Cold firearm deer season opener has bucks, hunters on the move

By 12:30 p.m. on opening day of firearm deer season in Michigan, Saturday, Nov. 15, Knutson’s Sporting Goods’ Buck Pole in Brooklyn was bulging with bucks from the morning’s hunt.Temperatures were in the low 20’s to start the day but tapered off to 34 degrees later in the afternoon, getting bucks and hunters up and on the move.Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources released a report that estimated this years’ deer hunting season should be similar to last year’s. Knutson’s said it was every bit as good with another large turnout of hunters this season hanging big, and not so big deer to one of the largest buck poles in Southern Michigan.By 1 p.m., the number of deer being dropped off tailed off, according to Tom Knutson, who confirmed that this year’s opening day pole numbers were similar to last year with one big difference, hardly any 1 1/2-year-old bucks were brought in. A majority of bucks harvested were 2 1/2-year-olds.“We’re not seeing one-and-a-half-year-olds brought in. We seem to be missing one whole year,” Knutson said. He worries that Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) might be the culprit.One deer taken to Knutson’s stands out among all the others, so far, with a weight of 238 pounds.At the end of the season the winners from Knutson’s buck pole contest will be announced and displayed online at www.knutsonbuckpole.com. Winners from previous seasons may also be seen on the website.The DNR is requesting that hunters take their harvested deer to one of several check point stations set up in the state. The nearest check in station to Lenawee County is at Cabela’s in Dundee. Cooperator patches are used as an incentive for successful hunters to bring their deer to DNR offices and other check stations. A deer head (antlers must still be attached on bucks) or entire carcass must be presented to receive a patch. Patches are not available by mail.The check station at Cabela’s was open from November 15-17 and will again be open Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 29-30 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.The next closest check station is Jerome County Market, 8985 E. Chicago Rd., US-12, Hillsdale. The check station there will again be opened every day from November 17 to November 26, and November 29 to December 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 517.522.4097 for more information.Last year, 385,302 deer were harvested in Michigan with 203,057 antlered and 182,245 antlerless deer bagged. The largest harvest in the state was in 1998 with just under 600,000 deer bagged.Sixty-two percent of all 2013 bucks harvested in the state came during the regular firearm season. Thirty-one percent were taken during archery season. Four percent were taken during Muzzeloader season: three percent, youth season and 0.1 percent, independence hunt.The number of purchased or issued licenses last year was 1,532,854, up slightly from 2012’s 1,522,835.The 2013 license breakdown was 263,905 firearm; 54,788 archery; 762,174 combination; 427,219 antlerless; and 24,768 mentored youth.