Eligible landowners interested in enrolling in the Game Commission's Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) have until July 1 to submit an application for the 2008-09 hunting seasons to the appropriate Regional Office.

Eligible lands for DMAP are: public lands; private lands where no fee is charged for hunting; and hunting club lands owned in fee title so long as the club was established prior to January 1, 2000, and they provide a club charter and list of current members to the agency. Private hunting clubs are no longer required to own a minimum of 1,000 contiguous acres before being eligible.

Coupons for DMAP antlerless deer harvest permits may be issued to landowners at a rate of one coupon for every five acres in agricultural operations or one coupon for every 50 acres for all other land uses. Management plans will be required only when a DMAP applicant requests more than the standard rate for issuance of DMAP harvest permits.

Landowners must designate their boundaries in a manner approved by the Game Commission. Landowners will receive one coupon for each DMAP permit allocated for their property, and they may give up to two DMAP coupons per DMAP area to a licensed hunter, who will then apply to the Game Commission for DMAP harvest permits.

Landowners may not charge or accept any remuneration for a DMAP coupon. Hunters may possess up to two DMAP permits for a specific DMAP property in any given license year.

DMAP permit allotments will be made separate from the general antlerless deer license allocations, and will be $10 for residents and $35 for nonresidents.

Hunters looking to get a head start on the 2008-09 deer seasons now can begin reviewing a listing of public properties enrolled in DMAP, as well as those private lands seeking additional hunter participation, which is available on the agency's website.

Those without access to the Internet can obtain listings by mailing a self-addressed, stamped envelope, along with a letter indicating their county of interest, to the Game Commission Region Office responsible for that particular county.

6/13/2008