MBI Provides DNR Input on Deer Hunting and Deer Management

By Tony Kuehn, MBI President

In the late fall of 2008 Minnesota Bowhunters Inc. was contacted by the Minnesota DNR to sit in on a preliminary deer management proposal session in preparation for the 2009 Roundtable. Various deer hunting associations were invited to attend including: Minnesota State Archery Association, The Minnesota Deer Hunters Association, Bluff land Whitetails, Quality Deer Management Association, and a number of others. During the meeting, the organizations were asked to give a preliminary presentation regarding various issues relating to deer hunting and deer management.

Tony Kuehn the current MBI president, took on the challenge to represent the state’s bowhunters and gave an impromptu presentation for the attendees. The presentation was further refined based on input from the MBI board of directors; membership phone interviews; talking with other bowhunters in the field and at some archery shops; reviewing DNR hunter satisfaction surveys from 2001 and 2005 and reviewing DNR deer management goal setting surveys. The finalized MBI position statement and the DNR Roundtable presentation is provided here as it was given to the attendees of the DNR forum on January 9th, 2009. (You can also download a copy of the PowerPoint presentation.)

Please send your comments and suggestions to MBI: e-mail mbipresident@gmail.com or call Tony at 952-715-7370. The DNR will be hosting follow-up meetings in the next few months and MBI needs your input to fully develop our plan of action and further refine the organization’s position on deer management and harvest goals.