Here is an article posted by the Wausau Daily Herald that talks about how felons that are banned from possessing firearms still have the ability to buy hunting licenses. Seems a little off to me, glad there are changes being made.
Felons might see hunting changes
Those banned from possessing firearms by Wisconsin law also could be banned from buying firearm hunting licenses.
Currently, those prohibited from possessing firearms, such as felons, still can buy the licenses.
Rep. Jeff Smith, D-Eau Claire, is working on a bill that would make the change and create other types of licenses for those people. Deadline for co-sponsorship is 5 p.m. Friday, and Smith hopes to introduce the bill in the coming weeks.
During the 2009 nine-day gun deer season, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources wardens arrested 29 felons in possession of firearms in the field.
"This is about safe gun hunting for everyone and making sure that people follow the law," Smith said.
He said current law sends a mixed message. The bill also creates archery for bear hunting, archery for turkey hunting and air gun or archery for small game licenses for those who can't buy a firearm license.
Combined licenses still will be available, and nothing changes for those who can hunt with firearms, Smith said.
Tom Van Haren, a conservation warden with the Bureau of Law Enforcement in Madison with the DNR, said there isn't a current prohibition because all licenses issued, with the exception of one, carry the option of using a bow and arrow.
"There's no reason for them to have that license, really," he said. "We support what this bill is attempting to accomplish."
Van Haren said a violation could net a penalty of more than $1,000 to more than $2,000, including court costs. Violators also would have all hunting privileges revoked for five years.
Portage County Sheriff John Charewicz said he doesn't recall the department finding someone illegally hunting with a firearm. He said the department does receive reports of convicted felons hunting with firearms, but reports are often unfounded or anonymous.
It is a problem because there are no checks to prevent convicted felons from purchasing firearm licensees, Charewicz said.
Source: Wausau Daily Herald
Article Link: http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/article/20100126/WDH0101/1260636/1981/WDHsports/Felons-might-see-hunting-changes
Showing posts with label deer hunting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label deer hunting. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
When and Where to Search for Whitetail Antler Sheds?
One would say that the best time to search for whitetail sheds is when they fall the head of the deer. Well, they’re right.
However, determining when deer shed their trophy antlers is an inexact science and will definitely be different year to year.
Most whitetail bucks in the Midwestern part of the country will shed their antlers from December until the end of March, with the majority losing their antlers sometime in February.
Determining when best to look will be based on several factors. Factors include nutrition, genetics, stress and injury. Other factors can include late breeding activity and weather such as a harsh winter, with deep lingering snow and bitter cold temperatures. This causes deer to have a weakened body condition and lowered testosterone levels.
According to an article from ESPN, “With testosterone levels in bucks already decreasing since the peak of the breeding season, the pedicle where the antler is attached to a buck's head can become prematurely softened, allowing antlers to be thrown as early as the end of regular gun season.”
In milder winters, deer that might normally have shed in February can hold onto their headgear well into March and even into April in some cases.
If you are out looking for sheds, you should also know that as soon as an antler hits the ground, that you are not the only ones hunting these sheds. Rodents such as mice, chipmunks and squirrels quickly devour the antlers for the calcium they provide. Some antlers are consumed within the first 24 hours on the ground.
Where should I look for antler sheds?
Good places to search right away would be antlers that are deposited in or near woods. If you are not quick enough, these are the first to be consumed by the friendly neighbor critters. Antlers that are left in the middle of a field, or hidden from view, however, often remain untouched for months.
Check under low hanging tree limbs. Average bucks will travel in brush or the cover of trees and branches catching antlers help the removal.
As well all know bigger bucks will be found coming from swamps and thick cover. If you start be checking the edges of swamps early in the shed season, you should find yourself a trophy set assuming you have a trophy whitetail in the area.
Winter food sources, such as cornfields, are always a good bet. Follow trails from feeding areas to thick bedding areas.
It also is a good idea to walk remote fence lines, checking closely where deer have jumped across. Already loosened antlers often jar loose when a buck hits the ground after a planned leap.
Good luck in your search!
However, determining when deer shed their trophy antlers is an inexact science and will definitely be different year to year.
Most whitetail bucks in the Midwestern part of the country will shed their antlers from December until the end of March, with the majority losing their antlers sometime in February.
Determining when best to look will be based on several factors. Factors include nutrition, genetics, stress and injury. Other factors can include late breeding activity and weather such as a harsh winter, with deep lingering snow and bitter cold temperatures. This causes deer to have a weakened body condition and lowered testosterone levels.
According to an article from ESPN, “With testosterone levels in bucks already decreasing since the peak of the breeding season, the pedicle where the antler is attached to a buck's head can become prematurely softened, allowing antlers to be thrown as early as the end of regular gun season.”
In milder winters, deer that might normally have shed in February can hold onto their headgear well into March and even into April in some cases.
If you are out looking for sheds, you should also know that as soon as an antler hits the ground, that you are not the only ones hunting these sheds. Rodents such as mice, chipmunks and squirrels quickly devour the antlers for the calcium they provide. Some antlers are consumed within the first 24 hours on the ground.
Where should I look for antler sheds?
Good places to search right away would be antlers that are deposited in or near woods. If you are not quick enough, these are the first to be consumed by the friendly neighbor critters. Antlers that are left in the middle of a field, or hidden from view, however, often remain untouched for months.
Check under low hanging tree limbs. Average bucks will travel in brush or the cover of trees and branches catching antlers help the removal.
As well all know bigger bucks will be found coming from swamps and thick cover. If you start be checking the edges of swamps early in the shed season, you should find yourself a trophy set assuming you have a trophy whitetail in the area.
Winter food sources, such as cornfields, are always a good bet. Follow trails from feeding areas to thick bedding areas.
It also is a good idea to walk remote fence lines, checking closely where deer have jumped across. Already loosened antlers often jar loose when a buck hits the ground after a planned leap.
Good luck in your search!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Special Hunting Season in Wisconsin for Soldiers
Representative Chris Danou of Trempealeau was the chief sponsor of an approved special gun deer hunt for Wisconsin soldiers who missed the regular hunting season due to being overseas.
State lawmakers approved this special hunt which combines returning soldiers and landowners that are having crop damage due to nuisance deer.
According to the Wisconsin State Journal, the original legislation would only allow the hunting season to run from February 4th to February 7th but lawmakers expanded the season substantially. Vets can now hunt any day between now and September which allows for the convenience to the soldier and landowners.
State lawmakers approved this special hunt which combines returning soldiers and landowners that are having crop damage due to nuisance deer.
According to the Wisconsin State Journal, the original legislation would only allow the hunting season to run from February 4th to February 7th but lawmakers expanded the season substantially. Vets can now hunt any day between now and September which allows for the convenience to the soldier and landowners.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
When It Comes to the Wisconsin Deer Herd: Its a Numbers Game
As the deer population number debate goes on, its time to become educated on how numbers are derived when determining population counts. Obviously, the numbers arent going to be exact, but numbers should be close....or closer. Here is a good article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about the numbers game that is being played from hunters in Wisconsin, state officials and the Wisconsin DNR.
"DNR's numbers don't add up
Hunters are taking fewer deer, and that could be because there are fewer deer out there than the DNR says. That's a problem.
The state Department of Natural Resources says it is listening to deer hunters' complaints about the agency's management of the state's deer herd. If so, it needs to do a better job of convincing hunters because many of them aren't buying the explanation.
Hunters' complaints need to be more seriously addressed, especially on management issues and on how the agency estimates the size of the herd. A thorough review of both is in order.
The dissatisfaction has only increased in the wake of the last gun deer season, in which hunters registered 195,647 deer, the fewest in 27 years and 29% fewer than in 2008. Journal Sentinel business reporter Joe Taschler reported that the effect of the low numbers is being felt across a number of businesses, including body shops, butchers, farmers, taxidermists and auto insurance companies.
"If you've lost the hunters, you've lost the program," state Sen. Neal Kedzie (R-Elkhorn) said at a public hearing last month, waving a packet of 8,400 comments from hunters.
Kedzie's right. The DNR - and Wisconsin - can't afford to lose the hunters.
Ron Kulas, a representative of the Wisconsin Bowhunters Association, presented data at last month's public hearing showing car-deer collisions have fallen to the same level as 1983, when the DNR post-hunt population was 586,000 deer.
And Greg Kazmierski, representing the Wisconsin Hunters Rights Coalition, said the 2009 gun deer harvest of bucks was the lowest since 1980, when the DNR estimated 565,000 deer overwinter.
The current overwinter goal is 737,000 deer, but there is reason to question the DNR's numbers given the claims of hunters. The DNR cannot manage the herd or set reasonable population goals if its numbers are off. The state is slated to receive an estimated $14.4 million this year from a wildlife restoration fund. It should use that to improve herd estimates and to get a better handle on such factors as the effect of natural predators and the loss of some previous hunting areas to development and private purchases. The state also needs to look at its regulations on hunting antlerless deer.
Hunters aren't the only ones putting pressure on the DNR. In a unanimous vote, the Assembly Committee on Fish and Wildlife and the Senate Committee on Transportation, Tourism, Forestry and Natural Resources refused last week to approve the DNR's proposal for its deer population goals for this winter, sending the proposal back to the DNR for revision.
As Journal Sentinel outdoors writer Paul Smith has pointed out, deer management is a tough job. And it certainly gets tougher when state officials have to also deal with mitigating factors such as chronic wasting disease, a deadly and not fully understood wildlife disease that has the potential to devastate the deer's herd.
It's also true that, as DNR Secretary Matt Frank has argued, that the agency has to balance a number of complex factors when setting deer population goals, including hunting, forestry, agriculture, public safety and animal disease. And it's entirely possible that some hunters have become spoiled by the large size of deer herds in previous years.
But even with all that, something is still not right. State officials need to do a better job of responding to the concerns of hunters and legislators."
Source :http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/81039082.html
Date: Posted: Jan. 9, 2010
"DNR's numbers don't add up
Hunters are taking fewer deer, and that could be because there are fewer deer out there than the DNR says. That's a problem.
The state Department of Natural Resources says it is listening to deer hunters' complaints about the agency's management of the state's deer herd. If so, it needs to do a better job of convincing hunters because many of them aren't buying the explanation.
Hunters' complaints need to be more seriously addressed, especially on management issues and on how the agency estimates the size of the herd. A thorough review of both is in order.
The dissatisfaction has only increased in the wake of the last gun deer season, in which hunters registered 195,647 deer, the fewest in 27 years and 29% fewer than in 2008. Journal Sentinel business reporter Joe Taschler reported that the effect of the low numbers is being felt across a number of businesses, including body shops, butchers, farmers, taxidermists and auto insurance companies.
"If you've lost the hunters, you've lost the program," state Sen. Neal Kedzie (R-Elkhorn) said at a public hearing last month, waving a packet of 8,400 comments from hunters.
Kedzie's right. The DNR - and Wisconsin - can't afford to lose the hunters.
Ron Kulas, a representative of the Wisconsin Bowhunters Association, presented data at last month's public hearing showing car-deer collisions have fallen to the same level as 1983, when the DNR post-hunt population was 586,000 deer.
