Measures' aim: Thin deer herd

LINCOLN — The hunting version of shock and awe will be unleashed on Nebraska's growing deer herd this fall.

Nebraska Game and Parks commissioners approved sweeping new regulations Friday designed to help hunters bag many more antlerless white-tailed deer.

Wildlife managers want hunters to kill 42,000 antlerless whitetails later this year, compared to 29,711 killed during the 2009 season. That's a 41 percent increase.

“We expect to reach that goal,'' said Kit Hams, the Game and Parks big game manager.

An overflow crowd of about 80 people, many of them hunters, filled the commission meeting room at Game and Parks headquarters. Most speakers supported the commission's plans.

Farmer Craig Bolz of Palmyra, Neb., however, was skeptical about a goal to boost the number of antlerless whitetails killed in an expanded October season to 10,000 from 262 last year.

“I have a lot of dreams in my life, too,'' he said. “I wish you all the luck in the world. It's not going to work.''

Bolz said many hunters won't go into the field in October because it's too warm, which creates comfort and meat-handling problems.

Bolz supported a new plan to require some hunters in eastern Nebraska to kill a female whitetail before they are permitted to shoot a buck.

“Earn-a-buck is the right path,'' he said. “You have to force guys to shoot does.''

A record deer kill was expected in 2009, but a late crop harvest, a cold winter with record snowfall and low interest in a special October antlerless season resulted in an antlerless whitetail tally that fell below objectives.

Deer hunting is increasingly popular in Nebraska. A record 132,300 permits were sold last year. More than 75,000 deer were killed last year, the second highest total in history. Sixty-nine percent of whitetail bucks and 77 percent of mule deer bucks were at least two years old, the highest on record.

Nebraska's new goals stress reducing whitetail populations, especially in the east and along major river corridors, and to allow south-central and southwestern mule deer populations to increase.

“There's something for everyone here,'' Hams said.

Among regulations adopted:

• Expanding the October Antlerless season — Season lengthened to 10 days from three days. Hunting area expanded to include all of eastern and north-central Nebraska and the Platte River corridor to the eastern edge of the Panhandle. Unlimited number of permits allow two antlerless whitetails each. Cost: $10 residents, $54 nonresidents.

• Earn-a-Buck — Designed to increase doe harvest. Requires hunters with Elkhorn and Wahoo unit November firearm permits to check in a doe before or at the same time they check in a buck. November firearm season extended two days for these hunters.

• Mule Deer Conservation Area — South-central and southwestern Nebraska. Only youth, landowners and those with special permits (allowing harvest in archery, muzzleloader and November firearms seasons) may kill a mule deer buck.

• Expanded January late antlerless season — Season lengthened to 24 days from 15. Hunter orange required for archers.

• Using bow with firearm permits — Archery equipment allowed as a legal weapon on firearm permits in November and January. Hunter orange required.

• New Statewide Whitetail Buck permit — Unlimited in number and valid in archery, muzzleloader and November firearm seasons. Bag limit: one whitetail buck and one antlerless whitetail. Permit price: $72.50 residents; $521 nonresidents.

• More permits — Additional 45,000 antlerless permits and bonus tags available statewide.

Also, new Season Choice Areas were established in central and western Nebraska to put more pressure on whitetails in riparian areas and to allow for mule deer doe harvest where needed.

Hams said hunters need to kill about a fourth of the state's whitetail does to begin thinning the herd. The state's deer population is an estimated 380,000, up from 250,000 in 1996. Deer cost farmers millions of dollars in crop damage and are a highway hazard.

Duane Hovorka of Elmwood, Neb., executive director of the Nebraska Wildlife Federation and a deer hunter, said many hunters who felt guilty about shooting a doe in the past now realize it's the right thing to do.

Contact the writer:

444-1127, david.hendee@owh.com

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