2008 Gun Deer License Sales

2008 Gun Deer License Sales

At the close of the 2008 gun deer season, 642,419 gun deer licenses had been issued; up 987 from 2007. Of these, 11,196 licenses were issued during the open season. The 10-year history of Gun Deer sales shown below includes Conservation Patron license holders. Additional licenses will be sold during the muzzleloader, December Antlerless and “holiday” hunts that are still to come. A complete breakdown by license type is attached. 10-Year History of Gun Deer Sales
(includes Conservation Patron licenses)




Source: Wisconsin DNR

View full report at http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/hunt/deer/summary.pdf

Leave young wildlife in the wild

Leave young wildlife in the wild
Wisconsin DNR

Young animals rarely abandoned; sick animals may be able to transmit disease
MADISON – White-tailed deer fawns are starting to be seen in Wisconsin, and state wildlife officials and conservation wardens are starting to be inundated with calls from people who are concerned about an “abandoned” fawn.

“Fawns left alone in the woods are not abandoned,” says Keith Warnke, deer and bear ecologist for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. “When fawns are born they have very little scent to them, and does intentionally leave them alone as a way of protecting them from predators. The mother is almost always nearby and keeping an eye on the fawn. She returns to the fawn to nurse when she feels it is safe. The best thing people can do if they come across a fawn in the woods is to go away and leave it alone.”

State wildlife and health officials say the same is true for almost all young wildlife seen in the wild. Most wildlife species will leave their young unattended for periods of time so they can go feed or find food to bring back.

“Closely approaching or contacting wild animals presents a risk of injury to humans and the animal. For that reason, the best and safest policy for people and animals is to leave them alone,” Warnke said.

People should avoid contact with all wild animals, but especially those acting abnormally, whether they appear sick or unusually friendly. While unlikely, it is possible for sick wild animals to transmit some illnesses, including rabies, to humans.

State wildlife health officials say skunks and bats are the most likely species to carry rabies in Wisconsin, although dogs, cats, raccoons, foxes and even livestock have been infected. People should keep rabies vaccinations up-to-date for dogs, cats, and ferrets.

If a person is bitten by a bat, woodchuck, skunk, raccoon, fox or coyote, all of which can carry rabies, it's important to safely capture or kill the animal without injuring the brain. Brain tissue can be analyzed to determine whether or not the animal had rabies. Most domestic animals can simply be observed by a veterinarian and do not need to be tested in order to rule out rabies. Treatment for a rabies exposure can prevent the disease if initiated before symptoms occur.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Keith Warnke – - (608) 264-6023

2008 Gun Hunting Related Shooting Incidents

2008 Hunting Related Shooting Incidents

On the statewide historical scale, the 2008 Nine-Day Gun Deer Season was the third safest on
record. Our hearts go out to the families who suffered tragic loss of a family member or suffered
injury during the season. Our goal is to eliminate all injury and loss of life while hunting. We
conduct thorough investigations to learn what happened in these incidents so we can work to
prevent such incidents in the future.

There were a total of nine incidents, of which one was fatal (Outagamie County). Shooting at moving deer during deer drives contributed to 56% (5) of all of the incidents during the season, including the fatality. Self inflicted injuries were involved in 44% (4) this season. This was the third time in history that we’ve had a gun deer season with less than 10 incidents. The first season was in 2004 with only 5 incidents reported. Below is a graph depicting the incidents for the gun deer season since 1984, which clearly shows hunting is safe and getting safer.

Source: Wisconsin DNR 2008 Deer Hunting Season Report
View Entire Report at http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/hunt/deer/summary.pdf

Wisconsin Whitetail Deer Facts

White-tail Deer Facts

Wisconsin DNR

Fast Facts

• Adult deer can run as fast as 40 miles per hour and swim as fast as 13 miles per hour.


• Nine states, including Wisconsin, have claimed the white-tailed deer as their state animal.


• White-tailed deer are native to all three American continents and occupy suitable habitat from Alaska all the way to the Amazon River in South America.


• In velvet, a white-tail deer's antlers can grow as much as ½ inch per day.
  
• Female white-tail deer often begin breeding before they are two years old and typically give birth to one to three fawns per year.


• Wisconsin is home to more than 1.5 million wild white-tail deer.


• The white-tailed deer fall breeding season - otherwise known as the rut - is the most likely time of year to encounter deer on the road. Dawn and dusk are the deer's most active times of the day.

Deer Hunting in Wisconsin

• Wisconsin boasts the largest single season deer harvest ever recorded: 615,293 in the year 2000.


• Deer hunting continues to grow. In 1966 517,225 deer hunting licenses were sold and 116,048 deer were harvested. In 2006, license sales grew to 904,003 total licenses and hunters harvested 507,224 deer.


• The 12th edition of the Boone and Crockett Club's Records of North American Big Game lists Wisconsin as the top state in terms of entries of white-tailed deer with trophy antlers with 627 entries.

In the Last Decade

• Deer hunting has contributed approximately 1 billion dollars to the state's economy annually.
  
• More than 700,000 deer hunters have participated in deer hunting annually and harvested an average of 482,645 deer.

2008 Archery License Sales

There were 203,675 Archery licenses sold in 2008, up slightly over 1 percent from 2007. The 10-year history of Archery sales numbers does not include Conservation Patron licenses. Archery license sales will continue through the late bow season. A complete breakdown by license type is attached.

Source: Wisconsin DNR 2008 Deer Hunting Season Report

View entire report at http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/hunt/deer/summary.pdf

Chronic Wasting Disease in Wisconsin

Chronic Wasting Disease in Wisconsin
WI DNR Site

View the reference maps for a look at the distribution of CWD in Wisconsin.

Beginning September 1st, 2009, Wisconsin will restrict the movement of whole deer carcass from within the CWD-Management Zone into the rest of the state as well as into Wisconsin from other states and provinces. Please visit the CWD zone hunting regulations page for details.

View the test results page to look at summaries of the deer tested and results from this deer season.

Contact Information

For answers to questions relating to CWD in Wisconsin, email Wildlife Health.
Questions for Wildlife Management

Sponsor sign-up period open for Disabled Deer Hunts

Sponsor sign-up period open for Disabled Deer Hunts
Hunt set for Oct. 3-11, 2009

MADISON – The sign up period for landowners interested in sponsoring a deer hunt open only to hunters with disabilities is open through June 1. In 2009, the disabled hunt will take place Oct. 3-11.

Sponsor applications are available online and must be submitted to your local wildlife manager by June 1. A list of approved sponsors will be posted on the Department of Natural Resources Web site. Hunters with disabilities interested in participating in one of these hunts should contact sponsors directly to make arrangements. Sponsors are required to submit a list of participating hunters to DNR by Sept. 1.

To be eligible to participate in the Disabled Deer Hunt, hunters must possess a valid Class A Permit, a long-term Class B Permit issued for more than one year and that authorizes shooting from a vehicle, or a Class C Disabled Hunting Permit.

The gun deer hunt for hunters with disabilities was started in 1990 in Wisconsin to give disabled hunters an opportunity to hunt deer at a time of year when temperatures are generally milder and mobility is less of a problem. The hunts are sponsored by private individuals or organizations and almost entirely take place on privately owned lands.

Interest in the program continues to grow. In 2008, there were more than 100 participating sponsors enrolled and more than 62,000 acres available for the hunt.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Linda Olver - (608) 261-7588