When do we find out?
Wisconsin
..if we can shoot does or not in Wisconsin this bow season? Judging by what I'm seeing in Burnett County I hope they hold off one more season.
I don't think we will know until sometime in June, from what I read on the WI DNR web page.
All of the county recommendations have been made and reviewed by the DNR and passed on to the NRB. I think it is very unlikely that the NRB will do anything other than approve them as presented when they meet in June, but they technically have the ability to make changes.
Washburn County recommended a fairly liberal number of antlerless tags, some of which are for public land.
I do know the DNR is pushing to reduce the number of buck only counties. They are salivating at the thought of selling more doe tags.
The DNR passed along all recommendations with no suggestions. The increase in sales of doe tags would be insignificant.
You can go to the link to see what your county CDAC proposed.
Burnett county antlerless permit recommendation was: Public land? 475 Private Land: 3800
The NRB has this on the agenda for their meeting on May 24 & 25.
We should know with in a couple of weeks after that.
Lincoln has a quota of 400 with 800 private and 200 public permits available looking at the final that's been drafted.
Thanks for that link, Jeff, very informative; I have not seen that before. The questionnaire comments were especially interesting. Being from Minnesota and having land/cabin for hunting in Wisconsin I find the differences in how deer are managed (WHO has the say-so) between the two states strange...seems in Wisconsin these little advisory groups within each county do the managing and the state DNR simply signs off on their recommendations...leading me to wonder why there's so many DNR personnel on the payroll, as in what do they do if/when they aren't managing the wildlife.
Southfarm, don't be too fooled by the apparent local management of the deer. They get a lot of input from the state as to what the state thinks should happen. Sometimes the state is pretty much right and the locals listen. Sometimes the locals are right and the state doesn't listen.
For example, the Sawyer county local committee would like to issue some doe tags to be used on private land. Goal to reduce the number of ag tags that need to go to farms with crop damage problems and others that have some damage problems but don't meet ag tag requirements. But if the local committee recommended just 1 private land doe tag (and the state approved) then archers from anywhere in the state could come and use their free doe tag in that county.
Jeff, that is not correct. Any hunter (gun/bow/x bow) would need one of the bonus tags if Sawyer County offered them to shoot a doe. The bonus tags are also specific to public or private land. All licenses would be buck and antlerless by permit only. Four of the counties that are adjacent to Sawyer county did just that.
The exceptions to this are youth/military/disabled. If any antlerless tags are offered, these groups can harvest does.
Reading through a lot of the comments from different counties. One thing is brought up quite a bit. That most hunters would like to see a statewide ban on baiting. Yet this is ignored by our DNR. I wonder why?
You have to declare your county of choice when you purchase your license. If there is a antlerless harvest available you will receive a free anlterless tag. In Waupaca county they will issue 3 antlerless tags per license and there will be bonus tags available.
as you can see by reading the agenda there are 10 counties requesting zero antlerless harvests, but will allow JR, handicapped, military personnel, etc to harvest antlerless deer and 3 counties requesting zero antlerless harvest with the JR license holders.
There will be some antlerless harvest in these counties, but young hunters will not be allowed if these recomendations are approved.
The DNR has nothing to do with baiting. That would require legislative change and they refuse to take up the matter because it's so polarizing. A baiting ban has been overwhelmingly supprted time after time but the $$$ seems to talk louder.
Rut, your wrong on this one, as I know my wildlife manager would like to see a ban on baiting also, but it is up to the legislators like skook said........
Florence Co cdac board members told me, it is a monetary issue, with so much being made on bait.......
and of course, there is the ever debate on that vs food plots, and we have heard on all sides on that....
I think the north counties, that are going to allow doe killing, are making a mistake, but that is my opinion,,,,, if we want to grow the herd......
again the Florence co guys they did not do so, because they want to keep the kids interested, so that debate will go on and on......
I think people need to learn conservation, there are plenty of areas, that need does killed, so go hunt there,,,,,,,
what the north needs the most, is continued habitat improvement, predator control, and human restraint, those 3 elements will grow the herd, but its hard to put them all together.....
Skook, you are wrong on this one, never seen you wrong before.
I was only talking about the doe tag that comes along with your archery license and 'buck' tag. If the local committee recommends any bonus doe tags at all and the state approves it then archers from anywhere in the state could come and use their free doe tag in that county. That is another legislative thing that needs to be fixed.
This was talked about at length at the Sawyer county CDAC meeting and everyone there was in agreement that needed to be changed.
so what are you saying Jeff..... I do not live in Waupaca County, but plan on getting a doe tag there, to use,,,,, what is wrong with that.....
are you saying, and correct me if I am wrong, that you have to live in the county, that the tag is for?
I mean talk about micro management to death, I really do not understand that,,,,,,,
maybe I am not reading what you say correctly?
I think what Jeff means is that in areas like the northern forest region there should only be a limited number of doe tags available. Not everyone should be able to pick their free tag in a county where there should only be limited doe tags.
For instance if Sawyer county has an antlerless quota of 300 deer they should not be giving out 600 free tags plus the 300 bonus tags. This should be done on a lottery so everyone who wants a tag can apply for one. AND NO ADDED FEE FOR APPLYING EITHER!
In areas where there needs to be a bunch of does harvested I believe that the 3 free tags is a good start, now we just need the hunters with the deer to shoot them....
Just because a county has doe tags (bonus tags) does not mean that you can shoot a doe on your archery license. Not last year, and not this year.
