[MAIPC] FW: MD 15 year Deer Hunting Master Plan Under Consideration

Tue Feb 5 07:19:48 PST 2019

I agree with the need for more deer harvesting by archers in highly
populated areas, but to encourage new hunters I disagree with removing
antler point restrictions. Bow hunters should have the opportunity to
harvest a mature buck, which is an increased incentive for our young to
learn the sport.
Rick Johnstone

On Tue, Feb 5, 2019 at 10:05 AM Ossi, Damien (DOEE) <damien.ossi at dc.gov>
wrote:

> Forwarding on behalf of Ms. Martin:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Subject:
>
> MD 15 year Deer Hunting Master Plan Under Consideration; Requesting  that
> those who want a balanced ecosystem testify in person or write emails  to
> remove bag limits on antlerless doe
>
>
>
> Dear MAIPC,
>
>
>
>
>
> I have attached the letter I am sending to MD DNR since I cannot attend
> the meetings.  I have also attached a deer study from December, 2012 which
> M-NCPPC commissioned and was funded as a joint venture with neighbors.  The
> park under study was Little Falls Stream Valley in the southernmost part of
> MoCo.  It found 69 deer per square mile; 15-18 is considered appropriate
> for a balanced ecosystem.  Please feel free to use this study in your face
> to face testimony and email me with any questions about it.
>
>
>
> Dear MD DNR,
>
> I support deer management and oppose the current bow restrictions.
>
>
>
> We all know deer populations in Montgomery County are too high, leading to
> increasing deer-car collisions, the impossibility for our neighborhoods to
> support native life with native plants, and ecosystem destruction in our
> parks.  Our local park is the southernmost  in Montgomery County, and has
> 69 deer per square mile based on a 2014 study; 15 is the limit for a
> balanced ecosystem.
>
>
>
> Our state should utilize a best practices deer management plan.  It is a
> mistake to apply the same bag limits for all the deer from Washington
> County to the Atlantic Ocean. The problems in our suburban areas of
> deer-caused car accidents and native destruction is high, but the number of
> experienced urban/suburban archers is more limited, and deer can’t be
> managed effectively under current limitations.   Such a ‘one size fits all’
>  limitations practice would suggest that special interests are having
> outsized influence on our state policies.  I’m sure that is not DNRs or the
> State’s desired image.
>
>
>
> To utilize best practices in a permanent deer management program, we
> should:  restore the unlimited antlerless limit in the Suburban Archery
> Corridor covering Montgomery, Howard, Prince Georges, Anne Arundel, and
> Baltimore counties; review and raise the buck limit; remove antler-point
> restrictions.
>
>
>
> Best practices should be used throughout the State, and given the high
> density of deer in Montgomery County, we need a permanent Suburban Archery
> Corridor allowing the harvest of unlimited archery antlerless deer.
>
>
>
> Thank you for your consideration.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Celia Martin
>
> MoCo Weed Warrior Supervisor
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *And this further information from the Director of Animal Connection Deer
> Management Team:*
>
> *Subject:* Time to Tell MD DNR antlerless deer limits are bad for
> Montgomery County
>
> We all know deer populations in Montgomery County are much too high,
> leading to increasing deer-car collisions, lyme disease, and damage to both
> natural and maintained vegetation. Unfortunately, recent actions by the
> Maryland Department of Natural Resources have made it harder for us to use
> archery hunting to reduce the deer population. We can’t allow Eastern Shore
> hunters who aren’t seeing enough deer continue to dictate how we control
> deer populations in Montgomery County.
>
> The Maryland DNR is holding four sessions seeking comment for their next
> 15 year deer management plan and is open to online comments comments as
> well.
>
> This is not comments directly on next year’s deer regulations. That will
> come later. However, comments on this plan will influence their planning
> for next year’s limit. Quoting the announcement:
>
> "The Maryland Department of Natural Resources
> <http://dnr.maryland.gov/Pages/default.aspx> is seeking public comment on
> the state’s management of white-tailed deer. The input will be used to help
> revise the state’s deer management plan
> <https://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Pages/hunt_trap/Comments/Deer_Management_Plan/How-to-Comment.aspx> for
> the next 15 years, establishing long-term goals, and identifying specific
> objectives and strategies for achieving them."
>
> You can read full details at
> https://news.maryland.gov/dnr/2019/01/28/public-input-sought-on-white-tailed-deer-management/?fbclid=IwAR3vD5dFIpRcJit2Tt9mOiU2FLWCRo1HS4xlO8oNcVKCBAgqOQEeb8CJWvk
>
>
> This is your opportunity to tell them that the new limits on anterless
> archery was a bad move for Montgomery County. I limited out (shot all the
> deer I was allowed) during archery season and came close in the other
> seasons in just 2-1/2 months of hunting. I shot 31 deer and had to stop
> hunting! I shot all of the 15 archery antlerless deer I was allowed. I shot
> all 3 bucks I was allowed. I shot 6 of 10 antlerless during gun season and
> 7 of 10 antlerless during muzzleloader season. I was unable to hunt during
> 2-1/2 months of archery season because of reduced bag limits DNR imposed
> this year.
>
> Please tell DNR to restore the unlimited antlerless limit in the Suburban
> Archery Corridor covering Montgomery, Howard, Prince Georges, Anne
> Arundel, and Baltimore counties. We also need a higher buck limit and
> removal of antler-point restrictions. Make this a permanent part of their
> deer management plan. It makes no sense to apply the same bag limits for
> all the deer from Washington County to the Atlantic Ocean — 90% of
> Maryland’s area — as they do now. Either make a permanent Suburban
> Archery Corridor allowing the harvest of unlimited archery antlerless deer
> or at least fix it for Montgomery County.
>
> *How to tell them:*
>
> The best bet is both in person and online.
>
> *The closest session will be:*
>
> *Central Region*
> Feb. 21 at 7 p.m.
> New Town High School
> 4931 New Town Boulevard
> Owings Mills, Maryland 21117
>
>  *To provide online comments:*
>
> *Deer Management Plan Survey*
>
> http://www.doit.state.md.us/selectsurvey/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=l8108m2#
> <http://www.doit.state.md.us/selectsurvey/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=l8108m2>
>
>
>
> Other in-person sessions are:
>
> *Eastern Region*
> Feb. 20 at 7 p.m.
> Chesapeake College
> Room 127, Health Professions and Athletics Center
> 1000 College Drive
>
> Wye Mills, Maryland 21679
>
> *Southern Region*
>
> Feb. 12 at 7 p.m.
> College of Southern Maryland, La Plata Campus
> Room 113, Business and Industry Building
> 8730 Mitchell Road
> La Plata, Maryland 20646
>
> *Western Region*
>
> Feb. 6 at 7 p.m.
> Mountain Ridge High School
> 100 Dr. Nancy S. Grasmick Lane
> Frostburg, Maryland 21532
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------
> Mark Eakin
> Silver Spring, MD
> Director, Animal Connection Deer Management Team
> http://acdmt.org
>
>
>
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>

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