Doe permits in Northern Wisconsin

[Scott K]

Anyone hear if the Wisconsin DNR will open doe permits back up in Northern Wisconsin this year? Or have any idea when they will make such announcement?

[Cooter]

Not sure but spring hearings are coming up soon.

[smsmith]

The CDAC teams just finished up their meetings and recommendations about a month ago I believe. Most of the northern 1/3 of the state received recommendations to increase the herd. I wouldn't anticipate many doe permits in most parts of northern WI for at least another year or three.

[Scott K]

smsmith Any idea when the numbers will be made public?

The problem I have with the 0 doe tag policy is that the bucks will get slaughtered. Last fall the numbers of pictures on my land were way down, so my party elected to not hunt last season in Wisconsin, rather then just focusing on bucks. This spring, every picture I have of deer, are all does, and 0 bucks, as far as I can tell. I talked to some of the neighbors, they still filled their tags this past fall with small bucks, rather then letting them go, and taking a doe.

[smsmith]

smsmith Any idea when the numbers will be made public?

The problem I have with the 0 doe tag policy is that the bucks will get slaughtered. Last fall the numbers of pictures on my land were way down, so my party elected to not hunt last season in Wisconsin, rather then just focusing on bucks. This spring, every picture I have of deer, are all does, and 0 bucks, as far as I can tell. I talked to some of the neighbors, they still filled their tags this past fall with small bucks, rather then letting them go, and taking a doe.

No, I don't know. I'd imagine sometime in May or June.

I hear you on the no doe policy...but much of northern WI is in the same boat as much of central and northern MN. Not much anybody can do about it except to learn. Back when I was a kid it would have been pretty much considered a sin to shoot a doe in northern WI. Time for more hunters to go back to that mind set. As far as slaughtering the bucks..it all comes down to trigger restraint. Either hunters start taking a more active role in managing deer or they get the type of hunting they currently have.

lo and behold...this was just posted on another HSOforum. These are the preliminary recommendations from the CDAC teams. http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/hunt/cdacsurvey.html

[SmellEsox]

It's amazing how 12 deer per square mile over there is an emergency and deer numbers must be increased immediately. Here 12 is considered time to panic because there's too many.

[smsmith]

It's amazing how 12 deer per square mile over there is an emergency and deer numbers must be increased immediately. Here 12 is considered time to panic because there's too many.

Yup.

[PurpleFloyd]

I lived up there for several years in the late 80's and early 90's and we still have land that the brother in law hunts and all I remember is how hunters could take as many as six does and a buck every fall. This was before wolves and the APR crappola.

Still have pretty good sized herd in the neighborhood although the winter was hard on them 2 years ago.

This is up around hwy 2

[Scott K]

Thanks for the link, info! It looks like my county has recommended a lower then average amount of doe permits. Hopefully the DNR takes them up on their recommendations. I have on camera several fat deer walking around from the past month. Hopefully there will be a good batch of fawns this year to make the numbers keep rising. I know I have been making my land much better for deer to survive the winters.

[smsmith]

Still have pretty good sized herd in the neighborhood although the winter was hard on them 2 years ago.

This is up around hwy 2

Must be in a "hot pocket"

Most WI deer hunters on either side of 2 would strongly disagree that the herd is anywhere near "good sized". Perhaps from a southern MN perspective it could be considered that.

[smsmith]

Thanks for the link, info! It looks like my county has recommended a lower then average amount of doe permits. Hopefully the DNR takes them up on their recommendations. I have on camera several fat deer walking around from the past month. Hopefully there will be a good batch of fawns this year to make the numbers keep rising. I know I have been making my land much better for deer to survive the winters.

With any luck those does will all drop twins soon. This winter has been much kinder than the last two. You're the guy pulling stumps out of a new plot, aren't you? One of the best things you can do for northern deer is provide them with an early spring food source. Fall planted winter rye and clover is about as good as you can get. I've got a few deer on each of my winter rye plots most nights right now. They're keeping it looking like a putting green. Its the only "green" around for quite aways right now.

[Scott K]

I agree, the deer numbers are way down compared to 3-10 years ago. Is there deer, yes. Is there more deer then in MN, yes. But in Northern Wisconsin, a few mild winters, and the deer should recover fairly quick. The land up there is more deer friendly, and not really easy to hunt. A lot of areas, if you can see past 50 feet in any direction, you are lucky. Deer can easily hide when they get pressured, unlike the majority of MN.

But a couple bad winters, or wolves, can easily wipe them out fairly quick.

In the past 5 years, I have been planting apple trees, food plots, making bedding areas, making thick and brushy hiding areas for them. It is a work in progress. I plan on adding in some sorghum, for a combination cover, and food next year. I can think of 3 of my local neighbors that have also been making their land better for wildlife. I have noticed deer having been bedding on my land a lot more then any other year, and that is with the down herd.

[PurpleFloyd]

Quote:

Must be in a "hot pocket"

Most WI deer hunters on either side of 2 would strongly disagree that the herd is anywhere near "good sized". Perhaps from a southern MN perspective it could be considered that.

Well, with what decisions were made in the wake of cwd and with the rise in predator numbers I doubt you will ever hunt over the densities they had before. Then again who needs to shoot 6 deer a year anyway.

[Cooter]

IMO the dnr has had its head up their proverbial lately but hopefully have learned. Makes zero sense to go from very limited hunter choice permits back in the day to free doe tags for all and even earn a buck. Am fortunate to hunt private land in a cooperative where there are doe tags so its an option but we can rely on our own local observations and choose to increase or decrease the doe harvest.

[smsmith]

IMO the dnr has had its head up their proverbial lately but hopefully have learned. Makes zero sense to go from very limited hunter choice permits back in the day to free doe tags for all and even earn a buck. Am fortunate to hunt private land in a cooperative where there are doe tags so its an option but we can rely on our own local observations and choose to increase or decrease the doe harvest.

Is the co-op land enrolled in DMAP?

[Cooter]

DMAP? Pretty sure not since i am not sure what that is.

[Scott K]

I see the Wisconsin DNR has posted the antlerless quotas, and the amount of permits they are giving out. Personally I think they should have given out many less in my area. While there are a decent number, there isnt anywhere near what it was 10 years ago.

 

http://dnr.wi.gov/files/PDF/pubs/wm/WM0628.pdf