wisconsin deer count
 

Are government says there are too many deer and we must reduce the herd.
Dont believe it and most hunters dont see the deer they used to.

Finally, i dont trust the government to get anything right.

Dr. J. Lee Anderson

I agree. Can anyone name one thing the Government has done that has been a success? Other than successful at wasting lots of tax payers money!!!

I second that. More tax's and less for it!

welcome 2 the club

They are also sucessful in wasting deer in the CWD zones.

The deer count numbers are way off and have been for quite sometime give me the good years of the mid 1980's through the early 1990's anyday.

I don't know where you guys are all from, but I would rather see more quality bucks rather than shear numbers of deer. I have lived in west central WI all my life and have been blessed with great deer hunting over the years..........as in being over run with does, fawns and small bucks. Not until I started bowhunting Iowa and Illinois did I realize what quailty deer hunting was. Don't get me wrong, my family basicly lives on venison. We shoot and eat at least 5 does a year not including any bucks we might get. I don't really support EAB, but I would like to see a size limit put on the bucks. It works in Mo and is catching on and working in PA. I bowhunt Iowa alot, and in a full day hunt there I might see 7-10 deer and 75% of those are bucks. Why? Because the state keeps there buck to doe ratio in check. Where I live the ratio is so bad, during an evening hunt I'll see 8-12 does and fawns and very seldom a buck. If I do see a buck, he's 2 1/2 years old or less. In the last 5 years I have taken 22 does and no bucks. I saw bucks, but they were all basket 8 points or less. Why is Buffalo county so different than the rest of the state? Because they have taken it upon themselves to manage there deer herd the way it should be.

Northern Wisconsin... I went for a walk through my woods. I had a fresh snow ( four inches the other day ) and I figured I could judge tracks better. The trouble is other then two small (and I mean small) sets of tracks, it was all I saw on the property.

On my usual hunting areas across my property I saw zero rubs, zero scrapes, and the trails leading through the cedar/balsam/alder marsh. The trails in the marsh where in past years would be walked to a mud path, were hardly used.

I talked to locals, neighbors and friends about deer sign on their property. They usually answer, what deer sign? And many of them are not hunting this year. Anyone hunting my property this year will be told... shoot a doe and you never hunt here again!!

Yet the DNR is claiming record deer numbers again. (Just like in past years of course) They are full of you know what. All they are doing is selling license, trying to make money. They have no problem telling lies to Wisconsin Hunters. They've been doing it for years. They want to expand the number of days we can hunt also. Why.. kill more does.

How worried are they about license sales you ask? Well they are allowing children now to hunt. And of course they have to be with an adult. This is so the young person can share a hunting heritage with his/her family they claim. BS alert!!! Where was this concern in past years? They want to sell junior a license, and the DNR wants more hunters in the woods and more deer harvested. And don't forget, then junior can insist that they hunt. That means Dad (or Mom) gets a license also.

When we were young, we always went with Dad and the uncles into the woods. We sat on stands with them. We were taught tracking, sign reading, making drives, and patience. We just did not have a license or shoot anything. And when deer were shot, we carried rifles out, or helped drag so we learned the work aspect of deer hunting. That was and still is hunting heritage.

For the people that claim they have record number of does and bucks in their area, they are lucky. There are other parts of the State that are really dry. And if you keep shooting all the does for the DNR your area will go dry sooner or later. As Dad used to say, go in the barn and shoot all the cows and your calf crop next year stinks...

Big bucks would be better managed through antler point counting. We have private areas up here that have signs posted explaining about point counts. My friend hunts private land where it must be a eight or bigger. I have no problem in that.

The hunters that were at our meeting with the DNR, about the plan for next year, were overwelmingly against the projected season. The DNR people,still don't get it. You can't keep on shooting every deer out there and have a sustainable resource when the shooting subsides. Why in the world would any one who saw as few of deer last year, want to have all the extra seasons??? I still don't believe the DNR when it comes to counting the herd.

This is not about archery vs. gun or youth hunt against muzzle loader hunt. This is about numbers! Its not about trophy hunting or shooting what ever you consider a trophy. It's about having deer left for our kids and grandchildren to hunt someday. There were many archery hunters who were upset that gun hunters were getting a better deal and muzzle loaders against other hunters. We cannot let this happen(being against each other) We have to fight this fight united.

