As firearms deer season opens statewide Sunday, the Department of Natural Resources reminds hunters that the department will operate fewer deer check stations this year due to budget reductions. Nonetheless, DNR staffers hope to check as many deer as possible to continue monitoring the herd's health and to get good measures of the age and sex structure of the herd in various locations.

The DNR will continue to check deer at all operations service centers and at many other locations only during the firearm deer hunting season. Locations can be found on the DNR Web site at www.michigan.gov/dnrhunting.

The DNR hopes hunters will make the extra effort to bring in their deer. Even with fewer check stations, DNR will be able to collect sufficient biological data to help make management decisions, but only if people bring deer in to be checked, said Russ Mason, chief of the DNR's Wildlife Division.

Head collections for chronic wasting disease and bovine tuberculosis will be significantly reduced this fall for much of Michigan, though the DNR will continue to monitor large numbers of deer from suspect areas: the five counties in the northeastern Lower Peninsula within the TB area as well as Iosco, Shiawassee and Kent counties.

Hunters are also reminded that it is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to a $500 fine and 90 days in jail, to feed or bait deer across the entire Lower Peninsula.

For a list of deer check stations and their days and hours of operation for 2009, please visit the DNR Web site at www.michigan.gov/dnrhunting.