Wisconsin's harsh winter could result in a smaller deer population.
Many parts of the state got hit hard by ice and snow this winter, and DNR big game warden Keith Warnke says that could reduce the size of the state's deer herd. The two main impacts will be on the survival of those fawns that went into the winter and the number that will be born this spring.
Warnke expects the largest drop to come in the northeastern corner of the state. The DNR is already proposing a reduction in antlerless deer harvesting requirements for that region because the population is expected to be lower.
If the herd shrinks, Warnke says it could make it easier to meet population goals through the earn a buck program. Wisconsin's deer population was estimated at about 1.8 million heading into the 2007 hunting season.
