2009 Wisconsin Deer Kill Down 20%

I don't go deer hunting, but I have brothers and cousins who go every year.  Occasionally, I'll head down to the deer camp, catch up with family I haven't seen in a while, but that's about it.

So, while some of them were successful in this year's hunt, many were also going on and on about not seeing a single deer the entire time.  Many told me other hunting parties they frequently chat with at taverns telling them the same thing.  The numbers from the Wisconsin DNR seem to confirm the story of the 2009 Wisconsin Deer Hunt was a paraphrase from Mel Brooks' "Spaceballs."

"Man, We Ain't Seen $#!+!"

Hunters registered the fewest deer in 27 years in the Wisconsin gun deer season that ended Sunday, according to preliminary data from the Department of Natural Resources.

The 2009 harvest of 195,647 deer included 86,251 bucks and 109,396 antlerless deer. It represents a 29% drop from 2008, when hunters registered a preliminary total of 98,840 bucks and 178,145 antlerless deer.

In addition, seven hunters were injured in shooting incidents this year; an eighth shooting remains under investigation.

DNR managers anticipated a lower harvest this year due to changes in season structure, a reduction in antlerless permits, lower fawn production and a decline in the deer population in the north and northeast.

"Deer populations are variable throughout the state," said Keith Warnke, the DNR's big game biologist. "In parts of the north we are below population goals, but in much of the farmland region we are at or above goals."

The harvest data was remarkably consistent: All 72 counties reported lower deer registrations.

The hunt was marked by mild weather, a lack of snow and more standing corn than usual.

The state sold 638,040 licenses for the season; last year it sold 642,419.

"There's a lot of dissatisfied hunters," said Ed Harvey, chairman of the Wisconsin Conservation Congress. "It's one thing to not get a deer. It's another thing entirely to not even see a deer."

And that's what this year was; the year of not even seeing a deer.

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December 2, 2009 · Filed under Wisconsin News

  • michaelkecker
    My name is Michael Kecker, I have been a hunter all my life, I have had the worst season in my life, I bow hunt muzzle load and gun hunt, I seen fawns every year, this year i seen them in may and june, when it came to hunting season, I didnt even see ONE of this years fawn in the woods. I am glad I bought all those tags, that I didnt fill that takes away from some one that could. We have no deer . I have spent countless hours in the woods this year and every year, we must do somthing to stop this doe killing. There is no reason that all these doe tags are given out every year, the youth hunt is good to a point , but it still takes away from our economy when gun deer season comes around, no one takes into the effect when archery tags were put into place many years ago. when bows were primitive, and it was much harder to get a deer back then, bows today are built like rifles. and a good shooter that takes great pride in his bow can kill animals with bow at greater distance than years before. Which leads to more deer kill. the wolfs are another big problem. I live in a rural area. and a pack killed my dog, my next door nieghbor lost 38 chickens and 9 full grown turkeys in one night, not to mention the stupid lottery system for a black bear tag. give me a break. We should NOT HAVE doe tags given out . Take the damb wolfs off the endangerd list . And get rid of the black bear lottery.DNR HAS GOT THERE WISH NO DEER, oh and the coyote packs are huge, lets not shoot them during gun deer season when all the hunters are in the woods. because they might shoot a wolf. give me another break , if you cant tell the diff between a wolf and a coyote you shouldnt even have a gun in your hands in the first place.
    our resorts and business are going to hurt when no one comes to hunt because pencil pushers that dont even hunt, comes up with all these great ideas ,
    If we have a bad winter with a heavy snow fall, kiss the rest of what deer herd we have left good bye , Good job head cheeses of the Wisconsin DNR you should get a medal each and every one of you.
  • 30-06
    Billiam -- you mentions wolves. Wolves, bear, earn-a-buck, T-Zone, and every other 'special hunt' have decimated the herd. There is no denying it anymore. I've never seen such universal anger over the hunt.
  • They obviously didn't go to Adams county. I hit 2 deer there earlier this year. 2 deer, 2 miles apart, 2 months apart! My trucking pals and I call hwy 21 from Coloma to Tomah 'Deer Alley'! I've also seen wolves along the same stretch of highway where I hit the deer.
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