The Game Commissioners Board gave preliminary approval this week to a slate of deer seasons for the 2010-11 seasons that includes adding Wildlife Management Units 2C, 2E, 4D and 4E to the split five-day antlered deer season, November 29-December 3, and seven-day concurrent season, December 4-11.

Those WMUs now part of the split season structure are WMUs 2C, 2D, 2E, 2G, 3C, 4B, 4D and 4E.

The proposed package retains the two-week (12-day) concurrent, antlered and antlerless season in the remaining 14 WMUs.

Deer harvest data from 2009-10 is expected in mid-March, and will be used to guide the Board's establishment of antlerless deer license allocations.

Two other changes proposed, so far, is to eliminate the two-week antlerless deer seasons held following the close of the regular firearms season leading up to Christmas in Wildlife Management Units 2B, 5C and 5D. However, the Board voted to extend the concurrent antlered/antlerless deer hunting for archery hunters in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D from January 17-29.

Based on a motion by Game Commissioner Thomas Boop, the Board directed staff to prepare for its April meeting to suspend the issuance of Deer Management Assistance Program antlerless deer permits to public landowners, unless an approved management plan is in place. Boop noted that this action does not impact private landowners ability to enroll in DMAP, which enables landowners to address deer management objectives on their properties.

Hunters with DMAP antlerless deer permits may use them on the lands for which they were issued during any established deer season, and will continue to be permitted to harvest antlerless deer from November 29-December. 11 in WMUs 2C, 2D, 2E, 2G, 3C, 4B, 4D and 4E.

Fees for DMAP permits are $10 for residents and $35 for nonresidents.