So how many Wisconsin EAB units in '09?
 

Just curious as to how the DNR will adjust, if at all, to a harvest that was 20% lower than last year. What is most troubling is that in August of '08 they had already created an "EAB Watchlist", apparently based on the assumption that there was no way they could mess up herd population estimates.See below: funny how they think...or thought...the state had such apopulationissue despite the facts...a20% drop in harvest...proving them way, WAY off.

So let's hear some guesses...how many think the DNR trims this way back, or comes up with some perverse reasons to justify more EAB?

RE: So how many Wisconsin EAB units in '09?
 

The northern 1/3 of the state will not have it.........The wholesouthern 1/3 of the state whichconsists mostly of "CWD" units will have it. Some of thehigher harvest units in theCental part will have it............. It will really depend on how much pressure we as hunters put on theNatural Resource Board "Heads".

RE: So how many Wisconsin EAB units in '09?
 

Buckhunter:

I agree with your prediction that the CWD area will remain (run and Gun) cause they want the deer eradicated. However it is a realguess as far as what they (DNR) will do.

If enough hunters get envolved, the DNR may change direction on their eradication mode. I truely don't see them admitting they messed up so we may have to take it in our own hands. There are a lot of hunters as the poll shows on the (BOWHUNTING) thread that will not seriously get envolved.
Some say they can't give up hunting because they love deer hunting and really look forward to it every year. Don't we all? I'm not dis'en them but it will take a united effort to stop the DNR. There are some real nice bucks taken on public land but there is also alot of other hunters to deal with.

My plan is my neighboring farmers and myself are closing deer hunting on our land-about 2000 acres in all and NO ONE hunts deer on our land. We figure the herd will rebound in 1-2 years. This will force about 50 guys that normally hunt on our properties to start trying to find other places to hunt. When they see what it is like hunting on public land, if they can find some, they will start to question the mess the DNR made.

Now I love to hunt as much as anyone, but We feel the time has come to make a stand.

We feel other farmers and land owmers will do the same if nothing changes with the DNR's eradication mode. I have read alot of posts that other land owners are doing the same thing. I suggest that if you depend on hunting on private land you take a stand with us .

RE: So how many Wisconsin EAB units in '09?
 

2007 was the second highest deer harvest in state history. 2007/2008 was a harder winter than realized. 2008/2009 winter has started with alot of snow and below zero temperatures ....

There will be very few EAB units in Wisconsin for 2009, most will be CWD units in the south ... some southern CWD units showed increased harveststhis year over 2007.

RE: So how many Wisconsin EAB units in '09?
 

1sagittarius,

I am hoping the DNR is looking at things as logically as you are. To me, everything you stated makes perfect sense. My concern is that of the three facts listed in your first sentence: '07 deer harvest, 07'/'08 winter, and '08/'09 winter, the DNR was fully aware of two of them when they created the so-called EAB Watch List this past summer.

Let's hope that common sense is a common commodity at the DNR.

RE: So how many Wisconsin EAB units in '09?
 

I'll bet that they do not change at all .

RE: So how many Wisconsin EAB units in '09?
 

Unfortunately i don't see them changing anything either..........last year was one of the worst winters on record for snow fall, yet almost the entire state had EAB, the DNR does not seem to use logic or common sense when setting population goals or for that matter deer counts. The first step is to back off the CWD thing completely and let the southern 1/3 of the state get back to normal hunting seasons, they have to realize they will never eradicate the disease and it has not been spreading to the central or northen parts of the state so why waste a resource just to prove a point that can't be proven?Hell Wyo. has had CWD for over 30 years and never did anything drastic like the WiDNR did 6 years ago!
If the DNR wants EAB, they need to start micro managing all the units they wish to use it in and designate areas with low numbers to be anterlered only for a few season to bring the populations back in check. But the problem with micro management is it's too costly, so they should do away with EAB completely and let the landowners and hunters manage the deer populations. We did fine before the DNR got too involved and F^*$ed everything up!

