Brandon Twp.- An area business is helping cut into hunger.
Rich Walker, owner of the Cracker Barrel, 5500 Oak Hill Road, has been processing deer for the past 30 years and has been selected to process the deer harvested from the Oakland County Parks controlled hunts.
‘I understand the venison will be donated to the Gleaners of Pontiac to help feed needy residents in southeast Michigan,? said Walker, who receives $1 a pound for his efforts. ‘It’s our way of giving back to the community.?
Oakland County Parks and Recreation Commission, in cooperation with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, coordinates special controlled hunts at Independence Oaks and Addison Oaks county parks each year under guidelines of the 2014 Michigan Department of Natural Resources Block Permit Program. This hunt is developed as a wildlife management program to reduce and maintain the whitetail deer (antlerless only) population at the park.
‘Back in 1990 Addison Oaks had about 120 deer per square mile,? said Brittany Bird, natural resources planner for Oakland County Parks. ‘Our goal is to limit the number to 20 or fewer per square mile’according to the deer numbers recommended for the area by the Department of Natural Resources. The need is to limit deer browse, we don’t want starvation or weakened deer in the parks.?
The six-day controlled hunt was started at Addison Oaks and then in 2003 at Independence Oaks. Hunters apply for the hunt in a special lottery and stay in designated blinds. Aerial surveys each January when the snow covers the park determines the number of does that remain.
‘Since the program started more than 19,000 hours have been donated by hunters and 4,800 pounds of venison producing 19,000 meals have been served,? she added. ‘We expect about 20-25 deer taken during the hunt.?
The additional deer processing for Walker is welcome. As of Nov.18 the number of deer coming into the Brandon Township store is down by about 20 percent since the statewide archery season opened Oct. 1.
‘In years past the first two days after the firearm deer season opens is our busiest,? he said. ‘It’s not the case this year. Maybe it’s cold out and people are letting their deer hang longer or the higher costs of the (deer) licenses has reduced the number of hunters. Also, starting last year a big section of northern Michigan now requires hunters to take a buck with three points on one side’there are just fewer deer shot. It’s going to take a year or two for the number of bigger bucks to return.?
Cold snowy weather, new hunting licenses, and a weekend opening day has produced a mixed bag results as the firearm deer season, which opened Nov.15, rolls into the second week.
‘The amount of licenses are up for us,? said Mark Brownrigg, owner of Brown’s Do-It Center, 7121 S. State Road, Goodrich. ‘The day before deer season opened, Nov. 14, was busy all day. We have been selling licenses for 32 years and our staff understands the changes in the rules, unlike big box stores that are not trained. We did hear some grumbling.?
‘When you look at the other nearby states’those residents pay more for hunting licenses the we do here in Michigan,? he said. ‘Still no one likes change and to pay more. But the DNR added more officers and improved wildlife habitat.?
While area license sales soar, deer license sales across the state are down 9.6 percent from last year, and are at the lowest levels since 2000, as far back as DNR officials checked.
DNR spokeswoman Debbie Munson Badini said a number of factors could contribute to lower license sales, including higher license prices, changes to the types of licenses people can buy, and the cold, snowy weekend. Parts of the western Upper Peninsula had between 30 and 40 inches of snow, making it hard for hunters to get to camp, Badini said.