Out look bleak ...

[Bob B.]

Well, south west Wisconsin DNR has has tried to eliminate the deer for years now.  Very Liberal seasons, that last from september to march have taken their toll.  WIth this last winter, very cold and 3 inches of ice covering the ground ... 140 inches of snow covering that, the winter severity index was way up this year.  I ahve seen several dead deer in the woods this spring.  Further, I ahve not seen a pregnant doe in my area yet.  The DNR is having more liberal seasons and earn a buck program again this year.  Wow, the population is plummeting.  I was out hunting mushrooms and only cut one deer track the entire time.  Hunting looks to be harder this year for sure.

Has the winter kill lowered the population of deer where the rest of you hunt?

Bob B.

[Biggie Hoffman]

Not here!

[bowdude]

SCI was also fighting this years earn a buck.  Independent game estimators (I forget who, but had a lot of experience in many states and had impressive credentials) were brought in and estimated our DNR has OVER estimated populations for years by over 20% !!  One estimating method used is deer / car collisions per miles driven and that is WAY down yet they keep saying there are more deer than ever.  

  Our tax dollars at work cheating us as much as possible.  Same old same old.

[Brian Krebs]

Our transplanted wolves didn't help anything here.

 A deer that has starved to death will have its head in a 'way back' position; and that is a giveaway as to the cause of death; but to be certain; if you smash the leg bone on a rear leg; and find the marrow is red; that is conclusive proof. The fat in the marrow is the last to go; and by that time; its unlikely the deer would survive - even with warm weather and adequate food.

 The more I hear about liberal game management techniques in Michigan and Wisconson; the less I hear about people getting a deer on public land.

 While shooting antlerless deer is important to the health of the herd; letting land owners kill deer; when non land owners don't- is from using European game farming techniques as models.

 The fish and game departments forget that in this country; its 'we the people'. Deer are public property; not the personal property of the land owners. If they don't like the deer overpopulating or destroying crops; then - the answer should not be- to let them be the only ones that can hunt the deer.

 I do talk to Wisconson and Michigan hunters that say they get bored shooting does on their land...yet I see people like Bob - that don't seem to have much of a chance to take a deer.

 What is it with all that?

[laddy]

In Iowa, i have heard a farmer ask the hunters to shoot does and leave them lay.  He ask me to do the same.  There are rumors that during the gun seasons, muzzleloader and shotgun, that some "hunters" were "helping" out the state by doing the same tactic.  All of a sudden NW Iowa deer numbers dropped, no more doe tags.  I think all to often deer numbers are declared too high based on farmer complaints and speculation.  Wasting deer is wrong, period.  Like the mass slaughter in Wisconsin looking for cwd that wasn't really there.  You can't eat those antlers, but all those wasted does could have been food for someone.

[stmpthmpr]

Hey laddy, do you know much about the Marcus, Iowa area? Im looking at an investment property there and know nothing of the hunting. Sounds like the whitetail population isnt so good. How about fishing? Any good walleye lakes around there?

I know north-eastern Iowa used to be great deer hunting with very high buck-doe ratios, but know nothing of north-west.