Deer-less hunters open up on DNR – JSOnline

Deer-less hunters open up on DNR

Paul Smith | Outdoors Editor

Posted: Dec. 3, 2008

Keith Warnke has been spending a lot of time on the phone this week. And its not just because hunters are dialing in with stories about the trophy buck they shot.

The big game ecologist for the Department of Natural Resources has heard a few of those happy tales, sure. He has also been contacted by hunters who were pleased to take an antlerless deer, and those who didnt shoot anything but had a good time.

But the largest volume of calls has been from hunters who came home with empty game racks and unfulfilled expectations from the nine-day Wisconsin gun deer season that ended Sunday.

“Were coming off several years of record deer numbers,” Warnke said Wednesday. “While many hunters would like to see a huge herd, we are charged with managing it to the established population goals.”

If you failed to tag a deer this gun season, you have plenty of company. It includes me I didnt see a deer in four days of hunting spread across Oneida and Eau Claire counties and an estimated 60% of the 642,419 hunters who bought a license this season. It also includes Warnke, who hunted in Adams County.

As you are likely aware, hunters harvested 276,985 deer in the recently completed gun season, a drop of 22% from the 2007 hunt.

The number of disgruntled hunters isnt tracked by any reliable survey agency. But it might well be at record levels.

Ive heard from dozens in the last several days. Some contend that the DNR was way off on its prehunt population estimates of 1.5 million to 1.7 million deer in Wisconsin.

“This was the worst deer hunt ever,” said Greg Thiele, a reader from Necedah. “The deer numbers are way down. None of us ever see any deer in the fields.”

On this count, the DNR has said it likely overestimated the herd size, in part because of lower than expected fawn production in the north and northeast because of the harsh winter last year. A new population estimate will be made in coming months that will no doubt be lower. Full Story Click Link Below!

Deer-less hunters open up on DNR – JSOnline.