How many think the DNR is lying to us about

[jh45gun]

I shot a doe in a non T zone area on Sat so have been hunting the T zone areas ( 2 and 5) in NW WI trying to kill doe to fill at least one of my T zone tags. Now let me say where the farmers have fields lots of does were spotted but in the woods area all south of them fields for miles and miles no does spotted or much seen for fresh tracks or signs of hunters harvesting any deer. ( drag trails ect) Now the area I shot a doe on the first day even there the deer are not as thick as they have been as I hunted the same are during bow season with no luck on seeing many deer. I think we have killed off too many does and it shows but the DNR still thinks we have a abundance. I can road hunt as I have a class A disabled permit and I am telling you there are not the deer we have had for the last couple of years even though I have been able to harvest one with a gun nothing bow wise  in the last couple of years and that is the first time for that since the late 80's.  I think the DNR is way off on their counts up in the north area here. Still the headlines read opening weekend the buck count was up. I suppose it was since no one was seeing any does to shoot.

[wis_sharpshooter]

Not the case down here I live in bloomer and let me tell you  I have seen over 35 does this seasson, and not many bucks, but the areas I have seen the does are on private land which is about 1200 acres, and thats where the deer are, where people can't get to them, I belive the deer are around but there on private land, where people can't get to them.

[Keith L]

We are up to our ears in does here in Southcentral Wisconsin.  I expect that to change next year.  They found three CWD deer in an ajoining county, so this will become a buffer zone next year, and deer hunting will be constant for a while.  That should lower the population.

[jh45gun]

I suppose it is where your at but I know the area that I was partly hunting in this year was a earn a buck last year and guys were complaining that they could not kill a doe to shoot a buck. The DNR says numbers were up opening weekend yet I know lots of groups I have talked to are down this year bucks and does. At least that is the situation in Douglas Co and Bayfield Co. Bottom line is like said private property is holding the deer  and say a farmer has a lot of land and harvests a buck and saya  doe there still is lots of deer on his property so the numbers look good for deer. Go on public land and forest crop land where it is open for hunting and I think the deer numbers are way down. This is the Second year I have not killed a deer with a bow this year as I have not been seeing them as in years past so that tells me a lot even before the rifle season started.

[myronman3]

nope.  i dont think the dnr is lying... i know they are.    i have not killed a deer since the fall of 2000.  that was the first year they had a statewide t zone,  and the subsequent years the herd took a pounding.   it may never be the  same in my lifetime.  

i am sure the areas not in the north are not in the same boat, because the majority of the land is in private ownership.   but up here,  where the vast majority of land is public,  the herd has been decimated.  

deer management for the health of the herd is no more;  it is done to make as much money as possible.

[freddogs]

I don't think the DNR is lying I think they are inexact. We have plenty of deer here in SE WI. Some places in this area vary widely in deer numbers. I think some townships may have 10 deer per mile while other areas may have 50 or higher. Hardly any deer by my house but 6 miles away where I hunt I saw 19 deer last friday from my stand. I don't think the estimates are consistent around the state.

[Geno]

Interesting post, but I really dont think the DNR is lying or has any reason but to be as accurate as they can. If I were in an area that was supposed to average 10 deer per square mile and I saw 30 deer in a 5 acre field (common in an area I hunt) does this mean I have all the deer for 3 square miles right in front of me and no one else inside this 3 square mile range will see any deer? not likely. Similar thoughts have been in my mind for several years. I hunt the same exact stand every year. On average I see maybe 1 deer a day, all day long, from this stand. Almost always it is a 8 point or larger. It is a very difficult area to access because of swamp and terrain. A relative of mine chooses to hunt an area a little more than a 1/4 mile from me. Very easy access, nice 3 minute walk and he is hunting. If he sees less than 20 deer a day, he isn't happy and thinks the deer numbers are way down. He rarely sees bucks, all does and fawns. Yet he is very happy to see lots of deer and wishes he could see more bucks. I sometimes wish I saw more deer, and I know I can a short distance away, but my goal is a large buck. We are both successful in our hunts, both happy. yet our perceptions of deer populations in this area vary immensely.

[jh45gun]

The thing is I do not just hunt during rifle season but during bow season as well also since I have a State Disabled permit I do a lot of road hunting and know from years past to this year of the deer numbers are up or down in a certain area. I also check with very successful hunting camps and hunters to see how they did if they did poorly its usually because the deer numbers were down. This year they did poorly. And from what I seen road hunting it was not that great either. This year and last year I did not kill a deer with archery equip. That is rare for me I normally get fill my tag sooner or later and normally before rifle season. I am still hopeing to fill it but I say the numbers are down. You cannot blast the does with as many tags as you want for several years straight if not more and not have it affect the herd. This is not a knock on out of staters but seeing MN hunters take trailer loads of does back to MN during the tzone hunt does not help either along with the liberal tags us residents get.

[Geno]

yep, things sure have and do change dont they? I grew up probably very close to the areas you hunt, middle of zone 4, I've hunted 2, 8 and 9 as well both bow, rifle and muzzle loader since 73'. Back in the 70's and early 80's it seemed we were lucky if 1 guy in 9 got a spike buck. The late 80's and early 90's were awesome banner years for lots of big trphys. Things seem to be on the decline. I hope the DNR's management is effective in the future. I'd hate to see it go back like it was 30 years ago. I live in MN but never hunt here, I'll always go back to WS. good luck on the rest of your season.

[JeffG]

IMHO, There is no deception by the DNR, we all joke, but no, they aren't lying.  Deer number just aren't evenly distributed, they can't be, that's just deer.   The problem is that when they get hammered in an area, they don't come back real fast...

[jh45gun]

IMHO, There is no deception by the DNR, we all joke, but no, they aren't lying.  Deer number just aren't evenly distributed, they can't be, that's just deer.   The problem is that when they get hammered in an area, they don't come back real fast...

That is the problem I am trying to get at you can only "Hammer" for so long before the numbers are off. You are right they are not evenly distributed but like in the area I am talking about if one third is private property and off limits to hunting and full of deer and the area that you can hunt two thirds  is void of deer how can they justify that a T zone? They really cannot as a third where the deer are, are like in a large game preserve and the area that you can hunt the deer herd has been decimated from too many years of T zone hunts and too many doe tags. Now I am not against shooting does I shoot my share when I have a tag but so do most others and that is where the problem lies if you shoot too many than your breeding stock is not enough to make up the difference.  I would rather have it more balanced and be able to take one doe every year than take 4 0r 5 for several years and then see none that you can shoot in several years.