LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR) announced earlier this month it would issue disease control permits (DCP) to allow deer to be harvested through the end of this year.

The purpose behind the move is to allow hunters and landowners the ability to take more deer in areas where deer testing for Bovine tuberculosis (TB) has been falling behind. The state has an agreement with the USDA that a certain number of deer samples must be tested in the state’s TB endemic zone, called the Modified Accredited Zone (MAZ) and in surrounding counties. If testing quotas aren’t met by year’s end, the USDA could reevaluate the entire state’s TB status, which would negatively affect the livestock industry. According to a DNR announcement from earlier this month, the number of deer heads received in the affected counties is significantly below the numbers needed.

“Using these DCPs to remove deer from your farm, submitting any deer heads that have been frozen and stored, and encouraging friends, neighbors, and fellow producers to do the same will be critical in meeting the quotas this year,” the announcement said.

“It’s hard to tell if the DNR is making progress as of now,” said Andrew Vermeesch of the Michigan Farm Bureau late last week. “We’re hoping that they get a little closer to the goals set out by the memorandum of understanding. We’ve been encouraging anybody who’s still hunting in and around those core areas, even if they don’t have a DCP, to bring in any deer heads that they have for testing.”

According to Vermeesch, anyone hunting with a DCP is required to turn in their deer heads for testing, however, those who are hunting with a general kill license are not.

The affected counties are in northeastern Michigan, and include Cheboygan, Crawford, Iosco, Ogemaw, Otsego, Presque Isle and Roscommon. These counties are near the MAZ, which includes Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency and Oscoda counties. The state is charged with testing 2,800 deer heads for TB each year in the MAZ. According to the DNR, as of Dec. 4 the state had collected 1,943 samples in the MAZ and 1,409 in the other counties. Also, 500 deer samples must be taken annually in Presque Isle County, with the remaining surrounding counties requiring 300 samples.

Also, if a hunter already has a DCP that has expired, the permit will need to be revised and new tags will be provided. Cattle producers and farmers who would like to be issued a DCP or have an expired DCP extended should contact DNR Wildlife Health Specialist Emily Sewell at (231) 340-1821 or email her at sewelle@michigan.gov. DCP deer heads can be deposited in head collection boxes at the Gaylord and Roscommon DNR customer service centers or the Alpena DNR field office. If these locations are not convenient, contact Sewell to make other arrangements.