Declining Deer Herd Part 1: Full Interview with George Lindquist 

Wolf season sounds like a good idea.

The acorn crop was unreal this year, huge! But no deer to eat them. Our habitat is ok. The wolves gotta go!

I started hunting the western side of the UP 30 years ago. The deer were legendary. I was new to hunting and saw many deer. Switched the the lower around lewiston, and saw many until the great idea of TB management by issuing all the doe tags you could buy. Wasn't long before there were no deer left. No tracks, means no deer. I now live in Virginia, can take 6 deer a year, and 3 can be bucks. The trees aren't all cut down, there is plenty of food, and hunting means seeing deer. Great job Michigan. Great job DNR.

It is by no means perfect, but I have to say that I’m thankful for the success I’ve had over the last 10 years deer hunting in Northern Wisconsin. The UP is a truly magical place and I’m sad to hear how poor the hunting has been there

20 years ago I had to turn friends down to deer hunt. Nowadays I can’t find one friend willing too. Deer camp is history. I’ve been solo hunting the last 15. Considering heading to OHIO for 2024. Seems like they are doing pretty good down there.

One more thing. This is the third easy winter in a row for southern Marquette, Delta, Menominee and Dickinson counties. And the deer hunting is STILL getting worse there. No one in leadership is explaining why the deer population isn’t growing, but declining. FACT: Every single DNR employee will continue to get paid while they simultaneously shrug their shoulders. I am not being obtuse when I say this, but MOVE out of state if you and your family like and enjoy deer hunting. It’s the only way.

It appears to me, that there’s a concerted effort by the State to reduce the deer herd numbers. The northern lower peninsula especially is mismanaged. Too many predators have been introduced by the DNR. We now have cougars, and wolves competing with coyotes, and bears for food. More efforts have gone into the elk herd, than the deer population. The issue of nearly unlimited doe tags, to an already depleted deer population is poor management. Combination buck tags needs to be removed, until the herd is restored. The laws that existed in the early 1980’s may have to be put in place, until deer numbers improve.

We are losing more then one generation of hunters now. Kids don't want to hunt because they don't see anything. And older hunters are like why am I paying taxes on property, maintenance of a cabin and taking time off of work and travel hundreds of miles to see predators. So this effecting multi generations.

People forget last time wolves were hear they ate snowshoes, woodland caribou, moose. They had food, now they don't.

Too many damn wolves.

Without a doubt, Michigan has the most mis managed deer herds in the entire country. No where can you find a more dismal outlook than the UP in particular. It’s totally not worth it unless you don’t care at all about seeing deer. For the last 10 years I have elected to do most of my deer hunting outside of Michigan with great success. It’s now impossible for me to get excited about hunting in Michigan. I might give it a try for giggles, but I know the chances of a tagging a trophy (135+) buck are definitely zero. Again, get a camper and hunt elsewhere like PA or Iowa. You can moan and complain all you want, but it won’t change a thing.

I wonder how many tags aren't filled each year? Does the DNR track that? Mine wasn't. I and the camp I go to spends a lot of time and money going to the UP. How long will that last? I don't know, though I'm planning on going again this year. As you stated hunter numbers are way down in your community. The two camps on either side of us didn't even show up this past year! The first animal I saw this year was a wolf and we heard them every evening. I saw two very nervous doe's the whole time in the UP. One area we liked to hunt had no sign of deer and tons of bears and dogs on the cameras. Great interview!

We purchased land in the U.P. back in 15. Every year since then the numbers of deer in the area has declined. Our family even decided not to buy a license this year because where I hunt there are not enough deer to have any doe tags and there are no mature bucks. That is several hundred dollars the State of Michigan missed out on not to mention the money we would typically spend at local businesses. This year out of 6 cell cameras covering several hundred acres we had a total of 4 deer. 1 adult doe, one 2 1/2 year old doe, one 4 point buck and 1 fawn. There was a single doe photo taken in the two week deer season. We regularly have 5 wolves on cameras that are spread out nearly two miles. The DNR knows the wolves are there because two are collared and they have cameras in the area along with frequent in person checks.I don't want the wolves gone, but balances are good. What good is having the white tail population destroyed? So what if a couple of large predator biologists get to keep their jobs.Don't buy the bear depredation BS. Where we live there are a lot of bears, but when there is a healthy population of deer, the fawns removed by the bear will not devastate the deer population. Right now the wolves are also driving the moose out. We just walked over 6 miles and the woods is basically a sterile hole. A few snowshoe tracks and an occasional red squirrel print is the best we could do. The oaks were cut decades ago, and all the timber companies want is maple. From the information I have been told, there were no known deer shot in a nearly 5 mile radius. There were a few seen, but most were at night and this is with baiting and even some pretty substantial food plots. The poorly thought out wolf plan is just another typical government debacle. The conspirator in me wonders if somebody thinks that if they can remove the animals that hunters want to hunt maybe they can remove a few more guns?

