State blames weather for low numbers.

[dreaming bucks]

http://m.channel3000.com/State-blames-w ... s/29994344

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[dreaming bucks]

Geeze, I actually thought the weather was pretty good this year.

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[ozzz]

That is becoming a routine excuse.

[PLB]

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[ihookem]

I don't know how lang they can keep blamng the weather. They said it was "chilly out there" . It was 35 on Saturday and 46 on Sunday. Oh wait, it was the fog, Ya couldn't see deer in the fog. I could see clear for 50 yds. That was far enough when ys hunt in the brush. The deer were moving very well on Sunday. I wish they would just quit making excuses and say it like it is. They can't admit it cause they would loose another 21,000 tags next year, then the next year, ETC. They make excuses cause they don't know what to do about it.

[whitetail_addict]

You guys realize there were far fewer tags even available this year, particularly in the northern half of the state, in an effort to allow bring the numbers back up, right?

That said, regardless of the weather or any other factor, there is going to be far fewer deer registered as a result. This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone.

[dreaming bucks]

You guys realize there were far fewer tags even available this year, particularly in the northern half of the state, in an effort to allow bring the numbers back up, right?

That said, regardless of the weather or any other factor, there is going to be far fewer deer registered as a result. This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone.

Well, why don't they say that then, instead of bad weather?

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[fishlips]

I believe opening weekend numbers were down across the state not just the northern part with no antlerless tags. No doubt the lower antlerless tags hurt the overall kill, but so did no more free cwd tags, fog/rain in southern part of the state and fewer licenses being sold.

I think I've seen over the years fewer people have the time to hunt. I think the first people to stop hunting are the gun only hunters who don't have as much time to dedicate to hunting.

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[Steve Heiting]

I didn't mind the weather at all. Actually, the warmer opening weekend weather dropped the snow depths where I hunt about 10 inches, which may save some deer in the long run this winter.

Here are the real reasons for the reduced harvest ... why the WDNR doesn't acknowledge them is beyond me:

1. Two consecutive bad winters. While the winer of 2012-13 didn't necessarily meet then criteria for a "severe" winter, the late green-up and snow well into May demolished the big buck populations in some areas, and affected bucks all the way to southern WI. And the winter of 2013-2014 was the coldest and snowiest on record in many locations.
2. Reduced or no antlerless permits because of reason #1.
3. Too much snow. Iron County isn't exactly a hotbed right now for deer numbers, but there were guys who just could not get to their camp and hunt last week. Access was also difficult in some parts of Vilas, Oneida, Ashland and Bayfield counties, and those are just the ones I have first-hand knowledge of.
4. Too many predators. There was a fresh wolf kill at our hunting woods the Friday before season, and possibly another during the season I didn't have time to check out.
5. Not enough logging. The counties are doing a good job of managing their woods and the state is making improvements, but the national forest is sitting on its hands right now and logging quotas are not being met. Forest deer will eat just about anything except what they can't reach.

[PLB]

I didn't mind the weather at all. Actually, the warmer opening weekend weather dropped the snow depths where I hunt about 10 inches, which may actually save some deer in the long run this winter.

Here are the real reasons for the reduced harvest ... why the WDNR doesn't acknowledge them is beyond me:

1. Two consecutive bad winters. While the winer of 2012-13 didn't necessarily meet then criteria for a "severe" winter, the late green-up and snow well into May demolished the big buck populations in some areas, and affected bucks all the way to southern WI. And the winter of 2013-2014 was the coldest and snowiest on record in many locations.
2. Reduced or no antlerless permits because of reason #1.
3. Too much snow. Iron County isn't exactly a hotbed right now for deer numbers, but there were guys who just could not get to their camp and hunt last week. Access was also difficult in some parts of Vilas, Oneida, Ashland and Bayfield counties, and those are just the ones I have first-hand knowledge of.
4. Too many predators. There was a fresh wolf kill at our hunting woods the Friday before season, and possibly another during the season I didn't have time to check out.
5. Not enough logging. The counties are doing a good job of managing their woods and the state is making improvements, but the national forest is sitting on its hands right now and logging quotas are not being met. Forest deer will eat just about anything except what they can't reach.

Very well said!!

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[Rome]

I didn't mind the weather at all. Actually, the warmer opening weekend weather dropped the snow depths where I hunt about 10 inches, which may actually save some deer in the long run this winter.

Here are the real reasons for the reduced harvest ... why the WDNR doesn't acknowledge them is beyond me:

1. Two consecutive bad winters. While the winer of 2012-13 didn't necessarily meet then criteria for a "severe" winter, the late green-up and snow well into May demolished the big buck populations in some areas, and affected bucks all the way to southern WI. And the winter of 2013-2014 was the coldest and snowiest on record in many locations.
2. Reduced or no antlerless permits because of reason #1.
3. Too much snow. Iron County isn't exactly a hotbed right now for deer numbers, but there were guys who just could not get to their camp and hunt last week. Access was also difficult in some parts of Vilas, Oneida, Ashland and Bayfield counties, and those are just the ones I have first-hand knowledge of.
4. Too many predators. There was a fresh wolf kill at our hunting woods the Friday before season, and possibly another during the season I didn't have time to check out.
5. Not enough logging. The counties are doing a good job of managing their woods and the state is making improvements, but the national forest is sitting on its hands right now and logging quotas are not being met. Forest deer will eat just about anything except what they can't reach.

Very well said!!

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X3. Heiting knows his muskies and bucks. I always listen when he speaks.

[Rutnstrut]

How come when the kill is up, the DNR says it's because deer numbers were up and they want all the credit. However when the kill is down and actual pre hunt deer numbers are down, they blame everything else.