It's great you've been seeing the deer. I've been seeing them too, but its not like it used to be. My point is not that there may not be an issue in some areas, but in our unit (61) the DNR has been notorious for having it wrong for some time.

I'm all for harvesting does...we do quite a bit of that whether there is EAB, t-zone or not. Point is, the DNR trying to force special hunts and regulations down the throats of huntersnot onlydoes not work, it has the opposite effect. Witness the CWD zones, where "eradication" of the deer population...a 90% reduction to be specific...was the DNR's goal. You basically had a year round deer season. Population dropped some, but not enough, at least according to the DNR. They then wanted to have sharpshooters fly over private land at night in helicopters equipped with spotlights so more deer could be taken. How's that for a government agency, established to serve the public, engaging in a spirit of service?? Landowners rightfully objected and the plan was scrapped. Meanwhile, in part due to landowner backlash, the population in parts of the CWD zone actually increased.

Back to the non-CWD areas. The DNR's approach up until now can be summed up like this: "We know better than all of you and therefore we, the all-knowing, are going to tell you how and when you can shoot bucks. Yeah, we know the October antlerless hunts have angered bowhunters forever, but too bad! We're going to do it because we can!"

Hardly a recipie for earning cooperation from hunters.