And Greg Kazmierski, representing the Wisconsin Hunters Rights Coalition, said the 2009 gun deer harvest of bucks was the lowest since 1980, when the DNR estimated 565,000 deer overwinter.
The current overwinter goal is 737,000 deer, but there is reason to question the DNR's numbers given the claims of hunters. The DNR cannot manage the herd or set reasonable population goals if its numbers are off. The state is slated to receive an estimated $14.4 million this year from a wildlife restoration fund. It should use that to improve herd estimates and to get a better handle on such factors as the effect of natural predators and the loss of some previous hunting areas to development and private purchases. The state also needs to look at its regulations on hunting antlerless deer.
Hunters aren't the only ones putting pressure on the DNR. In a unanimous vote, the Assembly Committee on Fish and Wildlife and the Senate Committee on Transportation, Tourism, Forestry and Natural Resources refused last week to approve the DNR's proposal for its deer population goals for this winter, sending the proposal back to the DNR for revision.
As Journal Sentinel outdoors writer Paul Smith has pointed out, deer management is a tough job. And it certainly gets tougher when state officials have to also deal with mitigating factors such as chronic wasting disease, a deadly and not fully understood wildlife disease that has the potential to devastate the deer's herd.
It's also true that, as DNR Secretary Matt Frank has argued, that the agency has to balance a number of complex factors when setting deer population goals, including hunting, forestry, agriculture, public safety and animal disease. And it's entirely possible that some hunters have become spoiled by the large size of deer herds in previous years.
But even with all that, something is still not right. State officials need to do a better job of responding to the concerns of hunters and legislators."
Source :http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/81039082.html
Date: Posted: Jan. 9, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Record number of baiting violations in Wisconsin
According to a report by the Department of Natural Resources, wardens responded to a record high number of baiting violations during the last hunting season.
DNR report states that wardens found 334 baiting violations during the nine day gun deer season along with 42 feeding violations - down 22 percent from last year.
The DNR warns that baiting and feeding deer increases the potential for spreading disease among Wisconsin's deer herd.
Source: WKOW
http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11794691
DNR report states that wardens found 334 baiting violations during the nine day gun deer season along with 42 feeding violations - down 22 percent from last year.
The DNR warns that baiting and feeding deer increases the potential for spreading disease among Wisconsin's deer herd.
Source: WKOW
http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11794691
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Time for an Independent check on Wisconsin deer herd estimates?
According to an article on the NewsoftheNorth.net - A northern Wisconsin lawmaker says he will push for “independent validation” of new deer herd estimates by the state Department of Natural Resources.
“I’m glad that legislators on two committees (Senate Natural Resources/Assembly Fish & Wildlife) agreed unanimously this week to give voice to deer hunter dissatisfaction with the condition of Wisconsin’s deer herd by returning to the DNR an administrative rule setting statewide deer population goals for the next couple of years,” Sen. Jim Holperin (D-Conover), said.
DNR has come under criticism for allegedly mismanaging deer herd estimates in recent years, including the most recent hunting season which saw a 29% drop in the harvest. Many hunters complained about the lack of deer during the gun season and put much of the blame on the department.
Holperin, who chairs the Senate Natural Resources Committee and represents the 12th Senate District covering northeastern Wisconsin, said “The statewide deer population goal proposed in the rule (748,000 animals, up from the current 737,000) may be the proper number needed to balance the interests of hunters, forestry, agriculture and human safety, but there’s not an easy way to know that without an accurate count of how many deer there are in the woods right now, and hunters have been properly skeptical of recent DNR estimates in that regard.
“Legislators on the committee are hoping the department will respond by telling how they plan to get independent validation of their herd estimates, or what other methods they intend to use to make their population estimates more credible with hunters.”
Holperin said the department should begin reassuring hunters that, especially in northern management units, “serious herd rebuilding strategies will be put in place for the 2010 hunting season and beyond, if necessary.”
He added, “The legislature looks forward to hearing from the Department soon and anticipates continuing to work with the Department to assure that deer hunter voices are heard loud and clear in the rule-making and deer management process.”
Last Dec. 17, three weeks after the gun deer season ended, DNR Secretary Matt Frank testified before a joint Senate and Assembly legislative committee that the department’s 2009 pre-season forecast anticipated a lower harvest primarily due to an expected reduction in antlerless harvest.
Frank said, “This reduction was a response to population declines in the last two years which were a result of herd reductions efforts as well as below average fawn production. Statewide preliminary registration figures indicate the harvest during the nine-day gun season was down 29 percent from 2008 to 196,098. This includes 86,708 antlered bucks -- a 12 percent decrease -- and 109,390 antlerless deer – a 39 percent decrease from 2008.
“We know that the herd is smaller in some regions of the state which is why we took action to reduce the harvest in those areas. During this season, 13 deer management units had no bonus antlerless permits. 38 units were moved out herd control to regular season, and 29 units were moved out of earn-a-buck, all contributing to a decline in antlerless harvest. In all, the number of regular units increased from 21 in 2008 to 59 in 2009.”
He told the panel that in some areas of the state the deer population is below goal, and efforts are focused on increasing the population. “Overall, fewer deer on the landscape equals fewer deer seen and fewer harvested. We must continue to manage toward a sustainable, healthy deer population,” he added.
Source: http://newsofthenorth.net/article/Government/State_and_national/Lawmaker_wants_independent_check_of_any_new_DNR_deer_herd_estimates/32497
“I’m glad that legislators on two committees (Senate Natural Resources/Assembly Fish & Wildlife) agreed unanimously this week to give voice to deer hunter dissatisfaction with the condition of Wisconsin’s deer herd by returning to the DNR an administrative rule setting statewide deer population goals for the next couple of years,” Sen. Jim Holperin (D-Conover), said.
DNR has come under criticism for allegedly mismanaging deer herd estimates in recent years, including the most recent hunting season which saw a 29% drop in the harvest. Many hunters complained about the lack of deer during the gun season and put much of the blame on the department.
Holperin, who chairs the Senate Natural Resources Committee and represents the 12th Senate District covering northeastern Wisconsin, said “The statewide deer population goal proposed in the rule (748,000 animals, up from the current 737,000) may be the proper number needed to balance the interests of hunters, forestry, agriculture and human safety, but there’s not an easy way to know that without an accurate count of how many deer there are in the woods right now, and hunters have been properly skeptical of recent DNR estimates in that regard.
“Legislators on the committee are hoping the department will respond by telling how they plan to get independent validation of their herd estimates, or what other methods they intend to use to make their population estimates more credible with hunters.”
Holperin said the department should begin reassuring hunters that, especially in northern management units, “serious herd rebuilding strategies will be put in place for the 2010 hunting season and beyond, if necessary.”
He added, “The legislature looks forward to hearing from the Department soon and anticipates continuing to work with the Department to assure that deer hunter voices are heard loud and clear in the rule-making and deer management process.”
Last Dec. 17, three weeks after the gun deer season ended, DNR Secretary Matt Frank testified before a joint Senate and Assembly legislative committee that the department’s 2009 pre-season forecast anticipated a lower harvest primarily due to an expected reduction in antlerless harvest.
Frank said, “This reduction was a response to population declines in the last two years which were a result of herd reductions efforts as well as below average fawn production. Statewide preliminary registration figures indicate the harvest during the nine-day gun season was down 29 percent from 2008 to 196,098. This includes 86,708 antlered bucks -- a 12 percent decrease -- and 109,390 antlerless deer – a 39 percent decrease from 2008.
“We know that the herd is smaller in some regions of the state which is why we took action to reduce the harvest in those areas. During this season, 13 deer management units had no bonus antlerless permits. 38 units were moved out herd control to regular season, and 29 units were moved out of earn-a-buck, all contributing to a decline in antlerless harvest. In all, the number of regular units increased from 21 in 2008 to 59 in 2009.”
He told the panel that in some areas of the state the deer population is below goal, and efforts are focused on increasing the population. “Overall, fewer deer on the landscape equals fewer deer seen and fewer harvested. We must continue to manage toward a sustainable, healthy deer population,” he added.
Source: http://newsofthenorth.net/article/Government/State_and_national/Lawmaker_wants_independent_check_of_any_new_DNR_deer_herd_estimates/32497
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Natural Resources Board to Review Wisconsin's CWD Management Plan
MADISON – An expert panel appointed by the state Natural Resources Board to review Wisconsin’s Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Management Plan has submitted its report. The complete report is available for viewing on the Department of Natural Resources website at: Chronic Wasting Disease in Wisconsin.
DNR will review and consider the expert panel’s recommendations and will respond to the report after meeting with the panel chair and Natural Resources Board subcommittee on January 6, 2010. DNR thanks the experts for volunteering their time and expertise to help Wisconsin with its efforts to manage CWD now and in the future.
In August of 2009, the Wisconsin DNR submitted a proposed 5-year CWD Management Plan to the Natural Resources Board. The Board tabled the plan pending a review by a Board-appointed panel of six North American experts in the fields of wildlife disease and human dimensions.
Contact(s): Davin Lopez (608) 267-2948 Robert Manwell (608) 264-9248
Source: Wisconsin DNR, News Release Published: December 18, 2009 by the Central Office
DNR will review and consider the expert panel’s recommendations and will respond to the report after meeting with the panel chair and Natural Resources Board subcommittee on January 6, 2010. DNR thanks the experts for volunteering their time and expertise to help Wisconsin with its efforts to manage CWD now and in the future.
In August of 2009, the Wisconsin DNR submitted a proposed 5-year CWD Management Plan to the Natural Resources Board. The Board tabled the plan pending a review by a Board-appointed panel of six North American experts in the fields of wildlife disease and human dimensions.
Contact(s): Davin Lopez (608) 267-2948 Robert Manwell (608) 264-9248
Source: Wisconsin DNR, News Release Published: December 18, 2009 by the Central Office
Friday, December 18, 2009
DNR Secretary Matt Frank Testimony from December 17th Meeting
Here is the text of Wiscsonsin DNR Secretary Matt Frank's testimony from the December 17th Department of Natural resources meeting.
Source: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources website:
Text of DNR Secretary Matt Frank’s testimony to joint session of legislative committees considering proposed changes to deer management unit population goals
News Release Published: December 17, 2009 by the Central Office
Contact(s): Robert Manwell (608) 264-9248
MADISON – Department of Natural Resources Secretary Matt Frank appeared before a joint Senate and Assembly legislative committee today to testify on proposed revisions to Deer Management Unit population goals. Secretary Frank also presented the joint session with a brief summary of the current deer hunting seasons.
The following is the text of Secretary Frank’s testimony.
December 17, 2009
Assembly Fish & Wildlife Committee and Senate Transportation, Tourism, Forestry & Natural Resources Committee
Good morning Chairs Hraychuck and Holperin and members of the Committees. I’m pleased to be here today to share with you a brief snapshot of Wisconsin’s 158th deer hunt before we address the proposed deer management unit population goals for the next three years. The annual deer report is normally first delivered to the Natural Resources Board at its December meeting which this year was canceled due to a pretty good Wisconsin snowstorm. A copy of the report has been provided to the Board and has been provided to you as well.
