# Shooting deer in June



## huntingfool43 (Mar 16, 2002)

boehr

I heard today that the DNR either issues or sellls permits to farmers to shoot deer in June for crop damage, is this true or just another rumor? Thanks


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

Yes it is true and has been for more than 25 years. A farm with crop damage that has been verified by a Wildlife Biologist can obtain a permit to kill deer in June or just about anytime of the year for that matter.

Here is the law.

*5.41 Deer damage shooting permit; standards, conditions, records; unlawful acts.*

Sec. 5.41. (1) Deer damage shooting permits may be issued statewide to owners of specific lands with significant agricultural or horticultural crop damage documented by the department.

(2) A deer damage shooting permit shall not be valid: 

(a) Except during the time period authorized by the permit. 

(b) During the period of September 26 to January 1 unless approved by the wildlife management unit supervisor and district law enforcement supervisor. 

(3) The permittee shall keep records as may be required by the director and present them for inspection at the request of a conservation officer or wildlife biologist. 

(4) The permittee or authorized designee shall make a reasonable effort to retrieve all deer killed under the authority of a permit. 

(5) A person killing a deer shall immediately validate the deer damage permit tag as instructed on the tag and attach the tag to the gambrel or jaw of the deer. The postcard portion of the tag shall be mailed to the department by the person killing the deer within 24 hours after having killed that deer. 

*5.42 Deer damage shooting permit, prohibited acts.*

Sec. 5.42. (1) It shall be unlawful for a permittee to designate more than 3 authorized shooters to implement the provisions of the permit unless additional shooters are approved by the wildlife management unit supervisor and district law enforcement supervisor. 

(2) It shall be unlawful for a permittee or an authorized designee to: 

(a) Kill more than the number of deer authorized by the permit. 

(b) Possess a deer killed under the authority of a permit without having a validated deer damage permit tag attached to the deer. 

(c) Take or attempt to take a deer within the permit boundaries unless in possession of a valid unused deer damage permit tag. The tag shall be presented upon demand to a representative of the director. 

(d) Use a firearm other than a centerfire rifle or shotgun with slugload. 

(e) Possess an uncased or loaded firearm in the vehicles authorized by the permit. 

(f) Kill a deer with antlers extending 3 inches or more above the skull unless approved by the wildlife management unit supervisor. 

(g) Take or attempt to take a deer using an artificial light or from 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise unless approved by the wildlife management unit supervisor and district law enforcement supervisor. 

(h) Take or attempt to take a deer in any area except that location described on the permit. 

(3) It shall be unlawful for any person to buy or sell any deer killed under the authority of a deer damage control permit. 

(4) It shall be unlawful for any person other than the permittee or an authorized designee to take or attempt to take deer under the authority of a valid permit. 

*5.43 Deer damage shooting permit, reservation of rights.*
Sec. 5.43. Final disposition of animals killed under permit will be determined by the wildlife management unit supervisor or representative. In all cases, efforts should be made to assure the carcass will be used for human consumption to the fullest extent possible. 

*5.44 Deer damage shooting permit; revocation, suspension.*

Sec. 5.44. (1) Pursuant to section 40118 of part 401, wildlife conservation, of the natural resources and environmental protection act, Act No. 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being section 324.40118 of the Michigan Compiled Laws, a conviction for a violation of the provisions of sections 5.41 to 5.43 of this order shall result in the revocation of a permit. 

(2) A modification, suspension, or revocation of a permit is subject to the provisions of section 40114 of part 401, wildlife conservation, of the natural resources and environmental protection act, Act No. 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being section 324.40114 of the Michigan Compiled Laws.

(3) Failure to comply with these and other rules of the out-of-season deer damage control program will make the permittee ineligible to participate in the deer damage shooting permit program for a period of 1 year.


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## Liver and Onions (Nov 24, 2000)

boehr answered a similar question not so long ago. These permits are called, "Deer Management Assistance Hunting Permits". About the same thing as the former permits called, "block permits". Block permits are what most hunters/farmers still call these permits.
From my experience, block permits were most likely needed during the summer when deer would concentrate their feeding on bean fields. This was especially true if there were not a good number of other bean or alfalfa fields in the area to spread the deer out. 
Most farmers & their families are hunters and they don't like to kill antlerless deer during the summer, however sometimes it can become necessary. I don't think a lot of deer are killed this way.

L & O


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## huntingfool43 (Mar 16, 2002)

Thanks boehr

I thought this practice was stopped years ago when they came out with the crop damage permits that are sold in the fall.


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

It did cut down on the number of permits issued as many farms did allow others to hunt and many took a good number of problem deer during season but didn't prevent the damage happening before the season started. It also didn't help those farms in areas where you don't see many deer after the crops are off, during the season but when the crops are still on the fields they have deer problems.


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## Ibow (Apr 29, 2001)

Boehr -

What is the legal minimum acreage to qualify for a DMAP?

Thanks


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

I don't recall that there is a minimum number of acres but you can check with Wildlife Division.


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## Ibow (Apr 29, 2001)

Thanks ....


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## sniper's mojo (Nov 29, 2005)

My 2 cents! Instead of giving these permits to the farmers. Why not make them allow hunting on their land for antlerless deer only during the regular season before they can qualify for this type of permit? This is rhetorical of course. Just seems there is a lot of middle ground between hunters and farmers that is not explored.


