The Outdoor news had some interesting stats and info on WI Deer Season that dovetails off of some other thread conversations:
203,295 deer registered during gun season, 301,540 total since start of archery season. Compared to 2021 the total harvest is up 14.4%.
License Sales were down 1.6% from 2021. Licenses were sold to hunters from all 50 states, Washington DC and Puerto Rico as well as 21 different countries.
And MN harvest is down about the same amount, perhaps even more? correct?
That 14.4% increase is only for the total firearm harvest right?
And MN harvest is down about the same amount, perhaps even more? correct?
The WI Deer Harvest is UP 14.4%. MN Deer Harvest this year is 156,578 (with some seasons still open), and last years total was 184,698, which is a decrease of about 15.2% if my Sartell math checks out.
I’m going to do my best to add 1 more to that Minnesota count this Weekend. If the hunting is as bad this weekend as it was last weekend, It will be hard to convince myself to bother with the 3rd weekend of Muzzleloading. Even harder if we have good ice by then.
That 14.4% increase is only for the total firearm harvest right?
I believe that was total harvest thus far, so Archery and Firearm. I believe Firearm alone was up 15.1%
Here’s the MN Data:
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mammals/deer/management/statistics.html
WI Data:
http://www.dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/WildlifeHabitat/harvest/deerharvest.html
And Outdoor News article:
http://www.outdoornews.com/2022/11/29/deer-kill-numbers-up-more-than-14-over-2021/
I’m going to do my best to add 1 more to that Minnesota count this Weekend. If the hunting is as bad this weekend as it was last weekend, It will be hard to convince myself to bother with the 3rd weekend of Muzzleloading. Even harder if we have good ice by then.
If your looking for a doe, I could shoot one on almost every sit I’ve sat. Shooter bucks is where I’m stumped. The 2 I been watching are still alive but very smart
I remember when I was a kid (late 80s, early 90s), maybe the first or second year I could legally hunt, the MN DNR announced a special season due to harvest goals not being achieved. I can’t remember why it was so low, perhaps bad weather. Maybe someone else can recall.
I remember when I was a kid (late 80s, early 90s), maybe the first or second year I could legally hunt, the MN DNR announced a special season due to harvest goals not being achieved. I can’t remember why it was so low, perhaps bad weather. Maybe someone else can recall.
If my CRS hasn’t kicked in, I thought we had really bad weather that knocked the count down that year during the regular season. I remember the extended season too.
WI guy here transplanted to MN
We hunt a portion of Western Buffalo County right on the river. Our area was slated for “Earn a Buck” a few years back. It happened in the mid 2000’s and people were disgruntled but dealt with it. The concept was to get people to shoot does to lower deer densities. Fast forward to the debate in recent years and big time outfitters are pushing back. They have clients paying 8-10k a week for hunting and don’t want them to be forced to take a doe first.
Even at a 15% harvest increase from last year, more deer could/should be taken from the area to meet density goals. It is not uncommon in the fall to drive from our place in MN, to the WI hunting land (15 mile drive)…and have 20 seperate deer at various places run out in front of your vehicle along the highway.
I think MN’s numbers in the northern third of the state definitely skew things down. In SE MN hunters seem to be out in full force taking deer. The lower numbers in Northern MN and dwindling participation rate in some areas outside of SE MN are likely where the harvest decline can be traced to.
Even at a 15% harvest increase from last year, more deer could/should be taken from the area to meet density goals.
Yeah, I have no baseline to compare this to, but 12 deer registered per square mile seems like a lot.
“The Central Farmland Zone in Adams County led the state with over 12 deer registered per square mile. Vernon County led the Southern Farmland Zone with almost seven deer registered per square mile. The Central Forest Zone in Eau Claire County registered 4.8 deer per square mile. Taylor County registered the most per square mile in the Northern Forest Zone at four.”
If your looking for a doe, I could shoot one on almost every sit I’ve sat. Shooter bucks is where I’m stumped. The 2 I been watching are still alive but very smart
We’re on a similar journey, although I don’t know if the 2 bucks I’m chasing are very smart or if it’s just that I am not. 
12 registered deer per square mile is absolutely crazy. How many don’t get shot??? The population density in some areasof WI is nuts.
12 registered deer per square mile is absolutely crazy. How many don’t get shot??? The population density in some areas of WI is nuts.
12 per square mile is hardly a dent in some places with estimates conservatively over 60 deer per square mile and the CDAC groups wanting it closer to 40.
The WI DNR came in and had a forced hunt in Northern Buffalo County on private land to help thin the herd (right when the hysteria about CWD was beginning). The landowners that hosted the hunt I believe have over 2000 acres and are notorious for harvesting trophy deer, hosting hunting shows, hosted Brett Favre regularly on hunts, and so on. It was rare that they harvested does though in proportion to their land. There was an article in in an outdoors magazine where the DNR officers on site along with the landowners and their hunting party were interviewed for this special hunt. They talked about how ONE drive alone amounted to the harvest of over 30 deer
Wisconsin has one of the the highest deer population of any state, coupled along with the highest number of hunters. So the quantity of deer that Bucky is referring to in some areas really doesn’t surprise me that much. Its definitely the “deer hunting capital of the world.” And if you believe in the record books, it produces more trophy class bucks than any location in the country.
Some places in Northern WI are facing similar trends that the Northern part of MN is dealing with as well (lower participation, wolves, harsh winters, etc). The Western and Southwestern parts of the state just steal the headlines.
Some places in Northern WI are facing similar trends that the Northern part of MN is dealing with as well (lower participation, wolves, harsh winters, etc). The Western and Southwestern parts of the state just steal the headlines.
This. There arent an unusual number of deer by our cabin. Not by a long shot.
Same here. I would have guessed a drop in harvest in my neck of the NW WI area. Heard first shot at 7:52 on opener, least amount of hunters I’ve seen in 30 yrs of hunting same area. Traveling thru one would not have guessed that it was opening weekend.
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