I was out at deer registration stations on opening weekend and also got away a couple of days to hunt myself. Since the season closed we have heard from a lot of hunters who were frustrated with the hunt. We intend to be responsive to those concerns, but I would first like to make some general observations.
The Wisconsin hunting heritage is a powerful force in our state; for families, for hunters, our economy and our quality of life.
Consider these facts from the current season:
• The hunting tradition is strong and vibrant in Wisconsin. We have some of the best deer hunting opportunities in the nation. For the 2009 deer hunt season to date, we sold 638,040 gun licenses and 204,833 bow licenses. These figures are just slightly below the numbers for last season. While 94 percent of hunters were Wisconsin residents, hunters from all 50 states once gain came to hunt in Wisconsin this year.
• Overall, the 2009 nine-day gun hunt was the fourth safest on record with no fatalities. There were seven nonfatal incidents.
• More than 10,000 10- and 11-year tried out deer hunting on the state’s new mentored hunting licenses. I thank the Chairs, the members of these committees, and the legislature for passing the mentored hunting bill in this past year. Of the new youth, 20 percent were girls. There was not a single hunting incident involving these hunters.
• The October Youth hunt harvest increased by 50 percent to more than 6,000 deer on the youth hunt weekend.
• Wisconsin annually ranks nationally in the top five states in the number of deer hunting licenses sold. And we are in the top three in total expenditures for hunting. Deer hunting is a $1 billion driver of our state economy.
We are one of the top three states in the nation for Boone and Crockett trophy whitetails, including a new state record buck taken by bow and arrow this fall.
While our hunting tradition is something we are both proud of and thankful for, of all the work done by the DNR, there is probably no subject that generates more controversy or criticism than deer herd management. That was true 50 years ago when the old Conservation Department was in charge, and it will probably be true 50 years from today. People are passionate about their opinions. Our challenge is to have a good system in place for public input, and to make the best science based decisions we can on how we manage the herd.
As we do so, good dose of humility is always in order. White-tail deer have lived on Wisconsin’s vast and varied landscape for thousands of years, long before any immigrants arrived. Understanding deer and how they interact with their ecosystem is a significant challenge. The ecosystem is constantly changing, and our understanding of the system is always evolving. For example, one of the areas we are focused on is the impact of natural predators in the ecosystem -- wolves, bears and coyotes. We are taking steps to improve the S-A-K population estimate model. And, we are laying the groundwork to do significant research on the impact of deer browse on forest regeneration.
Our 2009 pre-season forecast anticipated a lower harvest primarily due to an expected reduction in antlerless harvest. This reduction was a response to population declines in the last two years which were a result of herd reductions efforts as well as below average fawn production. Statewide preliminary registration figures indicate the harvest during the nine-day gun season was down 29 percent from 2008 to 196,098. This includes 86,708 antlered bucks -- a 12 percent decrease -- and 109,390 antlerless deer – a 39 percent decrease from 2008.
We know that the herd is smaller in some regions of the state which is why we took action to reduce the harvest in those areas. During this season, 13 deer management units had no bonus antlerless permits. 38 units were moved out herd control to regular season, and 29 units were moved out of earn-a-buck, all contributing to a decline in antlerless harvest. In all, the number of regular units increased from 21 in 2008 to 59 in 2009.
Following the 2008 season, hunters told us they told us they wanted fewer antlerless deer harvested. As a result, we greatly reduced the number of antlerless permits available and antlerless harvest went down accordingly. In 2009 there were 78 units (of 132 statewide) where we reduced antlerless deer hunting opportunity. This reduction in permits contributed to the decline in gun deer harvest.
In some areas of the state the deer population is below goal, and our efforts are focused on increasing the population. In other parts of the state, we are still above goal. For example, in the CWD zone in the southern part of the state, over-population has been a contributing factor to the increased prevalence of CWD in the deer herd, increasing the risk of spread of this disease.
Overall, fewer deer on the landscape equals fewer deer seen and fewer harvested. We must continue to manage toward a sustainable, healthy deer population.
Wisconsin’s experience in 2009 is not unique. Our neighboring Great Lakes states and provinces also experienced harvest declines. Deer harvest is down 12 percent in Minnesota, 10-20 percent in Michigan, 20-30 percent in the UP, and 24 percent in Quebec.
Over the next few months, our staff will look carefully at the data hunters provided us on their registration stubs – data that is the foundation of our science-based management -- to determine where we now stand with respect to the size of the deer population. We know the state’s herd varies by region and careful analysis is needed before we move ahead with future season recommendations.
We also will continue to seek input from the public on deer management objectives and policy. In addition to advisory groups, public meetings and hearings, hunters can now give us feedback through a modified deer registration stub and an online database where hunters can record field observations of weather conditions, hours hunted and number of deer seen.
Deer Management Units and Population Goals
This brings us to deer population goals and Deer Management Unit boundaries. The department remains committed to supporting Wisconsin’s hunting traditions and managing for a healthy, sustainable and ecologically balanced deer population. In the early part of this decade, the deer population reached unsustainable levels in much of the state. It’s the department’s job to bring populations down to the population goals approved through an extensive public process with ultimate review by the legislature. It is also our job to use deer management tools to raise the deer population in regions where it is below goal.
The criteria we must follow to determine deer population goals come from laws passed by the legislature. These laws require the Department to manage the deer population for conservation of ecosystems and for future generations’ use and enjoyment. They require the Department to keep agricultural and forestry damage to tolerable levels. Our administrative code further emphasizes the balance that deer goals must strike: NR 1.15 directs that the “department shall seek to maintain a deer herd in balance with its range and at deer population goals reasonably compatible with social, economic and ecosystem objectives for each deer management unit.”
Unit boundaries and population goals are reviewed at approximately three year intervals. In 2005, this committee reviewed and approved the goals that are now in place. Today you are reviewing Natural Resources Board changes approved in October that will guide our herd management decisions for the next three years. As we have done before, we once again welcome input from your committees before these goals are finalized.
The changes before you were developed with extensive public involvement. Beginning in January 2009, a large stakeholder group made up of representatives of hunting groups, landowners, foresters, farmers and ecologists convened to lead this goal review. I would like to extend our gratitude to these hard working volunteers who take deer management very seriously.
The process for this goal review included the stakeholder panel, 40 public meetings to gather input, several web based surveys, eight public hearings across the state to review this rule, as well as Natural Resource Board review and approval.
There are many factors to consider when establishing deer goals -- preserving Wisconsin’s great deer hunting tradition for future generations, forest impacts, agricultural impacts, public safety as measured by car-deer collisions, preventing animal disease transmission, and others.
Wisconsin’s 16 million acres of forest land support great deer habitat as well other important economic and environmental values. When the deer population is too high the regeneration of our forests is put at risk, threatening deer habitat and future deer hunting opportunities as well as our forestry based economy. Wisconsin’s paper and wood products industry is #1 in the country. Our forests are a tremendous natural resource that provide the foundation for 68,000 family-supporting jobs. Forestry related companies are the #1 employer in 23 Wisconsin counties.
Deer also impact another vitally important sector of Wisconsin’s economy, agriculture. The year 2000 was a peak year in Wisconsin’s deer hunt -- over 615,000 deer were harvested. As we have moved closer to deer population goals over the last few years, agriculture impacts have been reduced. In 2000, over 15,000 acres were damaged by deer and 339,000 bushels of corn lost, as well as 71,000 bushels of soybeans lost. By comparison, in 2008, a little over 8,000 acres were damaged by deer, 172,000 bushels of corn lost, and 30,000 bushels of soybeans lost.
Public safety is another factor that the Department must consider in setting deer population goals. While most Wisconsin citizens expect that car-deer collisions are a part of living in Wisconsin, they expect the DNR to keep these collisions in an acceptable range. As we have moved closer to deer population goals over the past decade, the number of deer caused collisions have declined. DNR numbers for deer carcass removals from our highways declined from 48,000 in 2003 to 28,000 in 2008. The number of car-deer collisions reported by police to DOT declined from over 20,000 in 2000, to just over 15,800 in 2008.
These numbers are not just statistics. Ten people died on our highways last year from car-deer collisions. In the 1990s, the trend was better, with fatalities from car-deer crashed averaging just over 5 per year, compared with 10 per year since 2000.
Disease management also remains a key concern. Chronic Wasting Disease poses a serious threat to a healthy, sustainable deer herd and our hunting heritage. Population goals inside and outside the CWD zone need to reflect our strongest efforts to slow disease spread.
Balancing all of these goals is a challenging task. Our responsibility is to establish goals that will sustain our great hunting heritage, result in a healthy deer population that is sustainable on our landscape, and consider the impacts deer have on all facets of life in Wisconsin. The rule before you today follows the recommendations of the stakeholder group, with extensive public input. These rules represent our best efforts to strike an acceptable balance that will ensure ecosystem conservation and sustain our hunting heritage for generations to come.
Thank you for the opportunity to be here today. We look forward to answering any questions you may have.
You can also find the text at:
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/news/BreakingNews_Lookup.asp?id=1533
Source: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources website:
Text of DNR Secretary Matt Frank’s testimony to joint session of legislative committees considering proposed changes to deer management unit population goals
News Release Published: December 17, 2009 by the Central Office
Contact(s): Robert Manwell (608) 264-9248
MADISON – Department of Natural Resources Secretary Matt Frank appeared before a joint Senate and Assembly legislative committee today to testify on proposed revisions to Deer Management Unit population goals. Secretary Frank also presented the joint session with a brief summary of the current deer hunting seasons.
The following is the text of Secretary Frank’s testimony.
December 17, 2009
Assembly Fish & Wildlife Committee and Senate Transportation, Tourism, Forestry & Natural Resources Committee
Good morning Chairs Hraychuck and Holperin and members of the Committees. I’m pleased to be here today to share with you a brief snapshot of Wisconsin’s 158th deer hunt before we address the proposed deer management unit population goals for the next three years. The annual deer report is normally first delivered to the Natural Resources Board at its December meeting which this year was canceled due to a pretty good Wisconsin snowstorm. A copy of the report has been provided to the Board and has been provided to you as well.
I was out at deer registration stations on opening weekend and also got away a couple of days to hunt myself. Since the season closed we have heard from a lot of hunters who were frustrated with the hunt. We intend to be responsive to those concerns, but I would first like to make some general observations.
The Wisconsin hunting heritage is a powerful force in our state; for families, for hunters, our economy and our quality of life.
Consider these facts from the current season:
• The hunting tradition is strong and vibrant in Wisconsin. We have some of the best deer hunting opportunities in the nation. For the 2009 deer hunt season to date, we sold 638,040 gun licenses and 204,833 bow licenses. These figures are just slightly below the numbers for last season. While 94 percent of hunters were Wisconsin residents, hunters from all 50 states once gain came to hunt in Wisconsin this year.
• Overall, the 2009 nine-day gun hunt was the fourth safest on record with no fatalities. There were seven nonfatal incidents.
• More than 10,000 10- and 11-year tried out deer hunting on the state’s new mentored hunting licenses. I thank the Chairs, the members of these committees, and the legislature for passing the mentored hunting bill in this past year. Of the new youth, 20 percent were girls. There was not a single hunting incident involving these hunters.
• The October Youth hunt harvest increased by 50 percent to more than 6,000 deer on the youth hunt weekend.
