wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

the dnr are saying that this year is ideal that we have to get use to this type of piss pore hunting how can we all just sit by and let the dnr kill off all the deer. I am just going crazy about this why would they do what they are doing to the deer hurd. After a year like this one i dont know if i want to buy a gun license next year to pay the money to see nothing. man the dnr realy gets me going!!!

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Same thing going on in my neck of the woods in Ohio. In NW Ohio where i live the deer herd is just not sufficient enough for the regulations they have put in place for the past two years. In other parts of the state I'm sure it's needed but not in my neck of the woods. Sorry to hear that this similar deer slaughter is going on in other states as well

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Tbone, if the deer herd is aswiped out in your area as you say, then you should absolutely not hunt there next year. Those deer will need at least 3 years of no hunting to rebuild the population. It just makes sense.

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

i agree i saw very little

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Very little deer sightings in my area as well. A neighbor group of ours, usually around 30 people did some pretty big drives, only took 3 deer all season. Now tell us where the deer are.

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

my dad got an e-mail from somebody and they said theresto man deer itsjusttheres just no one hunting them:eek:i think the dnr have there head up there butts

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

The only way the DNR will get the message is if we all just quit hunting in this state....or at least quit buying licenses....

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

show up at your local conservation congress!!!!! IT will help!

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Well they just announced that its the economies falt that the deer kill was down as bad as it was....go figure. always have to blame something....

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Depending on where you hunt, who you hunt with, and who hunts in the area around you, it very well be you and other hunters that are to blame. I know quite a few people who are from the same area as Wi Bow Hunter. I know for a fact that over the past 4-5 years some of those guys have been going through doe permits like they were candy, taking 4,5,6,7,10, doe each per year because it was legal. Sometimes as sportsmen we have to use restraint even if something is legal. Example: Do you keep every 15 inch walleye that you catch, and do you try your best to catch your limit every time you fish? What if 100 fishermen each took 5 walleye per day from a lake 20 days out of the year? What if they did this for three years? That's 30K walleye. Will that affect the fishery, you bet it will! Then those same fishermen will be bitching about the DNR because there are no walleye left in the lake "Limits are too high" "You need to stock more fish".Too many people just take and take and take with out any foresight. That attitude is what got almost every fur,fish, and game animal or bird into serious trouble in this country. Just because something is legal it doesn't mean it is good in all situations.

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Handles, I couldnt agree more!!! Everyone complains about there being no deer but they will shoot the first doe they see...its sick how many trucks i have seen this year with 5-6 does piled up!!!! Are people really that stupid??!! At some point the blame has to be placed on the hunters...

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Handles' post is the only one in here that is even logical. WI hunters have been the blame-givers for a loing time, but refuse to look in the mirror. Just because it is legal doesn't mean you have to kill every deer you see. No different with the deer than it is with the walleyes on the Wolf River and other areasin the spring, you can keep any size, so lets fill our pails with every one that we catch. Gluttony is the reason for less deer, not the DNR "killing the deer" like first post-er said. Pull your head out of your ass and realize what the real problem is, the HUNTERS. WI traditions of driving deer from every woodlot and firing lines of hunters are the reason for the supposed lack of deer. Whatever regs the DNR put in place, people are going to bitch about. What if they said for 2009, only one deer per person for the entire season, bow and gun. First thing people would say "Wow, now there are too many deer and the DNR doesn't let us kill them, those idiots. I'm not even buying a tag next year." Put your money where your mouth is and don't hunt next year if you are so disgusted with the system you have to work with. FUnny thing, no one that kills a deer seems to whine about the lack of them, just the guys that don't kill them. "We pushed a woodlot with 30 guys and only killed three deer, there are no deer this year." Come on. Wolves, bears, bigfoot...all responsible for the lack of deer, but no one ever mentions hunters in there. A wolf will kill an average of 8 deer per year...yet hunters kill several hundred thousand...who's to blame here?

