Phathead

A family I know up here have five people that hunt. One season there were 16 deer hanging in the tree by their house. I asked the one guy I used to hang around with.. what you going to do with all that deer meat? He just laughed and shook his head. They shot them because they could and the DNR applauded them for doing it.


I mostly just read and post very little. But Cayugads remark struck home for me in TN. There are a lot of hunters here who seem to have the same thoughts. What ever the limit is it has to be met. And these are the same ones who complain about lack of size, trophy, and numbers. I hunt some around here but plan most of my hunting in OHIO. While some may not like there rules or regs there, I do becauseI can go to public land and see deer. I go there in hopes of a big doe and of course a trophy if I could be so lucky (no luck yet). But here in East TN large does are rare 60-110lbs vs three does from OHIO over 135lbs going in the woods blind over the last 4 seasons. My odds are better there due to what I deem common sense managment.

Mr.Flintlock

For several years here in Georgia we have had a 12 deer limit. Ten of the 12 deer must be antlerless. We are allowed two antlered bucks. In most counties we are allowed to shoot does every day of the season. I see fewer deer since this has been enacted. I don't believe anyone needs to shoot that many deer. I take whatI need for my family and will occasionaly shoot one for a friend or another club member who has not had any luck. I would like to see Georgia go back to two bucks and one doe limit.

spaniel

Man, I wonder what is wrong in southern Michigan then. For years it was hard to get a doe permit and the herd just grew and grew. Then they loosened it up and increased doe permits. I used to buy them over the counter, one per day, until I had 7-8 of them. There was so little demand for doe permits that they would be available right up until the night before the season. I was the only guy in my area shooting does, they'd rather shoot twisted little 3-pts than does.

Then the DNR in their infinite wisdom decided it was not fair that someone willing to shoot them like me gets a handful of permits, so they limited it to 3 and the herd kept growing. I don't know what the permit status is as I moved several years ago but I know they've opened up several extra antlerless-only seasons....still convinced people not interested in shooting does will do so if only they have longer seasons. We apply for crop damage permits with anything within 50 yards of a treeline eaten to the ground and can't get them.

The situation has gotten ridiculous and the bucks are no better as few live past 2 yrs old. I would actually advocate EAB there -- WI has proven it DOES work, incredibly poor management in assessing when to stop it aside. Although I would not trust MI DNR to gauge when to stop it any better.

It is good to see that WI hunters were able to pull together and create enough buzz to get action from the state to work at correcting the issue.

Gotbuck

That is sad the DNR is not helpful. Here in Missouri we have too many deer and are very lucky. We get a anterless tag and a antlered tag each year. However whereI hunt the antlered deer must have 4 points on one side to be considered legal. Before this project was enacted we had seen less deer, and I can say since the law we have seen bigger bucks in the area. Just last bow seasonI stared down a 10 and 12 pointer that I've never seen in the area, of course they were out 50 yards just laughing at me but I'll take that any day.This law really forces you to pay attention to what you shoot and kill does. We hunt for the meat so we naturally take the does, my uncle can't see towell at long distances but he can see does pretty well, go figure.

You had mentioned wolves on a past posting, are wolves getting out of hand up there to a point where they are thinning out the herds? Does WI have any deer disease that could be adding to the deer loss? I know up there the winters are more brutal than Mo, so the weather has a a lot to play in their survival as well, has the DNR studied the winter effects on the deer herd and combine that data with their tag limits? Just my 2 cents. I hate to see any deer herds in trouble as that is a major blow to all of us, no deer no young hunters, and that means they get into trouble. Just a bad situation.

Redclub

EAB stinks having said that,here in Central Wi. The deer ratio is about 60/40 bucks. Some very nice Bucks at that. I was raised to eat what we shoot (dam Porcupines are not very good) and having to shoot 2 does (1 archery 1 firearm) does not leave a lot of room in freezerfor bucks, so its only shooting nice size bucks. Right now our deer herd here in WAupaca County is way down but the number of nice bucks is actually up. Now here we have no winter kill no wolves,Bobcats, Bears or Fishers. In Northern Wi. where I go rifle hunting they have all the harsh conditions and predators. There all the deer are way down worst I have seen it in 50 years. The foresters want the deer up there at 7 deer per square mile. Thats 1/2 deer per 40 acres[:@]. Nice thing about up there is a lot of room to hunt. Lots of Grouse too. So I will go up north to be with family and friends during the rifle season and come home and hunt with a ML. Here almost all land is private but I am a land owner.
RC