gzg38b

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.

ladybowhntr

Are you in a CWD area? I know some people that hunt (and have for years) public land in the CWD area that this year have seen less than a handful of deer and they have been hunting nearly daily.

dandbuck

Fraley
I was talking about State and County lands in Price and Onieda counties. A persondoes have to get "off the beaten trail" now a days though. Parking the truck and walking 200 yards may not cut it. I usually walk back about 30-45 minutes though the timber. The deer that I see usually don't see many people. They are there, but they are not really patternable either since they seem to walk wherever and not in a normal pattern. I may go two days without seeing a deer and the next two days see 10 a day. So they are most likely there, but finding them get tougher each year.
Good Luck

FuzzySquirrel66

Ithink when the DNR takes this poll it is mainly done on private lands by ownersand a little bit on the public lands. One thingI have noticedis that public land hunter all show up at differant times durring the morning and afternoon each day, which does spook deer before anyone even thinks they are there. I know for a fact that the public land that borders my private land is heavly hunted. So obviously the deer are smart enough to go hide on the land that is not hunted or at least vary often. We used to hunt only gun season and now bowhunting the deer move alot more all year round. Any day of the week I could go out there and see 20+ in each stand all because they come to teh unsed and unhunted area to stay safe. The DNR cannot count all the deer so they go by the count when deer are harvested at each station. I beleive IF WE JUST ANIALATED A WHOLE HERD OR TWO SOME SEASON ALL THIS ****WOULD STOP.

ebieszk

I just wish the DNR would have different regulations for private land owners because only the private land owners have to big deer populations. Like all you are saying that all the public land deer are coming to the private land for safety and this is true so why is their the same regulations for theboth. This is whyit hurts the puclic land hunters, because the deerthatare being seen bythe DNR areall sitting in the corn feilds by the hundreds.I own 300 acres in central wisconsin and really understand how hard it is when i want to go hunt on public land.It was reallyhard to hunt beforei had the moneypurchaseprivate land. But i still dont think its right knowing both sides.

peakrut

I couldnt agree more, just wasnt sure if private or public.

Thanks

wingchaser_labs

I'm not just quoting you or picking on you ebieszk. Give the DNR new ideas then. I haven't seen any news concepts or ideas posted on here except for people saying we need different regulations for priviate land and public lands. The DNR needs to here ideas and not just what they are but how you think the DNR could possibly manage and control the new idea. Seems to me there really isnt any other more effective method than what they have goin right now. Its really effective and has gotten more deer taken off of private lands but like anything else there is always flaws, like less deer on public but what are ya gonna do????? WCL

ostdc

So seeing how bad the public hunters have it made you open your 300 acres of privately owned land to public hunting, right?
Brian

ebieszk

OSTDC is that the whole point of this thread??? I bought the land to put my house on not to just bow hunt it.... Read the posts

Wingchaser i agree with everything you say. And maybe something new just needs to be proposed. I was just wondering if their were people out their that saw it like me. Thanks for the view points

Tbone1187

yep the land is wisconsin is geting over used if not during Bow it will be geting a lot of presure during gun for sure.

Like my dad use to tell me just a few years ago probly when i was 8 or 9 and im 16 know. I just hope the deer are still here so you can hunt them too. The way the dnr are killing them off it dosent look good for wisconsins deer hunting. The car insurance companys and the politions have the power not the people who know whats going on in the wild.