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

You guys are right that some hunters have just plain shot too many deer. However where was the dnr during all of this. The problem lies with people thinking that the dnr actually cares about our deer herd and figure that if they let you buy as many tags as you want a keep telling you to shoot everything. People can't be totally to blame for that. If it is the people being gluttens then why couldn't we have the tags to shoot 4,5,6,7,10 does each year 15 years ago. I am not trying to be a jerk but the issue starts and ends with the dnr and the only way to stop it is hit them where it hurts. The wallet. If they are still so dead set on there "herd control" next year we all need to not buy licenses. And with talking to all ofthe hunters I know,only shooting one deer per year and seeingdeer is better than shooting a pile of them. It's pretty hard to keep a 12 yr old kid interested in hunting when all it is is set in the woods andfreeze your butt off and not even see any deer. Anyways just my opinion.

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

1st rule of thumb. Always blame the government for allowing us to do stupid things
2nd rule of thumbAlways blame the government when they outlaw the stupid things we do

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

So since it doesn't matter what the dnr mandates. Why is there a limit on how many fish you can keep. If it's totally up to the people why wouldn't the "geniuses" in Madison just open up all of the limits on hen pheasants, or hen mallards. They don't because they don't want to have their species erradicated. They totally dropped the ball on the whole cwd thing look at the "erradication zone." When somebody gets sick from cwd then we can panic and killall of the deer but until then I'm seeing this as another lobbying move by the insurance companies. If left up to them the whole state will be an erradication zone eventually. I think this year was the last straw for most hunters realizing that: yes we (the hunters) have shot too many does (which is what our feerless leaders asked us to do)and now we need to move forward and hopefully they will change it back to the "glory days"where you used to at least see deer.

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Some times, people justdo stupid stuff [:@]

Last year I brought in some trim to the meat locker and there was a guy there that was bringing in cooler after cooler.... I asked him, how many deer they shot, he said all proud like - our family has taken over 20 does.... Of course guys like this are probably the ones wondering why they aren't seeing any deer this year? Boy, I wonder why??

I wanted to punch him in the face.... Honestly, that shouldn't even be legal.... But honeslty, I was speechless - I really didn't know what to say.

Of course this year, most hunters I've talked to, aren't seeing jack - at least in comparison to several years ago.

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

That's exactly my point it shouldn't be legal. I hope it doesn't sound like I'm all for the guys that have been shooting piles of does (and I'm not one of them but the past two years have been eab so have to shoot one) are right but like has been stated it shouldn't be legal. I think most Wisconsin hunters would agree with me when I say let's go back to one buck per year and send in for a hunters choice if you need a doe.

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Im with Handles, just because the DNR says you can buy x amount of doe tags does that mean you need to go out and clip a dozen each? They give us regulations, its upto us hunters, and the landowners to make the choices in the field that will effect your hunting the following season.

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Jessie, you said the last two years you HAD to shoot doe. Really? You complain of seeing no deer, yet you had to shoot the onlyones you saw? Who made you pull the trigger?

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Handles when I said "we" I meant the people in my area. I haven't shot a doe in two years. And the last time I shot one I saw plenty of deer. So I guess us guys in eab should just hang out in the woods, might as well not even bring a rifle because if you don't shoot a doe you can't shoot a buck. So I'm assuming since you are taking this so personalthat you work for the dnr or what? The people that shot lots of does are at fault. But the dnr is at fault also. That's all I'm saying.

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Guys,

Keep in mind that the "ideal" deer population is relative. If you are seeing plenty of bucks and does every time you go out, it may be great for you, but not so great for the folks out in the country who are experiencing crop damage, wrecked gardens, and haveto constantly dodge deer every time they drive to town. On the other hand, if you are not seeing that many deer then it is bad for you, but much better for folks out in the country.

When i was growing up in southern Illinois in the 70s, a person could hunt all season before finally bagging a decent buck, and does weren't that much easier. And folks didnt have many complaints because it was accepted that one had to work their butt off to get a deer. I recall spending dya after day in a stand and not even seeing a deer. Nowdays the population has approached nuisance levels but the hunters love it because it is easy to get a good sized buck and does are just about guaranteed. But, once the herd gets reduced down some and it gets harder, the same folks will be talking about how there arent as many deer as in the "old days." Its all relative.

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

I understand that lanse. I actuallly live in the country. And the land I hunt is a farm (my dad's). I know that we will probably never have as many deer as the "glory days". But all of the hunters that I have been talking to just want a happy medium. But I also understand it's not that simple. I lived on a farm in one of the most heavily populated management unit in the state when I was a kid. You had to watch for deer all of the time when driving but you just get used to dealing with them on the roads. Kind of becomes a way of life, and that's why we have insurance. The only thing I want is for my son to have the opportunity to see deer like I did when I was starting to hunt 16 yrs ago.

