Who or What is in the Way ?
Wisconsin
Contributors to this thread:
How nice would it be to hunt a deer herd that is outstanding in every way ? A plethora of mature bucks , along with a total population that is at a level where a single walk or a single sit produces many, many sightings. Everyone that hunts deer would want this , right ? This does not occur on its own . Either because of people’s behavior or because it is just not natural for a deer herd to be this way . I believe we have the knowledge and the resources to create this but we don’t do it . Some individual land owners get there , and others get close , but there is lot of land that is marginal or way below marginal that gets hunted . This is true of private , state ,and the national forest within Wisconsin . So if deer hunting is as important to all as we think it is, What do you think is stopping this from being a reality ? Can we even get to the fantasy deer herd at the state level ? At the state level who is in the way ? If you own land what keeps you from achieving this ? How hard is this to actually do ?
Sounds like a fantasy like you say and not a reality. Habitat capabilities would make this not happen. In many areas it is unreasonable to see "many,many" deer in a single walk. What can the location support that is healthy? Not to mention that in some areas the deer are there but not easy to see due to cover or hunters skill.
Seeing a reasonable number of deer is a personal number but since it is called hunting I scout for what is there knowing too that some years numbers are up or down to to weather.
The DNR will never manage for quantity or quality. Group bagging also does no good for the herd. Also when the DNR did have an excellent management tool in EAB, they didn't have any clue how to properly use it. Which resulted in hunters whining and getting it taken away. Another thing that is needed is some timber/land management on public lands. But this also will not happen to the extent it needs to. Hell, the Feds won't even let practical logging be done on Federal land.
Easy goal on private land. Public land? Not going to happen. Hunters won't change the mentality, habitat won't be maximized for deer, dnr won't manage for quality. Besides, Wisconsin already has both quality and quantity and no other state is close.
Habitat is the key, you need good habitat and to not have more deer than that habitat can support. I don't see the DNR starting a public land food plot program.... I make due with my 160ac and have made it a great whitetail habitat but 160 is not enough to manage when neighbors take yearling bucks. But I do know if I shoot them they have no chance to grow.
Not an easy goal, even on private land. I own 720 acres, bordered by countyland on one side, and private owners on the other three sides. All are hunted very hard, and even though we have had dozens of acres of food plots for over a decade, we have a couple sanctuaries totaling nearly 100 acres, and we pass many young bucks every year, we still have never killed a buck over 150 inches on our property, and we have owned it since 1971.
The neighboring properties just kill too many bucks, regardless of age, thus preventing bucks from maturing. Add in the plethora of bear, wolves and coyotes, and it is tough to find an old buck.
You have no or little control over EHD, poaching, EAB, wolves, coyotes, bears, hunter preference, winter kill, etc.
In the real scope of life, managing a deer herd for big racks is pretty mini-minded IMO. In other words, there are more important things then spending large amounts of government or personal money to grow large racks on a deer. To me, it is simply a hobby I enjoy, but why spend much time and money to get others to do something I like, that perhaps they could care less about.
I have always been for "everyman a deer" ( you choose the size), that is how our bowhunting tradition began and how it should end. What I am against is letting technology ruin bowhunting, which has already happened. Maybe with tech advancements it is time to shorten seasons, limit harvest, APR's, anything to return some challenge to the hunt.
Far more things in life to be concerned with than big bucks, more deer, etc. I got a life a long time ago.
Sawtooth, agree with you on "you choose," as well as shorter seasons with today's technology. If "deer czar for a day" I'd try to return some emphasis to small game hunting and not open bow until last weekend in September, or even Oct. 1 like Michigan. I'd also close bow five days prior to the gun season to build anticipation for the gun hunt, where Wisconsin has lost the most hunters. I'd also say no archery hunting allowed in gun deer seasons, except in metro-type hunts. Not going to happen, I know, but that's my take — even as an avid archer. We'd still have more than 90 days to try to score with bow. Add in the near-record-high prices for beef, crossbows for all and the loss of in-person registration and things could change fast in the not-so-distant future.