IRONWOOD, MI - Thursday, September 25, 2008 - A manditory meeting for all hunters participating in the City of Ironwood Comprehensive Deer Management Hunt was held yesterday evening at 5:30 PM in the City Commission Chambers.

All hunters participating in the program were required to take a special proficiency test administered by the Full Draw Archery Club of Pence, Wisconsin. This year a record thirty hunters qualified to participate in the special City hunt. Last year, 23 hunters participated and seventy anterless deer were harvested.

Year	Hunters	Doe	Buck
2006	16	17	0
2007	23	70	0
2008	30	–	–

City ordinance restricts the number of active permits issued at any one time to twenty-five, and it also gives preference to City residents. The Deer Management Program is separated into three seasons: October 1st through October 19th; October 23rd through November 14th; and December 1st through December 15th.

The full allotment of twenty-five permits were issued for this year's first hunt. A special drawing was held to award three participants a buck tag. Return hunters were given one chance to get a buck tag for every doe they bagged in last year's hunt. A drawing was also held to determine which Deer Management Area (DMA) each hunter would be allowed to hunt.

Four hunters were assigned to the Western DMA; the Easter DMA; and the Southern DMA. The remaining thirteen hunters were assigned the Central DMA.

DNR Officer Grant Emery updated the hunters at last night's meeting, on the rules and regulations of the special hunt. And he also answered questions posed by members of the crowd. He made a special point to remind hunters that new walking/hiking trails were recently cleared by volunteers of the Parks and Recreation Committee. He warned hunters to exercise extreme caution throughout the management area.