successfull deer hunter patch

[fiker]

To me each year, the successful deer hunter patch that is given out by the DNR is perhaps more important than the antlers.   I don't have a patch for every buck I've shot, but I've got a pretty good  string of consecutive years going. 
I got my buck with my bow last weekend. 
I started calling around to find where I could take it, to get the head checked, and receive my patch.   Seems that even some of the offices don't know the answer to that question.
I've gone on line, and this is what I've found out.

There were 125 stations last year across the state where I could go.  This year, due to budget cuts, there only 50.  All 50 are only open during the November 15 to the 30th firearm season. 

There are about five offices in the lower peninsula where I can take my deer now during the early bow season.   To get my patch this year, I have to drive an hour + from my house to go to Southfield, the closest one.

I understand the State's financial woes.  But there has got to be a better way to acquire the data the DNR wants, and get the patches to hunters like myself.  At least I think the DNR wants the data.   But I've gotta believe that they won't get it from a lot of hunters this year.

Maybe I'll just freeze the head, and wait till November 16th.

[Langer]

Congrats on the bow kill! Let's see some pictures!

[fiker]

I never took any. 
As I was picking up the meat from the processor, it dawned on me I hadn't.  Oh well.

[EKennedy]

I can smell Rick's venison chili cookin' right now...mmmm  mmmm  good!

[djkimmel]

I noticed the other day there was a sign at Harley Ensign stating the deer check at the MDNR office there would not be open until 11/15/09.

Rick - maybe you could submit a suggestion to the MDNR for a new way to get the patch considering the changes? I'll look for the submit a question/comment link and post it this weekend.

During tough times, new ideas are harder to come by often.

[fiker]

So yesterday I went to the Southfield office and got my patch.   This is how it went:

When there, I was asked to fill out a form with the following info:
Name
Address
Phone #
Date the deer was harvested
Sex of deer
County where it was harvested
Private/public land

Then the guy behind the counter went with me to my truck.  Looked at the deer, and handed me my patch. 

I asked why he wasn't measuring the antlers, and aging the deer.  He said cause there wasn't enough money to train people to do that.  So for now they were cutting back. 

So my question is this;  If I supplied the info anyway, why couldn't I just have taken it to my friendly neighborhood DNR field office?  I could have given them more info than I did in Southfield.   If I had the little caliper they use I could have measure the antler base like they usually do. 
I could have told them it was a 1 1/2 year old buck.

So, if you're looking for suggestions, let's make it self serve at any field office.  Those 125 offices from last year all had pda's that the info was recorded into, we could record it there.  But, it used to be done on paper.  Still could be.

Most of us can sex a deer, and telling its age isn't that big a deal.  Heck, I used to take my deer to the station in Evart, and that guy used to age the deer from his desk.   He'd look out the window, and tell me my deer was 1 1/2 old.  I said how do you know?  He said, cause they all are.   I guess they would be.
We could look at  some way of entering the info online.  Supply the DNR w/ a picture, and have to type in the license number.   They could mail the patch.  Might be cheaper than hiring field personnel.    Trouble is, how reliable would the data be?  As it is now, they don't even look at your license. 
I've known guys in the past that would get multiple patches for the same deer.  They would  stop at several offices on the way home.  So I know falsification of data happens already.   Some of these same guys would always report their deer came from a different area also.  That way, nobody would know how many were in their area.

I know the state is almost broke.  The DNR is no exception.  I get it.  I work for the public schools.  The state aid to us is going out the window by over $300 per student this year, and more cuts coming next year.   Those cuts will hurt us deeply.

We have to think leaner, and keep as many services as we can.  I'd be glad to work with the DNR to see things like the successful patch program continue.

[mikesmiph]

Excellant point. I am not a big fan of cutting jobs. The self serve cash registers come to mind. But, I would rather have a way of doing things myself, then to lose the service all together. If the state would spend just a little money, to set up some of these services to be done by each of us, instead of having staff all over the state to do it, it would save millions in the long run. And, we would get to keep some services. I feel horrible for any state employee that would lose their job over something like this, but, its coming soon anyway. One way or another. Please, in the future, keep some of the things that are important to you in mind at election time.