Taxi Mike
10-28-2005, 10:50 AM
Below is another neighbors realization that Cooperation is a good thing, as well as that we sportsmen have some good things that need promoting:
Subject: State Agencies Cooperate to Reduce Deer Herd and Feed Indiana's Hungry
Indiana's Department of Natural Resources and Department of Correction are jointly initiating a pilot program to help further manage deer populations in 10 southeastern Indiana counties and to provide valuable job training for offenders. Over the past several years, Indiana has seen a steady increase in the size of its deer herd. The DNR's best measurement tools for herd
size, the annual deer harvest through hunting and reported deer-vehicle accidents, are both trending upward for the past few years. In 2004 Indiana hunters harvested 123,058 deer, a 15% increase over the 2003 hunting season.
The Indiana DNR has recognized the need to stop the growth of Indiana's deer herd. Harvest restrictions for antlerless deer placed on hunters have been liberalized for the current deer season and bow hunters are allowed to use bonus antlerless permits during archery season. While these represent significant efforts to better manage the deer population, the DNR wanted to look for some additional unique ways to increase the harvest of antlerless deer.
The DNR and DOC have found that unique program. Based on a similar effort in Iowa, hunters in and around the counties of Clark, Henry, Washington, Harrison, Floyd, Scott, Jefferson, Switzerland, Ohio, and Dearborn, will have the opportunity to donate an antlerless deer to the Indiana DOC via one of the processors listed below. This pilot program will run on November 12 and 13. Processors will not accept deer after that first weekend of firearms season. In exchange for the donation, the hunter will receive a coupon from the DNR for a replacement antlerless deer license at a reduced
price of $14.00. The DOC will collect the deer and process the deer as part of an offender training initiative.
As part of this pilot program, all of the processed venison will be donated to the FIsH (Feeding Indiana's Hungry) initiative. FIsH is a public-private partnership that links hunger service providers, food producers, and processors from around the state. The Daniels' administration, through a proclamation by Lt. Governor Becky Skillman made this past National
Hunger
Awareness Day, has put its support behind this important effort. More information about FIsH can be found at their website,
www.IN.gov/dnr/fishwild/huntguide1/hunting1.htm ("]http://www.feedingindianashungry.org[/URL]. "This unique deer management initiative should help in the DNR's efforts
to reduce Indiana's growing deer population. While our deer herd is healthy from a biological perspective, the negative sociological human encounters, primarily in the form of auto-deer collisions and crop damage, need to be reduced," said Kyle Hupfer, DNR director. "We are very pleased that the Department of Correction's has partnered with us on this project and
that the venison will have a positive impact here in Indiana." "This is a great opportunity for our inmates to learn the skill of meat processing and to give back to our local communities," said J. David Donahue, Commissioner of Indiana Department of Correction.
"Interagency cooperative efforts is something that Governor Daniels continues to emphasize," added Donahue.
Visit the DNR Web page [URL=") for more information on liberalized Indiana Deer Reduction County bag limits.
Subject: State Agencies Cooperate to Reduce Deer Herd and Feed Indiana's Hungry
Indiana's Department of Natural Resources and Department of Correction are jointly initiating a pilot program to help further manage deer populations in 10 southeastern Indiana counties and to provide valuable job training for offenders. Over the past several years, Indiana has seen a steady increase in the size of its deer herd. The DNR's best measurement tools for herd
size, the annual deer harvest through hunting and reported deer-vehicle accidents, are both trending upward for the past few years. In 2004 Indiana hunters harvested 123,058 deer, a 15% increase over the 2003 hunting season.
The Indiana DNR has recognized the need to stop the growth of Indiana's deer herd. Harvest restrictions for antlerless deer placed on hunters have been liberalized for the current deer season and bow hunters are allowed to use bonus antlerless permits during archery season. While these represent significant efforts to better manage the deer population, the DNR wanted to look for some additional unique ways to increase the harvest of antlerless deer.
The DNR and DOC have found that unique program. Based on a similar effort in Iowa, hunters in and around the counties of Clark, Henry, Washington, Harrison, Floyd, Scott, Jefferson, Switzerland, Ohio, and Dearborn, will have the opportunity to donate an antlerless deer to the Indiana DOC via one of the processors listed below. This pilot program will run on November 12 and 13. Processors will not accept deer after that first weekend of firearms season. In exchange for the donation, the hunter will receive a coupon from the DNR for a replacement antlerless deer license at a reduced
price of $14.00. The DOC will collect the deer and process the deer as part of an offender training initiative.
As part of this pilot program, all of the processed venison will be donated to the FIsH (Feeding Indiana's Hungry) initiative. FIsH is a public-private partnership that links hunger service providers, food producers, and processors from around the state. The Daniels' administration, through a proclamation by Lt. Governor Becky Skillman made this past National
Hunger
Awareness Day, has put its support behind this important effort. More information about FIsH can be found at their website,
www.IN.gov/dnr/fishwild/huntguide1/hunting1.htm ("]http://www.feedingindianashungry.org[/URL]. "This unique deer management initiative should help in the DNR's efforts
to reduce Indiana's growing deer population. While our deer herd is healthy from a biological perspective, the negative sociological human encounters, primarily in the form of auto-deer collisions and crop damage, need to be reduced," said Kyle Hupfer, DNR director. "We are very pleased that the Department of Correction's has partnered with us on this project and
that the venison will have a positive impact here in Indiana." "This is a great opportunity for our inmates to learn the skill of meat processing and to give back to our local communities," said J. David Donahue, Commissioner of Indiana Department of Correction.
"Interagency cooperative efforts is something that Governor Daniels continues to emphasize," added Donahue.
Visit the DNR Web page [URL=") for more information on liberalized Indiana Deer Reduction County bag limits.