Deer Czar Recommendations?

[retch sweeny]

Still wondering how where I have worked plays into all this????

[Dan Salmon]

No real reason, you just remind me of someone, who happens to work for the postal service, is never wrong and always has an answer, most of the time for questions that have never been asked.

Ironic, that you've actually worked for the Postal Service. That's all.

[retch sweeny]

Thanks for the kind words. While I am not really "never wrong" it is rare. I pride myself on anticipating the next question a person might ask. I think words mean things and value them just as I vaule statements of fact with proof supplied over opinions which are very subjective.

[Dan Salmon]

I agree, opinions are very subjective. Opinions are what makes this country run, mostly for the benefit of those in power, but that's the way it works now. It would be down right scary if decisions were made upon facts and proof. Words and speech have been cheapened a lot in the past several decades due mostly to our sound bite society.

[Ostermann]

Bullwinkle:

I am a little skeptical about the landowner part. I've seen guys back in the 80's/90's NOT shoot a thing, waiting for a big buck, with either gun or bow. In turn, the area/DMU turned into a T-zone. Low harvest, increase in the herd, car kills, etc., all played a part into some of the issues we have now.

I do agree on public land management but from a forestry perspective. Some areas need logging or habitat management to benefit not just deer but other wildlife.

Not sure what part you are from but I know the areas I hunted the past few years were somewhat "quiet" for gun seasons. I did manage to get a couple does last gun season but seen 2 deer the on opening Sunday and didn't hear many shots. Spent from Wednesday afternoon to closing Sunday at my in-laws farm. Had encounters with deer on Friday when I got a doe in the morning and one in the afternoon. Kicked a couple more out on Sunday. Had a total of 3 encounters the whole season in 2 Herd Control units. My in-laws are on the border of the Outagamie/Waupaca county lines. Past 3-4 years have been "quiet" regarding gun season.

[bullwinkle]

Thanks for the reply. I am just very interested to know what is going to come from the czar.

There is not an easy answer to this problem. The car kills are a problem but, the other issues with high deer populations hit mainly the landowner. I know there is some issue with potential disease with large populations but again, that hits mainly the landowner. Since the issues mainly hit the landowner, if he or she want high deer populations - so what. Just make rules so all landowners can manage their property.

I cant think of another solution. I have a boat load of deer - way to many but it is my fault. I spend a great deal of time and expense making my property the most attractive in the area. My neighbors complain about not seeing any deer. I saw close to 50 opening day but it is all because of the strategies I am deploying. I want to shoot more does. I did not shoot a buck but passed on 11 opening weekend. Many made it across the fence and pow! Thank God a neighboring farmer shoot 20+/year with crop damage tags - that just pushes more to me but does help the neighborhood. I believe the deer will migrate to the best property and the best property in the area will always be close to carrying capacity.

I personally like earn a buck. It made shooting does a shared responsibility. It also protected 1.5 year old bucks. I am sick to my stomach how everyone is reverting back to brown is down by me. Our antler quality was the worst is has been in years.

We need to quit using a shotgun in developing deer policy. We need to us a rifle and arm landowners with more of a say. The only way I can see managing deer is by educating landowners and giving them the tools to do so. The public lands need further restrictions to make it an enjoyable experience for people that dont own their own land.

I am open minded. Maybe there is a better answer. Lots of people complain but no one is offering a workable solution to handle the diversity and complexity of this issue. Let's see what comes out

[bullwinkle]

One more idea I like is we all know there are few hunters shooting the majority of the deer. It is because of skill and the quality of land these individual hunt. Instead again of trying to use a stick with generic rules. Why not use incentives to get the guys doing all the killing to do more:

Ie - For every 5 does you shoot you get another buck tag.

This one is selfish. I could have a lot of fun with this. I pass some marginal bucks that should be taken - 4-5 year olds with poor racks. I know I shouldnt do this but if I tag one, it is over. I sat without a tag during last years rut and I am never going to do that again even if I need to eat tag soup.

[Ostermann]

I wish I had your problem with too many deer!!!! If you have problems with the deer, let me know!! My Dad and I hunt together and we'll help with taking out some does!! He is my hunting partner for the past 25+ years. Due to health problems, not too many more seasons left for him. My only hope is that he can make it out when my oldest son can hunt in a few years.

I own 20 acres next to public land near Stevens Point. It's quite swampy and no accessible areas for vehicles so I can't make do as much for the land as I would like. Plus I am in the military and only get home for the deer season. I have to deal with trespassers and the surrounding pressure. I have had moderate success over the years but usually for every deer I get I only see 1 to 2 deer total in that area. I hunt there the first half of gun season.

My in-laws farm is about 600 acres but only 60-80 of it is wooded and is spread out. It is near New London/Hortonville. I see more deer but that can be misleading because some of them are running the edges of the woods several hundred yards away. Like I said, it was quiet the past few years during gun season and I am near the Waupaca/Outagamie border by 2 miles maybe. The last day of the season, maybe 2009 or 2010, I think I heard 7 shots in the last 3 hours.

I try to harvest any legal deer I can, buck or doe. It is simply because of the short time I get to spend in Wisconsin. I'm not saying I would shoot a bunch deer because they came in because usually I only get a chance at maybe 1 or 2 if I'm lucky. I like having the tags but I think there should be a limit for does. If hunters are getting serious about management, they should know how many deer they can take or what the effects are of a heavy harvest. I do not have that luxury of spending much time to see how the herd is.

[bullwinkle]

Sounds like you have a great hunting partner - you are lucky, and you are still quite young.

My dad did not hunt. He has never shot a deer in his life. My cousins and uncles used to take me. As soon as I had an extra dime I bought land. My friends were playing having big vacations and houses after college. I bought land. It was the best thing I did looking back on things now that I am old. I would highly encourage it - plus now with land values down it is a great time. I don't have a big 401K, stock portfolio or house. In fact I drive a Toyota Corolla, but I have been able to put together a large piece of land and have been designing it for deer.

You are young - you can still do what I did. It just comes down to choices. My kids are just out of college, I hope they do what I did - they benefit anyways from the choices I made. The best thing is I have my retirement plan all laid out and all my friends will want to come visit - to help me control the deer.

In my opinion, the only way to get really good deer hunting land is to buy your own. The game of hunting is so much more fun. Make sure it has food, cover and water - be picky. Then plant food plots, make a sanctuary and hunt it smart.

[Dan Salmon]

Bullwinkle,

I believe you are the exception, not the rule as far as landowners go.

I think that most guys don't want to shoot any deer other than the next magazine cover off their land. I also believe that this mentality is leading to the loss of hunters in the state because no one, and i mean no one, will let you on their property anymore to bird hunt or squirrel hunt. It's really making it hard to kids to get interested in hunting because these entry type hunts, where the chances of success are much greater, are non accessible to the vast majority of youth these days.

To go and create more restrictions on public land will again only make it harder for new people to start hunting and put another pin into the hunter voodoo doll and cause more people to chose other things to do.

The only restrictions that I think would actually be helpful would be to restrict or outlaw baiting. Although, I guess the more that I look at it, I could see the possibility of private land tags and public land tags, but I would want a rule that you are only able to purchase one type, not both types and possibly make the landowner tags less money to encourage the purchase of them to lessen the amount of pressure on public lands.