I would beg to differ with the previous post. As the article points out, we here in Michigan have had a mentality of only shooting does as a way to increase our deer herd. And for a long period when our herd was concentrated in the upper half of Michigan, in a way that made sense since the herd was not all that large and many hunters would go an entire season without even seeing a deer.

Today in the southern part of the state the herd is out of control. On my own property, right now during bow season, I am seeing 4 yearling bucks (all have been under my stand at 15 yards) and one 2 1/2 year old 8pt and about 50 does and fawns. I think to anyone, you could say the herd is out of balance. It is unhealthy for the herd as well as the land's carrying capacity and the farmer whose crops are being decimated. Surrounding land owners exercise their legal right to harvest what they choose and right now it is exclusively bucks...any buck. And this scenario is being repeated over and over again across our county. I believe educating hunters about the benefits of a balanced herd is important. It isn't about trophy antlers, it is about a healthy, balanced herd that the land can support.

It will take time to get people to realize the benefits and the only way to start is through education. QDMA has been doing this with some success, but I believe an endorsement and education program from the state will go a long ways to get more people to buy into the concept.