Report Nr. 3432 2004 Quality Deer Management (QDM) Survey Deer Management Units in the Upper Peninsula

A survey was completed to determine whether hunters and landowners supported mandatory QDM regulations in Deer Management Units (DMU) in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (UP). The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) supports the voluntary implementation of QDM practices on private land in Michigan. However, mandatory regulations should be imposed in a DMU only when it can be shown that a clear majority (>66%) of hunters and landowners support implementation. Questionnaires were sent to a random sample of landowners and hunters; 75% of the landowners and 86% of hunters returned their questionnaire. About 63% of landowners owning land in the UP and 61% of people hunting deer in the UP supported implementing mandatory QDM regulations. Support from both landowners and hunters was insufficient to recommend implementation of mandatory QDM regulations for the UP.