Author: Tex Hunter

Deer Hunting Michigan’s Southern Lower Peninsula



The Southern Lower Peninsula of Michigan offers some good, but challenging hunting for white-tailed deer. Abundant food and cover in the form of agricultural crops and scattered swamps and woodlots provide very good habitat across the Southern Lower Peninsula (SLP) landscape. This high-quality habitat, combined with relatively mild winter conditions, typically results in a more abundant and productive deer population compared to the rest of the state.

The 2016 deer hunting and harvest forecast should be similar to last year, with perhaps a slight increase in antlerless deer permits given the current conditions. Harvest in the Southern Lower Peninsula can depend heavily on the percentage of standing corn. If corn harvest is delayed going into the firearms season, a reduced harvest can be expected.

Deer Hunting Lower Peninsula of Michigan

Lower Peninsula Deer Population

Over at least the last 10 years, whitetail population estimates and indices (including deer/vehicle collisions, crop damage complaints, and observations of deer by the hunting community and field staff) in the lower peninsula have stabilized or declined. In many cases, reductions intended to reduce conflicts that can occur when deer populations are high, though the the department of natural resources manages for enough deer for hunting and viewing experiences.

A severe outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) in 2012 drastically affected the deer population in many areas for several years. These areas have largely recovered from the outbreak. Though individual EHD outbreak sites affect deer at the scale of a township or smaller, these outbreaks have likely produced more variability in deer densities across southern Michigan than has occurred in many years.

Deer Management on Lower Peninsula


Management efforts are now being directed towards distinct areas at a smaller scale rather than larger. Research is under way to improve understanding of the duration of EHD impacts that hunters and landowners should expect to see where outbreaks have occurred. Earlier this year, a deer was confirmed to be positive for EHD in Berrien County.

Given the higher proportion of land in private ownership in Michigan’s Southern Lower Peninsula, and the often small property sizes, state wildlife officials are working to find more ways to support increased deer harvest and habitat management decisions among networks of private landowners and hunters. While total whitetail population size is lower, the Southern Lower Peninsula of Michigan should offer good deer hunting this season.


EHD in Tennessee’s White-tailed Deer

Deer hunters and others out of doors in the woods and fields of Tennessee are asked to be on the lookout for white-tailed deer that appear ill. A deer disease called Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) most often impacts whitetail in August and September through the first frost, according to wildlife officials.

Hemorrhagic disease (HD) may be caused by one of two closely related viruses, including EHD virus or Bluetongue Virus.The two viruses that cause the disease are spread by biting midges, small flies often mistaken for mosquitos by observers. Symptoms of HD in deer may include falling, drooling, lethargy, respiratory distress, emitting foam from the mouth or nose, and swelling of the face, tongue and neck.

A severe outbreak can kill 10 to 20 percent of the deer herd in a single year. “We reported four dead deer in a creek, all close to each other in the back pasture,” a Central Tennessee hunter said. Tests are being performed to determine if the deer died of HD.

Deer Hunting in Tennessee

Finding dead deer in water is sort of a telltale sign that HD may be the culprit. Deer with HD get a high fever, try to cool off by drinking and that’s usually the last place they visit. The viruses cause damage to blood vessels, causing hemorrhage within internal organs.


Biting midges are small biting flies that spread HD between whitetail deer. Their bites do not transmit disease to humans, but these “no-see-ums” are to be blamed for EHD epidemics across the whitetail’s range.

Neither EHD nor BT viruses can be transmitted to people, and humans are not at risk by handling infected deer, being bitten by infected midges, or eating infected deer meat. It would, however, be wise to not consume any meat from a deer that appears ill, just out of precaution.

EHD virus rarely infects domestic animals, while BT is a known disease of domestic animals such as cattle, sheep and goats. People suspecting HD in domestic animals should have them tested for the virus.

Deer diseases such as HD can have a negative impact on deer populations as well as deer hunting, but it should be noted that not all deer die from HD. Some deer do survive and not all deer within a population will be infected within a given year. Hot, dry periods are typically when outbreaks occur, so dead deer found in late Summer or very early Fall are likely the victims of HD.

Iowa’s Bowhunting Season Opens for Deer

The start of Iowa’s archery deer season begins on October 1 and state wildlife officials say the deer are looking good.”Deer hunters should have another great year,” said Andrew Norton, state deer biologist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. “Our white-tailed deer population is relatively stable, keeping things consistent. It should be a pretty good fall.”

“Our hunters play an important role in helping us to maintain their high quality deer herd,” Norton said. An estimated 62,000 bow hunters will purchase more than 90,000 deer hunting licenses this year. On average, bow hunters take 12 trips to the field and spend more than three hours out each time before the season ends on December 2 to make way for the shotgun hunters.

