Northeast Michigan Branch of the Quality Deer Management Association (NEMIQDMA) has established itself as a nationwide leader in promoting whitetail deer and habitat manage-ment practices through education and involvement in the counties we serve - Alpena, Alcona, Montmorency and Presque Isle.
NEMI of the QDMA has been chartered since 2004. National awarded us with Educational Event of the Year in 2005 for top performing Branch in the country for food plot demonstrations. We nominated a youth for 2011 QDMA National Youth Hunt and he was 1 of 10 chosen to go on a 4 day hunt. In 2012 National awarded us Event of the Year for top performing branch in the country for Banquet & Expo.
With the continued support of you and the hunting communities these recognitions would not have been attained. We have over 500 members in the four county region, plus Co-ops, which is a direct reflection of the need for better deer management.
NEMI Branch supports programs at the National, State, and local levels. Youth and adult education continues to be a primary objective of our branch. We sponsor hunter and gun safety classes, which reached over 3000 future hunters. Other organizations & events sponsored are: Adopt-A-Highway, Youth Field Day at Clear Lake, Hubbard Lake Sportsmen’s, Educational & Food Plot Presentations throughout 4 counties, Area Buck Poles, C of C Member, Annual CenterShot Archery of Hubbard Lake & Annual Archery Tournament at Aplex, Annual Hunter’s Round-up, Life Long Learners Wild Game Presentation,
NEMIQDMA Annual Banquet, Citizens for Professional Wildlife Management (petitions & $250) and sold 1300 fruit trees over the past 8 years. Johnny apple seed still at work. The majority of our money is kept in the 4 counties, which is why we are so successful.
We are striving to make NEMI a popular destination for deer hunters across the state and nation.
Management Today: For a Quality Hunting Experience for Tomorrow & the Next Generation!
The Four Cornerstones of QDMA
Quality Deer Management is a management approach that produces healthy deer populations with balanced adult sex ratios & increased numbers of older bucks.
1. Herd Management
One of the most important aspects of QDM is determining the number of deer to harvest based on sex and age. In many areas, deer populations are at or above optimum levels, and herd stabilization or reduction is needed. Both situations require the harvest of female deer. Another important aspect of herd management is restricting the harvest of young bucks. A reasonable starting point for most QDM programs is the protection of yearling bucks, though advice from a wildlife biologist is generally needed to determine the harvest criteria that are most appropriate for your deer herd.
2. Habitat Management
The diet of a healthy whitetail herd should contain at least 16% protein and adequate levels of calcium, phosphorus and other important nutrients. Two common methods used to increase available nutrition are food plots and natural vegetation management. Food plots include all plant species planted in an agricultural manner to increase the quantity and/or quality of forage
available to deer. Research suggests that
as little as 1 or 2 percent of the property
planted in high-quality, year-round food plots can improve the overall condition of a deer herd.
Natural vegetation includes all naturally occurring plant species on a property. Because these species account for the majority of a deer’s diet, the most desirable species should be widely available and abundant. Natural vegetation management techniques include timber management, prescribed burning, mowing, tilling, fertilizing and use of selective herbicides.
3. Hunter Management
Hunter management is a critical yet often difficult aspect of QDM. Active participation in QDM requires an increased understanding of deer biology, ecology and behavior. Hunters must learn to distinguish fawns, does, yearling bucks, intermediate-aged bucks (2 1/2 or 3 1/2 years old) and mature bucks (4 1/2 years and older). Increased knowledge leads to a greater focus on the experience rather than the number or size of animals harvested.
4. Herd Monitoring
Two types of data are commonly collected--harvest data and observation data. Harvest data should be collected from every deer harvested or found dead on a property. Commonly collected harvest data include sex, age, weight, antler measurements and reproductive information. This information enables managers to determine management success and fine-tune their programs.
Observation data can also reveal important details about herd quality and management success. Observation data can be collected by hunters or with remote-sensing cameras. Because some bucks are protected from harvest under QDM, observation data can provide useful information not provided by harvest data.