Wisconsin deer management

[Muley bound]

I know every state has their issues and problems with the way their F&G or DNR manages their herds (tags, seasons, restrictions). Seems like here in Wisconsin, we’re coming into another battle. The DNR is coming up with new plans that don’t look so promising for our deer herd as a whole.
They want to extend the 9 day gun season another 10 days. Which, in my opinion, is already that long, due to the muzzleloader season followed by the antlerless hunt.The problem I see, the way it is now and the proposed, is that this is all statewide. I feel that this is not suited for the herd structure of the state. The herd is not balanced equally to handle that kind of pressure/harvest rate. Sure in parts of the state, you can go smack down a ton of doe and it has no effect on the amount of deer in that area. But in other parts, up north, there are simply not that many deer, buck or doe.
Another debate, is the whole crossbow vs vertical bow. I consider myself a die hard archery hunter, but I really could care less if another guy hunts with a crossbow or bow. It really has no affect on me. Others will argue that point. As hunters we are just creating tension between us and that only helps the anti hunters cause.
A lot of these problems can be solved by maybe implementing a 1 buck limit. Currently it’s one archery buck and one firearm buck. Personally, I don’t need to kill 2 bucks a year. Again, this could also be managed by area and not state wide. Same goes for the amount of antlerless tags.
There’s quite a bit more up on the table for debate—quality vs quantity, tag cost, party hunting, etc... I figure id just puts those couple ideas up. Overall, whatever decisions are made, different groups will be pissed off. Either way, I’d hate to see things get so bad that all hunters hate each other or the deer herd be compromised even more than it is. Sorry for the long rant!

 

[Yell Co AR Hunter]

Those type debates go on in all states. All you can do is voice your thoughts on your area, which may or may not be considered. All you can really do is understand the deer heard in you area and set your limits and goals to manage as best as possible. With the current CWD situation in my part of Arkansas. The Game and Fish plan is to greatly reduce the deer heard. I don't allow doe to be killed on my place or don't kill them on any of the public land I hunt. Just have to hope others do like wise to protect the deer. Really nothing else I can do. I found out years ago stomping my feet and raising my voice had little affect with the powers that be.

 

[go_deep]

My 2 pennies after spending just over the first 30 years of my life there and having lots of relatives and friends that own farms, hunting land, and hunt public there.

1 buck tag per hunter would definitely help.
When they split antlerless tags to public and private that helps, but I think they need to go back to zones like they had up through the 90's. The herd needs to be managed in smaller sections specific to that area for antlerless and let the buck tags still be statewide.

 

[Muley bound]

Yell Co AR Hunter,
I agree with you completely. Knowing your deer herd, setting a plan, and hoping your block neighbors are on the same page. Luckily for me, where I hunt, we have a really solid deer herd—good numbers and quality bucks. Most of the neighbors are on the same page and that creates the well rounded hunting that we have.
I feel that just because the DNR issues all these tags, we the hunters need to use common sense and implement. You don’t have to go out and fill every tag they give you and go buy more just because the state allows it.

 

[Yell Co AR Hunter]

You are correct. On my place between my two boys and I it is legal to kill a total of 18 deer of which 6 could be bucks. I doubt we have that many to start with. Where it really hearts is when you have several adjoining land owners understand that and the one knuckle head that owns a small piece in between that is in the fill my tags mode.

 

[dan maule]

Some Michigan politicians are proposing similar season changes here. What I found interesting is that they noted that the number of licenses sold had dropped for two years in a row and that by adding 10 days to the season more folks would have an opportunity to hunt. Nothing was mentioned about the condition of the deer herd only about selling license.

 

[CrimsonArrow]

I’ve hunted whitetail in several states and it seems that most management agencies want to sell more deer licenses, and have a lot less deer. So they don’t care about the overall health of the herd or hunter satisfaction.

 

[Muley bound]

CrimsonArrow,
I agree with you on that point. But common sense would say that over time, that ultimately would lead to a decline in sales, revenue, and hunters for the state. Counter productive!

 

[brian.320]

you should hunt in in minnesota buck tags over the counter for everyone unless you have a large parcel of property it dont matter if its brown its down party huntin is a major problem

 

[tim]

Opportunity versus trophy
No right or wrong answer, just your opinion. Where I live it is a 2 month rifle seaon. Those short seasons don't make sense to me. To many people out at the same time.