• Wisconsin annually ranks nationally in the top five states in the number of deer hunting licenses sold. And we are in the top three in total expenditures for hunting. Deer hunting is a $1 billion driver of our state economy.
We are one of the top three states in the nation for Boone and Crockett trophy whitetails, including a new state record buck taken by bow and arrow this fall.
While our hunting tradition is something we are both proud of and thankful for, of all the work done by the DNR, there is probably no subject that generates more controversy or criticism than deer herd management. That was true 50 years ago when the old Conservation Department was in charge, and it will probably be true 50 years from today. People are passionate about their opinions. Our challenge is to have a good system in place for public input, and to make the best science based decisions we can on how we manage the herd.
As we do so, good dose of humility is always in order. White-tail deer have lived on Wisconsin’s vast and varied landscape for thousands of years, long before any immigrants arrived. Understanding deer and how they interact with their ecosystem is a significant challenge. The ecosystem is constantly changing, and our understanding of the system is always evolving. For example, one of the areas we are focused on is the impact of natural predators in the ecosystem -- wolves, bears and coyotes. We are taking steps to improve the S-A-K population estimate model. And, we are laying the groundwork to do significant research on the impact of deer browse on forest regeneration.
Our 2009 pre-season forecast anticipated a lower harvest primarily due to an expected reduction in antlerless harvest. This reduction was a response to population declines in the last two years which were a result of herd reductions efforts as well as below average fawn production. Statewide preliminary registration figures indicate the harvest during the nine-day gun season was down 29 percent from 2008 to 196,098. This includes 86,708 antlered bucks -- a 12 percent decrease -- and 109,390 antlerless deer – a 39 percent decrease from 2008.
We know that the herd is smaller in some regions of the state which is why we took action to reduce the harvest in those areas. During this season, 13 deer management units had no bonus antlerless permits. 38 units were moved out herd control to regular season, and 29 units were moved out of earn-a-buck, all contributing to a decline in antlerless harvest. In all, the number of regular units increased from 21 in 2008 to 59 in 2009.
Following the 2008 season, hunters told us they told us they wanted fewer antlerless deer harvested. As a result, we greatly reduced the number of antlerless permits available and antlerless harvest went down accordingly. In 2009 there were 78 units (of 132 statewide) where we reduced antlerless deer hunting opportunity. This reduction in permits contributed to the decline in gun deer harvest.
In some areas of the state the deer population is below goal, and our efforts are focused on increasing the population. In other parts of the state, we are still above goal. For example, in the CWD zone in the southern part of the state, over-population has been a contributing factor to the increased prevalence of CWD in the deer herd, increasing the risk of spread of this disease.
Overall, fewer deer on the landscape equals fewer deer seen and fewer harvested. We must continue to manage toward a sustainable, healthy deer population.
Wisconsin’s experience in 2009 is not unique. Our neighboring Great Lakes states and provinces also experienced harvest declines. Deer harvest is down 12 percent in Minnesota, 10-20 percent in Michigan, 20-30 percent in the UP, and 24 percent in Quebec.
Over the next few months, our staff will look carefully at the data hunters provided us on their registration stubs – data that is the foundation of our science-based management -- to determine where we now stand with respect to the size of the deer population. We know the state’s herd varies by region and careful analysis is needed before we move ahead with future season recommendations.
We also will continue to seek input from the public on deer management objectives and policy. In addition to advisory groups, public meetings and hearings, hunters can now give us feedback through a modified deer registration stub and an online database where hunters can record field observations of weather conditions, hours hunted and number of deer seen.
Deer Management Units and Population Goals
This brings us to deer population goals and Deer Management Unit boundaries. The department remains committed to supporting Wisconsin’s hunting traditions and managing for a healthy, sustainable and ecologically balanced deer population. In the early part of this decade, the deer population reached unsustainable levels in much of the state. It’s the department’s job to bring populations down to the population goals approved through an extensive public process with ultimate review by the legislature. It is also our job to use deer management tools to raise the deer population in regions where it is below goal.
The criteria we must follow to determine deer population goals come from laws passed by the legislature. These laws require the Department to manage the deer population for conservation of ecosystems and for future generations’ use and enjoyment. They require the Department to keep agricultural and forestry damage to tolerable levels. Our administrative code further emphasizes the balance that deer goals must strike: NR 1.15 directs that the “department shall seek to maintain a deer herd in balance with its range and at deer population goals reasonably compatible with social, economic and ecosystem objectives for each deer management unit.”
Unit boundaries and population goals are reviewed at approximately three year intervals. In 2005, this committee reviewed and approved the goals that are now in place. Today you are reviewing Natural Resources Board changes approved in October that will guide our herd management decisions for the next three years. As we have done before, we once again welcome input from your committees before these goals are finalized.
The changes before you were developed with extensive public involvement. Beginning in January 2009, a large stakeholder group made up of representatives of hunting groups, landowners, foresters, farmers and ecologists convened to lead this goal review. I would like to extend our gratitude to these hard working volunteers who take deer management very seriously.
The process for this goal review included the stakeholder panel, 40 public meetings to gather input, several web based surveys, eight public hearings across the state to review this rule, as well as Natural Resource Board review and approval.
There are many factors to consider when establishing deer goals -- preserving Wisconsin’s great deer hunting tradition for future generations, forest impacts, agricultural impacts, public safety as measured by car-deer collisions, preventing animal disease transmission, and others.
Wisconsin’s 16 million acres of forest land support great deer habitat as well other important economic and environmental values. When the deer population is too high the regeneration of our forests is put at risk, threatening deer habitat and future deer hunting opportunities as well as our forestry based economy. Wisconsin’s paper and wood products industry is #1 in the country. Our forests are a tremendous natural resource that provide the foundation for 68,000 family-supporting jobs. Forestry related companies are the #1 employer in 23 Wisconsin counties.
Deer also impact another vitally important sector of Wisconsin’s economy, agriculture. The year 2000 was a peak year in Wisconsin’s deer hunt -- over 615,000 deer were harvested. As we have moved closer to deer population goals over the last few years, agriculture impacts have been reduced. In 2000, over 15,000 acres were damaged by deer and 339,000 bushels of corn lost, as well as 71,000 bushels of soybeans lost. By comparison, in 2008, a little over 8,000 acres were damaged by deer, 172,000 bushels of corn lost, and 30,000 bushels of soybeans lost.
Public safety is another factor that the Department must consider in setting deer population goals. While most Wisconsin citizens expect that car-deer collisions are a part of living in Wisconsin, they expect the DNR to keep these collisions in an acceptable range. As we have moved closer to deer population goals over the past decade, the number of deer caused collisions have declined. DNR numbers for deer carcass removals from our highways declined from 48,000 in 2003 to 28,000 in 2008. The number of car-deer collisions reported by police to DOT declined from over 20,000 in 2000, to just over 15,800 in 2008.
These numbers are not just statistics. Ten people died on our highways last year from car-deer collisions. In the 1990s, the trend was better, with fatalities from car-deer crashed averaging just over 5 per year, compared with 10 per year since 2000.
Disease management also remains a key concern. Chronic Wasting Disease poses a serious threat to a healthy, sustainable deer herd and our hunting heritage. Population goals inside and outside the CWD zone need to reflect our strongest efforts to slow disease spread.
Balancing all of these goals is a challenging task. Our responsibility is to establish goals that will sustain our great hunting heritage, result in a healthy deer population that is sustainable on our landscape, and consider the impacts deer have on all facets of life in Wisconsin. The rule before you today follows the recommendations of the stakeholder group, with extensive public input. These rules represent our best efforts to strike an acceptable balance that will ensure ecosystem conservation and sustain our hunting heritage for generations to come.
Thank you for the opportunity to be here today. We look forward to answering any questions you may have.
You can also find the text at:
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/news/BreakingNews_Lookup.asp?id=1533
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
What Should the Wisconsin DNR do Next? Public Hearing, Thursday, December 17, 2009
In the last few weeks, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has taken fire from different groups and individuals. Experts in the department spend countless hours in the field and in the office trying to desperately find ways to help manage the herd. Whether we agree or disagree that the efforts they are putting forth are accurate and well executed, we still have to agree to come up with a solution.
To help come to the next "best" option for deer hunters and those that manage the deer herd, I ask that those who can make it, attend the public hearing on Thursday, December 17th, 2009 at our State Capitol.
Below you will see the official notice given of the public hearing so please attend or find a way to have someone voice your thoughts and opinions at this hearing, regardless of what side you are on.
Thank you
PUBLIC HEARING
Committee on Fish and Wildlife
The committee will hold a public hearing on the following items at the time specified below:
This will be a joint hearing with the Senate Committee on Transportation, Tourism, Forestry, and Natural Resources
2009 Deer Season Review
The Committee will be briefed by the Department of Natural Resources on the 2009 deer season and population management tools.
Clearinghouse Rule 09-053
Relating to deer management unit population goals.
To help come to the next "best" option for deer hunters and those that manage the deer herd, I ask that those who can make it, attend the public hearing on Thursday, December 17th, 2009 at our State Capitol.
Below you will see the official notice given of the public hearing so please attend or find a way to have someone voice your thoughts and opinions at this hearing, regardless of what side you are on.
Thank you
Assembly
PUBLIC HEARING
Committee on Fish and Wildlife
The committee will hold a public hearing on the following items at the time specified below:
Thursday, December 17, 2009
10:00 AM
411 South
State Capitol
This will be a joint hearing with the Senate Committee on Transportation, Tourism, Forestry, and Natural Resources
2009 Deer Season Review
The Committee will be briefed by the Department of Natural Resources on the 2009 deer season and population management tools.
Clearinghouse Rule 09-053
Relating to deer management unit population goals.
Lawmakers Call for Suspension of December Anterless Deer Hunt: Official Release
I came in contact with a copy of the official release submitted to the Wisconsin DNR to suspend this weeks Anterless deer hunt. Whether we agree to suspend or not its a good time to debate how the deer herd should be managed.
December 4, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Representative Scott Gunderson (608) 266-3363
Representative Dean Kaufert (608) 266-5719
MADISON… In a letter to the Natural Resources Board, state lawmakers, today, requested that the Board take immediate action to suspend the 2009 December antlerless deer hunt. During the 9-day deer gun season, hunters registered the fewest deer in 27 years and 29 % fewer deer than just last year.
“In light of the historic declines in deer harvest over the past two seasons and the overwhelming sentiment by the hunters of Wisconsin, a suspension of the 2009 December antlerless season is crucial to safeguard our deer herd,” said Representative Scott Gunderson (R-Waterford). “It is absolutely imperative that the Board takes swift action to protect Wisconsin’s deer heard from further harm that may take generations to recover from.”
Representative Dean Kaufert (R-Neenah) continued, “We have heard from countless discouraged and frustrated hunters from all across Wisconsin who do not believe the Department’s deer herd estimate because they are not seeing deer out in the woods, especially antlerless deer. We need to listen to our hunters when they report fewer deer sightings; mild weather and areas of fog cannot explain the drastic reduction in the number of deer registered.”
