving nocturnally and their nose will let them know of your daytime presence, and they will adjust their movements around your small parcel, or stand.

If you are scouting during mid to late September, look for rub lines along runways, or quantities of rubs in a small area. These locations are excellent set-up spots for the first couple days of season while bucks are still following a daily routine. If hunting near a dense bedding area remember this, they are like your house. There are only so many doors (runways) in or out, but unlimited directions to go once outside. So anytime there are rubs, scrapes, or large tracks on a runway leading into a bedding area, that is the door he is using, and setting up quietly near that door can pay big dividends.

Pre-Rut Scrapes: I get excited just thinking about this time of season. This 2-week window is simply awesome if hunted properly. During this period, I pay little if any attention to boundary or perimeter scrapes, because they are not frequented enough to warrant a hunt. Now is the time to hunt those hard to find primary scrape areas. Finding one of these can be a huge shortcut to taking a big buck if HUNTED PROPERLY. They are generally located around feeding areas, bedding areas, and funnels (a funnel is the narrowest area of cover between two or more high traffic areas). During dry seasons, small water holes are also prime targets for heavy scrape activity. In general, primary scrapes are found in the highest traffic areas that offer some cover. Large branches twisted off over these scrapes, indicates that a long tined buck is using the area. And large diameter rubs leading to it, or around it, just puts an additional exclamation point on the whole scenario. The best time to find these areas is as soon as your hunting season is over, December or January through March. The foliage is gone, old scrapes are still very easily identified, rubs stick out like sore thumbs, and you will not be contaminating the property with your presence. Primary areas are almost always perennial, and your stand locations should be set up and cleaned out well before season so as not to disturb it until you hunt it. Just prior to season, with a Scent-Lok suit and rubber boots on, check your stand locations during mid-day and if you are fortunate enough to find a primary area opened up, hunt it the first day or two and then leave it alone until late October. By then, the mature bucks (2 ½ years old and older) are on red alert, spending lots of time looking for that first estrus female.

When going in to hunt a primary scrape for the first time during the pre-rut period, make sure the wind is in your favor, and that it's an evening hunt. If none of the scrapes have been opened, turn around and leave, check it again in 4 or 5 days. The evening entry allows you to hunt elsewhere if there is no activity in that area. The reason for leaving is not to contaminate such a potential hotspot with your presence. The buck you're after is probably still in a nocturnal routine, and you may unknowingly let him know of your presence when you exit after dark. If there are fresh scrapes opened, hunt them that evening and leave your bow in the tree to insure that you come back in the morning. Be in your stand a minimum of one hour before dawn, enter from a pre-designed route so that no deer are spooked that may be feeding in the area, and stay until at least noon.

Hunting on consecutive hunts in a hot location at this time of season is OK as long as they are an evening and consecutive morning, or vise versa. Morning hunts should not end until at least noon over a primary scrape area. Nine o'clock until noon should be your best time for bagging a trophy buck. In the past 10 years, I have taken several large bucks between the hours of 10 am and 12 pm, and have seen many others that were out of range. Older bucks will be scent checking their territory during this period trying to locate does in or close to their estrus cycle that may have passed through during regular movement hours, which is usually from daybreak until 9 am. Older bucks are like older mature men, they do not want to expend any more energy than they have to, to get whatever it is they want done, done. Something that most of us can relate to at some time in our lives is bar-hopping. If you're a man looking for a woman or vise-versa, you would not start at 9 o'clock because the majority of the crowd does not show up until around 11 o'clock. So that is when you would start looking, and if you did not see anyone that interested you, you would move on to other bars until someone caught your eye. Dominant bucks do the same thing only they do it with their nose, later in the morning after most of the deer have already passed through. The bedding areas, funnels, and scrape areas are their bars, and if nothing interests their nose, they just keep moving on to the next bar. It has always amazed me how many big bucks are taken in gun season during the middle of the day. And even the well-seasoned hunters attribute it to other hunters moving the deer around as they head to lunch, or simply get up to move around. In some cases that is indeed true, but for the most part, it has nothing to do with it at all. The mature bucks are simply following their normal routine for that time of season.

Hunts over scrape areas should be repeated every 4 or 5 days as long as the scrapes are active. At this point you should hunt in the morning first. Again I repeat, do not leave your stand until at least noon, or if you can, stay all day. Try also not to hunt close to this area during the off days unless there is a rub-line or scrape-line leading to the primary area. It is very possible that you might intercept him on one of these lines prior to reaching the primary area after dark. A line of active scrapes along a travel route is definitely worth hunting a couple times. Individual scrapes without any pattern will more than likely not be revisited, and would be a waste of time to hunt. Rattling or grunting can be very effective during the pre-rut if done properly and in moderation. Do not aggressively rattle for several minutes like you see on the videos. You are not hunting fenced in deer or exclusive clubs with high buck to doe ratios, so you have to be less aggressive and far less frequent. Start with a 10 to 20 second aggressive series, followed by a minute of light tine tickling to simulate two bucks pushing each other for dominance. Repeat a couple times with 5 minute intervals and then hang up your horns or bag for the remainder of the hunt. Try not to rattle in any one area more than 2 or 3 times a week. Bucks have to be in the right frame of mind to respond to rattling, and if they are hearing it all the time, it is my opinion that they will be less likely to respond at all.