I agree. The WI DNR IMO are a bunch of idiots. last year we had one of the worst years in history but they want to extend the season? This year there were 0 bonus tags available where i hunt. Are they completely stupid or is this just about more $$. YOu decide. Either way, bad for hunters.

Just like there are no wolves in wisc right?

I dont c half of the deer i used...that may be due to a herd shift or they r just not there. either way i think they need to look at the sak method and c if any environmental factors are beginning to make this inaccurate

Umm a lot of nothern zones for gun season this year are buck only. I hunt unit 43 and they say deer numbers are at least 20% down. As for your statement on antler counting that is a farce age structure is the main key my friend. Good luck!

Spot on.

If the DNR thinks the herd is too large, they'll structure the season/tags to force hunters to shrink the herd. Hunters can participate willingly (taking does, filling bonus tags) or grudgingly (Earn-a-Buck) but if they keep (legally) hunting, they'll do the DNR's bidding.

As far as wanting a larger herd so that hunters see more deer, the issue is not as much about season structures--the DNR can simply regulate how many tags are issued regardless of season length/timing.

The issue isn't even the DNR's ability to count--their herd size guess will be consistent from year to year unless they frequently and radically change counting methods.

The issue is the size of the herd that the DNR sees as desirable. They want a smaller herd than many of the hunters want. (Keep in mind that they have factors other than hunter preference and monetary income from hunting regulation including crop damage, safety, herd health, etc.)

The long-term solution for most of the WI hunting population (if you want more deer walking around) is to persuade the DNR that their target herd size should be larger.

Thoughts?

PY what unit do you hunt? I'm not seeing much of anything in 73D and 74B in Grant and Crawford counties. I've seen 4 deer in 16 trips bowhunting. I'd love to see 10 to 12 deer per outing.

As far as IA goes I live right across from it and work in IA. I have a lot of freinds over there that hunt and some will see 50 to 100 plus deer per day during shotgun season. I saw a total of eight deer in 6 days of hunting last year during the gun season here. As far as IA managing the herd so it's 75% bucks I don't buy it. I can go over and drive around a few miles and see plenty of deer and 75% to 80% are does/fawns. You may be seeing quite a few more bucks if you're hunting the rut and they're moving more. I can and do drive around my areas in WI and not see a single deer period. And if I do I have to stop and take a better look to make sure it's real.

My wife drives 50 miles one way to work Prairie du Chien to Platteville 5 days a week and does not see more than 20 deer or so year. It's rare for her to see deer and if she does she tells me. On the other hand I get to listen to my IA co workers talk about dodging deer most days coming to work. Many of them are seeing 20 or more per day. That's quite a difference.

Here's something else to think about I've heard plenty of WI hunters complaining about not seeing deer but I don't hear that complaint from IA hunters.

The WI DNRs version of a large herd in WI is a doe with 2 fawns.

I have'nt seen 10-12 deer per outing, ever. That is an unreasonable request. If there is that many deer, then the herd needs to be reduced.

This is absolutly funny to me. The state has a wide range of ecosystems. SE crop fields, SW bluffs and crops, central swamps and some crops, northern swamps, no crops, wolves, and BIG woods. Why argue about deer numbers the SE is gonna have more along with the SE. I hunt in Vilas county. The herd hasn't shifted or the count isn't off. There isn't any deer. The darn wolves have run them to death literally, and the yrs of over harvesting of does in vilas, and onieda has desimated the herd. You can walk 10 miles down logging roads and see, guess how many tracks 1. No rubs or scrapes. See my pic to the left MN. Thats where I'll be again. At least I don't half wait a bow season hoping to see 1 deer.

PY says he sees that all the time. I don't expect it MC54. On the other hand seeing a total of 4 deer in 16 trips bowhunting is outright a joke and proves that the herd is way below where it should be. I saw far more deer 15-20 years ago than I see now yet we're supposed to have more deer now than ever. I'm in the major AG area of WI the SW corner and the deer numbers aren't here like the DNR says they are.

To me seeing an AVERAGE of 2 to 4 per outing would be fair.

