A call to pull the plug on the December antlerless deer hunt. With hunters registering the fewest deer in more than 25 years during the just ended nine day deer season, there’s call for cancellation of the antlerless hunt, from state Representatives Dean Kaufert and Scott Gunderson.
“This is about really, the future of deer hunting in Wisconsin,” says Gunderson. “We all know how important that deer hunting is to Wisconsin, that hunting heritage. Not to mention – and this isn’t why we hunt – but it (the 9 day season) does generate a billion dollars.”
Gunderson says hunters from all across Wisconsin who do not believe the Department’s deer herd estimate because they are not seeing deer out in the woods, especially antlerless deer. He says his own bow hunting experience since 1983 seems to bear that out: “there was two deer per square mile of der habitat down here then. Now they say there’s 35 deer per square mile of deer habitat, and I don’t think there’s as many deer as there was then.”
Kaufert and Gunderson have made the cancellation request in a letter to the Natural Resources Board, which is scheduled to meet next week to consider proposed changes to the state’s deer hunting structure. “We need to do something,” Gunderson says. “We just don’t believe there’s enough antlerless deer in the state right now to justify having that hunt.” The antlerless hunt is due to get underway next Thursday.
Bob Hague (:60) AUDIO: Bob Hague reports (:60 MP3)