State officials seek input on creating deer management plan

If the unsightly deer carcasses that litter Michigan highways turn your stomach, a series of meetings around the state this spring offer you the chance to address officials about it directly.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Michigan United Conservation Clubs are seeking public input on an upcoming Strategic Deer Management Plan for the state.

The meetings are intended to give the public a chance to raise issues about current deer population measures. The closest meeting to Mount Pleasant will take place at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Northwood University’s Sloan Auditorium in Midland.

“We’re looking at getting all of the topics out there,” said Amy Spray, resource policy specialist for the MUCC.

The MUCC has put a statewide Michigan Deer Advisory Team together to run the meetings and compile the issues brought up by the public.

“We’re not asking for a solution, but rather we are trying to define the problems,” said Rod Clute, director of the DNR wildlife division.

The advisory team is expecting to field concerns from police, hunters, foresters and large-land owners – the groups will most likely be raising issues that will be put into the plan, Clute said.

“We are hoping to have all of the information by March,” Clute said.

The DNR will be controlling the more scientific aspect of the planning, Spray said.

“This is all a way to give the DNR a chance to see what they are going to do on paper,” she said.

The DNR hopes to have a plan ready by March of 2010. Clute said once the issues have been addressed, they can begin to prioritize.

“We are going to take the issues and put them in some sort of order that deals with them locally, regionally and statewide,” Clute said.

One of the issues expected to arise is the number of deer carcasses laying around. In 2007, 61,907 carcasses were picked up off Michigan highways by Michigan State Police.

“By controlling the population, that type of thing will not happen as much anyway,” Spray said. “We could also provide more corridors for deer to cross roads.”

By the numbers

Deer carcasses picked up around the state by Michigan State Police:
- 2000 – 65,005
- 2001 – 66,993
- 2002 – 63,136
- 2003 – 67,760
- 2004 – 62,707
- 2005 – 58,741
- 2006 – 60,875
- 2007 – 61,907
Source: Michigan State Police

If you can go …

Mid-Michigan deer management meeting dates

- Feb. 17, Northwood University, Sloan Auditorium, 4000 Whiting Dr, Midland

- Feb. 17, Carl T. Johnson Hunting and Fishing Center, 6093 M-115, Cadillac

- March 3, Avalon Lansing West Hotel (formerly Best Western-Midway Hotel), 7711 W. Saginaw, Lansing.

metro@cm-life.com