As I mentioned before, four counties adjacent to Sawyer county are buck only except for bonus tags (and youth/handicapped/military).
okay Mike thanks, now I understand.... skook gives out good info..... talked to a friend last nite in Cable, he can not believe in any doe tags, for the most part, but again, cdac, knows there area
In the N Kettle Moraine area, lots of young deer are being seen, daily by my house, this herd is strong, in this area, with excellent buck size,,,,,,
I guess the point I missed and apparently the CDAC members in Sawyer county missed is that the only doe tag that everyone gets with their license is for farmland zone use only. So the north part of the state and a portion of counties from Clark to Adams that tag would be useless. So it now looks to me like Sawyer county (and several others) could have issued some public and/or private land doe tags and not had the possibility of anyone using those free tags on doe in that county.
I am guessing that is at least in part why Jackson county went with no doe tags.
Nothing for this season is set until the NRB gives their blessing next week. When this is all done and they put out the word if you already have purchased your license you will be able to go on line and print out your antlerless tags.
I saw over 100 deer Thursday night when I checked my bees in Waupaca county. Not just 1 and 2 hear and there. Groups of 10-15 all over the place and 2 laying in the apple trees where the bee hives are.
The deer look good for this time of year.
Jeff- The reason we went with no doe tags in the Forestland in Jackson is because...very few deer! The farmland portion of the County (west side) has 1200 bonus tags proposed Jeff.
475 public land and 3800 private land, on top of youth being able to shoot does. Call me crazy, but this state manages deer more like a trout pond...put 'em in, take 'em out...emphasis on taking them out. Personally I think the deer population in Burnett County could've used another year or two of a more conservative anterless harvest. I just haven't seen that great of an increase in the local deer population. Our camp will be bucks only.
South Fsrm-the State didn't set the quota recommendations, the CDAC's did.
South Farm - Did you attend your local CDAC meetings to voice your concerns?
The process of the State DNR allowing CDAC's to manage the state's natural resource is what I don't understand. Minnesota's DNR would never allow anybody to tell them how to manage anything so the contrast is what is most confusing.
Anyway, yes, I did voice my concerns through a neighbor near my cabin who is on the local committee. No, I did not personally attend any meetings, however...as an out of stater I doubt my opinion holds much if any value.
Don't get me wrong, how you guys manage deer is your business, I just don't see a correlation between the amount of deer I see this year vs. last and the corresponding number of increased anterless permits available this upcoming season.
If someone didn't attend their CDAC meetings or at the very least read the minutes and fill out a survey, they don't have the right to voice their opinion after the fact. Those committees put in a lot of effort as volunteers to make decisions that are the best possible for the whole group using the tools available.
South, keep in mind that almost all farmland units can propose what ever they want for tag numbers, public and private, and won't even come close to selling that many.
skook - take it easy, many people will come around, yes I have the time, etc, but I know a lot of young guys with several jobs, several kids, and just getting use to trying to understand all of this......
I support the cdac, as long as they work, with good science, from wildlife management personnel, that have an idea of what they are doing.....
a lot of what is being sold as wildlife mgt, is coming from a lot of academia, who never hunted or trapped,,,, so what the heck do they know,,,,,
with that said, lots of programs to get them in the fold, so the future looks bright.....
as far as cdac,, is concerned, it should be a joint effort, because if it is just left to civilians, too many bumbleheads, just the same with wildlife personnel, so hopefully, the future will see a good marriage, between the two
I own private land, I do not own the deer, too many forget, if you want your "own deer", run a deer farm......
I have always believed, and will always believe, that what we should all think, is what is good for the health of the herd, and not what you want to shoot
South-
CDAC = County Deer Advisory Council
The members of these councils have the responsibility to listen to the citizens who are interested in giving their input on the deer season. The DNR biologist and other committe members bring the information and recommendations to those in attendance and along with the other committee members.
It's a good program, all interested parties have input and it is voted on, not shoved down the throats of the hunters and landowners.
The contact information for the committee members is available on the DNR website. Just search for CDAC. Contact the members and get the reasoning behind the harvest levels.
Skook- Chill! Remember that these meetings and recommendations are not set every 3 years like in the past. Now the meetings and recommendations are set on a yearly basis.
I applaud anyone who is wanting to learn about the process and be involved.
Razor and Mike- I don't need to calm down. I'm just fine, just stating that it's getting old listening to people complain about deer management from a barstool, campfire, or keyboard that haven't even bothered to fill out the questionnaire or attend a meeting.
Mike-the meetings never were set on a three year basis. Since their inception the CDAC's have met multiple times a year. The goals (increase, decrease, or maintain) are set every three years.
Skook-
Understood, I agree with the armchair biologist mentality.
In the past prior to CDAC and prior to deer 2000, the DMU meetings were held every 3 years to set over winter goals and antlerless harvest.
Joel, just because I didn't attend the meeting in my area doesn't mean I didn't voice my opinions. If you go back and read my post above you will see that I voiced my concerns about the population with a neighbor who is on one of these CDAC committees...and a die-hard hunter himself. My job didn't allow for me to attend the meeting and they didn't exactly schedule it conveniently for out-of-staters, nor have I ever gotten a questionnaire to fill out...do they mail them?? Furthermore, you will not see me complaining in any of my post, but rather questioning HOW they set the anterless quota...it doesn't make sense based on my observation of the local deer population; sorry if you think that's "complaining". As for opinions, this is a free country and the 1st. amendment gives me the right to express those opinions...here, there, and everywhere;)
