NRC takes action on CWD regulations this July
At this month’s Natural Resources Commission (NRC) meeting, chronic wasting disease regulations are up for action.
The meeting will take place on July 11 at the MSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at 4125 Beaumont Rd., Lansing, MI 48910. If you are unable to attend but would like to watch, check out the MUCC Facebook page! A full agenda for the day can be found here.
At 10:30 am, the NRC Policy Committee on Wildlife and Fisheries will come to order. Updates from both the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) Wildlife Division and MDNR Fisheries Division will be given by the respective chiefs. The chief of the MDNR Wildlife Division Russ Mason will give an update on CWD regulations.
The NRC Committee of the Whole will meet at 1 pm. The Committee of the Whole will begin with a director’s report given by MDNR Director Dan Eichinger. Eichinger will present the Partner’s in Conservation Award to Steve Wyckoff. After the director’s award presentation, he will give an update on CWD regulations. The director’s update will be followed by legislative and committee updates.
For Action
Commissioners will be taking action on chronic wasting disease regulations initially proposed at the May and June meetings. A write-up of the details for the chronic wasting disease regulations can be found here. The following are amendments proposed by commissioners at the June meeting and will be voted on this month:
Proposed by Commissioner Tracy:
- The DNR prepare an amendment that allows hunter with disabilities to bait during all deer seasons, not just the liberty hunt.
- Proposed three options pertaining to the CWD study areas and mandatory APRs
- Remove all APRs
- Remove APRs from just Montcalm county
- Flip the counties that do not have APRs and act as the control group (Kent, Newaygo) with the counties that do (Montcalm, Ionia, Mecosta). So Kent and Newaygo counties will have the APR and Montcalm, Ionia and Mecosta will not.
- Amend the ban on baiting in the U.P. to allow single bait bites
- Remove APRs from the CWD control area in the U.P.
- Remove APRs on first tags for the entire Upper Peninsula
Changes made by the Department of Natural Resources:
- Prohibiting the possession and transportation of roadkill deer carcasses outside of the county where the deer was killed except for deboned meat, quarters or other parts of the deer that do not contain any part of the spinal column or head, antlers, antlers attached to skull cleaned of all brain and muscle tissue, hides, upper canine teeth or a finished taxidermist mount.
I support Sen. VanderWall’s bill to allow baiting, as many of my fellow hunters do.
I to support Sen. VanderWall’s bill, if baiting brings Deer to close together and we have antler restrictions and it’s the younger Deer that group up,why are we cutting down our Northern Forest, doesn’t that force the Deer together. How many license sales do we want to lose and how many Hunters do we want to force out of the Woods that we have left.
There must be a better way, FIND IT.
Sen Vanderwall is wrong. We need to manage resources based on sound science not politics.
I am a firm believer in the antler point restrictions. I believe they should be state wide. Our state could become a State that people would travel to, to experience shooting a really nice buck. Right now most people go to Kansas, or one of the state’s out west. The places in the state you can shoot a nice buck are private properties in the southern part of the State. No access to the general public. A group of us has formed a co-op in my area. We had a voluntary, no buck kill last year, this year will tell us more of the success of that co-op. My property has been 6 pt or better for a number of years and my neighbors have done the same thing. We have seen a big increase of better bucks. Many 8 pts. Hopefully we’ll see more and better results in the future. I don’t believe the baiting is an issue and should be continued. Most big bucks don’t usually come to bait anyway, but it helps provide ways to shoot does and to keep a healthy deer herd.
We need to manage resources based on UNBIAS Science, Research and UNPOLITICIZED policies!!! Currently Michigan has failed to do that.