Nebraskaland

44 Nebraskaland • May 2024 t's no secret to those living in the Cornhusker State: Nebraska is serious about its agriculture. Also evident: Nebraskans are proud of their populations of deer and other big game species. Unfortunately, those animals can sometimes be at odds with landowners' agricultural goals. Aaron Schott of Silver Creek is among the many agriculture producers who work with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission to strike a healthy balance between wildlife populations and their operations' objectives. The Schott family's property along the Platte River is certainly well suited for white-tailed deer. The nation's most popular big game animal loves the riparian habitat with water fl owing through towering hardwoods, and, of course, nibbling at nearby croplands. Problem is, whitetails are notably prolifi c. A large population of herbivorous whitetails can mean signifi cant damage to the corn the Schotts raise to feed cattle as silage, not to mention a hazard for people driving on nearby roads. The Schotts have long invited family and other hunters to their property during the state's established deer seasons, but found that the roughly 15 deer harvested during fall and winter were not enough to keep the population in check. Whitetails are especially attracted to the green landscape of the Schotts' property in late spring and summer, when waters bubbling from irrigation pipes conveniently provide for a drink under a smorgasbord of standing corn. For the past decade, Schott has invited Game and Parks to observe the deer populations and crop damage on his property in late May and early June. That has resulted in the issuance of a damage control permit. The damage control permit, one of the depredation options Game and Parks employs to help landowners, is issued when deer harvested during the state's established hunting seasons aren't enough to provide suffi cient relief from damage. Dusty Schelbitzki, depredation program manager for Game and Parks, said timing is a big consideration for the issuance of the permits. "Damage control permits are issued during the growing season to help mitigate damage from the crop fi eld and remove wildlife that are specifi cally causing damage at that time," Schelbitzki said. "Overall population control should be done during the regular hunting season with hunters focusing on antlerless harvest." Schott recruits the help of a friend in Columbus to develop a list of shooters who are looking to put meat in the freezer. After the names are vetted by Game and Parks, those listed begin visiting Schott's property. The permits have allowed the harvest of up to 15 deer through the summer growing season. Schott acknowledges that organizing so many hunters can be a challenge, and said he is fortunate to have help with that part of the job. He said, however, there seems to be no shortage of people looking to put venison on the table. Landowners looking for hunters can contact the nearest Game and Parks district offi ce or visit outdoornebraska.gov/anterlesshunterdatabase. Schelbitzki said many factors aff ect depredation, and it usually takes a multi-faceted approach instead of one "silver bullet." "It is important to know about the property's harvest during hunting seasons, types of crop being damaged, amount of local habitat, de facto refuges, Program helps corn grower manage deer population By Justin Haag I Finding a Balance A large deer population can mean signifi cant damage to agriculture. ERIC FOWLER, NEBRASKALAND

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