While hunters across Wisconsin continuously report the lack of deer in the woods, there is significant evidence that their experiences in the woods are consistent with the actual number of deer. The number of deer carcasses removed by state contractors has plummeted for seven consecutive years, and is currently at the same levels as the late 1980’s. Predation by an underestimated bear population and an ever-growing wolf population has decimated the deer herd in vast areas of Wisconsin.
“The nine-day deer gun season is, not only steeped in tradition, but it also has an economic impact of over $1 billion for the state of Wisconsin,” stated Gunderson. “A 29% lower deer harvest this season is cause for concern, but on top of last season’s 26% total deer gun season harvest reduction; we have reached a critical crossroads for our deer herd in Wisconsin.”
“Because of deep tradition and the economic impact deer hunting has in Wisconsin, it is imperative that we act now before there are long-lasting and devastating effects on not only Wisconsin’s white-tail population, but also our economy,” concluded Kaufert.
# # #
December 4, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Representative Scott Gunderson (608) 266-3363
Representative Dean Kaufert (608) 266-5719
Lawmakers Call For Suspension of the December Antlerless Hunt
Action by Natural Resources Board Imperative to Protect Deer Herd
MADISON… In a letter to the Natural Resources Board, state lawmakers, today, requested that the Board take immediate action to suspend the 2009 December antlerless deer hunt. During the 9-day deer gun season, hunters registered the fewest deer in 27 years and 29 % fewer deer than just last year.
“In light of the historic declines in deer harvest over the past two seasons and the overwhelming sentiment by the hunters of Wisconsin, a suspension of the 2009 December antlerless season is crucial to safeguard our deer herd,” said Representative Scott Gunderson (R-Waterford). “It is absolutely imperative that the Board takes swift action to protect Wisconsin’s deer heard from further harm that may take generations to recover from.”
Representative Dean Kaufert (R-Neenah) continued, “We have heard from countless discouraged and frustrated hunters from all across Wisconsin who do not believe the Department’s deer herd estimate because they are not seeing deer out in the woods, especially antlerless deer. We need to listen to our hunters when they report fewer deer sightings; mild weather and areas of fog cannot explain the drastic reduction in the number of deer registered.”
While hunters across Wisconsin continuously report the lack of deer in the woods, there is significant evidence that their experiences in the woods are consistent with the actual number of deer. The number of deer carcasses removed by state contractors has plummeted for seven consecutive years, and is currently at the same levels as the late 1980’s. Predation by an underestimated bear population and an ever-growing wolf population has decimated the deer herd in vast areas of Wisconsin.
“The nine-day deer gun season is, not only steeped in tradition, but it also has an economic impact of over $1 billion for the state of Wisconsin,” stated Gunderson. “A 29% lower deer harvest this season is cause for concern, but on top of last season’s 26% total deer gun season harvest reduction; we have reached a critical crossroads for our deer herd in Wisconsin.”
“Because of deep tradition and the economic impact deer hunting has in Wisconsin, it is imperative that we act now before there are long-lasting and devastating effects on not only Wisconsin’s white-tail population, but also our economy,” concluded Kaufert.
# # #
Friday, December 4, 2009
Whitetails Unlimited Opposes Wisconsins 2010 16-day Deer Season Proposal
Wisconsin --(AmmoLand.com)- Whitetails Unlimited sent a letter today to members of Wisconsin’s Natural Resources Board, opposing an expanded 16-day gun deer hunt in Wisconsin in 2010.
“There is always tension between hunters and DNR regulators, and we understand that,” said Whitetails Unlimited President Jeff Schinkten. “But the results of the 2009 gun deer season show that hunter numbers were down in Wisconsin, and the number of bucks killed was at a 25-year low for the second straight year. Until we can get a handle on the true deer population in Wisconsin, we need to hold off on the 16-day gun season.”
Schinkten also pointed out that car-deer accidents have had a dramatic and steady decline for the last five years, and a survey of WTU members showed a large gap between opinions of Wisconsin hunters and the opinions of DNR policymakers.
"Whitetails Unlimited has been a strong partner with DNR agencies across the country, working on programs in support of regulated hunting,” said Schinkten. “That will not change. In fact, there is an agenda item for the next NRB meeting that is a donation from our Flambeau Chapter for habitat work in the Upper Chippewa Wildlife Management Area. However, we don’t want to see the number of hunters drop, and when those numbers drop in Wisconsin, where deer hunting is a passion, we get concerned. DNR policy can have a huge effect on hunter satisfaction, and we just want a common-sense approach to wildlife management.”
The text of the letter to the NRB is as follows:
To: Members, Wisconsin Natural Resources Board
From: Whitetails Unlimited
Date: December 3, 2009
The Wisconsin DNR has a tremendous responsibility in managing the natural resources of the state, and it comes as no surprise that deer hunters in the state are very passionate about their sport. While there may always be tension between hunters and policymakers, the divergence of opinion in recent years has led to a level of tension that is actually damaging the sport.
After seeing the preliminary numbers of license sales and deer kills for the 2009 season, it is obvious that the hunting public is increasingly dissatisfied. This problem will get worse if the DNR continues under the existing philosophy, methods and goals.
Whitetails Unlimited is very concerned about the future of deer hunting in the state, and urges the DNR to fully evaluate all data, and to listen to deer hunters in establishing future hunting seasons and regulations.
The fact that Wisconsin has had two consecutive years of buck kills at 25-year lows, and a reduction of the total number of deer hunters this year, are troubling indications that Wisconsin hunters are joining in the decline in hunting popularity. While there can be many reasons for the decline in hunters, it is undeniable that DNR policies can be a major factor in hunter satisfaction, and that the DNR needs to be responsive to those who provide a major funding source for their operations.
Whitetails Unlimited is the nation’s largest organization of deer hunters, and we take our mission of “Preserving an American tradition” very seriously. Our national headquarters is located in Wisconsin, and Wisconsin is the state with our largest number of members. When we conducted a survey of our Wisconsin members this year, their opinion was overwhelming that they believe there are fewer deer than DNR estimates, and they oppose many DNR policies. Anecdotal opinions of WTU staff, friends, and family members, hunting all over the state, agree with our members. We are very concerned that the DNR is damaging their credibility by continuing with policies that are not believed or supported, and even actively opposed, by hunters in the state.
I am not a biologist, but it seems like a common-sense approach is needed, rather than the drastic changes in season length that have been proposed. This is based on back-to-back seasons of buck kills at 25-year lows, a steady and dramatic reduction in car/deer accidents over the last five years, and hunters refusing to go deer hunting.
We understand the difficulty of trying to estimate and manage a population of wild animals, months and months in the future, but the solid numbers of this past deer season need to be incorporated into the evaluation, and are significant enough to warrant the DNR to revisit decisions made earlier this year.
Whitetails Unlimited has a long history in working with the DNR, in Wisconsin and many other states, in projects and programs that advance regulated hunting, and this will not change. However, we cannot stand silently when we feel that actions by the DNR will result in fewer deer hunters enjoying an American tradition.
For the record, Whitetails Unlimited is opposed to lengthening the traditional nine-day gun season, based on the information detailed above. We urge the DNR to get a firm handle on the deer population numbers before making drastic changes to deer hunting regulations.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey Schinkten
President, Whitetails Unlimited
About:
Founded in 1982, Whitetails Unlimited is a national nonprofit conservation organization. Our mission is to raise funds in support of education, habitat enhancement and acquisition, and the preservation of the hunting tradition for the benefit of the white-tailed deer and other wildlife. When it comes to the whitetail and its environment, WTU’s degree of professionalism and dedication has earned us the reputation of being the nation’s premier whitetail organization.
Article Source: LuckyGunner.com
Original Article Sitehttp://www.ammoland.com/2009/12/03/whitetails-unlimited-opposes-16-day-deer-season-in-2010/
“There is always tension between hunters and DNR regulators, and we understand that,” said Whitetails Unlimited President Jeff Schinkten. “But the results of the 2009 gun deer season show that hunter numbers were down in Wisconsin, and the number of bucks killed was at a 25-year low for the second straight year. Until we can get a handle on the true deer population in Wisconsin, we need to hold off on the 16-day gun season.”
Schinkten also pointed out that car-deer accidents have had a dramatic and steady decline for the last five years, and a survey of WTU members showed a large gap between opinions of Wisconsin hunters and the opinions of DNR policymakers.
"Whitetails Unlimited has been a strong partner with DNR agencies across the country, working on programs in support of regulated hunting,” said Schinkten. “That will not change. In fact, there is an agenda item for the next NRB meeting that is a donation from our Flambeau Chapter for habitat work in the Upper Chippewa Wildlife Management Area. However, we don’t want to see the number of hunters drop, and when those numbers drop in Wisconsin, where deer hunting is a passion, we get concerned. DNR policy can have a huge effect on hunter satisfaction, and we just want a common-sense approach to wildlife management.”
The text of the letter to the NRB is as follows:
To: Members, Wisconsin Natural Resources Board
From: Whitetails Unlimited
Date: December 3, 2009
The Wisconsin DNR has a tremendous responsibility in managing the natural resources of the state, and it comes as no surprise that deer hunters in the state are very passionate about their sport. While there may always be tension between hunters and policymakers, the divergence of opinion in recent years has led to a level of tension that is actually damaging the sport.
After seeing the preliminary numbers of license sales and deer kills for the 2009 season, it is obvious that the hunting public is increasingly dissatisfied. This problem will get worse if the DNR continues under the existing philosophy, methods and goals.
Whitetails Unlimited is very concerned about the future of deer hunting in the state, and urges the DNR to fully evaluate all data, and to listen to deer hunters in establishing future hunting seasons and regulations.
The fact that Wisconsin has had two consecutive years of buck kills at 25-year lows, and a reduction of the total number of deer hunters this year, are troubling indications that Wisconsin hunters are joining in the decline in hunting popularity. While there can be many reasons for the decline in hunters, it is undeniable that DNR policies can be a major factor in hunter satisfaction, and that the DNR needs to be responsive to those who provide a major funding source for their operations.
Whitetails Unlimited is the nation’s largest organization of deer hunters, and we take our mission of “Preserving an American tradition” very seriously. Our national headquarters is located in Wisconsin, and Wisconsin is the state with our largest number of members. When we conducted a survey of our Wisconsin members this year, their opinion was overwhelming that they believe there are fewer deer than DNR estimates, and they oppose many DNR policies. Anecdotal opinions of WTU staff, friends, and family members, hunting all over the state, agree with our members. We are very concerned that the DNR is damaging their credibility by continuing with policies that are not believed or supported, and even actively opposed, by hunters in the state.
I am not a biologist, but it seems like a common-sense approach is needed, rather than the drastic changes in season length that have been proposed. This is based on back-to-back seasons of buck kills at 25-year lows, a steady and dramatic reduction in car/deer accidents over the last five years, and hunters refusing to go deer hunting.
We understand the difficulty of trying to estimate and manage a population of wild animals, months and months in the future, but the solid numbers of this past deer season need to be incorporated into the evaluation, and are significant enough to warrant the DNR to revisit decisions made earlier this year.
Whitetails Unlimited has a long history in working with the DNR, in Wisconsin and many other states, in projects and programs that advance regulated hunting, and this will not change. However, we cannot stand silently when we feel that actions by the DNR will result in fewer deer hunters enjoying an American tradition.
