Dalton Utilities Hunt Yields 14-point Monster

When a deer overpopulation problem began to develop on 9,200 acres of Dalton Utilities property in Murray and Whitfield counties, instead of hiring sharpshooters or listening to the rhetoric of “birth control” as a solution, the company first invited hunters to help manage the deer herd.

The result for hunters was access to some excellent property and some great hunting, and a recent hunt shows the potential of the property not just for meat, but for the buck of a lifetime.

David Renz, of Dalton, and the Dalton Utilities 14-point buck taken during the 2005 Nov. 5-6 physically-disabled hunt for wheelchair-bound hunters.

During a special hunt open only to physically-disabled hunters on November 5-6, David Renz of Dalton killed an awesome 14-point buck. Also very impressive was the success rate during hunt. A total of 36 hunters participated, and they killed 12 does and three bucks, for a hunter-success rate of 41.7 percent.

Helping during the hunt in addition to Dalton Utilities personnel were volunteers from the Atlanta Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), Hunters and Farmers Feeding the Hungry, and GONetwork.

Dalton Utilities, in conjunction with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), holds quota deer hunts each year. The deer hunts have set quotas, and selection for the hunts are drawn randomly by the DNR from applications sent in by an advertised deadline each year. The deer hunts include a physically-disabled hunt for wheel-chair bound individuals, an adult/child hunt and several general-firearms hunts.

“We’re very happy to be able to offer these hunts to the public,” said Lori McDaniel, Dalton Utilities spokesperson.  “These hunts will serve two purposes. One is to control the size and maintain the health of our deer population. The other purpose is to prevent poachers from illegally hunting on the land and endangering the lives of our employees who work throughout the 9,200-acre facility.”

For information on next year’s hunts, look for details next August on the Dalton Utilities website www.dutil.com. Do not call for hunt information.