More WI Deer Policy

I see now that the State Legislators are asking for next weeks doe hunt to be canceled in all “Heard Control” units.
I’m wondering if anyone has calculated some ratios from trail cam numbers. I went back through mine. Between my neighbor and myself (310 acres)I figured we had at least 15, 1.5 and 2.5 yr old bucks and 3 – 3.5 or older for 18 bucks on camera. If I total sightings for all deer pics – buck to doe it’s about 4:1 and that’s counting all antlerless. If I only have 4 or 5 antlerless in the immediate area there is definitely some issues with their “Heard Control”. I always said I wanted a better buck:doe ratio but that’s a little extreme. No wonder I had a crappy fall. Those bucks left the area for the rut. The last time I had the buck Trip on camera was Oct 21st.

WOW that is some scary numbers

Darrin:

What is the goal in the area you hunt? You may be surprised (shocked?) how low it is. I know I was in the unit I hunt.

MossBoss et al are right on… “Goal” population numbers are the heart of the issue, and most compaints basically come down to what these goals are set at. 15 deer per square mile of DEER HABITAT/RANGE (if I remember correctly, Moss–) is what your unit is set at. That basically means 15 deer per roughly every 2 square miles of land in most places across the state (They subtract the fields, waterways, etc…)

15 deer per sq mi of deer range basically comes down to 1 deer per 80 acres. Considering deer often travel in groups, no wonder no one is seeing anything.

This is based on overwinter range, however, so fall populations will be a little higher. I suppose the other issue, however, is how do you know if their herd counts are accurate…???? I know biological carrying capacity is way higher than what the set the goals at…. Being that hunters (SHOULD) have a huge influence in the state (assuming the DNR wants to start listening), I would think hunter satisfaction should be right up there on the top of the priority totem pole… Making voices heard, contacting legislature, attending meetings, providing public input… Getting involved (vs grumbling amongst ourselves) is a key step… Kudos to those guys posting legislative names/phone numbers / DNR appointement voting rusults, etc… Thanks!

Anyway, my views about deer populations/DNR have changed quite a bit lately….

Darrin,
In 59B we are at 15 deer or less per square mile of deer habitat–lowest number in the state for units.

Until these numbers get changed, there is little anything other than continuation of herd control, as many units are STILL not down to these artifically low numbers–or as some would argue, unobtainably low numbers which are unrealistic.
These numbers are that low not due to biological reasons, but sociological reasons (all this can be read online with quick google search).

Better hire some good lobbists, cause the insurance world is loving the fact that interstate 94 is not a blood splotched piece of pavement and they will be lobbying to keep these over winter goal numbers right where they are at.
As I have said before, shooting does is not the evil culprit and actually is good herd management—overshooting the entire antlerless portion of the herd due to pure gluttony was the problem. Complain all you want to your congressman and reps, but remember—-WE PULLED THE TRIGGER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No one forced any of us to shoot multiple does for multiple years and fill the food pantries. No one forced us to buy the unlimited tags and fill out buck poles with does and fawns. No one forced us to shoot a buck fawn to obtain an EAB sticker. Yes, EAB was the straw that broke the camels back, but the overshooting of the antlerless portion of the herd has been going on for years. EAB was the dagger into the heart. (EAB is not a bad management tool, but misused). The mirror can be an ugly pic for us WI deer hunters for those brave enough to look.
It is time for some real solutions that make biological sense, not the sociological whims that have currently put us into this mess.

Step one: when you call your congressman or rep–talk about the artifically low herd unit numbers along with all the other junk, they need hardball facts, not just a bunch of guys crying their subjective eyes out.

Quote:

---

WE PULLED THE TRIGGER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

---

DOC – Obviously this is true….

However its been mentioned before that a person is smart… But a group of people are basically dumb animals. Individuals can work things out, but when you start managing a whole stateful of hunters, the group is going to overwhelmingly go the route that the regulations allow for. The DNR put in place the tools, the motivation and the encouragement for mass cervid killings and the group (us hunters) responded. I agree that hunters certainly are the ones pulling the trigger… But I would argue that the DNR is the one buying, loading and aiming the rifles.

I’m in no way disagreeing with you – just pointing out that this would have been in no way possible without DNR help/involvement/encouragement.

Mike