(2015 pre season letter- going out to 88 locals)
What a change a couple of years can make. When area DNR managers said DMU’s 221 and 222 were on tap for early antlerless and intensive harvest for the fall of 2014, the line was crossed. We organized our voices and stopped the madness, and 2015 will see another conservative deer season. DMU’s 221 and 222 are lottery areas this year. You have to apply for a tag. Youth 17 and under can still shoot does, but the rest of us need a doe permit.
Its up to your party whether or not you harvest does this fall, and from a management standpoint there are things you can consider before shooting does. Be aware that management decisions made by the DNR are for 500 square mile areas, and you are hunting 40 and 100 acre pieces. Your party and the immediate neighbors are responsible for the local deer numbers. If you want Brooks to review your access strategies to hold and save more of those old does – shoot him an email.
basecampbrooks@gmail.com.
1 – The harvest of 25% of the adult does in your area will keep the deer numbers fairly steady. Kill more than that and the numbers drop, kill fewer and numbers grow.
2 – Winter is a huge player in our part of the state. Mild winters see many more does recruiting twins, and harsh winters (such as 2013/14) leave adult does physically drained, meaning their bodies can only support a single fawn if any. Camera surveys confirm the winter of 2013/14 also killed a lot of yearling deer.
3 – If you are worried about too many deer for the available habitat, you can check the local browse. Excessive numbers can hurt regeneration of oak and maple trees, as well as other species, and freshly timbered or hinge cut parcels can support 10 times the deer of a mature park like woods. When the deer are browsing twigs from shrubs and plants that are the size of a pencil, you either need more browse or fewer deer to stay in balance with the habitat.
Adult does are the ones that drop the bucks, and they often don’t drop twins until they are 3 years old. If you want to see more deer, consider not shooting those big old does.
The mild winter of 2014/15 combined with an early spring and timely rains have provided a great year of horn growth for the local bucks. The pictures I have seen include several 130 class bucks and some that may pass 150 inches. No true giants yet but on average the bucks are sporting nicer racks from the mild winter and a great spring and summer.
Best of luck this fall, and stay in touch.
Brooks Johnson
VP of the now defunct Mille Lacs Whitetails Chapter