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

When I started hunting, bagging a deer usually took real work and time. Now, same area, I can go out and bag 3-4 opening morning and that's being really picky.

Crop damage in the area is unreal. Forget getting ANY crop within 50 yards of a wooded area. I know people who have clear-cut woods to save their yields even though in principle they liked having the woodlot.

Hunters there still complain there are not enough deer!! Crop damage to even a small family farm costs thousands in lost income.

Here in Indiana it's reasonably easy to get a deer, populations are not as high and neither is crop damage. Few people complain about having a tough time finding deer.

Yes, it really is relative.

Though I love hunting, I tend to lean towards thinking that if some people are not complaining about a lack of deer the population is too high.

I have wished for years that Michigan would adopt Wisconsin's earn-a-buck strategy, that is the ONLY thing that would get the population under control again.

That being said, I have not seen the conditions in Wisconsin so it really could be as bad as you say.

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Sorry Jessie it's hard to tell what you meant to say vs. what you really wrote " (and I'm not one of them but the past two years have been eab so have to shoot one)".
I would say any reader on this forum would conclude that 1. you are possibly illiterate and 2. you shot at least 1 deer in the pasttwo yearsbased on what you wrote. Wouldn't you deduct the same if I had written those words?
Yes, I work for the DNR. I spendmany of hours afield, away from my family as a volunteer for them. I help conduct herd counts throughout the winter months at major feeding areas as well as pheasant and grouse counts in the spring. When I lived in MN I helped capture and band ducks and geese(when is the last time you volunteered for anything?).
It isn't exact work but if we count 50 deer in a 5 square mile radius, we can deduct that there are about 10 deer per square mile depending on available food and cover(proven to be almost optimum for the health of the deer, limiting crop damage, and limiting damage to browse plants). Since there are 640 acres per square mile, if you hunt on 100 acres and you see one or two deer, that should be about right.
When there were hunters choise permits (70's-80's) very few hunters chose to shoot doe, only wanting bucks.This caused an explosion in the herd and a complete imbalance of the buck to doe ratio. We tried offering over the counter doe tags, and free doe tags, but again the hunters only wanted to shoot bucks. EAB was our last option, other than going to a completely doe only season in some areas. That would never fly. So EAB has been effective because it forces hunters who would only shoot a buck, to shoot a doe too. In reality, many people shoot their doe, but don't have a chance at the buck, or quit hunting after shooting a doeso it is slowly getting the ratio back in check.
However in some areas people have taken this to an extreme and have completely over-harvested.
Back to our 5 mile radius: If there are 50 hunters in that 5 mile radius, and they each shoot a deer, how many deer are left? The answer; some deer will be left. Because deer travel, and because hunters travel, and because Wisconsin allows hunters to shoot deer in multiple zones, with multiple weapons the DNR absolutely can not determine exactly how many deer there are, and how many each hunter should take. We must estimate, and because of all of the variables it is a rough estimate at best. After our winter counts are in, and we estimate how many new fawns are born we estimate a harvest rate in a given area. However, once hunting season starts, there could be50 new gun hunters, and 50 more muzzleloader hunters, and 50 new youth huntersin that area that we could not possibly foresee. If each takes a doe, and 1/4 take a buck, that is a reduction in the herd. Fewer hunters or bad hunting conditions (weather) in other areas could cause a rise in the herd in that part of the state. Some places that were EAB will not be next year, but some new areas might be.And so it goes... However, since you seem to have all the answers, lets hear exactly how it should be done. If you don't have an answer, I suggest you do some research,do some volunteer work,get off your soapbox and start helping find the solution rather than being a know-nothing-smart-azz.