Trapper; All I need to see is a deer or two on my hunts. I know where your comming from. The herd is way down from, oh, four or five years ago. For a hunter ,to go out and see four deer in 16 trips is crazy. I remember going a whole season and seeing maybe one deer, so it's better than back then. I really don't ever want to have the deer numbers we had in the 60's again. Every area in the state is different, also private land will hold more deer than public land. I think most hunters just want to see deer when in the woods!

I have the official deer herd numbers.........0

I hunt in the southern part of unit 56. The northern part of 56 is the meadow valley area, and the herd there is down, for a couple of reasons. The southern part of 56 is private farm ground and cranberry marsh's, and we have to many deer. And when I say deer I mean does. On my property we shoot 4-6 does a year trying to maintain a better ratio. Any bucks shot on our land has to be at least an 8 point wider than his ears. Yes, I have it better than alot of other hunters out there, but we manage the deer the way we feel it should be, for quality

DNR projects lower deer harvest

By Paul A. Smith of the Journal Sentinel
Nov. 5, 2009 4:21 p.m.

Hunters should expect a lower statewide deer harvest in 2009, according to the Department of Natural Resources.
Factors cited by state wildlife managers include: a throttling-back of aggressive hunting regulations; below average fawn production the last two years; a drop in antlerless permits in northern units that are at- or below-goal; and a delayed corn harvest.
“Hunters told us they wished to return to a more historically traditional hunt,” said Keith Warnke, DNR big game ecologist. “They will see that traditional hunt in many management units in the north and central forest where deer populations are at or close to a healthy goal, and where there will be no Earn-A-Buck and few or no antlerless permits issued. Herd control and Earn-A-Buck are accomplishing what they were intended to do, bringing deer numbers down to healthy population goals in parts of the state.”
Hunters registered 453,480 deer in the 2008 archery, gun and tribal seasons, a drop from 520,416 in 2007.
The prospect of a smaller kill this year will not be welcome news to many hunters. But it's not unexpected, either.
"I think everybody has resigned themselves to a few bleak years coming up here," said Ed Harvey, chairman of the Wisconsin Conservation Congress.
The Wisconsin deer herd has declined in recent years due to high hunter harvests of antlerless deer, increased predation from wolves and bears and lower than average fawn production.
An outcry from hunters after last year's drop in harvest led to legislative hearings on Earn-A-Buck. The Natural Resources Board later suspended the regulation indefinitely.
Wildlife managers attempt to balance hunter desires for an ample herd with ecological, agricultural and public safety interests.
The state's legally established over-winter population goal is about 740,000 deer. Last year the over-winter herd was estimated at 1 million deer, according to the DNR.
Wisconsin hunters registered 618,274 in 2000, highest of any state on record.
A harsher than average winter in 2007-08 reduced fawn production last year to 0.73 fawns per doe; the long-term average is 0.87.
State biologists are still analyzing this year's deer observations and have yet to come up with 2009 figures for fawn production and other deer population estimates.
Based on preliminary information, Warnke said it looked like fawn production will be up slightly this year but still below average.
Even with decreased expectations, the season may have a silver lining: The 2009 regulations may result in an increase in the proportion of bucks harvested in some units.
As always, wildlife managers recommend hunters scout to increase their odds of success. Less than 40% of hunters tag a deer each year, according to the DNR.
“But deer hunting is a whole lot more than just killing a deer,” said Warnke. “For most deer hunters, it’s about spending time with family and friends getting outside in the autumn air, observing wildlife and enjoying the various traditions associated with the deer season."
The 2009 gun deer season runs Nov. 21 to 30, followed by the muzzleloader season Dec. 1 to 9 and a late antlerless-only season Dec. 10 to 13 in select zones. The late archery season ends Jan. 3, 2010 in much of the state.

What does Kieth Warnke know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He speaks for the Devil.

“But deer hunting is a whole lot more than just killing a deer,” said Warnke. “For most deer hunters, it’s about spending time with family and friends getting outside in the autumn air, observing wildlife and enjoying the various traditions associated with the deer season."

Well I want to wish all of the Wisconsin Hunters the best of luck. I hope your area have lots of deer that you can observe, and maybe even score a buck.