“They’re a pretty dedicated group. Having 62,000 pairs of eyes in the field really helps us to identify any local issues, like discovering a local case of hemorrhagic disease, and by hunters providing tissue samples that we can test for chronic wasting disease. We encourage them to talk to their landowners about the status with their local herd and adjust their doe harvest accordingly,” he said.


Iowa’s Deer Hunting is Unique

Iowa is unique versus other premier deer hunting states because there is a restriction on the use of firearms during the rut that reduces pressure on the bucks, allows bucks to grow older, which is an important factor for antler growth. Iowa also has mild winters compared to northern states, and excellent soil quality that provides natural vegetation which also allows deer to grow quickly.

Early in the season, deer will likely be in their summer pattern. Hunters putting in the work studying the changing patterns should improve their odds for success.

Deer population varies across the state but high quality animals are available in every county. Population is lower in northwest Iowa and increases along the Mississippi River and across southern Iowa. The highest antlered deer harvest comes from Clayton, Allamakee, Van Buren and Warren counties.

Iowa’s Bowhunters Must Report Harvested Deer

All whitetail taken must be reported using the harvest reporting system by midnight the day after the deer is recovered. Accurately reporting the kill is an important part of Iowa’s deer management program and plays a vital role in managing deer populations and future hunting opportunities.

Hunters can report their deer on the DNR website www.iowadnr.gov, by calling the toll free reporting number 1-800-771-4692, or at any license vendor. For hunters with Internet access, the online reporting of your harvest is the easiest way to register your deer. If no deer is harvested, no report is necessary.

Pennsylvania Deer Hunting: Learn About Deer Focus Areas

Looking for a Pennsylvania deer hunting area that would allow you to tag a nice buck? Your in luck! In the upcoming white-tailed deer hunting seasons, the Pennsylvania Game Commission again will be directing hunters to areas on state game lands where recently completed habitat enhancement projects likely are drawing deer.

Hunters interested in finding out more about these Deer Hunter Focus Areas can join the Pennsylvania Game Commission on today for a noon deer hunting focus area webinar.

Dave Gustafson, the agency’s Forestry Division Chief, will talk about how the agency will use Deer Hunter Focus Areas in the 2016-17 deer seasons, and identify areas where ongoing habitat improvements and increased deer-hunting opportunity exists.

Register online. A link to the registration also can be found on the Game Commission’s website, on the Upcoming Events page. A confirmation email sent after registration is completed contains information about joining the Pennsylvania hunting webinar.

Quail Management & Hunting: Coffee Shop Talk

Bobwhite quail are an interesting bird that many of us grew up hunting in Texas. These upland-dwelling, ground-nesting gamebirds have taken it on the chin, so to speak, in recent years, but some folks around Texas are calling it the best quail year ever. Now, we all have a chance to learn even more about bobwhite quail.

Thew Texas Wildlife Associatin (TWA) and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension are inviting everyone to join them for their next Wildlife for Lunch webinar discussing bobwhite hunting and management. The webinar will take place on Thursday, October 20, 2016, from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm CDT and the session is being touted as “Coffee Shop Quail Talk: Myths and Misconceptions.”

Bobwhite Quail in Texas

This presentation will cover common myths and misconceptions related to quail ecology, management and conservation to include: impacts of fire ants, feral hogs, turkey, roadrunners, mesomammals, disease and parasites. It will also discuss ecology facts such as: double brooding, life span, reproductive strategy and potential and also impacts of hunting at multiple scales. The speaker will be Robert Perez, quail biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

There is no cost for the coffee shop quail talk and interested persons can participate anywhere with a computer, smartphone, or tablet as long as they have internet access.

To sign up, simply point your browser right here on the day of the webinar and click to join the Wildlife for Lunch webinar. Each web based seminar is fully interactive and allows you to engage the experts, make comments, and ask questions during the course of the presentation.

Mississippi CWD Regulations: Deer Harvested in Other States

New CWD Regulation Impacts Out of State Hunters

Mississippians traveling out of state to hunt white-tailed deer and other big game this fall need to be aware of a new rule affecting the transport of their trophy. In late Spring of 2016, the Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks passed 40 Miss. Admin Code, Part 2, Rule 2.7 Prohibition on Cervid Carcass Importation, to Protect Mississippi from Chronic Wasting Disease.

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a fatal neurological disease that affects cervids and has been found in 24 states and 3 foreign countries. A cervid is a member of the deer family and includes white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, moose, caribou, red deer, sika deer, and fallow deer.