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Ok handles, It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that if you let hunters shoot as many does as they want (for two bucks a pop) that the numbers are going to go down (like you guys want). Thats obvious. But where my frustration lies is in the fact that how come even in lakes that are plum full of fish there is a limit of how many you can take? I have fished lakes that were just full of bluegills but all you can take home is your limit (Most people only what they eat in a meal). How come the dnr doesn't have a limit on deer people can shoot. I suppose your guys decided hey these hunters are stupid and if we tell them they can shoot as many does as they want for two bucks a piece they will shoot the hell out of them. A lot of people will always get the most they can legally get from the laws the dnr mandates. Going back to fishing what would happen if you took off the limits on all of the fish? The numbers would plummet right. Then why do that with deer. And I'm sorry for any confusion for the "have to shoot a doe" post I really don't care if you think I have been shooting does or not. And I'm not trying to be a smart-ass but you have been getting all defensive and won't admit that "your" people screwed up. Where we go from here I have no clue but I hope you guys figure something out.

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Wow, is this the kind of attitude volunteers have in Wisconsin for the DNR? You think with 90% of the WI public having a negative opinion on the DNR, you wouldn't want to talk to people like this and try to help their reputation. Ipersonally have hunteda fair amount ofstates in themidwest for deer and have notseen as much anger as the citizens for WI have for the DNR. Michigan came close with the baiting ban this year, butI think that will be smoothed over as the year goes on.

I personally believe that WIhas to do something to help the hunting publicbecause it seems like their opinions fall on deaf ears.I was a little amazed that their were so many EAB units this year after that brutal winter we had last year. I think everyone knew the deer population was going to be down but the DNR still enacted so many EAB units.

Ive always wondered when the DNR does these counts, do they factor in the amount of deer that get poached and hit by cars? Also, what about the neighbor that hears all this news that WI is overrun with deer so he shoots 7 does off his 40 acre parcel, then the other neighbors need to shoot a doe to get there buck tag so they have to shoot a doe. Its feasible that 12 does could be shot off of 100 acres and maybe 2 bucks. Ive heard of this happening more than once from guys I know in WI. To me, an out of stater looking in, It seems a little odd.

Good luck to all you late season hunters, I wish you all the best of luck! I hope we have a real mild winter and try to get these deer herd number back in line for you!

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Volunteer, yes. So am I affiliated with the DNR in any legal or representative way? No. Does it pizz me off when people constantly blame the DNR for things that they personally can control? yes.
Jessie, you mentioned that some lakes are just full of bluegills, then in the same breath you say that most people will only take what they can eat in a meal. You just explained the problem and the solution. In a lake like that, people should be taking out more fish, if they don't it will stay overpopulated. Just like deer. If the lake right next door has a low bluegill poplulation, people should't take as many. Just like deer. If we take away limits, people some people will abuse it, some will complain. If we tighten limits, more will complain, and some will continue to abuse it.
Jesse you said you hunt on your dad's farm. Well, if you aren'thappywith the # of deeron his farm, then as a hunter on that piece of property you are the #1 controller of the deer population on that property. Don't kill any deer for a year or two and I'm sure the population will rebound. It is truely that simple. As you said, it doens't take a rocket scientist.
My appologies for my the rudeness of my last post. But this is like the argument from guys who never shoot a trophy buck because they always shoot a small buck. Hello??? Who is to blame for that?

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Ha! I tell people that all the time. They don't listen. If you need meet shoot a doe but let the bucks go and you will see bigger bucks the following year. It's just as simple as that! Some ppl just still don't understand.

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Ithink theDNR is mostly at fault. It is the responsiblilty of the DNR biologists to give accurate information to help set the framework for the seasons.They decide how many tags are given out and whether we have earn a buck or herd control in certain management units. They are the ones responsible for the management of the deer herd in Wisconsin. I agree there are a lot of yahoos that shoot up the woods, but they have been given the tags and doe seasons to do so. I have definately lost a lot of faith in the DNR, especially after the whole CWD eradication BS!

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Handles,I agree with you 100% about people complaining about not having deer on their own property when it is almost totally in their own hands...I do not have the privelage of owning my own land and have allways hunted public land...I and hunters like myself rely on the DNR to set harvest laws in such a way that will promote a healthy deer herd on the land we are able to hunt...It is obvious that hunters on public land (especially rifle season) will shoot whatever is legal and the land also gets a lot more hunters, I really wish that the DNR would take this into consideration when making these public land units EAB...It is getting to the point that if you dont own land you cant hunt!

