Awaiting deer season numbers, one deerstalker blames the corn
DARIEN TOWNSHIP — I’m blaming the corn.
It’s either that or admit I’m a terrible deer hunter.
Yesterday was the last day of the nine-day regular gun deer season in Wisconsin.
Final harvest numbers will not be available until Tuesday. But opening weekend numbers were down 33 percent compared to last year.
I was among those who didn’t bring in a deer.
I hunted the first four days of the regular gun season. My brother and I saw three deer mid-morning on opening day, Nov. 21.
That was it.
Of the three, two were does hiding in a cornfield. And, I imagine, the majority of the other 8,700 deer in Zone 77A were hiding in corn, too.
That number comes from the Department of Natural Resources’ 2008 whitetail deer population report. Zone 77A includes Rock County and the western edge of Walworth County.
We hunted on public and private land in Darien Township and spent the most of our time in that DNR zone.
I hunted the same spots as a kid, and I seem to remember seeing somewhere between four and 10 deer a day. Maybe my memory is warped, and I’m only remembering the “good days.”
Or maybe it was because I hunted during bow season, which takes place earlier than the gun season and covers the peak of the rut. That’s the deer mating season, and it means deer are moving around more trying to find dates.
Or, it could be the corn. According to USDA statistics, as of Nov. 22, only 48 percent of the grain corn was harvested in Wisconsin’s southeast region, which includes Walworth County.
For the last five years, 87 percent of the corn has been picked by the same date.
Deer can hide almost indefinitely in corn. They can sleep, eat and make babies in there for days on end.
It’s fun to try to sneak up on deer in the corn. But it’s a bad place to shoot, because you can’t see more than a few rows in either direction. Shells can travel a lot farther than that.
This year, for the first time, the DNR has started keeping an online deer hunter wildlife survey. It’s an easy form to use. You just plug in the date and the location you hunted and then fill in the number of animals you saw.
Officials are tracking deer, badgers, fox and other animals. In previous years, the DNR has mailed paper surveys to hunters.
From the DNR Web site, dnr.wi.gov, you can print out a tally sheet to take into the woods. I recommend storing it in your hunting purse along with a paperback, tissues and string cheese.
You can take the online survey every day or fill out several days at once. You don’t need a password or to share any personal information.
While the regular gun deer season is done for the year, other seasons include late bow, antlerless only and muzzleloader.
According to the preliminary survey data, Wisconsin hunters saw about 1½ deer per trip into the woods prior to opening day. They saw almost as many turkeys.
I saw more turkeys than deer, at least in the first four days. Comparing my hunting hours to the state averages reported, I should have seen 7½ deer.
Behind deer, hunters reported seeing ruffed grouse, raccoons and coyotes in that order of frequency. House cats came in a close fourth.
Dec 2, 2009 at 8:54 a.m.
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I can understand people down here blaming the corn, what with all those children in it, the blue man, and "he who walks behind the rows.." Scarey...
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And the corn man's comin'
Dec 1, 2009 at 5:01 p.m.
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I have seen a lot of wolf sign the last three year's. I have not seen a wolf my self but my son & grandson have. We have seen Bear sign also & this is not what we call Bear country. We do'nt bait the deer never have
Dec 1, 2009 at 3:27 p.m.
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The wolves in Northern Wisconsin are having an effect. I think that it's mostly that the deer are less inclined to loiter in open areas, and are sticking to dense, wet areas more - at least where I hunt. Last year was the first year I cut fresh wolf tracks during deer hunting season. Right by one of my stands, I should add.
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The other problem is that deer are adapting to bait stations, and no longer move "naturally." Their behavior is much different than when there wern't five illegal piles of corn or feeders within a two mile radius that deer could go to whenever they want to eat rather than forage and browse naturally because they had to. Baiting needs to be made illegal in my opinion, across the board. It's just an crutch for someone who doesn't know the woods, nor how to hunt.
Dec 1, 2009 at 3:17 p.m.
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We hunter's have to blame our self's for doing as the DNR what'ed shooting Doe. Some so call'ed hunter's will shoot any thing that move's . I saw one fawn this year it was'nt worth shooting. It was so small other's would have shot it
Dec 1, 2009 at 2:59 p.m.
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I thought the whole purpose of DNR policy was to reduce the number of deer. It worked. Case closed.
Dec 1, 2009 at 2:40 p.m.
