I hate to keep rehashing this but the more I think about it, the more it eats at me. When I first started hunting some 30 years ago, I used to see alot more deer in the woods than I do now. I'd like to think that in all those years of hunting, that I learned a few things along the way. Apparantly not. I do not even see close to the number as I used to. At least back then, you could usually count on seeing one or two a day. Not alot I know, but then things got really good and to see 5-7 a day was awesome. Now to see 1 or two for the season, its depressing!
Ever since the "estimated" deer herd in Wisconsin zoomed up over 1.7 million (Nevermind the fact that the D.N.R. was off on their estimate) The actual number of deer killed or seen by hunters is dramatically down. It seems that the political powers and special interest groups have too much power and say in what our D.N.R. does and does not do. Baiting deer with corn, the farmers would loose too much money! Timberwolves, Oh aren't they pretty! In my oppinion, it seems the only thing the D.N.R. understands is money. How about if every camp out there was to buy two less tags next year? You know according to the papers and articles hunters do not know how to hunt anymore and the weather, it will probably be too hot or cold or too snowy or they wont give out as many bonus tags as last year so the kill will be down even more. Not only that hunters just like to get together for the camaraderie of it all anyway (hope you are catching the sarcasm). So two less tags for each camp and I'm sure we might be able to get through to some answers or ideas on how to fix the problem. Another thing, if the D.N.R. would at least realize there have been mistakes made in their management practices, why can't they just come out and fess up and offer an appology. You know something like "were sorry we reintroduced the timberwolf, we didn't know they would eat that many deer, and multiply so fast". Or how about "gee we didn't know that hunters putting all those piles of corn in the woods would screw up deer hunting".
