- Antlerless deer season starts this weekend.
- DNR deer specialist Chad Fedewa says that these early hunts help to regulate the deer population.
- Video shows Fedewa speaking about the early season, safety, and other key points when it comes to hunting.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
It's time to dust off the orange vests. I'm your DeWitt neighborhood reporter, Russell Shellberg, with deer numbers: why the DNR says an early hunt is needed and how our neighbors can keep themselves safe this weekend.
"In much of southern Michigan, we have a lot of areas that have too many deer," said Fedewa.
Too many deer, and not enough hunters...
"It's been steadily declining one to two percent every year," said Fedewa.
Fedewa says the number of hunters has dropped to about 600,000 and is likely to fall another 100,000 in a decade due to a lack of interest among youth.
Putting it all together, DNR Acting Deer Specialist Chad Fedewa says we are reaching social capacity...
"How many deer can people tolerate? So when you have a lot of deer in an area, they start to have negative impacts on the environment," said Fedewa.
Those impacts include reduced forest regeneration, reduced native plant communities, reduced biodiversity, agricultural damage, and an increase in car-deer accidents. Fedewa also adds neighbors may see fewer deer in specific hunting areas due to a new virus...
"In 2024, we have been seeing an outbreak of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) in some counties, particularly in southwest Michigan. We're starting to get some reports into the west side of the state as well," said Fedewa.
Fedewa told me deer that contract this disease only last a couple of days, but the ones that survive it are still safe to consume if killed by hunters. And for those heading out this weekend...
"Firearm pointed in a safe direction, treat every firearm like it's loaded. Know your backdrop and know what's behind it before you take a shot, and know where others are hunting. All basic things, but they go a long way in keeping everyone safe," said Fedewa.
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