Hoping to buck the odds

[Skunk]

Hoping to buck the odds

Hunters take aim at low harvest forecast

By Paul A. Smith of the Journal Sentinel

Posted: Nov. 14, 2009

With one of Wisconsin's most eagerly awaited dates - the gun deer opener - less than a week away, state wildlife managers are telling hunters to expect a lower deer harvest.

Factors cited by the Department of Natural Resources include: a throttling-back of aggressive hunting regulations; below-average fawn production the last two years; a drop in doe permits in northern units; and a delayed corn harvest.

"Hunters told us they wished to return to a more historically traditional hunt," said Keith Warnke, DNR big-game ecologist. "They will see that traditional hunt in many management units in the north and central forest where deer populations are at or close to a healthy goal and where there will be no Earn-A-Buck and few or no antlerless permits issued."

If the forecast holds, it will continue a trend toward lower deer harvests, in part planned by wildlife managers as the state attempts to reduce the herd to the legally established overwinter goal of 740,000 deer.

Hunters registered 453,480 deer in the 2008 archery, gun and tribal seasons, a drop from 520,416 in 2007.

The registration in the 2008 nine-day gun season was 285,243 deer, down from 354,384 in 2007.

The state sold 642,419 gun deer hunting licenses for the 2008 season, on par with 2007.

The lower forecast is backed by early results from the 2009 archery season. Deer registrations through Nov. 5 were about 22,000, down from about 31,000 at the same time in 2008.

"The archery antlerless harvest in this time period dropped by about 39%, and the buck harvest climbed by about 7%," said Warnke. "This was expected due mainly to fewer Herd Control units and no Earn-A-Buck outside of the CWD management zone."

In a departure from standard practice, the DNR did not issue a pre-hunt deer population estimate. But it estimated the state had 1 million deer after last year's hunting seasons.

Hunter participation is expected to be high.

"Deer hunting is part of the bedrock of our traditions in Wisconsin, and I'd like to wish hunters and their families the best of luck for a safe and successful hunt," said Matt Frank, DNR secretary.

Last-minute reminders

Every deer season is a little different, and 2009 is no exception. DNR wildlife managers and conservation wardens want to remind hunters of some important changes for this year's hunt.

Wisconsin's regular nine-day gun deer season opens Saturday.

Most of the north and central forest region deer management units are designated as Regular Deer Management units in 2009. Consequently, the free antlerless tags valid in Herd Control units are not valid in these regular units. Hunters who wish to harvest an antlerless deer in these units must purchase a unit-specific antlerless deer carcass tag ($12 for residents, $20 for non-residents).

Unit-specific antlerless deer carcass tags are limited in number. There are no antlerless tags available in 13 northeastern Wisconsin units, and some units with low numbers of tags already have sold out. Check the regulations and be sure you know the rules for your unit and have the right tags.

The free antlerless deer carcass tag that comes with a gun deer license is good only in Herd Control units.

Only CWD Management Zone units have Earn-A-Buck in 2009.

The venison pantry program is celebrating its 10th anniversary. A list of participating processors is available on the Deer Donation page of the DNR Web site. This program, made possible by hunters, has had a tremendous positive impact on thousands of families.

Safety

Safety should always be the No. 1 priority as hunters head to the woods. Research shows that every firearms-related incident is a violation of one or more of the four basic rules of firearm safety.

"All four are common sense and should be part of every hunting activity you do," said conservation warden and hunter education administrator Tim Lawhern, who is also president of the International Hunter Education Association.

Treat every firearm as if it is loaded.

Always point the muzzle in a safe direction.

Be sure of your target and what is beyond it.

Keep your finger out of the trigger guard until you are ready to shoot.

Youth hunting

Wisconsin's new Mentored Hunting Law makes it possible for hunters as young as 10 to hunt with a mentor.

Among the rules of this program are: The mentor must be a licensed hunter; there can be only one firearm between the mentor and mentored hunter; they must remain within arm's length of each other.

More than 10,000 licenses have been sold so far to 10- and 11-year-old hunters in Wisconsin.

View more information on this program on www.jsonline.com/outdoors.

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/outdoors/70044477.html