What’s up with the decrease in Wisconsin’s deer population?

I would say the low DPSM in the north is due to 1) Too many antlerless tags issued 2) Gross underestimate of the wolf/bear population. The DNR once claimed 5,000 bear now it's 30,000. They claim 840 wolves yet hunters killed 28% or 240 of this claimed wild population in 14 days this year? Really? I was born at night just not last night.

 

No not blaming it all on the wolves but it is definitely a factor. I was pointing out that to use hwy 29 as a divider isn't right.
My reply to Brad about what I think the problem is. ADD Bobcat to the list also

 

I understand that it can be tough to kill does and not screw up your mature buck hunting. But, if you're sitting there and seeing 100 does per day from a single stand, it can't be that hard to mow down a hell of a lot more than 35.

I also find it odd that in all the northern part of the state hunters had zero problem mowing down every doe they saw, but by you no one shoots them.

I'm not questioning you, its just seems strange.

 

1. Agreed 100%
2. Add Bobcat in there as there are a lot more than the DNR estimates and they kill as many fawns as bears do.
FYI, there has been 216 wolves killed so far this season, not 240. But, I understand your point and believe the pop is a lot higher than the DNR says. A lot.

Now, my opinion is the biggest problem is #1. #2 has become a problem because there are less does and fawn recruitment is horrible now because of the predators.

 

Not to be a a$$ Dan but you actually say don't blame the DNR and blame the DNR in the same post?

 

I should have clarified. Don't blame the DNR 100%, which is what 99% of hunters want to do, blame only the DNR. Some of the blame lies with the man in the mirror.

 

Yes, taking truckloads of doe because nobody else in the hood will and hunting mature bucks is very difficult. A 4.5 yo buck will only take so much pressure and they jump the wire. 3 of us dumped 21 doe in a day during the Dec. doe hunt last year. I am in great shape, do 100 miles@12,000 feet backpacking, play 10 hours of tennis every week but dragging,gutting, registering, skinning that many is exhausting work. Most guys are 50 lbs. overweight and break sweat walking to the outhouse.

 

I knew what you meant just busting your balls a bit.

 

Actually, I take that back, I never said don't blame the DNR. I said stop blaming the DNR for ALL the problems.

 

Why aren't they shooting more does? What are all these deer eating?

FYI, you love yourself more than I love myself.

 

They decimate ag crops then hardwood and cedar swamp overbrowse and we still have winterkill. Most guys do not shed hunt and would not discover winterkill or be able to id overbrowse. We are approaching 100% carrying capacity and we should be at 50% post gun season. The neighbors are split between the "never enough deer crowd" and too lazy to kill a baldie. The Dec. doe only gun hunt starts in 8 days. 62b had 234 registered last year. 3 of us accounted for 10% of the entire unit's kill in 1 day. That's complete apathy. Welcome bonus bucks and immature bucks are the bait to kill doe.

 

My place is 4 miles south of the Jackson county line in Monroe county. I've hunted 4 seasons there and this season has been the worst by far. Ironically, last season was the best. The deer numbers are way down on my place. The worst part is that the doe numbers are terrible. I only have 3 regular does on my place and 2 others that visit from time to time. There are more than 2 bucks per doe here. I've never experienced this before. I haven't shot a doe yet because I'm trying to get their numbers up. I'm at a loss for why there aren't many deer in my area. I have bob cats but never got a pic of a bear or a wolf. Bears and wolves are around, just not in my area. I've seen wolf tracks crossing my land as I'm 4 miles west of the Fort McCoy pack. Bears have been spotted within a mile or so but I don't have any.

This last winter was long and drawn out compared to usual and was hard on the deer and turkeys. I believe that many of the does aborted one or both of their fawns in order to survive. Out of the total of 5 does at my place there were only 2 fawns with them. Not good.

My place used to be an earn a buck unit before I bought it 4 years ago. Maybe that has something to do with it. I'm at a loss. The land in my area could easily hold 3x as many deer as it does now.

Any ideas?

 

I'll see if I can get you some links tonight when I get home tonight. In a nutshell, our wolf population is wayyyy over projection, they produce like rabbits, and have taken a massive hit on our deer and elk populations. Harvest numbers have dropped to a historic low and these wolves are not an easily controlled/hunted animal.

Luckily, most people have caught onto the SSS rule and are taking care of the problem. Hell, FWP is almost making it legal to poach them.

 

Why is the wolf pops so strong now as opposed to 10 years ago? What changed?

 

Our land and area could hold a lot more deer as well. If you look at the browse and new seedlings they hardly get touched.

 

Don't be fooled Greg the wolves and bears are there. I would get wolves on camera every week a couple years ago and now nothing but tracks they avoid the cameras along with other human scent. Bears ranges are huge they could travel through your area and you'll never know. Here today gone tomorrow. The earn a buck should have hurt you before this year the only other thing is Bobcats and a big winter kill but that really shouldn't have killed off all the healthy deer.

I wish Dukemicheals were still around to give us his thoughts.

 

They were under federal protection until 2011. At the time of the first hunt they were far beyond their population quota. Our biggest issue is in this thick country you just can't see them. Not to mention they are incredibly smart. Trapping has been our best option.

I would like to get some specific links for you but there are just too many. Our elk harvest numbers have dropped dramatically since 2008. Another, rather large, effect has been the extreme lack of vocal activity from elk during the rut. They have also had a serious impact on the hounds men and their dogs, a friend of mind lost three dogs to a pack last year in one day. Add to that them carrying a disease that is extremely fatal to deer/elk/,moose/etc.. and transmittable to humans... pretty easy to hate them.

All of that being said I do not hate the wolves. They are just being a wolf. My hate lies in the hands of the dems that supported the reintroduction. It was funded with stolen money, done illegally, and grossly mismanaged. It was doomed from the beginning.

 

Lets say wolves kill 15,000 deer a year state wide...that's not enough to have a impact on a deer herd that's thought to be over a million strong. Im willing to bet coyotes are responsible for way more deer kills than wolves, its just people like to blame wolves for the decline. Even if it were the wolves how does that explain what seems to be a decrease in the deer population in central and southern Wisconsin where the wolf population is nowhere near where it is in northern Wisconsin. I think the DNR vastly over estimates the Wisconsin deer herd population. Don't blame animal predation on the decrease when humans kill 500x what predators do. Better management practices need to be implemented in Wisconsin. Where I hunt I can shoot as many doe as I want. I only saw 4 doe total bow hunting and gun hunting.

 

Any links for this? Never heard of them transmitting disease other than mange to yotes.