For the record, Whitetails Unlimited is opposed to lengthening the traditional nine-day gun season, based on the information detailed above. We urge the DNR to get a firm handle on the deer population numbers before making drastic changes to deer hunting regulations.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey Schinkten
President, Whitetails Unlimited
About:
Founded in 1982, Whitetails Unlimited is a national nonprofit conservation organization. Our mission is to raise funds in support of education, habitat enhancement and acquisition, and the preservation of the hunting tradition for the benefit of the white-tailed deer and other wildlife. When it comes to the whitetail and its environment, WTU’s degree of professionalism and dedication has earned us the reputation of being the nation’s premier whitetail organization.
Article Source: LuckyGunner.com
Original Article Sitehttp://www.ammoland.com/2009/12/03/whitetails-unlimited-opposes-16-day-deer-season-in-2010/
Political push for a new DNR Wildlife Management Team?
Two years of poor hunting seasons and a growing number of concerns for the deer herd has brought on a request for change in the DNR Wildlife Management team. This request however is not coming from local hunters, its coming from state representative Russ Decker(D).
According to the WEAU news release "Democratic Senator Russ Decker says the DNR has mismanaged the deer herd and a new team needs to be brought in to do the job. Decker is calling on the Secretary of the DNR Matt Frank to make the replacement and if he doesn't the DNR board should.
DNR Conservation Warden Michael Young says warm weather, corn and wet conditions were responsible for a disappointing deer season. Decker adds the DNR is a master of excuses and hunters are sick of them.
He believes they need a management team that knows what they are doing and will listen to hunters."
Hunters across the state are reporting poor hunts, lack of deer, and confusion on the need of more seasons. Many questions still need to be addressed by the DNR in the next few months but hunters are going to want to know the following for sure: What is the DNR doing to determine actual whitetail deer herd counts in Wisconsin? If the deer herd is determined to be down, why are increasing hunting seasons?
Sited Source: http://www.weau.com/home/headlines/78471632.html
According to the WEAU news release "Democratic Senator Russ Decker says the DNR has mismanaged the deer herd and a new team needs to be brought in to do the job. Decker is calling on the Secretary of the DNR Matt Frank to make the replacement and if he doesn't the DNR board should.
DNR Conservation Warden Michael Young says warm weather, corn and wet conditions were responsible for a disappointing deer season. Decker adds the DNR is a master of excuses and hunters are sick of them.
He believes they need a management team that knows what they are doing and will listen to hunters."
Hunters across the state are reporting poor hunts, lack of deer, and confusion on the need of more seasons. Many questions still need to be addressed by the DNR in the next few months but hunters are going to want to know the following for sure: What is the DNR doing to determine actual whitetail deer herd counts in Wisconsin? If the deer herd is determined to be down, why are increasing hunting seasons?
Sited Source: http://www.weau.com/home/headlines/78471632.html
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Late Season Deer Hunting Tactics
Hunt the Early Season Stands - Many deer hunters during the regular season the first few days or weekends of the season and then bag their deer or run out of time. These hunting spots have been untouched for a period of time and the smartest of deer will know this. Areas you know that haven’t been hunted or have received little disturbance since early to mid season are great spots to check back into as these spot may seem obvious but rarely get hunted from the early season on.
Let the Moon be Your Guide - Even though there is a lot of talk about this during the early season, late season hunting will require you pay even more attention to the moon phases. Deer naturally become more nocturnal during the winter in part because of the energy benefits they receive by resting during the day when it’s a bit warmer and moving around to feed at night when the temperature is at its coldest. Pay special attention to the nights where there is less moonlight and nights with heavy cloud cover, deer will be making the move in the mornings to get back to bedding areas in the morning. Remember that during the late season, deer will require less food so bites to eat will become quicker and less frequent.
Hunting the Weather Fronts – Cold weather and cold fronts will push deer to look for food or a bedding area. Cold weather requires high energy consumption so watch for cold fronts coming through and either get out in front of it or grab that chilly morning to sit. Mature bucks may try to ride out the cold front but even mature bucks will need to replenish the energy they are spending to staying warm so consecutive nights of chilly weather will make the mornings a great time to catch that big guy looking for a quick bite to eat.
Deer Pattern You – Like I stated above, stands, or areas that you or others hunted in your area, get away from them and hunt the areas that have not seen pressure. Deer pattern people as much or more than people pattern deer. Find un-hunted travel corridors as well as wooded creeks and swamps that deer love. Mature bucks may walk across a property without being spotted, even if it means going across a wide open field where he knows you are not. Consider hunting untraditional areas at untraditional times, especially during a full moon. During a full moon, deer move more during mid-day, and if you are in the travel line less traveled, you may just get that big guy to walk right on by.
Post Rut Bucks - Although early winter creates harsh conditions with low temperatures, rain and snow, it is one of the few times during the year when bucks carrying trophy racks may be seen together. Because the rut is over the bucks are no longer antagonistic toward each other, and they often begin to reform the bachelor groups they were in before the rut. They are also in search of high quality foods, in order to gain back the weight they lost during the rut. This combination of factors provides late season hunters the opportunity to see several bucks, including some that are trophy class, together on a regular basis.
Let the Moon be Your Guide - Even though there is a lot of talk about this during the early season, late season hunting will require you pay even more attention to the moon phases. Deer naturally become more nocturnal during the winter in part because of the energy benefits they receive by resting during the day when it’s a bit warmer and moving around to feed at night when the temperature is at its coldest. Pay special attention to the nights where there is less moonlight and nights with heavy cloud cover, deer will be making the move in the mornings to get back to bedding areas in the morning. Remember that during the late season, deer will require less food so bites to eat will become quicker and less frequent.
Hunting the Weather Fronts – Cold weather and cold fronts will push deer to look for food or a bedding area. Cold weather requires high energy consumption so watch for cold fronts coming through and either get out in front of it or grab that chilly morning to sit. Mature bucks may try to ride out the cold front but even mature bucks will need to replenish the energy they are spending to staying warm so consecutive nights of chilly weather will make the mornings a great time to catch that big guy looking for a quick bite to eat.
Deer Pattern You – Like I stated above, stands, or areas that you or others hunted in your area, get away from them and hunt the areas that have not seen pressure. Deer pattern people as much or more than people pattern deer. Find un-hunted travel corridors as well as wooded creeks and swamps that deer love. Mature bucks may walk across a property without being spotted, even if it means going across a wide open field where he knows you are not. Consider hunting untraditional areas at untraditional times, especially during a full moon. During a full moon, deer move more during mid-day, and if you are in the travel line less traveled, you may just get that big guy to walk right on by.
Post Rut Bucks - Although early winter creates harsh conditions with low temperatures, rain and snow, it is one of the few times during the year when bucks carrying trophy racks may be seen together. Because the rut is over the bucks are no longer antagonistic toward each other, and they often begin to reform the bachelor groups they were in before the rut. They are also in search of high quality foods, in order to gain back the weight they lost during the rut. This combination of factors provides late season hunters the opportunity to see several bucks, including some that are trophy class, together on a regular basis.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
2009 Wisconsin Opening Weekend of Nine-Day Gun Deer Season Harvest
Below are the statewide deer harvest totals from the Wisconsin Whitetail Deer Hunting Opening Weekend.
STATEWIDE TOTALS
2009
2008
2008 vs. 2009 - % Difference 2008 vs. 2009
To see a county by county breakdown go to http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/news/pdf/open_weekend_09.pdf
STATEWIDE TOTALS
2009
- BUCKS - 49583
- ANTLERLESS - 50478
2009 TOTAL - 100330
2008
- BUCKS - 52477
- ANTLERLESS - 81351
2008 TOTAL - 133828
2008 vs. 2009 - % Difference 2008 vs. 2009
- BUCKS - (-5.5148)
- ANTLERLESS - (-37.95036324)
2008 vs. 2009 TOTAL - (-25.03063634)
To see a county by county breakdown go to http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/news/pdf/open_weekend_09.pdf
DNR Board Sets December Agenda
December 8 & 9 , 2009 Natural Resources Board Agenda
For meeting at:
Room G09, State Natural Resources Building (GEF 2)
101 South Webster Street
Madison, Wisconsin
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Natural Resources Board will convene at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, December 8, 2009, in Room G09, State Natural Resources Building (GEF 2), Madison, Wisconsin. The Board will act on items 1-3 as listed on the Agenda.
Order of Business
1.Organizational Matters
A.Calling the roll
B.Approval of agenda for December 8 & 9, 2009
2.Information Items
A.Air, Waste and Water//Enforcement
None
B.Land Management, Recreation, and Fisheries/Wildlife
- Report and preliminary results of the 2009 firearm deer season (Tom Hauge, Keith Warnke, Randy Stark, and Diane Brookbank, 60 minutes)
3.Action Items
A.Air, Waste and Water//Enforcement
None
B.Land Management, Recreation, and Fisheries/Wildlife
- Request Adoption of Board Order WM-20-09, related to establishment of the deer hunting season frameworks (Keith Warnke, 60 minutes)
Order of Business
1.Organizational Matters
A.Calling the roll
B.Approval of minutes from October 21, 2009
C.Approval of minutes from November 13, 2009
2.Ratification of Acts of the Department Secretary
A.Real Estate Transactions
3.Action Items
A.Air, Waste and Water//Enforcement
- Request Authorization for Public Hearing on Board Order WT-15-09, Watershed Management’s Housekeeping Rule Revisions to chs. 102, 103, 105, 106, 108, 110, 114, 200, 203, 205, 210, 241, 299, 328, and 341 (Tom Mugan, 10 minutes)
- Request Adoption of Board Order FH-23-09, to revise Ch. NR 25 relating to the total allowable commercial harvest of whitefish in Lake Michigan (William Horns, 15 minutes
- Request Adoption of Board Order LF-08-09, to revise NR 52 relating to the Public Use of Lands Acquired under the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program (Pat Henderson and Doug Haag, 20 minutes)
- Land Acquisition - Statewide Natural Areas - Oneida & Vilas Counties (Richard Steffes, 5 minutes)
- Land Acquisition and Donation - Baraboo Hills Recreation Area - Sauk County (Richard Steffes, 5 minutes)
- Land Acquisition - White River Fishery Area - Waushara County (Richard Steffes, 5 minutes)
- Land Acquisition & Project Boundary Modification - Hartman Creek State Park - Portage County (Richard Steffes, 5 minutes)
Land Acquisition & Project Boundary Modification - Brunet Island State Park - Chippewa County (Richard Steffes, 5 minutes)Deleted- Land Acquisition - Wildcat Mountain State Park - Vernon County (Richard Steffes, 5 minutes)
- Land Donation - Statewide Wildlife Habitat Area - Pierce County (Richard Steffes, 5 minutes)
- Land Donation - Paul Olson Wildlife Area - Wood County (Richard Steffes, 5 minutes)
- Land Donation – Statewide Natural Area - Door County (Richard Steffes, 5 minutes)
- Land Donation - C.D. Besadny Fish & Wildlife Area - Kewaunee County (Richard Steffes, 5 minutes)
- Land Donation & Project Boundary Modification - Green Bay West Shores Wildlife Area - Oconto County (Richard Steffes, 5 minutes)
- Easement Donation - Statewide Natural Areas - Marquette County (Richard Steffes, 5 minutes)
4.Citizen Participation
A.Citizen Recognition
- Rebecca Wallace Award
None
A.Approval of 2010 Meeting Locations
6.Special Committee Reports
None
A.Retirement Resolutions
B.Donations
- The Friends of Kohler-Andrae State Park, Inc. will donate a Kubota Utility Vehicle at a value of $13,000 to Kohler-Andrae State Park
- Whitetails Unlimited Inc. will donate $5,615.17 to Upper Chippewa Area Wildlife Management for habitat work
A.Air, Waste, and Water/Enforcement
B.Land Management, Recreation, and Fisheries/Wildlife
None
Laurie Ross, Natural Resources Board Liaison
Phone: 608.267.7420
Email: Laurie.Ross@wisconsin.gov
Public Participation at Natural Resources Board Meetings
Source: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource
See website for updates at: http://dnr.wi.gov/org/nrboard/2009/December/12-09-NRB-Agenda.htm
16-day deer hunt starting Saturday before Thanksgiving proposed for 2010
MADISON – A 16-day gun deer hunt starting the Saturday before the Thanksgiving holiday will be the basis of a proposed 2010 deer season framework presented to the Natural Resources Board for consideration at its December 8 meeting in Madison.
