Minnesota Deer Density Initiative

[Basseyes]

Basseyes, I agree with how you think deer should be managed up there. However, I don't agree with you regarding the DNR. I think they are proactive, its just that their goals are way different than hunter's goals. They want few deer and healthy forests over great deer hunting. They don't care if deer numbers are down, it's exactly what they want. They are more ecologists than worried about satisfying deer hunters. JMVHO.

A healthy forest is an interesting angle. But is that really their reasoning behind wanting low deer numbers? From what I can see there are miles and miles and miles of our eco system left completely untouched from a management perspective. That is a p i s s poor way to manage a forest when fires and logging are suppressed.

Or is it catering to possibly the insurance industry?

There are states around us doing a way better job managing their deer population for hunters. The fact the DNR doesn't seem to care about hunter satisfaction says about all there is that needs to be said. If they don't care about low deer numbers or hunters satisfaction why bother collecting money or having a season? They sure seem to care enough about getting their license fees and making sure the regulation book is thick enough. Yet they don't care, that is our DNR in a nut shell, bizarre?

[laker1]

There has been more logging in the last 20 years than the previous 50 in many areas.

Go up in Cass county or many other northern counties and you can walk 5 miles without going into a area of mature forest.

Up to the slowdown in the logging this last few years because of the market for lumber dried up. State foresters were saying it was not sustainable and we were due to run out of mature forest. There is no shortage of deer habitat at present. Actually in many area old traditional deer yards were harvested off,thus we are getting a change where deer winter in some areas.

[smsmith]

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Or is it catering to possibly the insurance industry?

Farm Bureau, forestry and auto insurance..... (probably in that order)

Why other states (like WI) have DNR's who are responsive to deer hunters? Because hunters there demand to be heard. They are vocal, involved, and politically entrenched.

[laker1]

I know about 6-8 years ago when one of the Wildlife managers was trying to increase the deer density,he was getting a lot of pressure from State Foresters and the logging industry to harvest more deer.

I been to many land meetings you will see loggers or the forest industry there,but very few deer hunters supporting deer management,they have to start getting involved from the county level and up. The wildlife manager needs support also.

[smsmith]

I been to many land meetings you will see loggers or the forest industry there,but very few deer hunters supporting deer management,they have to start getting involved from the county level and up.

Yep, dead nutz accurate. Seems like the vast majority here have relied on the DNR to have deer hunters' interests in mind...and they don't...period.

If you're a deer hunter and you're not involved with some State deer group, don't go to meetings like MDHA/DNR and/or MDDI held last year, don't write your elected, don't contact your area wildlife manager, don't get involved SOMEHOW...then you're gonna get what the DNR doles out. Time to get off the couch fellas

[Bureaucrat]

There has been more logging in the last 20 years than the previous 50 in many areas.

Go up in Cass county or many other northern counties and you can walk 5 miles without going into a area of mature forest.

Up to the slowdown in the logging this last few years because of the market for lumber dried up. State foresters were saying it was not sustainable and we were due to run out of mature forest. There is no shortage of deer habitat at present. Actually in many area old traditional deer yards were harvested off,thus we are getting a change where deer winter in some areas.

Not in my corner. There is far more area of over mature pulp trees than anything else. Some spots you can see for a couple hundred yards and the forest floor is bare due to canopy.

[fr0sty]

If common sense was so common and superior to dnr policy, then why did hunters shoot too many deer on those areas?

The problem is Basseyes that is to much common sense, they think they are smarter than common sense they went to college to learn this stuff.

[laker1]

I know about 6-8 years ago when one of the Wildlife managers was trying to increase the deer density,he was getting a lot of pressure from State Foresters and the logging industry to harvest more deer.

I been to many land meetings you will see loggers or the forest industry there,but very few deer hunters supporting deer management,they have to start getting involved from the county level and up. The wildlife manager needs support also.

Last meeting was for the county they were asking how should we manage are county land. I was the only one whose concern number 1 was for wildlife. Others-forestry etc.