The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board took up several hunting issues during its Tuesday meeting in Madison, and voted to mostly accept recommendations from citizen groups for deer population goals for the next three years.
Deer advisory councils from most of the state’s 72 counties are generally either urging maintaining their county’s deer population goal, or increasing it.
But Kevin Wallenfang of the state Department of Natural Resources says some counties want to decrease their deer numbers and are struggling to figure out how.
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“What do they need to do to give their hunters incentives to shoot more antlerless deer, or whatever it may take, ” Wallenfang told the board.
Harvesting more does or young male deer are generally seen as ways to reduce the herd. Wallenfang said more antlerless deer tags could be issued, or end of the year “holiday hunts” may be tried. He also said some of the counties that voted to maintain the current population realize that decreasing deer numbers may not be easy to achieve, or socially acceptable.
The board then turned to the issue of using hounds to hunt raccoons during the gun deer season. A state organization that officially advises the DNR wants to see raccoon hunting with dogs go statewide, the practice is currently forbidden in the northern two-thirds of the state.
Wisconsin Conservation Congress Chairman Larry Bonde said the restriction is dated.
“It was established at a time when deer were not so plentiful as today, and the only deer hunting opportunities was the nine-day firearm season. Deer hunting opportunities have expanded throughout time and recent history,” Bonde said.
Bonde said using hounds to hunt raccoons during the gun deer season in the southern-third of Wisconsin was first allowed when the DNR expanded deer hunting to target those from chronic wasting disease.
According to the DNR, it will study the proposed raccoon hunt expansion and report to the board early next year.
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