The overall downward trend is concerning enough, but what worries me is that the DNR is behind the curve in terms of REACTING to severe and rapid declines that are occurring in some areas.
Also, the harvest numbers don’t account for wolf kills and winter kills, so in some areas a bad situation could have gotten worse all winter due to massive wolf kills. Does the DNR have a plan to measure this and counteract it? I’m not filled with confidence given the fact that it took 3.5 months to tally up the numbers from last year.
While there may still be pockets of very good deer numbers and heard quality, overall I believe we have already entered a serious decline on average statewide. At the present glacial pace that the DNR seems to move and with their lack of urgency and bias toward inaction, I’m afraid it’s a 10 year decline at least.
Grouse