I didnt mean literally destruction, I know that the dnr doesn't want to completely remove deer from the state. However, every hunter in my area as well as those in other areas, including some on this forum, have had the population in their area sink to an all time low. All the older hunters I talk to claim they have never had this few deer around. If wisconsin had such a large herd in the 80s and 70s without such huge negative consequences why does the dnr fell the need to put it at an all time low now? Having a large healthy (and yes I do mean healthy, even at previously large herd densities we were nowhere near carrying capacity) is a large part of why WI has such a strong deer hunting tradition.

i know some will say that there can never be big bucks unless you shoot does. I agree some does need to be shot. The only reason to shoot does is to keep the herd below carrying capacity, and make sure there is enough food to go around, and all the does are bred in one intense rut. Even at the huge herd numbers of ten years ago WI had %100 recruitment of does during the rut(according to Keith McCafferty former dnr head big game biologist) and in the majority of the states sprawling agricultural areas (lower 2/3 of the state) there is more than enough food supply for a large herd. The only thing I can figure is the herd reduction impetus is crop damage and car accidents.