CWD Mississippi

Rule 2.7 states that it is unlawful to import, transport, or possess any portion of a cervid carcass originating from any state, territory, or foreign country where the occurrence of CWD has been confirmed by either the state wildlife agency, state agriculture agency, state veterinarian, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), or the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

Mississippi CWD Rule Does Not Apply to Importation of:

  • Meat from cervids that has been completely deboned.
  • Antlers, antlers attached to cleaned skull plates or cleaned skulls where no tissue is attached to the skull.
  • Cleaned teeth.
  • Finished taxidermy and antler products.
  • Hides and tanned products.
  • Any portions of white-tailed deer originating from the land between the Mississippi River levees in Arkansas

CWD Positive States

As of August 31, 2016, CWD has been confirmed in the following states: Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Additionally, the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, Norway, and South Korea are CWD positive. CWD has not been found in Mississippi.

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks continues to monitor Mississippi for CWD. They ask for your help by reporting any sick deer you observe. To report a sick deer, please call 601-432-2199.

Guide to Hunting White-tailed Deer

If you’re new to deer hunting then the “Guide to Successful Deer Hunting” is the publication you need. The Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) recently announced the publication of its newest book, QDMA’s Guide to Successful Deer Hunting, available as an e-book for purchase or as a free graduation gift to all who complete their hunting safety course online at Hunter-Ed.com, providers of Internet hunting safety courses for more than 45 states.

“Many of Hunter-Ed.com’s students were asking for more information on how to hunt deer, and we were asked to contribute materials that could help them,” said QDMA Director of Communications Lindsay Thomas Jr. “Our staff responded by producing an entirely new and complete guide to deer hunting that will be provided free to all Hunter-Ed.com graduates across the country. They’re certified safe hunters now, and our e-book is designed to help get them into the woods and on a path toward a lifetime of successful deer hunting.”

Guide to Deer Hunting

Safety First, then Successful Deer Hunting

“When it comes to the ‘what’s next’ beyond basic hunter education, Kalkomey relies heavily on partners such as QDMA,” said Mitch Strobl, Vice President of Business Development for Kalkomey, the parent company of Hunter-Ed.com. “We want our students to have access to the best resources out there, and this new e-book is a prime example of just that. Through strategic partnerships, we’re able to help our students along from initial interest to total participation, thus helping achieve our recruitment, retention and reactivation (R3) goals.”

QDMA’s Guide to Successful Deer Hunting is 267 pages long and includes 15 chapters written by eight different contributors, all QDMA staff members. Major subjects are expanded upon in 18 embedded videos produced exclusively for the project by Primos Hunting. Dozens of full color photos also help illustrate the chapters, and links to external resources and articles allow readers to explore every topic in greater depth as desired.

Deer Hunting Videos Increase Success

“Will Primos and his team produced a fantastic series of supporting videos for the e-book,” said Hank Forester, QDMA’s Hunting Heritage Programs Manager. “The videos cover some of the more complex subjects, like choosing a rifle, using deer calls, rattling for deer and they really round out the usefulness and interactivity of the project.

For those readers who don’t have someone to teach them how to hunt or take them to the woods, our e-book will be a terrific help.” Whether new to deer hunting or just looking for some new ideas, this looks to be a great book!

Texas Quail Hunting Outlook Great in Rolling Plains, South Texas

Bobwhite quail: You either got ’em or you don’t. It’s that simple. Fortunately, the Rolling Plains and South Texas Plains of Texas have them this year!

Quail hunting in Texas comes and goes with bird populations. Although having areas where suitable habitat exist is paramount, precipitation plays a key role in the annual boom-bust cycle when it comes to annual quail production, especially in semi-arid regions such as the Rolling Plains and South Texas.

Quail Population Sets Record in Rolling Plains

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) biologists conduct quail surveys in Texas each year in late summer. The census has been done since 1978, but it was this year that produced the highest average in the Rolling Plains of Texas, 50.2 birds per survey line.

Texas Rolling Plains Quail Population

TPWD personnel count birds by driving 20 mile routes in early morning, when bobwhite quail are most visible. The long term average for the Rolling Plains Region is 20.16, and the previous record was 49.25, in 1987. So it’s been a while, but good news for quail and quail hunters.

But it always wasn’t so rosy. During an extended drought, the Rolling Plains quail survey counted a record low of 2.91 birds per census line in 2013. That’s just a few years ago! Fast-forward to today, after two growing seasons that provided excellent rainfall, and quail numbers in the Rolling Plains have gone from worst to first. Quail are a boom-bust species, so the boom is on.

South Texas Quail Hunting Still Good

Most of South Texas had great quail hunting last season with good outings reported right up to the end of the season. Spring-summer nesting was reported across the region but field observations of broods were mixed this year. Weather conditions were variable along with nesting and brooding activity in the later summer months.

