The ODNR Division of Wildlife is working with a diverse group of stakeholders to develop a Deer Management Plan that will provide a 10-year framework for managing huntable deer populations based on historical perspectives, stakeholder interests and science-based management. Using a process known as Structured Decision Making (SDM), representatives from stakeholder organizations are helping the Division produce a framework to manage a dynamic deer population in order to provide stable, high-quality hunting opportunities with effective and easily understood regulations. Over the course of 12 months, I’m facilitating five two-day workshops to help deer management stakeholders work through the five critical steps of the SDM process outlined below:
Step 1. Elicit values, concerns and objectives
Step 2. Devise performance measures that capture those values
Step 3. Develop options that perform well across those measures
Step 4. Engage trade-offs between options, values and objectives
Step 5. Make and implement decisions, learn and evaluate process *
*Recommendations will be submitted to the ODNR Ohio Division of Wildlife for consideration. Supported recommendations that require changes to Ohio Administrative Code will be proposed to the Ohio Wildlife Council for consideration and vote.
Deer Stakeholder Process Participants
- Ohio Forestry Association
- The Nature Conservancy in Ohio
- OSU Extension
- Ohio Farmers Union
- Ohio Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus
- Ohio Wildlife Council
- Ohio Department of Agriculture
- Private forestry consultant
- Whitetail Deer Farmers of Ohio
- Ohio Conservation Federation
- Ohio Bowhunters Association
- Outdoor Writers of Ohio
- Whitetails Unlimited
- Quality Deer Management Association
- Ohio Farm Bureau
- Buckeye Big Buck Club
- Buckeye Firearms Association
- social media
- League of Ohio Sportsman
Both the ODNR Division of Wildlife and I greatly appreciate the time, energy, and dedication representatives from the stakeholder groups are committing to this process.
Materials from Workshop #2
Karns_Bruskotter (2016) Ohio HD Pow-Wow
Karns et al 2016 Explaining Hunting Participation in Ohio
Corn and Soybean Crop Depredation by Wildlife
PA Game Commission: Fewer Deer, Fewer Hunters: Are they related?
Energy Values Lab 
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