If you are in an open area, the use of a decoy could make the difference between a buck coming in close, or hanging up out of range. Be sure to set your decoy upwind and broadside to your stand. As far as grunting goes, a series of about 5 to 10 short punctual grunts every hour should be plenty to entice a meandering buck in your direction. In both scenarios, if a buck is coming towards you, stop your calling until he quits coming in your direction. Then just hit your grunt call one time to give him a direction to come to. Too much rattling or grunting in any one location will definitely deter from your success. If you are hunting over an active primary scrape area, hunt it clean the first time or two without rattling, or using a decoy.

To summarize; during the pre-rut a good bow hunter should have his best opportunities of taking a book buck during this period. The bucks are coming out of their nocturnal patterns, checking their scrapes, and looking for does prior to the rut.

Rut Scrapes: Scrape hunting now becomes very hit or miss, with no regularity to anything. Primary scrape areas will go almost unnoticed by the dominant bucks during this time. They may stay somewhat active however, in areas of high buck to doe ratios.

The matriarch does coming into estrus are leading the males around on a very unpredictable route, which they do not even know themselves. The mature bucks chase and follow these does no matter where they go, and with extreme reckless abandon. That's why so many big bucks get hit by cars during the rut. I once had to stop my car to allow a buck to cross in front of it. He never took his nose off the ground to look up at me, due to the fact that he was scent trailing a doe in heat. This behavior also helps to balance the scale for all hunters. During this mid-November period, luck plays almost as big a part as skill. It is a great time to be in the woods, because there is always the chance of something happening even if you are doing everything wrong.

During the rut, sit in high traffic areas and make sure you do not spook the large does, because they are like buck magnets. Hunting over a primary area should still be good, due to the fact that they are in high traffic areas. If you are after a specific dominant buck that was using the primary scrape during pre-rut, more than likely he is so occupied chasing does that he will not focus any attention to the scrapes.

Post-Rut Scrapes: In most areas, this is a very slow period for scrapes due to the devastating affects of gun season. However, by early December, scrapes will start showing up again if a mature buck still inhabits the area. Early fawns and un-bred does will come into estrus again creating a much lower profile, second rut.

High pressured areas will have little if any daytime movements by dominant bucks, but if they do it will probably be during mid-day just as the pre-rut was. December usually brings snow, which will let you know everything that is going on. Hunt a bit higher, and look for trees with some background cover. This will keep you from sticking out like a sore thumb against the skyline, due to the complete absence of any foliage.

Deer start feeding heavily with the coming of winter, and their travel becomes very routine. Deer start to group up at this time as well and travel together, making travel routes very easy to find. The best way to hunt during post or second rut is to stick close to the well-traveled corridors between bedding and feeding areas. Also look for secondary runways with large tracks, rubs, or scrapes along them. I have taken 2 big bucks in December that would not travel the well-used runs that the rest of the deer were using. They were both in high-pressured areas, and used their own secondary routes, which had more cover.

It would be nice to say that reading signs, and knowing when and how to hunt it comes with experience, but that is not always the case. I know lots of hunters with 10 to 30 years of bowhunting experience that hunt the same way year after year. Yes, they take bucks, but rarely if ever do they take bucks over 1 ½ years old. They often claim that mature bucks just do not exist where they hunt, and that is simply not true. On the flip side, I have hunted with young men who are obsessed and committed to the taking of mature bucks only. They pay attention to every detail, and are willing to learn with an open mind, never thinking that they know it all. When you think you know it all, the learning curve ends.

Pursuing dominant bucks is like going after a different breed of animal; they have to be hunted totally different. You have to break the generic hunting methods and focus on a specific animal, and most of all you must be extremely patient. Trophy hunting is a state of mind to which you must be committed (and it is not for everybody). The commitment must be such that if a season goes by without success, you re-evaluate your season trying to figure out what mistakes were made (and there are always mistakes), and try to correct them. It could be as simple as the route you used to get to your stand, or perhaps you over-hunted the area. Too much scouting during season or just prior to it, not using a Scent-Lok suit and rubber boots, or making too much noise when setting up next to a bedding area for an evening hunt are also common mistakes. Whatever it is, if it is corrected and your next season is successful, then you're gaining on the program.

We are all going to be wrong more often than not when trying to figure out what a big whitetail buck is going to do next. But the more we are willing to adjust our hunting style, and learn from experience, the more we will be right.

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