Kedzie Releases Deer Hunt Survey Results
Madison – “Over the last eight days, thousands of Wisconsin hunters have shared their thoughts and opinions with me, and now I intend to share those with the Department of Natural Resources,” said State Senator Neal Kedzie (R-Elkhorn), as he makes public the results of his 2009 gun deer hunt survey.
Kedzie says he offered the survey as a way for hunters who care deeply about the sport to sound off on what they believe to be leading factors in this years’ low harvest numbers. Nearly 8,500 hunters responded to the informal and non-scientific survey within a one-week period of time. Thousands of comments were submitted and compiled in a 385-page document, which Kedzie will personally deliver to the Department at a joint legislative hearing at the State Capitol on December 17, 2009.
“There is no shortage of opinion on what may be causing such low harvests, and certainly no shortage of frustration and anger from the hunting community, “ said Kedzie. “There needs to be a change in direction with the current deer hunt policies before we lose those hunters to another state, or another sport.”
Some of the most significant results coming from the survey were the number of deer seen, number of deer shot, what hunters believe to be the main cause for the low harvest, and the number of hunters who may or may not hunt next year.
“These results and the legislative hearing should signal the need for a new plan of action by the DNR,” Kedzie concluded. “We are at a pivotal moment in time for this Wisconsin tradition, and we can not squander the opportunity to make some real changes.”
Overall
Total Number of Survey Respondents………………………8,432
Number of Deer Seen
Average Deer Seen………………………………………………5.2
Percentage that saw 2 deer………………………………….11.5%
Percentage that did not see a deer…………………………….15%
Percentage that saw 1 deer………………………………….…12%
Percentage that saw 3 or fewer deer………………………..48.5%
Deer Harvested
Percentage that shot a buck…………………………………….17%
Percentage that shot a doe………………………………………14%
Percentage that did not harvest a deer…………………………70%
Most significant factor contributing to low harvest number
DNR Herd Management Policies: 6,468….77% (Only response on 3,287 or 39%)
Predators depleting the herd: 3045………36%
Weather Conditions: 1,233…………………15%
Lower fawn production: 929………………..11%
Bad luck: 85………………………………..0.01%
Other: 1,242………………………………….15%
Not Sure: 209………………………………0.02%
Will you deer hunt next year?
Yes………………………….50%
No…………………………..7.5%
Unsure…………………….40.5%
