This is an email I received written by Collin Johnson Director of the Bluffland Whitetails Association.
Quote:
Fellow hunters,
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is currently evaluating deer populations in most permit areas of zone three. There are several parts to that process including public meetings (concluded), an on-line survey and accepting input from a citizen advisory team. Bluffland Whitetails has 2 current Directors and a past President that have been selected to this advisory team so as a group, we are well represented. The problem is that we need to hear from the hunters in permit areas 341 through 349 as to their perceptions regarding present deer populations and population trends from the past 10 or so years.
I am writing to ask you to take a moment and let us know what you have seen in your area the past few hunting seasons and add any suggestions you would have on either increasing or decreasing deer populations for your area. We all know that hunters prefer seeing a lot of deer when hunting, but this advisory team is also taking into consideration crop and habitat damage as well as public safety when setting goals so keep in mind aspects other than what you want to see in stand. Below is a short list of questions we are looking for answers to. Feel free to add and expand on those as you wish.
Area(s) in which you hunt?
Are you seeing more, less or about the same numbers of deer than in years past?
Are you hearing complaints from landowners as to deer numbers (low or high) and of significant changes in crop/habitat damage?
Are the numbers that you are seeing, allowing for an enjoyable hunting experience?
Would you like to see numbers increased or decreased? By what percent?
Any suggestions/comments on current or other deer management practices for zone three (APR’s, season changes, etc.)
One more thing to ask. Please forward this e-mail to your hunting/landowner friends (BWA members or not, I want to hear from anyone who has something to say). The more responses we get, the better an idea we have on where our current population is at and what the future goals of deer populations should be.
Thanks for your time and happy hunting
Collin Johnson – Director
Bluffland Whitetails Association