We had our first DMI meeting Feb 27th. I'm in the group. We'll see how this goes...

What great informative interview!! learned alot. We plan on joining the MUCC to help out!! Cheers!! J & C

About time I hear something worthwhile from some people in special interests groups.

Very good interview.

FGL. HOWS YOUR LET EM GO LET DM GROW GEORGE… Still talking for all of us eh. I travel now. No more $$ going to Michigan

Thank you George for all you have done and are doing. We need more people like you speaking up and being heard for the herd.

I started bow hunting Dickinson country about 21 years ago with a good friend of mine who hunted up there his whole life. Started out really good back then, always road kill by farm areas driving to camp, last few years which were about 10 years ago, no road kill. The last year I hunted hard for 9 days during first part of November, saw only one deer, a 4pt that I grunted in. So sad! The winters, wolves, coyotes,bear,bobcats, and even mountain lions, make it impossible for the deer to survive. Plus the DNR need to get rid of the second buck tag, statewide, ONE AND DONE!

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I liked this interview so much I watched it a second time. Once again so impressed that Mr. Lindquist has looked at this issue in so many ways. One disagreement would be about traffic. Having just spent 10 days in Indiana, there is no way to compare traffic here to anything south of here. But as to social media I completely agree, if one were to post anything on social media something such as "the wolf is destroying the deer herd in the UP", that would have no effect on policy. I personally do not hunt, but I have when I was younger, was much poorer, and actually needed something to eat. And I personally think that anyone that eats meat should go on a hunt to understand where we as humans fit in this picture. I am pro wolf, as I believe they do fit in the picture. That being said, if the wolf is eating itself out of house and home... Well, they will be the next to starve. And so there should be a wolf hunt. As to a wolf hunt, first it should be based on science, and not emotion. Second Mr. Lindquist speaks about the role of the mature doe, it is the same with the wolf, take out the alpha female and the pack is in total disarray.

When George speaks I listen. More and better winter and early spring habitat plus better managing all predators wolves, bears and coyotes are essential.

Excellent interview George! As always you spoke well to all the key points and facts on the broad issues! 👏

We saw more wolves than deer this year during camp!

black bears get a lot of fawns too

Nothing about the wolves following them into the yards eh. Stupid is as stupid does

I wonder if the mild winter you guys are having are going to have an affect on the deer heard.

The government has more money to give to other countries and can not or will not give states money to help. It's time hunters dont buy tags or dont shoot the deer. Only hunters can conserve the deer population.

Mountain Lions are also taking deer

Deer seem to be a lot smaller in the LP nowadays. Even the bigger bucks. Does anybody else notice this or is it just me?

Department of no results is to blame, everything the DNR touched turns to junk, we have lost 500,000 deer hunters in 20 years, thanks to their terrible management, I hunt in iron county and we used to have a good deer population, not anymore, at camp we had 4 hunter's sit all day for a week straight in gun season and not one deer was seen, my hunting partners are done, and so am I after going on 50 year's of Michigan deer hunting, I'M DONE participating in the DNRs mismanagement

I've hunted in the UP since 1976. The last 3 years I've seen more deer and wolves, less hunters. I watched from my blind 3 wolves chasing a doe. They didn't catch her. So, at least on my area the wolf myth doesn't add up. Less hunters, more deer. Most hunters pick hunting areas where deer are seen alot. I drove around my area for months and saw 1 deer. Put a camera out and captured dozens. Mostly at night. Poaching is the new wolf problem.

