Deer population objectives for Lincoln County during the next three years will be the main topic of discussion at the second County Deer Advisory Council meeting being held this fall at the Lincoln County Sports Club, Schulz Spur Rd. north of Merrill off Co. “K” on Oct. 20 starting at 7 p.m.
While this is a working meeting of the Lincoln County Deer Advisory Council, the public is encouraged to attend and will have a formal opportunity to provide insight during the public comment period of the meeting.
County Deer Advisory Councils are newly formed bodies which are part of an effort to provide more public input on deer management issues and give stakeholders a greater responsibility in managing local deer numbers.
Councils are currently in the process of developing recommendations regarding deer population objectives that will influence herd management in their county over the next three years. Recommendations will be sent to the Natural Resources Board for approval in February 2015.
Citizens are encouraged to attend their CDAC’s October meeting and provide comments to the council. Local department staff will be on hand to present information and answer any questions and discuss possible strategies for managing the local deer herd.
Following the October meetings, a public comment period will take place, with a final council meeting being held in December to allow the council to review public feedback before making a final recommendation on the county deer population objective.
Each council will reconvene in spring 2015 to develop antlerless deer harvest quotas for deer hunting seasons and consider various strategies to meet population objectives.
Anyone interested in making a statement at October’s meeting is encouraged to register by filling out a comment card that will be provided just prior to the start of the meeting. In order to accommodate all who wish to speak, statements will be limited to three minutes.
Those unable to attend their county’s meeting can view meeting minutes on the department’s website.
Many county councils have vacant seats – qualified individuals are reminded look at the list of councils and see which counties have an opening. An application and frequently asked questions document can be found on the CDAC page of the DNR web site.