Despite differences in production, the sheer number of quail surviving from last year coupled with even minimal reproduction will likely make for an another good quail year. The average number of bobwhites observed per route was 14 compared to 21 last year. This suggests a slightly below average hunting season for South Texas as a whole, but I wouldn’t sit at home.

The Chaparral and the Daughtrey Wildlife Management Areas provide public quail hunting opportunities. Staff surveys on the Chaparral WMA recorded above average numbers of bobwhite on the area again this year. Buy an APH permit and go!

Texas Quail: Hunting for Birds Elsewhere

TPWD surveys indicate that bobwhite numbers have fallen below average in the Gulf Prairies where only 3.8 bobwhites were observed per route in 2016 compared to 14.9 last year. Although there was good carryover of adult birds along the coast, bobwhite nesting was likely adversely affected by too much rainfall in this region.

Despite a lower estimated population in this region, field reports suggest there are huntable populations of quail on well-drained sites. Hunters should focus on the central and lower coast in native prairie habitats.

The High Plains and Edwards Plateau of Texas reported a general, continued increase quail numbers. Although there are certainly areas within each region of Texas where some quail hunting opportunity remains, this survey is not designed to detect changes in localized populations, especially in fragmented landscapes.

Buy QDMA’s Guide to Successful Deer Hunting

The Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) has release a book that helps teach new hunters how to hunt white-tailed deer. The QDMA’s book, Guide to Successful Deer Hunting, is available for purchase on Amazon, and you can download and read it on any device using the free Kindle app.

Deer Hunting Book Contributors

Contributors to QDMA’s Guide to Successful Deer Hunting include staff members Kip Adams, Director of Education & Outreach; Hank Forester, Hunting Heritage Programs Manager; Ryan Furrer, Senior Regional Director and Field Supervisor; Brian Grossman, Communications Manager; Joe Hamilton, Founder and Senior Advisor; Matt Ross, Certification Programs Manager; Lindsay Thomas Jr., Director of Communications; and Brian Towe, Wildlife Cooperative Coordinator.

QDMA’s Guide to Successful Deer Hunting is the first e-book in QDMA’s library. Previously, QDMA published Deer Cameras: The Science of Scouting and also Quality Food Plots, the highest selling book on wildlife food plots ever published, in addition to other educational booklets, maps and posters. Visit QDMA’s online store for more information on these other titles.

Gifting the e-book Guide to Successful Deer Hunting to new or aspiring hunters is easy through Amazon. All you need is the e-mail address of the gift recipient.

About Quality Deer Management Association

QDMA is dedicated to ensuring the future of white-tailed deer, wildlife habitat and our hunting heritage. Founded in 1988, QDMA is a national nonprofit wildlife conservation organization with more than 60,000 members in all 50 states and Canada. To learn more about QDMA and why it is the future of deer hunting, call 800-209-3337 or visit the QDMA web site. QDMA can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Mississippi Deer Hunting: Archery Season Opens Soon!

Bowhunters that have been awaiting the start of a deer hunting season in Mississippi do not have to wait much longer. The opening of deer archery season is October 1 for the Hill and Delta Zones and October 15 for the Southeast Zone. Longbows, recurves, compound bows, and crossbows are all still considered legal archery equipment and can be used during all hunting seasons for deer.

In addition, there is no minimum or maximum draw weight for bows and crossbows, no minimum arrow length, and fixed or mechanical broadheads may be used during the archery deer hunting season. The development of improved hunting equipment over the years has opening the door to fewer and fewer equipment restrictions; archery equipment is better than ever.

Whitetail Deer Hunting

White-tailed deer populations look healthy across Mississippi according to state wildlife officials, but deer hunting could be tough during the early season with the abundance of food out there right now. Biologists are reporting healthy mast crops, so putting a tag on a buck will likely mean finding where he’s feeding and setting up in the area.

“The acorn and persimmon crops look good on all the trees I’ve observed, now we just need some cooler temperatures to get deer on their feet,” says William McKinley, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) Biologist. “The relatively mild, wet summer has produced some great antlers and a prolific fawn crop. Bowhunters should have a great season, and a good time to pattern a pre-rut, mature buck is the first week of archery season.”

It’s important to remember that all Wildlife Management Area (WMA) hunters in Mississippi are required to wear a full-body harness (fall-arrest system) while climbing a tree, installing a tree stand that uses climbing aids, or while hunting from a tree stand on a WMA.

While required on Mississippi WMAs, it’s a good idea for all hunters to wear and know how to properly use a full-body harness while hunting from an elevated position. Take time before your hunt to be sure you have all the proper safety equipment, and remember that the most important part of the hunt is making it home.