Next month, County Deer Advisory Councils will review deer population data and other key information to develop preliminary antlerless quota and permit levels within their counties.
DNR big game ecologist Kevin Wallenfang says Council meetings will also determine if any additional deer hunting opportunities beyond the normal seasons may be offered this year....
"....we set our harvest projections and permit levels for the fall deer hunting seasons, and this is the time of the year when we start that up and the CDAC's play a really important role in that process. For the last few years each county has had its own deer advisory council. They are the first stop in establishing the seaon frameworks and setting permit levels for the fall....."
Wallenfang says people interested in deer each have opinions on the best way to manage the herd...
"....so this is all a big part of the process for determining(levels)for each deer management unit within the county. It's a great opportunity to go and talk about the deer seasons, the past ones, the coming seasons, and have an opportunity to weigh in on the decisions being made...."
March CDAC meetings will develop preliminary recommendations, and a public feedback period in early April will include an online survey. Councils will reconvene in mid-April to determine final deer season recommendations in each county. Final permit levels and deer season structure will be determined at the May 2017 Natural Resources Board meeting.
More information is on the DNR website. In the search box put the word "CDAC".
