Important!

[Fish]

Hey gang,
 
If your a supporter of WHU or not, it is not important at this time.  We have been notified by the DMU stakeholder group of an issue of disclosure.  The DMU stakeholder's group was a panel set by the DNR in order to give input to the DNR regarding deer population and(I believe)harvest numbers.  They have recently requested information from the DNR to see facts and figures to properly evaluate our deer herd.  The DNR has ignored this request and other groups have openly stated this information is not neccessary.  The DMU meeting is set for this Saturday, the DNR will not give any information until after March 5th.  As previously noted, advise from these panels has been ignored by the DNR.
 
I ask each of you to contact your State Rep and the Fish and Game Commission(State Assembly) ASAP.   It is apparent the DNR is "drawing a line in the sand", refusing to give information which should be public knowledge and ignoring all checks and balances set before them.  
 
WHU will be contacting State Rep's this week to request putting a halt on all quota and season plans until the Department allows for these institutional groups the proper time to evaluate and give recommendations.
 
This is a very sad situation.  WHU along with many other groups had wished an open line of communication and to work in harmony with the DNR.
 
So regardless of your opinion or stance on the DNR/ herd management, please voice your support to allow this educated panel properly evaluate and advise the DNR.

[mtnman]

One of the members of the DMU advisory board, who is also a member of WHU, will be at the meeting of the DMU next weekend in Stevens Point. The public is welcome to attend. many members of WHU and other organizations will be in attendance. We(WHU) will be meeting one on one with state legislators and the current Committee of Fish and Wildlife chairperson, Representive Ann Hraychuck, along with others. We will also be at other sports shows throughout the State.

Find out who we are and ask questions. We represent all the deer hunters in this state. We must all act, or we will all lose.

[Wanderer]

mtnman,
I'm a cheesehead by birth but I've been gone since 1986. What do DMU and WHU stand for? Those are new to me.
Russ Mann 

[Fish]

Wanderer,
 
Welcome......DMU- Deer Management Unit......WHU- Wisconsin Hunters United.
 
 
Welcome back to Wisconie......GO Pack, Brew and Badgers...Maybe Bucks,  soon.

[buckhunter21]

That puts a little sour taste in my mouth with the DNR...Not like I didn't have it before!
 
Keep up the good work guys.  I'll do what I can on my end!

[mtnman]

ORIGINAL: Wanderer

mtnman,
I'm a cheesehead by birth but I've been gone since 1986. What do DMU and WHU stand for? Those are new to me.
Russ Mann 

Hey Wanderer....
DMU is "Deer Management Uniit"
WHU is for Wisconsin Hunters United...it is a volunteer organization that was formed after this past deer season in order to get the voice of the deer hunters unified under on banner. And present our views to the DNR and those in the legislature that make the rules.
You can see WHU web site at http://wihuntersunited.org

[Wanderer]

mtnman
Thanks for the Acronym update. I don't hunt Wisconsin anymore, but I have a lot of fond memories there. Sounds like things are getting a little screwed up around there. When I last hunted there (62A & 62B) ,we still had bucks only license with the old party permit system where 4 hunters together could apply and get a permit to kill one doe (whoopee). We used the party tag to cover up a "I thought I saw horns"  type of shot.
I was a conservation warden for awhile around Fremont . I used to work with Bob Popple there. Back then it was illegal to "hunt deer from an elevated device". Climb a tree ,OK, tie yourself in, you're breaking the law.
My son just got back from Iraq and spent the first two weeks of his leave in Crivitz and the Waupaca/Iola areas. Said he only saw about a dozen deer up there in 2 weeks. He came down to my place in NE Indiana last Monday and saw about 60 deer in one small woodlot on Saturday.Now he wants to hunt here next fall.
I do hope the DNR at least listens to the hunters before they decide on next years quotas. Do they still hold the Conservation Congress hearings each year? I remember those as getting a little hostile even back in the 70's.
Keep postin' and I'll keep reading.

[Fish]

I was given this link by a rep of the DMU stakeholders advisory board.  Very interersting information here.  You will see what other special interest groups are saying.  http://DMUreview.editme.com

Here are a few views on deer population and control.

DeanWCFA says:

"Unfortunatley, the impact deer have on the forest is difficult to see in passing. This is because it is something that happens slowly over time.  To the casual observer, the forest looks the same day to day and year to year unless something dramatic happens.  To really see that there are changes taking place, they need to be looked for and studied.  There are a lot of places in the forest where I work that I would say look the same to me as they did the day I started almost 14 years ago.  I know they are different because I know that in the amount of time that has passed, there has had to be a change, even though I cannot say I "see" it.  It is even more difficult with the small amount of vegetation that the deer remove every year, but after time it adds up. 
I'm not saying that we need to eliminate deer from the landscape, but their numbers do need to be controlled.  The biggest thing I am looking for is to get numbers down to the goals that are set."  Wisconsin County Forest Asso. 

This is interesting since they can't see the change but it must be happening..So shoot the deer. 
 
 DeanWCFA says:

"The list in my previous post is not necessarily a list of units that we want to see changes to but are units that we would absolutely be opposed to an increase in goals.  For the most part, we would be opposed to goal increases in any unit with county forest land."
 
Ok, so with no real scientific data, WI County Forest Asso opposes any increase in goal in units with county land?  You might want to take a look at the new structure of DMU, more than likely you'll have County land in your unit. 

[Fish]

WHU was just notified the information was just released to the DMU stakeholders board.  For those of you who called and contacted you State officials, good work!
 
It does pay to get involved, we can make a difference.

[Goose]

one small step for man one giant leap for WI sportsman...[:)]