In WI the DNR estimates of how many deer out there are wrong

[WIbuckmaster]

[font=arial]There arent 1.2 million deer out there in the woods, the crop damage tags have dramatically affected the number of deer. Where we hunt in Green Lake county we used to see 50 deer a night and sometimes even hundreds in the past 3-4 years but there has been a huge decline in the number because of the crop damage tags are working, this deer season i have seen one doe and one spiker in the 3 days i have been out, i usually sit for 4 hours in the morning and 3 hours at night, i think that the DNR is way wrong with the number of deer estimated, please post your view[/font]

[Ugnasty77]

I completely agree 100%. I dont see the deer that i used to i live in the south east part of the state we have 100 acers of land (mainly wetland) and this year a lot of the crop by us was damaged due to flooding, and i didnt even get a chance to plant a food plot till later september. But that didnt work well because the farmer behind me still has his corn up, so many of the deer are still bedded down in there.  I really think that the Wisconsin DNR needs to rethink the EAB and herd reduction zones. Just let us hunters go out and do our thing, haha.

[WIbuckmaster]

and another think is that the farmers land that we go hunting on harvest about 150 acres of corn and he only pushed out about 50 deer from all that corn which is highly weird because he usually pushes about 50 deer in 25 acres

[gunther89]

What the DNR needs to do is go back to the regular 9 day gun hunt in November, and the regular bow hunt.  None of these T zones where there only antlerless hunts or a holiday hunt.  Get rid of the EAB as well.  We used to see around 100 deer opening day and this year I seen 4.  The DNR needs to get rid of all these hunts and this will get the deer population back up where it was before.

[WIbuckmaster]

ya i agree with you, i like it better even if there were more car deer accidents, because you had a way better shot at arrowing or shooting a deer, i would take shooting a doe on opening gun deer season even if i hit one with my car during the year, even if there is that many deer out there everybody around wisconsin is all saying the same thing which is there is not as many deer out there and everybody else would agree

[Big Buck Daddy]

I AGREE!  I've hunted my area in central Wisconsin and opening morning was miserable!  This was the first year not a deer was seen all day!  We have 80+ acres next to us that people usually drive Sunday, and if we are out, we're going to see deer!!!   Not this year!  Not a single deer.  Even the guys driving it never saw a deer.
 
How many of the DNR's decision-makers were also shutout this opening weekend? 
 
Something has to be done and something will have to change!

[wack]

Gunther, The last thing the DNR wants to happen is the deer numbers go back to what they were. If you read the DNR's goals for deer population, they want to reduce the herd to 700,000 deer. The DNR set that goal because of pressure from Agriculture and insurance companies. The Department of Agriculture see's deer as the enemy. An enemy that could infect domestic animals with disease and the enemy the eats there crops and profits. With the use of Agriculture crop damage tags they've gained control of the deer population, bear population, turkey population and most likely will get first crack at controlling the wolf population.
 The Dept. of Ag has the power to issue crop damage tags, grow crops on our public hunting grounds, and stop the DNR from reintroducing elk to Wisconsin's north woods via the ban on transporting elk. When we put agriculture before our natural resources and put the Dept. of Ag in control of the DNR, and our natural resources, they do not have the natural resources best interest in mind. They have agriculture's best interest in mind and what's good for crops and domestic animals, isn't good for wildlife. I know several places that are DNR public hunting grounds, were planted with soy beans and harvested in early oct. leaving the field bare. Thats good for the wildlife, good for hunting. NOT!
 There are 143 wolf packs in Wisconsin right now. 560+ wolves. We have habitat up north for 500 wolves with 300 as the original goal. Each wolf pack will have 5-6 pups on average, next year the wolves will be more than double what they are now. Could be over 1400 wolves by this time next year. Yet 1 wolf gets killed and it's all over the news. By time the red tape and political BS gets done, wolves will have wiped deer off the map. Mark mt words, it is happening now and they going to spread out fast. Remember how fast turkeys turkeys spread throughout the state? That's how fast wolves can take over. Within the 1st year a wolf pack moves in, you will see a huge difference. In 1 year you can go from 120 deer per square mile down to 15. That's what happened in 1 year where I hunted.
 The only other thing that can kill as many deer as fast as wolves and the Dept, of Ag. is the DNR underestimating the deer herd, underestimating the wolf population, underestimating the number of deer taken out by Ag tags, and deer kill last winter, then issuing too many deer tags and running EAB too many years in a row. The DNR will be lucky if they don't go under that 700,000 deer goal. If you think deer hunting is bad this year, just wait, it's going to get worse because that's the goal.

[buckhunter21]

I agree with almost everything here.  I'm not a big supporter of the DNR, and believe they could be doing better for us hunters along with the wildlife.  I'm not really sure where to put the blame...The insurance companies would be a place to start but I'm not sold if it starts or ends there.  I was just talking to a buddy tonight and we were talking about the good 'ole days when we'd see deer everywhere on opening weekend, when now you're pressed to see a few.  Look at me, I sat Saturday through Tuesday and saw six deer total.  Five on Saturday and one on Sunday....NOTHING on Monday or Tuesday.  I would agree that the Earn-A-Buck has to go along with the early t-zone hunt.  Go ahead and have an antlerless hunt in mid December, that's fine...Better yet don't have one at all!  I don't know, it's just frustrating. 
 
Maybe we can get the Deer and Deer Hunting staff to weigh their opinions on this as well...They are based in Central WI afterall!!!  I'm sure Dan S. would have something to say about this...

[wisbooner3932]

Ironically I think part of the problem is EAB.  How many of you have shot nubbin bucks to earn your buck tag?  I've shot 2 myself just this year and our hunting party as a whole have shot 4 all together, we only have 2 actual does to go along with this.  So you do the math, 6 bucks (counting 2 6 pointers and only 2 does definately isn't going to drop deer numbers anytime soon.  I'm sure I'm not the only this has happened to.  The DNR has to actaully start listening to the hunters!!!

[Goose]

I'm not speaking for them and I may be wrong but I'm thinking that the ddh staff is gonna support the dnr and their plan. From a biological and social carrying capacity stand point they are doing whats right. From a hunters standpoint we don't see as many deer. To say that you'd rather see more vehicle collisions is just wrong and ignorant. Thats the stuff that makes hunters look bad.
Come on guys/girls these are deer I'm just as passionate if not more than most hunters but you gotta look at everything , not just your deer sightings. I would love to see 20 deer every time out and it really sucks when I don't see a single deer for a couple sits in a row but we live in a world that is not gonna deal with crop damage when they get a free check for shooting deer and people are not gonna enjoy hitting deer with there vehicles. I don't agree with the dnr either but put yourself in their position where you got one side telling you there are to many deer (farmers and vehicle collisions) and the other side (hunters) telling you there isnt enough.
If you want to learn about the reasons and want your input to matter go to the hearings and voice your opinions.