Bucking the trend, renewed interest in hunting fuels opening day (14 November 2020, for {EMAIL})

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The big day is right around the corner, opening day for white-tailed deer hunters across Michigan. Hunters will head into the woods this Sunday, Nov. 15 to continue a tradition that goes back generations. Unlike years past, there will be even more hunters joining them despite the pandemic. The increase in participation may in fact, in part, be fueled by the pandemic. In recent years, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has experienced a decline. It’s been a steady, slow drop every year since it’s peak in 1996. In a year where nothing is the same, it stands to reason that participation in firearm license sales up 15 percent. DNR Deer Biologist Chad Stewart says he believes the increase in hunting interest is a factor of available free time. “People have a little bit more time to spend… and they’re choosing to spend it outside. Certainly, I think that’s a good thing,” Stewart said. “This year obviously is unlike any other right? We’ve been seeing a lot of these trends over the past year and it started all the way back in spring.” In fact, the department reports an increase in sales in turkey hunting licenses, fishing licenses, state campground usage and deer hunting. “I think it’s great for people to sort of reconnecting with nature,” Stewart said. “Whether it’s in a sort of consumptive setting, where you’re actually looking to harvest something, like a turkey or take a fish out or with the upcoming deer season. Or, if you’re just getting out to enjoy the outdoors and that’s certainly something I think we could all use a little bit more of.” The renewed interest in the outdoors spread to local sporting goods store Al & Bob’s Sports along 68th Street in Byron Township. Dan Ray, an avid hunter himself, works in sales at the store. He says he’s seen people flooding the shop in recent weeks. “I’m seeing first-time hunters, first-time gun buyers,” Ray said. “They’re all pouring in. They’re very interested in going hunting.” Many of those first-timers, the DNR reports are women and the young. License sales are up 24% among women and up across the board with young people. With so many first time hunters hitting the woods this weekend, the DNR has had to relax their hunter safety courses to accommodate the flooded interest and to cooperate with safety restrictions amid the pandemic. “Things were different this year because we couldn’t have any in-person hunter safety training,” Stewart said. “We do have a virtual option that is available anyway… but there was a decision made where this year there was sort of forgoing some of those things and allowing some opportunities.” The virtual training is still required for first-time hunters, however, the in-field training with a firearm has been waived for the time being, with the agreement that first-time hunters will complete the training next year or when safety measures allow. Still, some hunters, like Ray, say they are concerned. “Obviously if you have a new market of people going out into the woods for the first time, handling guns they’re not familiar with and being put in a hunting environment that they’ve never been trained in — potentially there could be issues,” Ray said. “There could be incidents that take place.” The DNR says it’s still an opportunity for young and old to come together to learn from each other and grow the tradition that’s spanned generations. “It’s not only a tradition. It’s right up there with some of the big holidays that we experience,” Ray said. “The camaraderie that you get with being with older and younger crosses many genders as well as generations. I mean, in Michigan, for many of us, there are people who don’t understand it but for those who’ve grown up in it and lived it, it’s not only a tradition. It’s right up there with some of the big holidays that we experience.” Despite the spike this year in hunting interest, DNR officials say declining revenue is to blame for a host of changes facing hunters this year. Deer check stations have been slashed statewide. In a typical year, nearly 150 stations or drop boxes open but this year there will only be around 50. The DNR says their growth and amount of testing for diseases like chronic wasting disease and bovine tuberculosis were unsustainable. In the last two years alone, the department has tested more than 50,000 deer for CWD, Stewart says, with Michigan near the top in testing nationwide. The department says these changes are likely here to stay. “We are going to be pulling back a little bit for the foreseeable future. We do anticipate more long-term declines in revenue because of our declining hunter base,” Steward said. “We had to make some cutbacks and had to scale back a little bit because our previous pace was essentially unsustainable. All their previous work is not lost. It’s helped the department identify where the deer with the disease congregate most. It’s helped them create a list of counties that will still test for CWD and TB this year. Without the means to operate them, the majority of the stations will close after four days except for a select few in ‘priority areas’ for disease surveillance. Those include southern Jackson, western Gratiot, southern Isabella, southern Dickinson, western Menomenee counties. “It’s going to be a lot harder to get your deer checked at a check station this year, unfortunately,” Stewart said. “There’s going to be limited testing capabilities from our agency standpoint throughout the entirety of the year.” When hunters arrive at a check station with their kill, the DNR asks hunters to remain in their vehicles. A staff member will approach the vehicle when it gets to the front of the line, at that point staff asks all occupants to wear masks and gloves, while the deer are tested. Daily digest [Bucking the trend, renewed interest in hunting fuels opening day]( [Bucking the trend, renewed interest in hunting fuels opening day]( [GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The big day is right around the corner, opening day for white-tailed deer hunters across Michigan. 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