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Yes, but now they're saying the CWD has increased in the buck population in the Southern and Western part of the state including Dane county. Funny, you have to shoot a doe before a buck there, yet now they're concerned about the bucks. Pull your heads out and buy a clue!!!!
Dec 1, 2009 at 8:52 a.m.
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Maybe I'll give up deer hunting for a few years and focus on waterfowl. It seems that the DNR is more worried about the magic "CWD" and selling licenses than our whitetail population.
Dec 1, 2009 at 7:47 a.m.
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We need to eliminate all of the extra seasons,and go back to the old days when you could only shoot a buck and obtain a party tag for a doe and the DNR could issue doe tags for counties with bountiful herds of doe which probably dont exist.A standard 9 day hunt may bring back the tradition that is being destroyed by our pencil pushing yuppies in Washington and Wisconsin that have never stepped foot in the woods! Its a shame for our children who will not have the memories to talk about like us. Us true sportsman need to stand up and make our selves be heard
Dec 1, 2009 at 6:14 a.m.
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For whatever reasons deer herds are down all across state.The DNR loves to inflate numbers and collect license fees,PERIOD.
Dec 1, 2009 at 5:57 a.m.
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I remember seeing More DEER when the dnr said we did not have many. May be they know how to count now
Dec 1, 2009 at 4:23 a.m.
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I hunted in Rock County opening weekend. And in all my years of opening days out there, I have never heard it so void of shots. I don't think it is the corn. We have had standing corn before on the openings. It is a CWD zone, so there are less deer, but, coupled with the desire of the DNR, State or whoever, to practically rid our area of the state of deer. Heck any area of the state you get the same report-no deer. It aint the corn Anne Marie.
Dec 1, 2009 at 1:58 a.m.
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I have to say that this is the first year that I've not seen hardly ANY deer along the roadside....either dead or alive looking to play chicken with my car. For the most part, I travel to work at 9pm and drive home at 6am. I take the back roads and zig zag my way over to Hwy 14 the other side of Evansville. Hope that mentioning this observation doesn't jinx me into having my first car verses deer accident before the end of the year!
Nov 30, 2009 at 11:24 p.m.
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It's true, hunting is not about harvesting. It's about selling as many licenses as possible. That is why there are so many types of hunts. Next year we will be treated to a $15.00 nerf hunt. That's right, get your nerf guns sighted in!!!
Nov 30, 2009 at 9:57 p.m.
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The DNR is getting what they wanted! The needless slaughter of the Wisconsin Deer Herd! This is the most PATHETIC deer season in the past 30 years! Greg Matthews of the DNR was recently on the Madison Talk Forum radio show and said that only a very small percentage of hunters that don’t see deer will be disappointed. He said deer hunting is not about harvesting a deer or even seeing deer, its about getting together with friends and family and experiencing nature. No, I’m not making this up! Apparently this is the common opinion of the DNR's administration. Ask Mr. Matthews yourself, gregory.matthews@wisconsin.gov, although don’t be surprised, he will probably just say you are a part of the small percentage of hunters that whine about not seeing deer while deer hunting!
He also said the DNR has gotten out of the business of estimating the deer herd because hunters don’t understand the word "estimate." Yeah, that’s right; always blame the hunters not the exaggerated, inflated, numbers the DNR's "experts" keep coming up with!
Let the DNR, politicians, and hunting clubs all know how you feel about what the DNR is doing to our deer herd in this state! DONT BUY INTO THEIR LIES!
Nov 30, 2009 at 6:07 p.m.
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(Here's a tie into another story)
I hear that the deer are taking mime and acting classes, and that is why some deer get into fights with actual concrete deer statues. They are good Monte Python-esk hiders!!
Nov 30, 2009 at 5:10 p.m.
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according to the DNR there are as many deer now as what there were back in the early 80's.
at that time we would see 100 to 150 deer each night when we went shining (legaly by the way), where as we now only see about 10 to 12 deer in the same area, in the same time frame.
I know that the warm weather has something to do with it, but i must say that i am amazed at how intelegent the deer have become in this time frame as well. They have learned to walk in each others tracks to hide their numbers, either bury or eat there droppings, as well as having learned how to sleep standing up, so they leave no bedding areas. The intelegence of the whitetail deer just amazes me more every year. i am grateful as well, do to the fact that i have'nt spent a cent on bullets in 5 years.
Nov 30, 2009 at 5:02 p.m.
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I blame the wolf population in northern wisconsin for those who didnt see squat!!! The DNR needs to have an open season with no bag limit on the wolves..
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