ESCANABA - It was a relatively slow start for the opening of the firearm deer season for Department of Natural Resources officials manning the deer registration station at the DNR's Escanaba office.
Craig Albright, DNR wildlife biologist for the Central Upper Peninsula region, said the low number of hunters registering their deer may have been due to opening day falling on Sunday.
According to Albright, Sunday's opening day tally for registering deer was low. Thirteen deer were registered Sunday at the Escanaba DNR office. Thirteen deer were also brought in on opening day last year. In 1996, only eight deer were registered on opening day.
"Many hunters may not have realized the DNR office here in Escanaba was open, as most state offices are closed on Sunday," said Albright.
Albright said he expects the number of deer registered would begin picking up today and continue throughout the week.
Eriq Frommert, of Detroit, said he heard maybe five shots fired from other hunters while he was out on public land on the Stonington Peninsula.
"It was pretty quiet for an opening day," said Frommert, who stopped in Sunday afternoon to register his spikehorn and receive a deer hunter participation patch.
Albright took measurements of Frommert's spikehorn. The deer was 1.5 years of age, as the young buck still had its deciduous molars.
"Deciduous molars are similar to baby teeth, and are identified by the three cusps on the molar. After the deer reaches two years of age, this molar is replaced by another with only two cusps," said Albright.
Albright said identifying 1.5-year-old bucks is easy because of the presence of the molar, after age 2 it becomes more difficult.
Albright said most of the deer brought into the DNR check station were of average weight, but the number of deer being brought in throughout the week could change due to weather conditions.
He noted the forecast for the week calls for temperatures to range from the mid- to upper 40's. If hunters have their buck poles out of direct sunlight and overnight lows continue to plummet down to around 20 degrees, leaving harvested bucks hanging on a buck pole would be alright for a couple of days, according to Albright.
"If the weather conditions change with daytime highs climbing up to the low 50's then there is a possibility of spoilage," said Albright.
If weather conditions should change, Albright said the number of hunters looking to register their harvest could increase as they look to get their deer processed as soon as possible.
Also finding success on opening day was Brian Hallgren, of Medford, Wis. He was hunting with Wes Wendlandt of Wrightstown, Wis.
Both men said they were hunting in the Foster City area when they filled their buck tags.
"Brian (Hallgren) took a nice six-pointer, which was being chased by the four-pointer I bagged," said Wendlandt. "I thought for sure the buck chasing that six pointer was bigger than it was, but it appears as though the bucks are now in full rut."
Albright, in taking measurements of Hallgren's buck, determined it was an average size 2.5 year old buck, as was the one taken by Wendlandt.
Both bucks were taken within minutes of each other.
"Brian shot his around 9 a.m., and I filled my tag about 30 minutes earlier," said Wendlandt.
