03-24-2003, 06:47 PM
[font "Times New Roman"]14 deer shot at Indian Springs[/font]
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[url "http://www.spinalcolumnonline.com/action.lasso?-response=/action.lasso?-database=altpareditorial&-layout=authorsearch&-Response=editorialtableindex.lasso&-op=cn&t2=Michael%20Hoskins&-op=cn&t5=Spinal%20Column&-op=eq&t19=Y&-sortfield=d1&-sortorde%20"][font "Times New Roman"]by Michael Hoskins[/font][/url]
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[font "Times New Roman"][#000080]December 23, 2002 - [/#000080]Volunteers have begun shooting deer in the Indian Springs Metropark, part of a continued effort to control metropark deer populations by killing some of the deer that feed on and destroy park vegetation needed by birds and small mammals.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]According to Dave Moilanen, the Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority (HCMA) chief of interpretive programs, 14 deer were shot and taken from Indian Springs during the second weekend of the month, between Dec. 14 and 15. He had said previously the goal had been removing 45 deer from the metropark.
"We still thought (that number) was a pretty reasonable number for us to start with for one weekend," he said, adding that another muzzle-loading hunt is not scheduled. "We do plan on applying to the (state Department of Natural Resources) for an out-of-season permit to use sharpshooting. That will be sometime in January and should help us get up to that 45 (deer goal)."
This is fourth consecutive year of controlled hunting and sharpshooting to thin metropark deer herds since the state House passed legislation in December 1999. Since then, more than 1,100 deer have been killed in the first three years.
This is the second year of such hunts at Indian Springs Metropark, which is located in White Lake and Springfield townships.
Moilanen said 89 deer were shot at Indian Springs last year. This year, he reiterated the HCMA wants to remove 45 deer from the metropark.
"At Indian Springs, we did fairly well last year," he said. "We estimated the populations after last year's hunts and based this year's reproduction, the deer herd is about 115. We'd like it be between 77 and 88, so if we do 45 we should be right there."
In conducting the hunt, Moilanen said typically between 10 and 15 hunters are outside conducting the hunt.
Meanwhile, deer control hunts are also expected early next year at Kensington Metropark, located in Milford Township.
Moilanen said sharpshooting with trained rangers will occur sometime around the end of January or early February, though permits haven't been obtained from the DNR yet. He said once those permits are granted, a definite date and target number will be set.
"We haven't set a number yet, but we'll probably be looking (to remove) around 50 or so. That's maintenance, since we think the population is about 171, so that's the number we might need to get it down closer to 120."
While this is only Indian Springs second year involved in the program, deer management efforts reportedly have been effective at Kensington.
"We're seeing positive effects from vegetation at Kensington, specifically that some of these plants are returning," he said. "Also, one sign (that it's working) is that we could grow a pumpkin crop there at the farm center for the first time in years. We know we're making some real good headway with these hunts." [/font] [font "Times New Roman"]
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[font "Times New Roman"]Michael Hoskins is a staff writer for the Spinal Column Newsweekly[/font]
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[url "http://www.spinalcolumnonline.com/action.lasso?-response=/action.lasso?-database=altpareditorial&-layout=authorsearch&-Response=editorialtableindex.lasso&-op=cn&t2=Michael%20Hoskins&-op=cn&t5=Spinal%20Column&-op=eq&t19=Y&-sortfield=d1&-sortorde%20"][font "Times New Roman"]by Michael Hoskins[/font][/url]
[font "Times New Roman"] [/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][#000080]December 23, 2002 - [/#000080]Volunteers have begun shooting deer in the Indian Springs Metropark, part of a continued effort to control metropark deer populations by killing some of the deer that feed on and destroy park vegetation needed by birds and small mammals.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]According to Dave Moilanen, the Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority (HCMA) chief of interpretive programs, 14 deer were shot and taken from Indian Springs during the second weekend of the month, between Dec. 14 and 15. He had said previously the goal had been removing 45 deer from the metropark.
"We still thought (that number) was a pretty reasonable number for us to start with for one weekend," he said, adding that another muzzle-loading hunt is not scheduled. "We do plan on applying to the (state Department of Natural Resources) for an out-of-season permit to use sharpshooting. That will be sometime in January and should help us get up to that 45 (deer goal)."
This is fourth consecutive year of controlled hunting and sharpshooting to thin metropark deer herds since the state House passed legislation in December 1999. Since then, more than 1,100 deer have been killed in the first three years.
This is the second year of such hunts at Indian Springs Metropark, which is located in White Lake and Springfield townships.
Moilanen said 89 deer were shot at Indian Springs last year. This year, he reiterated the HCMA wants to remove 45 deer from the metropark.
"At Indian Springs, we did fairly well last year," he said. "We estimated the populations after last year's hunts and based this year's reproduction, the deer herd is about 115. We'd like it be between 77 and 88, so if we do 45 we should be right there."
In conducting the hunt, Moilanen said typically between 10 and 15 hunters are outside conducting the hunt.
Meanwhile, deer control hunts are also expected early next year at Kensington Metropark, located in Milford Township.
Moilanen said sharpshooting with trained rangers will occur sometime around the end of January or early February, though permits haven't been obtained from the DNR yet. He said once those permits are granted, a definite date and target number will be set.
"We haven't set a number yet, but we'll probably be looking (to remove) around 50 or so. That's maintenance, since we think the population is about 171, so that's the number we might need to get it down closer to 120."
While this is only Indian Springs second year involved in the program, deer management efforts reportedly have been effective at Kensington.
"We're seeing positive effects from vegetation at Kensington, specifically that some of these plants are returning," he said. "Also, one sign (that it's working) is that we could grow a pumpkin crop there at the farm center for the first time in years. We know we're making some real good headway with these hunts." [/font] [font "Times New Roman"]
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[font "Times New Roman"]Michael Hoskins is a staff writer for the Spinal Column Newsweekly[/font]
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