Tips and Thoughts from Veteran Cooperative Leaders   

It is important to lead by example, not by voice. Leaders should have connections to educational materials and a general understanding of herd and habitat management as a minor form of credibility or bring in someone to help/consult who does. Leaders need to see the big picture and celebrate all successes, big or small. Leaders need to remain positive and derail negatively. Leaders MUST make the experience fun and accurately judge year by year the stage their respective cooperative is at and what may or may not be needed the next year for growth, raising the bar, or connecting back to basic mission and purpose if things have gone astray.  

The mission and vision must be realistic and shared with all parties from the beginning. Although it is a tough pill to swallow, not everyone will be on the same level. If this is not called out immediately, frustration and a lack of trust can occur.  

When it comes to harvest goals, express the importance of not being judgmental, and be willing to put an end to it when you hear it. No one is interested in being involved in a cooperative where everything you do or say is being judged by others.  When a member shoots a deer, “congratulations” is all you need to say. If you can’t say that then say nothing. You need to set realistic expectations and celebrate even small amounts of progress.  

Having a cooperative that is “so-so” is a million times better than not having one.  Like all families, teams, and organizations, relationships and direct communication must remain constant.  

Starting with a core who are aligned and unwavering is key. If you build it they will come. Results will cause others who might be involved to change their mind if they are aware of your successes.   

Having a credible speaker or valued member of the community who is trusted at the first gathering can be extremely impactful.  

Characteristics for a successful leader involve conflict resolution. Moments of frustration and confusion will exist. A cooperative leader can, with conflict resolution skills, navigate 99% of issues.  

Holding events is very critical. I hold 2 events each year at my house and try to get as many people there as possible. I had an experienced cooperative leader come to my first meeting to give a quick chat about the importance of cooperatives which helped a ton. I always pick a weekday night at a time of year that’s usually not busy to have a post season and pre-season meeting. We make collective goals as a cooperative but then have each person go around and say what their individual goals are. It’s the idea of discreet peer pressure and seems to work fairly well. We actually made a community buck pole this year at one person’s house with a scale so we could more easily gather dressed weights on deer and increase camaraderie.  

Local Resources  

• Other cooperatives (knowledge, speakers, etc.): NDA Branch and Cooperatives Map

• Local NDA branch (knowledge, speakers, funds, etc.): Find Your Local Branch |  National Deer Association  

• Other wildlife organizations too! Pheasants Forever, National Wild Turkey Federaton, Ducks Unlimited… etc.  

• Conservation District (grants, habitat mgt, etc.): Home (macd.org)  

• Local township office (landowner lists, plat maps, etc.): Find a Township – Michigan  Townships Association  

• Local DNR field office (habitat mgt, herd mgt, speaker, etc.): Wildlife Division  Contact Information (Wildlife Offices)

Cooperative Resources  

• Venison Donation: Hunters Feeding Michigan  https://www.huntersservicesociety.org/  

• Cooperatives signs:   Signs & More: Troy, MI. 248-852-0683   — Handicap Sign Inc.: Grand Rapids MI. 616.454.9416  

• Resources for cooperatives including Farm Bill programs, etc.
   
•  Resources for cooperative leaders, example letters, articles, etc.

• Habitat Management Assistance: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/conservation-basics/conservation-by-state/michigan 

• NDA YouTube channel for videos to show at meetings  

• A great presentation on Doe Management: Wayne Sitton Doe Harvest Presentation  on Vimeo  

Past Events  

• So You want to Start a Cooperative (3/27/24), Virtual  

• Why and How to do a Deer Browse Survey (4/10/24), Virtual