I agree with mr.mc54 we need to take back our resource and send a message to the DNR that we won't stand for the unregulated slaughter of our deer herd anymore!
I don't know if any of you remember deer hunting in the 70's in the southern part of the state, but if you saw a buck , any buck, it was like Christmas day! A rare thing indeed. Then the 80's came with huge numbers of does and no tags avail. to manage them. I remember opening days where I counted over 100 traveling past my stand and I could not take one because no anterless tags were avail. for our unit! Then in the mid 90's things started to level out and good bucks and smaller numbers of does were seen, anterless tags were avail. and we did our own management and got the numbers in check. Everything in my neck of the woods was going great until CWD was "discovered" then it all went to hell in a handbasket and I fear will never return to what it once was for a very brief time in the mid to late 90's into 2001........... The DNR has had enough time to experiment with our deer herd, time to say enough is enough!!!

RE: So how many Wisconsin EAB units in '09?
 

I agree with you all the way, now we need to sell this philosophy to as many hunters as possible.

We as hunters and land owners should look at our areas we hunt real close this year and then decide what we are going to do. All it would take is to let the baldies go 1-2 years on areas that are down on deer numbers. Then if you cannot give up hunting, waite for big buck or don't shoot any thing.

If they come out with EAB again- Don't hunt this year! If you buy into the DNR'S philosophy you are damaging our deer herd beyond the point of no return. (SOUNDS DRASTIC GUYS BUT IT IS TRUELY BAD) NOWI KNOW THAT ALLUNITS IN THE STATE ARE NOT THE SAME IN REGARD TO DEER NUMBERS. That is why we need to get out and see what we have now.

WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. WE NEED TO STOP BICKERING BACK AND FORTH AND GET OFF OUR A** AND UNITE WITH ONE ANOTHER. TAKE A STAND FOR GOD SAKES!

I know we all don't think alike on some things but we all belong to a very special group of citizens, we all enjoy the right to hunt and we need to protect that right. By us checking out our areas and defending our position on what we see, no mater what that is we are doing our part.

I KNOW I MAY HAVE OFFENDED SOME OF YOU BY MY POSTS BUT I AM VERY CONCERENED ABOUT WHAT THE TREND IS WITH THE DNR SLAUGHTER.

I WANT THE DEER HERD TO BE THERE FOR MY GRAND CHILDREN AND CARRY ON THE GREAT TRADITION OF HUNTINGWITH THEIR GENERATION!

SO I'M SORRY! ITS OK TO DISAGREE ON THINGS AS LONG AS WE ARE ON THE SAME SIDE!

HUNTING IS A GREAT RIGHT GIVEN TO US BY OUR FORE FATHERS, SO LETS PROTECT IT!!!!

RE: So how many Wisconsin EAB units in '09?
 

Common sense, Reason, and a deep concern for all wildlife and habitats(not just deer), is alive and well within the DNR.

We have enjoyed super high deer populations, and high deer harvestsfor many years now. 20 years ago, this years deer harvest would have been a new record high, and hunters were thrilled to have such oportunities. Today many spoiled hunters talk like they want Wisconsin turned into one big Texas deer farm. JMHO ;)

RE: So how many Wisconsin EAB units in '09?
 

I BEG TO DIFFER WITH YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ALL THE SPOILED HUNTERS WANT IS TO SEE DEER!
Every area in this state is different. You can even say every wood lot could be different. If all hunters would or could go out and look at your area you would see a big difference from farm to farm. We can't say generally that because you saw deer that, that is the case every where. I have a farm and I know what animals are there and the pheasants are on a rebound here but in other places that may not be the case. There are a lot of factors that determine if a certain species survives or fails.

FOR THIS REASON THE DNR IS FAILING ON THE DEER COUNT! They should let the land owners as well as the DNR do the counts. Then you would have a better idea as to what you have.

RE: So how many Wisconsin EAB units in '09?
 

theres not going to be much change this year. personally i think EAB is a load of crap. what good is doing for wisconsin? our deer numbers are down no matter what and i think there going to get worse next year

RE: So how many Wisconsin EAB units in '09?
 

Again, I am hoping you are right. Though...again...the DNR knew going in to last season what the '07/'08 winter had been like, and for whatever reason was actually looking at expanding the list of EAB units in '09 as demonstrated by the map at the start of the thread.

From what I have heard, the legislature has been catching an earful over the past season's results. As I have stated before: it is one thing to have a harvest come in lower than the previous year, it is another to have that happen after the DNR kept telling hunters how the population for the '08 seasonwould be equal or greater than last year.

I'm guessing that EAB goes away for the northern part of the state and is significantly curtailed in the middle and southern regions. Actually, EAB is more tolerable to me than the October antlerless hunts.

RE: So how many Wisconsin EAB units in '09?
 