“The special committee formed by the Natural Resources Board to develop effective alternatives to earn-a-buck discussed dozens of ideas and season structures,” said DNR Secretary Matt Frank. “They ended up recommending a 16-day gun hunt with either an early or a traditional start date. At public hearings we heard sentiment overwhelmingly against an early start date so we are recommending a traditional opening date to the board at this time.
“This was one of the most heavily attended public hearing schedules in recent history. On behalf of the department, I want to thank all the organizations and individuals that participated in the public review process over the past few months. Public involvement in this decision process is invaluable.”
The complete proposal is available on the Natural Resources Board meeting adenda for December page of the DNR Web site. The special committee’s report [PDF] is also available on the Natural Resources Board Web pages.
If approved, the 16-day season would be an alternative to the use of earn-a-buck in areas outside the chronic wasting disease management zone beginning with the 2010 season. The season would open on the Saturday before the Thanksgiving holiday. Numerous Wisconsin hunting and conservation organizations have registered preference for the Saturday before Thanksgiving opener.
Other key features of the proposal include: extending the archery season through all gun seasons and extending archery season until the end of January in herd control units; addition of a four-day October antlerless only statewide muzzleloader hunt; a four-day October antlerless only gun hunt in herd control units; a four-day youth hunt that coincides with the October antlerless hunt; a seven-day statewide December muzzleloader hunt; a four-day December antlerless only gun hunt and a 10-day buck plus quota holiday hunt in farmland and central forest deer management units.
“An understandable reaction to creating additional hunting seasons is a concern that deer herds will be over harvested,” said Keith Warnke, DNR big game ecologist. “The safeguard against this is the existing quota system. Under this system the harvest of female deer is limited by permit to maintain populations at healthy, sustainable levels.”
The proposal calls for a unit by unit review of the effectiveness of any new season structure. In units that are more than 20 percent over goal and the expected harvest under a third year of any new season structure is unlikely to bring the herd to within 20 percent of goal, additional harvest measures will be considered.
More than 1,600 people attended the series of 11 public hearings held across the state in October and November. An additional 6,500 people used the web-based comment form or submitted email or mailed comments. Department social researchers also mailed a randomized survey to 1,000 hunters to gauge opinion. The response rate to the survey was a very respectable 71 percent.
Legislative review of any NRB action should be completed by March 2010 with any changes taking effect in time for deer season setting in April 2010
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Keith Warnke - (608) 264-6023 or Bob Manwell - (608) 264-9248
“The special committee formed by the Natural Resources Board to develop effective alternatives to earn-a-buck discussed dozens of ideas and season structures,” said DNR Secretary Matt Frank. “They ended up recommending a 16-day gun hunt with either an early or a traditional start date. At public hearings we heard sentiment overwhelmingly against an early start date so we are recommending a traditional opening date to the board at this time.
“This was one of the most heavily attended public hearing schedules in recent history. On behalf of the department, I want to thank all the organizations and individuals that participated in the public review process over the past few months. Public involvement in this decision process is invaluable.”
The complete proposal is available on the Natural Resources Board meeting adenda for December page of the DNR Web site. The special committee’s report [PDF] is also available on the Natural Resources Board Web pages.
If approved, the 16-day season would be an alternative to the use of earn-a-buck in areas outside the chronic wasting disease management zone beginning with the 2010 season. The season would open on the Saturday before the Thanksgiving holiday. Numerous Wisconsin hunting and conservation organizations have registered preference for the Saturday before Thanksgiving opener.
Other key features of the proposal include: extending the archery season through all gun seasons and extending archery season until the end of January in herd control units; addition of a four-day October antlerless only statewide muzzleloader hunt; a four-day October antlerless only gun hunt in herd control units; a four-day youth hunt that coincides with the October antlerless hunt; a seven-day statewide December muzzleloader hunt; a four-day December antlerless only gun hunt and a 10-day buck plus quota holiday hunt in farmland and central forest deer management units.
“An understandable reaction to creating additional hunting seasons is a concern that deer herds will be over harvested,” said Keith Warnke, DNR big game ecologist. “The safeguard against this is the existing quota system. Under this system the harvest of female deer is limited by permit to maintain populations at healthy, sustainable levels.”
The proposal calls for a unit by unit review of the effectiveness of any new season structure. In units that are more than 20 percent over goal and the expected harvest under a third year of any new season structure is unlikely to bring the herd to within 20 percent of goal, additional harvest measures will be considered.
More than 1,600 people attended the series of 11 public hearings held across the state in October and November. An additional 6,500 people used the web-based comment form or submitted email or mailed comments. Department social researchers also mailed a randomized survey to 1,000 hunters to gauge opinion. The response rate to the survey was a very respectable 71 percent.
Legislative review of any NRB action should be completed by March 2010 with any changes taking effect in time for deer season setting in April 2010
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Keith Warnke - (608) 264-6023 or Bob Manwell - (608) 264-9248
Hunters register 100,330 deer opening weekend of 2009 season
MADISON – Warm temperatures and heavy fog in many areas greeted hunters on the opening weekend of Wisconsin’s 158th gun deer hunt. Hunters participating in the traditional November 9-day gun deer hunt registered a preliminary tally of 100,330 deer over the first two days of the hunt.
The 2009 preliminary count compares to a similar opening weekend count of 133,828 from 2008. Buck harvest statewide in 2009 was 49,583 (52,477 in 2008) and antlerless harvest was 50,478 (81,351 in 2008)
“We want to remind folks that these preliminary numbers come from a staff call-around to deer registrations stations this morning,” said Tom Hauge DNR’s wildlife management director. “The final opening weekend tally will likely be somewhat larger, when all the registration stubs are entered into the data base over the next couple of months.”
A breakdown of the harvest by DNR Region and county is available in portable document format.
This fall, wildlife staff indicated that they expected lower total harvest numbers - especially antlerless deer harvest numbers - due to several factors including lower deer numbers in many areas of the state, fewer herd control units and no earn-a-buck units outside of the chronic wasting disease management zone.
“There was pretty dense fog until 10-11:00 a.m. opening morning,” reported Kris Belling DNR West Central Region wildlife expert. “The fog coupled with wet conditions, made it hard to hear anything coming and definitely impacted the morning hunt. Hunters I talked to (in West Central Region) enjoyed the mild temperatures and it was comfortable enough for them to stay out hunting, and that seems to have offset the original difficulties due to the fog. Overall, it was just a nice week-end to be out. Lots of interest in getting the deer butchered quickly.”
However, the weather improved later in the day.
“Many folks take this week off leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday and given the slower start to the season, there should continue to be good opportunity out there in many areas. There is still a lot of hunting left,” said Keith Warnke, DNR big game ecologist.
As of early Monday afternoon, 571 “opening weekend” hunting trip reports have been recorded on the department’s new online reporting database. Hunters reported seeing 796 total deer on those trips which translates to an average of 1.39 deer per trip. These numbers will also likely change as trip reports were still coming in at a rapid pace. Hunters wish to report their hunting experiences can do so from the DNR website.
Enthusiasm for hunting remains high
DNR Secretary Matt Frank visited several registration stations along the I-39, Saturday morning.
“At the stations I visited it was really gratifying seeing our next generation of hunters taking their place,” said Frank. “I especially enjoyed the chance to visit with the youngsters who brought in their first deer. Congratulations to all hunters for keeping our heritage strong. I wish them all success and an enjoyable and safe hunting experience during the remainder of the seasons.
The department’s license sales office reported 626,404 hunters hit the woods with a license to participate in the 2009 nine-day gun deer season. The number of gun hunting licenses included a new category this year, 9,592 10- and 11-year-old hunters who for the first time were able to participate as mentored hunters under Wisconsin’s new Mentored Hunting Law.
Deer license and tag sales will continue through the hunting seasons.
The long custom of buying a license on the way to deer camp is also intact. Over 43 percent – nearly half - of all deer hunters purchased a license in the eight days preceding the gun deer opener; 82,463 licenses were sold on Friday. At peak, which occurred at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, the DNR’s online licensing system – known as ALIS – was processing 212 transactions per minute.
Nearly 270,000 licenses were issued in the eight days preceding the season opener.
Of the hunters hitting the woods on Saturday:
Scott McCauley, Conservation Congress delegate from Wood County was hunting in Waupaca County and noted that for his party opening day was off to a promising start.
“Last year we had our best season ever taking nine deer. This year is looking even better with five people taking three deer and the season is just starting,” said McCauley.
Mike Riggle, Conservation Congress delegate from Taylor County called in, “Seven in camp now, including 11-year-old Austin Riggle hunting for his first time as a mentored hunter. Austin didn’t see anything but enjoyed being in camp and will be out again having a good time.”
Injury report
There were no confirmed fatal shooting incidents recorded during the first two days of the hunt but there were five non-fatal firearms-related incidents, reports DNR Hunter Education Administrator Tim Lawhern.
“We are grateful these five incidents were not fatal and wish a speedy recovery to the victims, but the fact remains that all five could have been prevented if strict firearm safety rules had been observed by the shooters and by the victims who wounded themselves.”
Three woundings occurred on Saturday. In Grant County a hunters was struck in the back of the leg by shrapnel when a hunting companion’s gun discharged into the door of a vehicle as he attempted to unload the gun.
In Price County, a hunter suffered a self-inflicted wound in the left hand from a handgun, and in Green County a hunter sustained a gunshot wound to his leg when he slipped crossing a stream on a log and his shotgun discharged
On Sunday a Barron County hunter was wounded in the thigh by a bullet, and in St Croix County a hunter sustained a self-inflicted gunshot would to the right hand from a .30-30 caliber rifle.
