http://www.iosconews.com/articles/2006/03/07/news/news03.txt

 Sheltrown: DNR ruining deer hunting

by Troy Bruzewski

WEST BRANCH - Frustrated deer hunters from around the state gathered to vent and present ideas to State Rep. Joel Sheltrown (D-West Branch) Saturday, trying to grow a deer herd population they say is too low.

Sheltrown hosted the meeting to get ideas, listen to concerns and inform hunters of efforts he is taking, and what they can do to put a halt to the reduction of deer population he says is due mainly to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

More than 100 hunters attended the session and signed two petitions that are being passed around and displayed in businesses in Ogemaw and Iosco counties.

The petitions call for ending the clear cutting of woods and lowering the number of doe permits sold each season.

Former state representative, Dale Sheltrown, aided his brother at the meeting, presenting statistics and information obtained from several Natural Resource Committee meetings he attended.

"We want to stop the DNR from cutting the woods right up to the private owner's property line," Dale Sheltrown said. "And population of deer is being eliminated by excessive doe permits."

The Sheltrowns said buck kills in Ogemaw County were down 34 percent from last season and the number of rifle hunters across the state was down 20,000.

Joel Sheltrown says his office has been flooded with letters, calls and requests to join the drive. The feedback even included input sent by musician Ted Nugent. Sheltrown read part of Nugent's statement to the hunters, which stated that these are issues which should be handled by true outdoorsmen and not politically correct bureaucrats.

Along with fewer deer being brought in by hunters, fewer dollars were being brought in by local business owners.

Ed Beckley, a store owner in Whittemore, said his deer feed sales are down 70 percent over the past four years. Several hunters he spoke with did not see any deer in the 2005 hunting season. He added that more than 400 people signed petitions in his store during the past few weeks.

Jim Edwards, a Sterling Heights resident, traveled more than two hours to attend the meeting in West Branch to warn hunters of the changes he sees in this area and how they resemble what recently happened in the Upper Peninsula.

"I've spent 17 years hunting in this area," Edwards said. "It got to become a war zone. I bought 60 acres in the U.P and we've seen two die-off of deer up there and it's coming down here."

Edwards and Dale Sheltrown also warned of the affect wolves have on the deer herd.

"The DNR downplays that, but the wolves are a problem and they are a protected species," Dale Sheltrown said.

All these issues may have been easier to deal with, according to Dale Sheltrown, had Proposal G not passed in 1994.

"In retrospect, we shouldn't have passed it," Dale Sheltrown said. "It took away power over the DNR from the government and gave it to the NRC."

Joel Sheltrown encouraged the hunters to attend as many NRC and DNR meetings as possible, as well as continuing to promote the petitions being circulated.

"We are having an effect," Joel Sheltrown said. "The DNR is worried and is funded by license fees. When they came to us for a raise in the fees, I said no, not with what you're doing to the deer herd."