I know the DNR has a very difficult job to do, however I doNOT believe they as a whole have done a good job managing the deer herd...And I would love to volounteer and try to help out if i ever had the chance to do so...

Overall, there has to be a happy meduim between overpopulation and total extermination...

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Handles, it's a great thing you do, volunteering your time to help with the deer counts and things. It's much appreciated. However, tosay the hunters are shooting too many does is just wrong. As a member of the DNR you should know what hunters have been told over the years by the DNR. "If you don't kill enough does you will be EAB" "you are now on EAB watch meaning if not enough does are killed you will be forced to kill a doe". You criticize Jesse and others for shooting a doe but they are forced to by the DNR, they don't want to. What the hell are they supposed to do? This lies totally on the DNR and noone else. You're telling people you have to shoot does and when they do you blame them for wiping out the deer.

For those that feel the hunters in Wisconsin are whining and not hunting hard and good enough, take a ride to northeast Wisconsin and put some time in the woods and tell me what you think. Or just travel our roads and maybe shine our feilds.The group I hunt with hunt and scout hard and put all day sits on stands all over their county and honestly see adeer about every 4 or 5 days. Now if that is acceptable hunting, forget everything I saidbecause hunting is not what I thought it was.

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

There are a couple of issues here.
[ol][*]Many hunters expect to have a nice buck trot past their stand every gun season, in addition to seeing plenty of deer to help pass the time.[*]The second is the DNR's constant refrain that the deer population is "excessive" or whatever adjective they want to use, along with the encouragement for hunters to shoot at least two or more deer per season. [/ol]
So in effect, the DNR has helped to perpetuate the problem described in point number 1. A lot of hunters continue to expect to see dozens of deer opening day of gun season, including one or two trophy bucks. And the DNR comes out, tells us "there are too many deer out there", encourages us...no, in fact, FORCES US (assuming we want to be able to shoot a buck) to shoot AT LEAST one doe before unloading on a buck. Because...according to their flawed SAK method of counting deer...they are convinced there are too many deer out there now.

I've hunted unit 61 for 16 years. In 1993, you had about a 50/50 chance of being granted a doe tag, due to the fact that we were told the population was at "target levels". Overwinter deer density in the unit was about 23 deer per square mile. The "target was 25 per square mile. In 1996, suddenly we were told that anything over 20 per SM was excessive, so a succession of t-zone hunts began. Then in 2003, suddenly it was decided that 15 deer per SM was the "optimal level", so our unit, which still had something in the range of 20-25 deer per SM. was now overpopulated.

I'm sure similar things have occured across the state, so is in any wonder that few hunters have confidence in the DNR?

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Any way you look at it the DNR of WI has in mind to nearly eliminate the herd of deer in our state. What is sad for all of us is that it will eliminate hunting as well. We already have a problem with an aging hunting population and an anti hunting ideology. With the deer population the way it is and will become many people including myself will simply not hunt deer any more. WHY WOULD I GIVE THE DNR MY MONEY AND THEN HELP THEM EXTINCT THE DEER OF WI AND CALL IT HUNTING????????

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

I have an idea...Stop buying licenses!! It is the only language they will understand!!!
Even if people take deer illeagally how can the DNR care... they want all the deer dead anyway!!!

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

i agree 100% that the dnr and the weekend warrior i call them are to blame. dnr for keep telling everyone kill more deer and giving you tags till you don,t know where to put them and the weekend warrior is the guys that do zero scouting go sit somewhere and when the brown starts coming by the guns go boom until they are out of tags i hunt public land with my family as this is the only access to land we havetypically with 3 of us out there we will each get a doe and someone will have a chance at a buck i hunt 55 the last 2 seasons we had 4 and this year 7 people in our group i scouted my ass off this year and to show for we came out opening weekend with 2 does and a spike now next year the dnr wants 55 to be a erb there are already no deer left this entire season i saw 4 deer from stand all were doing archery season and all 4 had antlers if that happened next year i will sit all season and not have an opppurtunity to harvest the dnr needs to go back to buck tag and hunters choice i love deer hunting to much to not do it but the guys that are willing to not buy that license are the ones who the dnr will be listening to when the millions of dollars from sales stop.