Thank you for this interview. While Mr. Lindquist does not appear to be an accredited professional in the study of wildlife management, he does appear to be thoughtful and observant, which are the primary traits of a scientist. I note he notes habitat more than predators. To blame the decline of the deer harvest all on the wolf is simply an easy answer. And easy answers in science just lead to a dead-end road, with no solution. The largest deer I have ever seen in my life, (wolves too), have been in the Porcupine Mountains State wilderness area. An area which has a natural distribution of habitat. From my observation it is clear that wildlife flock to areas of Eastern Hemlock stands, for food, of which there are plenty in the Porkies. I would also note that the deer harvest was also way down in Indiana, and there are no wolves or black bear in Indiana to place the blame on. We in the UP feel we have plenty of forests, and we do, but that does not amount to diversity of habitat. To quote Mr. Lindquist, "the deer walk straight through a maple wood". I love maple syrup, maple floors, and maple burning in my wood stove. And of course, I love the maple leaf burning bright red and yellow in the fall....But the maple does not feed the wildlife.

Northwest LP is waaay down also. Manistee National Forest is absolutely dismal. Last year went to Wellston and Irons MI buck pole. 3 small bucks between the 2 of them. Not many deer, even less hunters. Absolutely HORRIBLE!

Farmers don't let you there property, here in lower Michigan.Then they be- och.. about crop damage.The maple river flats where i hunt gets over run by buckshot hunters.The DNR harassment is unbelievable on stateland here with young officers still wet behind the ears, its truly a shame.

SSS.

The amount of time the herd is under hunting pressure per year is something no one seems to want to think about

I don't know what everyone is talking about I see deer everywhere in the upper peninsula. The biggest problem is lack of understanding of the animals. The wolves can't get rid of them all that isn't possible. The deer have changed their patterns and hide from the wolves which means they are where you don't want to go. They will be in the swamps surrounded by water, they will be on steep hills like Billy goats hills that you would never think they would be on, and they will be on features that give them an advantage to see and smell predators. Think like the deer and you will find them.

The last 80 years or so have seen an UNNATURAL amount of deer in the upper great lakes region things are balancing back to historical averages.

In time when the food runs out they will move on and go south towards the rural areas and near the smaller towns .

According to the last large predator biologist I listened to, it is not the wolf's fault. It is because in deep snow the wolf can kill deer way easier. WTF is that? Any sane person knows that if the wolf is eliminated from the equation then more deer will survive a bad winter. An adult male wolf will eat 1 adult deer per week. Also, don't ever believe the biologists when it comes to wolf numbers. Wisconsin is better at deer management, but there also way more wolves than they admit. Back in 2018 we had 43 domestic dogs confirmed killed by wolves. Those all required tax payer dollars to compensate the owners. This just dogs not any of the live stock etc that have been killed.

The real problem in Michigan is 58,984 deer-involved crashes in Michigan in 2022. Wolf kills don’t even come close to any of this in any particular manner. You’re barking up the wrong tree. Literally. Hunters you want more deer tell your friends and neighbors to quit driving. I’m sure you know somebody that’s had one this year.

We shouldn't have to fight this hard just to hunt deer

We come up for fishing not hunting unless bear or grouse. Atleast until they screw up the lower beyond repair. Smaller dmus is a must. Besides predator management. As for lead very few issues compared to other poisons like pfos and pfas. Smh Yep older doe take just what the qdma guys keep saying to shoot. On average 2.5 yrs is the first fawning for the majority of the U.P.

Keep voting for the Dems

Woods people have to eat also

The state can ignore federal law and legalize marijuana. No reason the state cant legalize culling wolves and ignore federal law. Take that talking point to the bank with ya.

Woooooooooolves

"but we can't, legally" wink wink

Lions, wolves, bears, government....all a problem

Too many predators. It's way out of balance.

It's almost all about the wolves period.

There is no shelf life George. The number of deer shot during migration is very minimal. For one you know they travel at night. You just said 2014 was a bust… They migrated, durning rifle season. Why not eh…. Arrogance.

To many bears are just as bad

Chad Stewart should be fired immediately

DNR NEEDS TO GET THIS UNDER CONTROL , THIS WAS ARE WORST SINCE 1945 IN SOUTHERN MARQUETTE COUNTY , AND WHAT ABOUT ARE PROPERTY VALUE ITS BEEN STALLED. WHO WANTS TO BY A DEER CAMP ITS A WOLVE CAMP

If wolves were making Deer go down - the deer would have been extinct thousands of years ago. Preditor populations follow prey populations

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