DNR and Deer permit areas

[Fish to Win]

Does the DNR make these changes every year after they now the deer kill numbers and how the winter affected the herd etc etc. OR... Do they have a 5 year set in stone plan for all of these areas. My friend says that the DNR sets weather the area will be Lottery, hunters choice, managed or intensive for the next 5 years. How can that be??? It does not make any sense since they have no idea what the heard will be 3 or 4 years from now.

Is this True???

[Jameson]

Does the DNR make these changes every year after they now the deer kill numbers and how the winter affected the herd etc etc.

[nofishfisherman]

The DNR has long range goals for each zone that may get updated every 5 years or so but do not change zone limits only every 5 years.

Your zone can go from managed to hunters choice to lottery all in 3 years if that is what the DNR needs to do to obtain the long range goal for that zone. Winter severity, hunter success and various other varaiables will dictate what the DNR does year to year in each zone. Although I'm guessing that when they change the zone limits they do so with the hope they don't need to change it again right away just to avoid confusion for the hunters but I'm sure that doesn't always happen.

So you are right and your friend is wrong. Man law dictates that your friend now owes you a beer.