RE: Public land hunters in Wisconsin
The biggest reason is because of private land. There is far more private than public and thats just the way it is. More hunters on public per acre than private so there is gonna be less deer.
I do hunt on some public though for gun season but its kinda secluded and I've seen alot more deer in the last two years compaired to about 5-6 years ago.
This isnt public but just one exaple throughout the state. This is on about a 500 acre farm. Through all the seasons last year 96 deer where killed off that farm by all of us and only 6 were bucks, all quality management bucks. Mostly mature does were taken but some fawns as well. There is such a deer problem the farmer cant deal with em. 1/4 mile down the road on neighbors farm45 deer taken of which 4 were bucks and quality managemnet bucks as welland most all big does. Between all the neighbors in that 1-1.5 mile radius there was an estimated 175 deer taken last year of which 15 or so were bucks. Then up the road the other way not included in the 1.5 square mile the famer has crop damage controll so people can shoot does all year round and I don't know how many they shoot a year but I know its quite a few. Every year the deer just come back like normal after we've tried shooting more and more every year. Last year on the 500 acre farm killed 75ish year before 60ish, before 70ish, before 55is.....Its like these deer have genes to breed like rabbits. haha. We've shot about 15 on the year so far and dont know what the neighbors are shootin yet.All of us can go sit in a stand every night and see 20-30 deercome outin the field and usually get a shot at atleast one mature doe if we want too. So just takin a wild guess here but I'm bettin this season in this 1-1.5 square miles there are about 400-500 deer or better based on shining and how many we see in the fields hunting.WCL