P.S. THE DNR MADE $15,418,056 JUST ON GUN LICENSE SALES THAT IS NOT INCLUDING BONUS SALES AND ARCHERY SALES WHAT A JOKE

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Does anybody else get the feeling CWD has something to do with this. I hunt in the CWD zone and know well the initial reaction from hunters in the CWD zones. A lot of guys didn't hunt there or at all and thats a loss of big money for the DNR. I remember the first few years after CWD was found and they were testing every deer registered. Once it spread to SE WI you didn't see any mandatory testing. And if they knew it was already in southern WI, why didn't they do mandatory testing up north. The simple answer is they didn't want to find it and cause another reaction like in the southern part of the state. So they start EAB all over the state that might be a silent CWD herd reduction so no one freaks out about it. I don't know but if I hunted in a zone that is "overpopulated" enough to warrant EAB and didn't see a deer I would look for answers from the DNR. Again this is just a feeling but I don't ever remember the DNR worried about overpopulation pre-CWD. Something to think about.

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Noah you know better than that though. Its not about shooting trophy bucks, Ive never been a trophy buck hunter and dont care if I get a trophy buck, I have in the past and Im thankful for it. But this post has nothing to do with harvesting trophy bucks. My property has held some very large bucks in the past and still has one possible county and one possible state record buck that everyone in my area has seen, including yesterday. Will we be able to get these two bucks, probably not, is the chance there, yes. But to say that everyone should wait till a buck to mature before you shoot it is complete nonsense. If you dont shoot what you see in most areas in the state, the guy across the road will. Found this out earlier this bow season when I let two great 9 pointers walk, one was shot by my neighbor and the other by someone else on the other side of the river. The only thing i can see good about getting a trophy buck is that it gives you bragging rights. Look back to the 40's and 50's and so on, sure there werew tons of great bucks taken, but that isnt what it was all about back then, it was about providing a meal for the family, hunting has gotten blown so far out of proportion its not funny. It seems everyone is out for the kill, not the hunt, who cares what they shoot, but you know, people have to know their limits and should only take what is really truely necessary. 1 deer per family of 4 per year is plenty. Unless that family consumes more. But when I see trailers piled full of does and only 2 hunters in a trucklike I did a few times this year it makes me sick, what the hell are they doing with all these deer? I swear on my gradfathersgood name, opening night a truck rolled into the registration station, 2 guys get out, had9 does and 2 bucks. WTF! is up with that!!!!!!!Now you tell me where the herd is going....when you kill off the does, youre killing the next 2-5 years of hunting. The dnr needs the get their heads out of their azzes and put an end to this slaughter. They accomplished what they wanted along with the harsh winter from lastyear. IT needs to stop now before its too late, if its not already. Go back to the buck only tag and then makeany additional bonus tags for $20.00.

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

I dont think CWD is totally to blame but is sure doesnt help matters much and you make a valid point. But I doubt you remember when CWD was first found in WI. Since that was back in 1968. I will see if I can find the article and post it on here or send it to you. But yes I see your point. It appears that it is spreading so they say, now that Wood County has it. But I cant see how they can shut down the entire area or call it a CWD zone now since that deer was taken off a game farm. I blame most of this CWD stuff on the game farms but thats an entire differnet topic. But yes we as Wisconsin Hunters and Sportsman need to get some answers from the DNR before its too late, if its not already too late. I think the damage is done. Look back on this post and others and just see how many hunters said "Where are the deer". I think youll be amazed. This should tell us something. We took it up the azzes like gullable fools and the DNR is sitting there collecting the money while most of us cant provide a meal for our families.

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

I don't really agree with the, "If i don't shoot it somebody else will," whether it be a doe, spike buck, or trophy buck. If every deer that somebody passed on ended up getting shot by somebody else, then the deer herdwould have been wiped out long ago. If someone really doesnt want to shoot a deer, then don't shoot the thing.

RE: wisconsin DNR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Here are the facts: Looking at the preliminary results from the 9-day gun hunt (does not include bow,muzzleloader,doe-only,youth,or late season) on the DNR website, we will still harvest more deer than any other year previous to 1989. Add in all of those other hunts and we will still be in the top 10 harvests of all time, and will easily top that 1989 mark, the first year to ever go over 300,000. Many people talk about the good old days. Even in this down year we are blowing the good old days away. Memories fail, and people get spoiled very quickly.