Michigan aims to buck trend on hunting

Outreach push aims to stem decline in licenses issued

By Eric Lacy / The Detroit News


Elizabeth Conley / The Detroit News

Farmington Hills' Ralph Delius, 48, who is with son Michael, 12, offers shooting tips Sunday in Waterford.



While Michigan's deer hunters prepare for another firearm season, state officials are trying to rekindle enthusiasm for the annual fall pastime, which contributes more than $500 million a year to the Michigan economy.

Last year, sales of deer hunting licenses were down about 87,000 -- nearly 5 percent -- compared to the same period in 2002.

Officials cite an aging state population, lack of interest among young people and fewer parcels of public and private land to hunt on as reasons for the decline.

The dwindling number of licensed hunters and its effects on the economy prompted state Department of Natural Resources officials to create a marketing campaign that includes outreach programs to women, teens and former hunters. Especially hard hit by the decline are Upper Peninsula communities like Watersmeet, Naubinway, Crystal Falls and Curtis, which rely on the tourism.

It plans to target organizations such as 4-H and the Boys & Girls Clubs to organize outdoor trips and help pass the hobby on to future generations. It also seeks the creation of mentoring programs and more public hunting access from private land.

Farmington Hills resident Ralph Delius, 48, supports the state's efforts because he has a 12-year-old son, Michael, who wants to go on his first Michigan deer hunt next fall.

Michael developed a passion for the hobby last summer during a family vacation, when the father and son searched for antelope in South Africa.

"Deer hunting is a great shared experience, and I'm glad there's work being done to promote it," Ralph Delius said. "I would never force my son to do it, but to be honest, I'm glad he is."

State officials, along with natural resources organizations, conservation groups and private land owners, formed a hunting task force in January to evaluate the recent decrease in deer hunting licenses.

A major goal for the task force is to improve the state's land leasing program, which allows hunters to use private property.

State officials work with current and former participants of the program to measure its success and find ways for more properties to be accessible for deer hunting.

In 2004, more than 450,000 deer were harvested. State officials predict this year's harvest total will be about the same.

One person who won't be out this year is 41-year-old Joe Carlino of Grosse Pointe Woods.

For Carlino, the state's campaign is a lost cause.

He stopped deer hunting about five years ago because he didn't have a desire to kill large game animals anymore. He still has access to private land near Ann Arbor but uses it mostly just to enjoy nature with friends.

"It got to a point where going out in the woods a couple times a year was sufficient enough.

"While I was doing it, hunting just began to lose its luster," he said.

Sam Washington, director of the Michigan United Conservation Clubs, says the loss of deer hunters is the sign of a much bigger problem: a decline in outdoor activities among Michiganians.

"There are just fewer people pulling themselves away from computer screens to go outside," Washington said.

The organization of nearly 100,000 members is considered the largest of its kind in the nation.

It is involved in the state's task force to promote deer hunting and works to conserve the state's wildlife, fisheries, waters, forests, air and soils by providing information, education and advocacy.

The task force includes natural resources organizations, conservation groups and private land owners.

"As we have shifted from an agrarian to a rural to an urban society, people have lost track of where food comes from," Washington said. "To the average person, meat is something that comes wrapped in cellophane."

Paul Bachor, president of the North Macomb Sportsmen's Club, hasn't forgotten his hunting roots.

The 42-year-old Clarkston resident has sought deer for nearly 30 years and represents a group of about 700 members who share his passion. This club of residents primarily from Macomb and Oakland counties added 150 members over the past three years.

About 60 percent of club members are deer hunters.Bachor said that although the number of licenses has decreased, the sport has gained in popularity among women and teenagers.

An annual hunter's education program the club sponsors attracted more than 100 participants this year, 40 of whom were teenage girls.

Bachor is concerned about the drop in deer hunting licenses, but not enough to think the pastime will die.

"I'm never going to be worried about the loss of deer hunting," Bachor said. "Deer are learning to adapt to the population, just like the pheasant turkey and cougar."

You can reach Eric Lacy at (734) 462-2674 or elacy@detnews.com.

The reason deer hunting has declined in our state IMO is in no small part due to a poorly managed deer population by the DNR . After years of BS about TB and issuing multiple tags its entirely possible to hunt an entire season and see little more than a doe. Of course this depends on what area of the state you hunt but our state game population has been grossly mismanaged for years now. It really is sad.

WA state uses the licence fees to pay for more game wardens to check that everyone paid a licence fee.

Over 40 years of me paying, the state has 10 times the people, half the hunting licecnces, little open land, and no game.

Clinton's buddy, Kurt Smitch, was head of fish and game, and he hates guns. Now 1/3 to archery, 1/3 to muzzle loaders, and 1/3 to modern rifles. Never mind 90% would rather hunt with modern rifles.

What AEI said and more.

I personally don't see a decline of hunters in my area. There are too many people hunting small parcels. The 12 acres next to me usually has seven men and boys in orange lined up on the property line for gun season. It looks like an infantry platoon.

There are few older deer, all I have seen this year are spikes, forkies and button bucks. I do think the deer population has declined.

Access to land to deer hunt is another big factor. Most farmers do not allow others to hunt their land. Some people will allow you to lease but that idea has not quite caught on yet but once it does, where farmers and landowners can make a lot of money leasing out lands then hunting could improve.

Land lost to enormous housing developments probably affects hunting more than anything else. This is a result of once large farms being sold off because of high land values and low payoff in farming.

Negative press, another drag on hunting, will continue to worsen as populations become increasingly urban and uninterested in the natural environment.

This state is a meat hunt, or better said, meat shoot. Tomorrow the deer will be running, from parcel to parcel followed by a volley of lead slugs. There is no hunting involved. If our DNR ever puts proper restrictions on the buck harvest there will never be "quality" deer here, just quantity and a lot of lead.

Uh, I thought the article was pretty good, particularly the pics...