Results of a Survey of Participants Attending the MUCC, MSU-E Deer Management Meetings Michigan, April, 2000 Survey Conducted and Reported by Peter Bull, Research Associate Dr. Ben Peyton Michigan State University Department of Fisheries and WilExecutive Summary Eight meetings conceming Michigan deer management were held by MUCC and MSU-E in April 2000. Participants to these meetings were asked to complete a questionnaire conceming deer management in Michigan, A total of 539 surveys were completed, The responses reported here should not be considered representative of all deer hunters in Michigan, but of those people who attended the meetings, Comparisons between attendees and respondents to statewide surveys found that: Attendees were almost three times as likely to check a deer with the DNR Attendees were more likely to purchase an antlerless permit and more likely to purchase multiple antlerless permits Attendees were more likely to approve of the 1999 no bait restriction in the TB area and more likely to disapprove of the 1999 restrictions in the rest of the state Attendees were more likely to want baiting banned ‘The majority of hunters (52%) who altended the meetings hunted the Northen Lower Peninsula. 26% of the hunters hunted the UP while 22% hunted the Southern Lower Peninsula. 58% of attendees owned land on which they hunted. 45% of attendees hunted on public land, 53% of attendees did not think that a sample of 60 000 hunters is adequate to estimate the deer harvest each year. 62% of respondents had at least some questions concerning the advantages and disadvantages of mandatory checking of deer at DNR check stations. An approximately equal number of written comments supported and opposed mandatory checks. Approximately half of the respondents were dissatisfied with the DNR’s: “appropriate use of science to manage deer”; “effort to make decisions that are fair to all interests”; “amount of opportunities given to the public to provide input on deer hunting”. ‘A mean value of $7.35 was given as a preferred value for antlerless permits. 19% of respondents thought it should be $3.50, while 22% thought it should be $13.00. 34% of respondents would like to maintain the antler restrictions of 1999, while 50% preferred a more restrictive buck harvest. The preferred antler restrictions varied by area of the state hunted. 71% of respondents agreed that the DNR should restrict the harvest of yearling bucks. 68% of respondents approved of the “no bait” restrictions in the TB management area, however, this approval was not as gteat from hunters who hunt in the Northen Lower. 51% of respondents approved of the baiting restrictions set for the rest of the state in 1999. 50% of respondents thought thet baiting should be regulated. Support for banning bait was strongest from hunters who hunt in the Southern Lower and weakest in the UP. ‘The majority of respondents thought that crop losses, car-deer accidents, destruction of habitat, and threat of disease among the deer to be cither “very low and acceptable” or “moderate and acceptable”. 48% of respondents thought that the harvest success rate was low in the county they hunted, while 34%thought it was about right. 49% of respondents would like more deer in the county they hunt compared to the number that were there prior to the 1999 deer season, While not the most frequently used, MDNR biologists/managers and the MDNR Internet web site were the information sources with the highest mean credibility. Hunting magazines were the information source use most often. 42% of respondents had either heard of the Administrative Rules*NRC issue but “didn't understand the issues well” or “did not know anything about the issue”. Overall the meetings were seen as more worthwhile than worthless, more interesting than boring, and more fair than biased, The greatest percentage (49%) of respondents “agreed with most items presented at the meeting, but disagreed on some major points”. The two issues which respondents thought would be the major issue concerning deer hunting in the next 30 years were baiting and disease contral. Despite a strong assumption that mandatory deer checks are a desirable strategy, most respondents admitted to not being fully versed on the topic. A well designed presentation of the advantages and “> -disadvantages of mandatory checks-probably would help lessen the support for mandatory checks. ~! Despite the attendees holding a rather low opinion of DNR performance, they rated information from biologists and the MDNR Intemet website as both credible and more credible than other sources. Fhis~ ~usage should be encouraged as:more-hunters come “on line”.