I can only speak for Michigan, and I think we are similar to WI.

Most of the deer in the state are in the southern half of the lower peninsula which is primarily private farm land. Most of the pubic Land is in Northern Michigan. That's where traditionally deer hunters have gone to hunt for generations. There's just not alot of deer in Northern MI compared to southern MI because the habitat is more wooded, and the hunting pressure is higher. Generally deer hunters in Northern MI complain that the DNR has wiped out the deer population because they don't see the numbers they used to up there.

Southern MI has TOO MANY deer (except where I hunt [:@]). The problem is ACCESS. You've got all these deer on these private farms, yet you can't hunt there unless you are buddies with the farmer. We need more programs that allow access to the private land in southern MI. You can't thin the heard if you can't get hunters on the land that needs the herd thinned.

I wish the DNR would do more to improve deer habitat in the Northern Lower pensinsula. It would be nice to see some food plots on State land. But who's gonna pay for that, especially when the DNR's goal is fewer deer, not better deer hunting for public land hunters.