I have lost all my faith and respect for the DNR.

They are a bunch of bureaucratic a-holes who don't give a damn about us or wildlife. As long asthey get a paycheck every week their happy, andthey continueback to their job, managing wildlife from their cozy, warm offices.

We pay how much in licenses and taxes and this is what we get!

You have got to be kidding me, right?

Not like that money could have been spent on public hunting and fishing lands or funding more hunter education classes or getting more wardens out in the field instead off limiting the number of patroling officers because gas is too expensive orgiving some of that money to butchers across the state instead of asking you when you buy your license if you would like to donate money to butchers to help for the Hunters for the-Hungry program. What the hell did I just pay a license for! The list could go on and on.

Oh thats right, to fund more useless research of CWD. A disease thats been in this state longer than 2002. The bureaupunks decided to tell everyone we got the best biologists and scientists money can buy working on it. Have no fear, we'll get it taken care of. Give us your money to help fight it, and we did.

Well now its 2008, 6 years after the "discovery" of CWD and it still isn't gone. 6 seasons of giving our money to these dumbasses. Doing what they told us to do and CWD is still here. Why? Because it will always be here, they need to get that threw their head. Stop wasting our money on this and put it togood use.

Hunter numbers are going down, and if crap like this continues they'll keep going that way. If the DNR had any smarts in them at all, that use some of that money to promote the outdoors to more kids.

Im done ranting. Have a nice day.[:'(]:eek:

RE: So how many Wisconsin EAB units in '09?
 

Irhunter;

We aren't dealing with a rational branch of government!
That is the problem. The people in charge were not voted in to their positions and most don't know an ass from a deer. When you have a fox in charge of the chickens this is what you can expect!

A MAJOR OVER HAUL IS NEEDED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

RE: So how many Wisconsin EAB units in '09?
 

I think you have just summed up how a lot of folks feel.I would only disagree slightly. I do think the people who work for the DNR are, by and large, serious about what they do and also are acting out of what they believe to be the best of intentions.

That, by the way, is part of the problem.

Anyone else remember the saying about the road to perdition being paved with good intentions? Government bureaucracies, by their very nature, take on a life of their own that is often in direct contradiction with what they were intended to do. The way I see it, the DNR is now inflicting hunters with what I will call "Friendly Fire Syndrome". (Before I go on let me be clear: I am not in any way minimizing the harm suffered by soldiers who have been victimized by "friendly fire", nor am I suggesting thatthe harmhunters are suffering is equivalent that of our military.) Basically, in much the same way that troops are often injured or killed by their own artillery or air support, we as hunters are suffering a similar fate in that we also are getting hit with unintended consequences. Vehicle/deer collisions are up,...or crop damage claims, or suburbanites are having their shrubs eaten...take your pick...so let's lower the deer population targets. The zeal to "control" the deer herd then takes on a life of its own. Why, the DNR cannot simply trust landowners to control their own deer, it is up to the benevolence and superior intelligence of the DNR to tell them how much to control the deer population. After all, the lord of the manor needs to instruct the lowly serf, right? More funding heads the DNR's way (or in the case of our current governor, that is less money he will raid to "balance" the state budget), more people are hired to assist in "deer management", and a self-sustaining bureacracy is born. Now, how do we keep it going? Well, we never tell the Conservation Congress, or the legislature anything like the following, even if true:"The deer herd is lower than in past years and is at or below the carrying capacity of the land in many parts of the state.". Instead,they use terms like "excessive", or "crisis" to describe the state of the deer herd in the state. If that does not work, then try to dust off the image of CWD running wild and wiping out the herd statewide ( forget the fact that it has been a fact of life in western states since the early 1970's and there are now more whitetails than before the outbreak was discovered). And the justification for such a shrill tone? Why it's for the hunters' own good! (Besides, we at the DNR like the idea of more funding being kept at our agency so that we can continue to do other "good works".

mr.mc54...as stated above...isn't your statement somewhat of a contradiction in terms? ;)

RE: So how many Wisconsin EAB units in '09?
 

TJD

Need I say more? You summed it up perfectly!!!!!!!!

Are you familiar with the Kettle Moraine Forest? I hunted in the kettle Moraine Forest for many years.
I was born and raised in Eagle WI. We hunted off Hwy 67 for 10 years. There were some monster bucks shot there. We hunted down there before all the sub divisions took over all the land in Waukesha County.