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

Because it is there property. We would all complain very much if the we were always told what we had to do with our property. Just as you feel about the deer, kind of like, you should have the opportunity to kill one, they feel the same on their property.

Don't be fooled, most of those farmers that get permits have hunters hunting and killing deer during season too, apparently you just are not one of those hunters.


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## Frantz (Dec 9, 2003)

The sad news is that like everything else, you give someone a little, and a lot of them abuse it. I have seen in years past where they would simply gut shoot the animal so it would wander off and they did not have to deal with it, now they just build a second barn for all the slaughtering.


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## sniper's mojo (Nov 29, 2005)

I understand and respect your point. I am not saying force them to let people hunt on their land. I am suggesting that before we make a special out of season permit available to them we should encourage them to do as much harvesting as possible during the regular season. It would not be forcing them to allow people to hunt on their land, but instead encouraging them to allow it so they can qualify for the special permit. Kind of like dangling the carrot in front of the donkey. It just seems you hear all the time about the farmer with big land complaining about how many deer there are out of one side of his mouth. Out of the other side he is denying willing hunters permission to harvest these same deer. I am in my 3rd yr of lawschool and have had a chance to review some of the programs available in the state of Michigan to these farmers. We have passed statutes which relieve them of liability if they open there land to hunting. In addition they can call the shots on where on their property people can and can not hunt. So if you have a large amount of land you can restrict by choice, any areas you yourself like to hunt, or any area you feel would be an intrusion in to your privacy. As stated before this is just my opinion and I am sure there are factors I am not considering, but it doesnt seem like rocket science to me. You need only look to our tax code to see how the governemnt structures deductions and refunds to steer behavior in a certain direction successfully.


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## huntingfool43 (Mar 16, 2002)

Frantz said:


> The sad news is that like everything else, you give someone a little, and a lot of them abuse it. I have seen in years past where they would simply gut shoot the animal so it would wander off and they did not have to deal with it, now they just build a second barn for all the slaughtering.


 Not to mention the fawns that end up being coyote food because mom got shot. This practice needs to be stopped.


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

Frantz said:


> The sad news is that like everything else, you give someone a little, and a lot of them abuse it. I have seen in years past where they would simply gut shoot the animal so it would wander off and they did not have to deal with it, now they just build a second barn for all the slaughtering.


If that is know as a "fact" and it can be proven. then that should be reported as it is no different that poaching. But, people finding a deer and just coming to a conclusion that Farmer Doe that farms in the section gut shoot a deer on purpose or the unsubstainated rumors just because someone doesn't like farmers getting permits leads to a lot of false speculation.


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

sniper's mojo said:


> I understand and respect your point. I am not saying force them to let people hunt on their land. I am suggesting that before we make a special out of season permit available to them we should encourage them to do as much harvesting as possible during the regular season....


It is encouraged. Also again, just because a hunter is denied access to hunt particular land doesn't mean that particular land is not hunted. Not only do those farmers have friends like all of us that are allowed to hunt but they also have family members that hunt. Agreed, that is not the case 100% of the time but it is the case more often than not. You must remember, it isn't up to the farmer to explain to someone he/she has told could not hunt why they won't allow them to hunt.

One thing that I found over my many years working the field. Many people see, hear or know that Farmer Doe is shooting deer in the summer and just automatically assume they have a summer permit. In all my years, I can count on one hand how many people have called to report someone shooting deer in the summer. I never have been able to understand that part, people so concerned about summer permits and poaching but never call. Also, if you really checked into this I believe you would be suprised on how few deer are taken on these summer permits in the big picture.


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## carp_assasin (Jan 8, 2003)

Can a rifle be used in the shotgun zone while filling a Management Assistance Hunting Permit? And is hunter orange required?

Thanks,
ben


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

If you are talking about the summer crop permits;
Yes, a rifle can be used because the only time a rifle can't be used in the shotgun zone is from Nov 10 thru Nov 30.
No, orange is not required because they are not "hunting" under the authority of a license.

If you are talking about the licenses that are sold for farms then all applicable hunting laws apply, bow during archery, shotgun during firearm etc., etc, all laws.


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## plugger (Aug 8, 2001)

Crop damage are very missunderstood tool. The benifit to using crop damage permitts is they allow targeting only the problem animals doing the damage. Years ago we used summer crop damage permitts to reduce damage being done to young plants in a short window of time. Shooting just three or four deer wisened up the rest of them and they moved on. My wifes uncle who farms 320 acres next to us went the hunter route and invited everyone he could find in in the fall. His one rule was any deer seen was shot. They drove every bit of cover several times with the goal being no survivors. After the first couple of years he had to keep recruiting new hunters because this type of hunting gets old quick. Three or four people in the area liked the results and followed suit with the efffect on the deer herd being devastating. Iwould rather of seen him kill a few problem deer in june or july than all of them in november. Deer in farm land are a relatively new thing that came with big farms. My father inlaw tells how when he was a kid they planted 20 to 30 acres 0f corn and were abl to protect it but when he planted 600 it was not possible to watch all of it so the deer were able to establish a population. Deer used to be an animal of the big woods and remote areas.


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