Questionnaires have been sent by the state Department of Natural Resources to 1,000 owners of land in Leelanau County and 883 deer hunters to determine whether a quality deer management (QDM) program begun in the fall of 2003 will continue.

According to Brian Frawley, a DNR wildlife resource biologist based in Lansing, some two-thirds of those surveyed in both groups must agree to continue the specialized regulations for the program to continue.

Under QDM rules, only bucks with at least three points on one antler may be harvested by hunters in any season. Leelanau is the only entire county in Michigan enrolled in a QDM program, although smaller areas in the state have similar buck hunting restrictions.

Frawley said the surveys printed appropriately on bright orange paper pose only three questions:

• Do you hunt deer on the mainland of Leelanau County?

• Do you own land in Leelanau County?

• The final question contains the reason for the survey: "Do you support the continuation of the antler point restrictions in Leelanau County?"

The third question offers boxes for four answers, of which only a check in the "Yes" box will be counted as supporting QDM, Frawley said. Other choices are "No,", "No Opinion," and "Don't Care."

A check in the "No Opinion" box will be considered a "no" answer, Frawley said. Ballots checked in the "Don't Care" box will not be counted as supporting or opposing QDM.

Will Bunek, president of the Leelanau Whitetails non-profit organization that has worked toward and supported QDM, was unhappy that "Don't Care" votes would go against continuing the program.

"It's hard to get two-thirds to support anything. Fifty-five percent is considered a landslide," he said.

Frawley said he had difficulty obtaining the names of enough hunters who ply their sport in Leelanau County. "Ideally I was going to survey 1,000 each," he said.

Hunters' names were taken from an annual survey made by the DNR to determine the success of the past deer hunting season. Hunters are randomly selected each year for the survey from a statewide pool of licenses sold. A question on the survey asks where they hunted.

Frawley used data bases back to 2001, and still came up with only 883 names who had indicated they hunt in Leelanau.

The list of landowners was obtained through the county Equalization Department, Frawley said. Only those with 5 acres or more were included in the landowner pool.

An addressed, postage-paid envelope was included with the survey package.

Frawley is asking those who receive the survey to quickly return it, for a couple reasons.

First, getting surveys sooner than later will provide DNR staffers more time to assemble results.

And second, a quick response will save the DNR money. Those who hold off will be mailed second and third notices asking them to reply.

Most are usually returned, up to 80 percent, Frawley reported. "Most of the people who receive the surveys are interested in this … We get a fairly high response rate."

The process is leading toward a decision by the state Natural Resources Commission at its March 6 meeting on the future of QDM in Leelanau County. Frawley said results of the survey will be posted on the DNR web site on the same day.

Click here to view the big bucks on our 'virtual deer pole.'