Hunter Safety Administrator Tim Lawhern noted that historically about half of Wisconsin’s shooting incidents happen during deer drives, usually because someone wasn’t where they were supposed to be or someone shot at a deer when they did not have a safe backstop or in a direction they should not have been shooting. “It is really important that hunting parties wanting to drive deer have a plan and that they follow that plan to the letter. Knowing where your hunting mates are and where safe shooting lanes are is critical,” he said.
Statistically, about half the hunting incidents happen during opening weekend. “I am hoping we buck that statistic and can avoid further incidents this year,” Lawhern said. “Compared to the ‘good ole’ days,’ hunting is safe and getting safer. In 1915, of the state’s 155,000 hunters then, 24 were killed and 26 were injured. That meant 1 in about 3,100 hunters could expect to be killed or injured. Today it’s 1 in 100,000 or better. Still any shooting incident is one too many. Hunters need to remember the shooting TAB-K safety rules and be careful with deer drives later this week,” he said.
The 2009 preliminary count compares to a similar opening weekend count of 133,828 from 2008. Buck harvest statewide in 2009 was 49,583 (52,477 in 2008) and antlerless harvest was 50,478 (81,351 in 2008)
“We want to remind folks that these preliminary numbers come from a staff call-around to deer registrations stations this morning,” said Tom Hauge DNR’s wildlife management director. “The final opening weekend tally will likely be somewhat larger, when all the registration stubs are entered into the data base over the next couple of months.”
A breakdown of the harvest by DNR Region and county is available in portable document format.
This fall, wildlife staff indicated that they expected lower total harvest numbers - especially antlerless deer harvest numbers - due to several factors including lower deer numbers in many areas of the state, fewer herd control units and no earn-a-buck units outside of the chronic wasting disease management zone.
“There was pretty dense fog until 10-11:00 a.m. opening morning,” reported Kris Belling DNR West Central Region wildlife expert. “The fog coupled with wet conditions, made it hard to hear anything coming and definitely impacted the morning hunt. Hunters I talked to (in West Central Region) enjoyed the mild temperatures and it was comfortable enough for them to stay out hunting, and that seems to have offset the original difficulties due to the fog. Overall, it was just a nice week-end to be out. Lots of interest in getting the deer butchered quickly.”
However, the weather improved later in the day.
“Many folks take this week off leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday and given the slower start to the season, there should continue to be good opportunity out there in many areas. There is still a lot of hunting left,” said Keith Warnke, DNR big game ecologist.
As of early Monday afternoon, 571 “opening weekend” hunting trip reports have been recorded on the department’s new online reporting database. Hunters reported seeing 796 total deer on those trips which translates to an average of 1.39 deer per trip. These numbers will also likely change as trip reports were still coming in at a rapid pace. Hunters wish to report their hunting experiences can do so from the DNR website.
Enthusiasm for hunting remains high
DNR Secretary Matt Frank visited several registration stations along the I-39, Saturday morning.
“At the stations I visited it was really gratifying seeing our next generation of hunters taking their place,” said Frank. “I especially enjoyed the chance to visit with the youngsters who brought in their first deer. Congratulations to all hunters for keeping our heritage strong. I wish them all success and an enjoyable and safe hunting experience during the remainder of the seasons.
The department’s license sales office reported 626,404 hunters hit the woods with a license to participate in the 2009 nine-day gun deer season. The number of gun hunting licenses included a new category this year, 9,592 10- and 11-year-old hunters who for the first time were able to participate as mentored hunters under Wisconsin’s new Mentored Hunting Law.
Deer license and tag sales will continue through the hunting seasons.
The long custom of buying a license on the way to deer camp is also intact. Over 43 percent – nearly half - of all deer hunters purchased a license in the eight days preceding the gun deer opener; 82,463 licenses were sold on Friday. At peak, which occurred at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, the DNR’s online licensing system – known as ALIS – was processing 212 transactions per minute.
Nearly 270,000 licenses were issued in the eight days preceding the season opener.
Of the hunters hitting the woods on Saturday:
- 592,287 (95 percent) were residents and 34,117 were nonresidents;
- More than 79,000 youth hunters under 18 years old participated in this year’s hunt, representing 13 percent of the total number of deer hunters;
- More than 54,000 hunters were age 65 or older, and over 191,000 (31 percent) are under 30-years-old;
- Females represent 8.5 percent of the total hunters, and 20 percent of new 10- and 11-year-old hunters;
- Hunters throughout the U.S. and several foreign countries purchased a Wisconsin gun deer license. The highest number of nonresident hunters came from Minnesota (16,413), Illinois (8,568), Michigan (1,078), and Florida (898);
- The most deer licenses were sold in Dane County (29,024), with Brown, Washington, Marathon and
- Waukesha counties following;
- More than 170,000 antlerless deer tags have been sold this year
Scott McCauley, Conservation Congress delegate from Wood County was hunting in Waupaca County and noted that for his party opening day was off to a promising start.
“Last year we had our best season ever taking nine deer. This year is looking even better with five people taking three deer and the season is just starting,” said McCauley.
Mike Riggle, Conservation Congress delegate from Taylor County called in, “Seven in camp now, including 11-year-old Austin Riggle hunting for his first time as a mentored hunter. Austin didn’t see anything but enjoyed being in camp and will be out again having a good time.”
Injury report
There were no confirmed fatal shooting incidents recorded during the first two days of the hunt but there were five non-fatal firearms-related incidents, reports DNR Hunter Education Administrator Tim Lawhern.
“We are grateful these five incidents were not fatal and wish a speedy recovery to the victims, but the fact remains that all five could have been prevented if strict firearm safety rules had been observed by the shooters and by the victims who wounded themselves.”
Three woundings occurred on Saturday. In Grant County a hunters was struck in the back of the leg by shrapnel when a hunting companion’s gun discharged into the door of a vehicle as he attempted to unload the gun.
In Price County, a hunter suffered a self-inflicted wound in the left hand from a handgun, and in Green County a hunter sustained a gunshot wound to his leg when he slipped crossing a stream on a log and his shotgun discharged
On Sunday a Barron County hunter was wounded in the thigh by a bullet, and in St Croix County a hunter sustained a self-inflicted gunshot would to the right hand from a .30-30 caliber rifle.
Hunter Safety Administrator Tim Lawhern noted that historically about half of Wisconsin’s shooting incidents happen during deer drives, usually because someone wasn’t where they were supposed to be or someone shot at a deer when they did not have a safe backstop or in a direction they should not have been shooting. “It is really important that hunting parties wanting to drive deer have a plan and that they follow that plan to the letter. Knowing where your hunting mates are and where safe shooting lanes are is critical,” he said.
Statistically, about half the hunting incidents happen during opening weekend. “I am hoping we buck that statistic and can avoid further incidents this year,” Lawhern said. “Compared to the ‘good ole’ days,’ hunting is safe and getting safer. In 1915, of the state’s 155,000 hunters then, 24 were killed and 26 were injured. That meant 1 in about 3,100 hunters could expect to be killed or injured. Today it’s 1 in 100,000 or better. Still any shooting incident is one too many. Hunters need to remember the shooting TAB-K safety rules and be careful with deer drives later this week,” he said.
Article Source: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource
Article Site: http://dnr.wi.gov/news/BreakingNews_Lookup.asp?id=1505
Thursday, November 19, 2009
TV and radio host Dan Small greets hunters and offers a season outlook
MADISON – Television and radio host Dan Small of Outdoor Wisconsin and Outdoors Radio has teamed up with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to give hunters a heads-up on important deer season information and the latest season forecast as opening day approaches.
The opening greeting to hunters and the five regional forecasts are available for viewing on the DNR Web site.
“On the eve of Wisconsin’s 158th deer hunt I want to wish hunters, their families and friends my best wishes for a safe and enjoyable season,” said DNR Secretary Matt Frank. “The traditions and the meaning of the season are as varied as the individuals and families holding them. Deer season is something special in Wisconsin.”
The DNR information line 1-888-DNR INFo (936-7463) is staffed 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week for last minute questions. The 2009 Wisconsin Deer Hunting Regulations also are available online for hunters. Wildlife and law enforcement officials at the DNR encourage hunters to check the regulations for the unit they hunt to be sure they understand the rules and have the correct tags.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Keith Warnke (608) 264-6023 or Robert Manwell (608) 264-9248
Source: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource
The opening greeting to hunters and the five regional forecasts are available for viewing on the DNR Web site.
“On the eve of Wisconsin’s 158th deer hunt I want to wish hunters, their families and friends my best wishes for a safe and enjoyable season,” said DNR Secretary Matt Frank. “The traditions and the meaning of the season are as varied as the individuals and families holding them. Deer season is something special in Wisconsin.”
The DNR information line 1-888-DNR INFo (936-7463) is staffed 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week for last minute questions. The 2009 Wisconsin Deer Hunting Regulations also are available online for hunters. Wildlife and law enforcement officials at the DNR encourage hunters to check the regulations for the unit they hunt to be sure they understand the rules and have the correct tags.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Keith Warnke (608) 264-6023 or Robert Manwell (608) 264-9248
Source: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Remembering the Hunters and the Tragedy
We all remember the hunters from Northern Wisconsin that lost their lives in a senseless act by another hunter. I will not go into race, I will not go into why it happened as we all either know the story or have heard about the story. All that I ask is that we remember and learn from this tragedy.
Please, this year, be safe, don’t trespass and if you find yourself in an unknown area, be respectful and find your way back out or get help. If you find a trespasser, be courteous, this hunter may not know they are in the wrong spot or on the wrong land. Hunters are hunters regardless of race, color, religion or whatever difference we have. Hunting is a sport that should not have tragedy associated with it.
Good luck this weekend, and be safe. I will post all the pictures and stories I get from you.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
2009 gun deer hunt on the doorstep
MADISON – Hunters anxiously waiting for opening morning of the 2009 gun deer hunt won’t have to sit still much longer with the Nov. 21 opener just days away.
“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 Department of Natural
Resources Secretary Matt Frank.
Last minute reminders
Every deer season is a little different and 2009 is no exception. DNR wildlife managers and conservation wardens wish to remind hunters of some important changes for this year’s hunt.
Safety should always be the number one 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.
“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 Department of Natural
Resources Secretary Matt Frank.
Last minute reminders
Every deer season is a little different and 2009 is no exception. DNR wildlife managers and conservation wardens wish to remind hunters of some important changes for this year’s hunt.
- 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 wishing to harvest an antlerless deer in these units must purchase a unit-specific antlerless deer carcass tag ($12 for residents, $20 for nonresidents).
- 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 have already 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 will 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.
More information on deer hunting in Wisconsin is available on the DNR Web site.
Safety should always be the number one 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
Remember when you were a kid, when your dad or mom or an uncle took you to deer camp or out on opening morning for the first time?
Think about sharing that experience and the wonder of the hunt with a youngster. Wisconsin’s new Mentored Hunting Law makes it possible for hunters as young as 10 years to hunt with a mentor.
The mentored hunter does not have to complete Hunter Safety Education to hunt under this program. The mentor does have to be a licensed hunter. There can be only one firearm between the mentor and mentored hunter, and they must remain within arm’s length of each other.
These common sense requirements make this the safest and best young-hunter program in the country. Mentored Hunting Law details are available on the DNR Web site.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Keith Warnke - (608) 264-6023 or Bob Manwell - (608) 2649248
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