Alot of the hunters will be sniffing fresh air and drinking lots of tradition to make up for the lack of deer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's an update on my bowhunting so far this year. In 30 trips out I have seen 12 deer total. I saw 3 deer on 2 different occasions (doe with 2 fawns) so take 6 of the deer away and 2 trips out and you have 6 deer seen in 28 trips. That is pathetic at best. However in the local paper in Prairie du Chien the DNR has an article in it that says the successful hunters they surveyed have been seeing a lot of deer. I could say I'm a billionaire too but I'm not. They may be seeing deer but they may not be either. The DNR in this state doesn't have much credability left.

Funny how they don't ask a person like me how the deer sightings have been and instead ask people that managed to get a deer, of course they're going to be happy.

Hopefully I get one this coming weekend, I've been out of venison for a couple months.

Sounds like mn is right behind judging from what I have seen and from people I have talked to. Pockets of deer in certain parts of the state have deer, but, overall it seems slow.

Wisconsin needs to come up with a better way for units. I hunt in 54B CWD and in my area there are hardly any deer but if you go 5 miles away there are tons of them. Like others have said, there are pockets where there are alot of deer but the majority of the state doesn't have alot of deer.

i am PUMPED for the upcoming season!!! Good Luck and be safe to everyone out there, let's hope the weather cooperates finally. I'm hoping to catch up with an 11pt that was saved by a branch a couple weeks ago, hope we have some other people here who can put one on the ground

I too hunt meadow valley and have seen more nice bucks than in years past including one dandy 10 pt near the eagles nests. Not alot of does though and the wolf sign seems to be on the rise, Down south in CWD land the herd seems to be near extinct. If things continue this way I 'll be on the roof December 24 trying to fill my tag!:deer:

I say the DNR should have a survey with every lisc. sold that asks for hunters input on what's out there. The problem is - it's to easy. Ask land owners like myself who know whats on my property. Public land is just about shot off and it's only going to get worse. Soon hunters will say enough is enough and stay home. It stands to reason that if deer go on public land and are lucky enough to survive , they will seek out a place where there isn't as much pressure (private land). The counts are best done by hunters and land owners. Just a thought!

I will give the DNR a little credit for at least putting the hunter sighting survey on the web site. But if they actually listen to it is a whole nother question. I also believe that the DNR would make better desicions if they weren't influnenced by politics.The DNR HQ should not be located in the Liberial infested town of Madison.

The head of the DNR also shouldn't be apointed by the Gov. It should be run by a person voted in "BY THE PEOPLE".

when i went with my cousin to register his doe they actually make you fill out more info while registering the deer. if my memory is correct they have you put down public/private land, rate the weather on a scale of 1-10, and the number of deer sighted that day as well. so they are at least making an effort to get more input, who knows if it'll accomplish anything

I just was in the woods every day from the 1rst, to the 15th. I did not see much to talk about this was the worst year I have ever had in the woods. I have lots of corn arround and I am sure that there are deer in the corn but there has always been lots of corn. I saw one good buck cruising at 2pm on the 12th. I had him at 30yards and he was on high allert and ducked my arrow. that was the only buck worth getting excited about. this year the gun season numbers aught to be interesting.

wi deer
 

wisconsin northern part has no deer to wolves and other predators
and all the other parts are going to be overhunted by hunters with a stupid 16 day gun season along with disease, hit by car, predators

i just wi doesn't need all the extra seasons for no reason like a holiday season:rant:

Money
 

The money runs from insurance to dnr. And wala.

It is just that simple

call your pols to comlain for change

nappy

it works

I just hope something is done to bring the numbers up for the deer. Almost every hunter I talked to in bow and gun seasons said they didn't much deer if any.

FINALLY...after years of arrogance...the DNR seems to finally be understanding the anger of hunters who for years have been telling them that their deer estimates have been way, WAY off!

:party0007:

And of course, we hunters who disagreed were told that we needed to trust the "experts" from the DNR instead of believing our own eyes. EAB is gone, and just this past week, the stupid proposal for a 16 day gun season was also shelved. Now if we can get the DNR to listen to hunters from now on there will have been progress. We will see....