Bad News for Deer in Bayfield County Wisconsin

[Terrific_tom]

I have been going to Bayfield County for gun hunting season for 28 years. Even though I now have my own land the tradition to go up North with the same group kept me going back up. Well I got an email from the owner of cabin that we stay at asking if we were coming back this year. So before I booked cabin I figured I would call DNR Biologist to ask how bad this winter was. He estimates that 30 % of the deer died due to this winter. He said that they were checking car killed and almost all were showing signs of severe starvation. He also said that almost all the surviving deer were now along the highways due to the ditches being the 1st for greenup making deer numbers appear to be still high which wasn't the case. He also said that it would be at least 3 years or more for numbers to get back to normal if we didn't have another severe winter. Our group only saw 3 deer last year hunting from 1st light until dark for 6 days. Looks like the tradition of going up North for gun season may be over.

 

[wiscwhip]

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[BJE80]

My land is less than a mile south of the no doe line. Guess that means does will be fair game. Hopefully the neighbors lay off them a little bit.

 

[BJE80]

I have been going to Bayfield County for gun hunting season for 28 years. Even though I now have my own land the tradition to go up North with the same group kept me going back up. Well I got an email from the owner of cabin that we stay at asking if we were coming back this year. So before I booked cabin I figured I would call DNR Biologist to ask how bad this winter was. He estimates that 30 % of the deer died due to this winter. He said that they were checking car killed and almost all were showing signs of severe starvation. He also said that almost all the surviving deer were now along the highways due to the ditches being the 1st for greenup making deer numbers appear to be still high which wasn't the case. He also said that it would be at least 3 years or more for numbers to get back to normal if we didn't have another severe winter. Our group only saw 3 deer last year hunting from 1st light until dark for 6 days. Looks like the tradition of going up North for gun season may be over.

There always is fun in cards and beer consumption to fill your time instead. :p

 

[West Branch]

I haven't seen anything from the MN DNR on projected winter kill. Since there's an awful lot of MN north of Bayfield (and in the snowbelt) I'd guess it was pretty awful in spots.

Interestingly enough, the MN DNR is wanting to create essentially an unlimited antlerless season in the Duluth metro...guess the deer there are immune to winter :rolleyes:

We are directly in line with Ashland, WI and we are usually called East-Central MN. I sent an email to our area wildlife manager this morning to see what he knows, one of the things I asked was projected winterkill.

 

[Terrific_tom]

My land is less than a mile south of the no doe line. Guess that means does will be fair game. Hopefully the neighbors lay off them a little bit.

Actually if your land is in Langlade County it might be no doe or very limited as the DMU are by county now.

 

[sandbur]

I have been going to Bayfield County for gun hunting season for 28 years. Even though I now have my own land the tradition to go up North with the same group kept me going back up. Well I got an email from the owner of cabin that we stay at asking if we were coming back this year. So before I booked cabin I figured I would call DNR Biologist to ask how bad this winter was. He estimates that 30 % of the deer died due to this winter. He said that they were checking car killed and almost all were showing signs of severe starvation. He also said that almost all the surviving deer were now along the highways due to the ditches being the 1st for greenup making deer numbers appear to be still high which wasn't the case. He also said that it would be at least 3 years or more for numbers to get back to normal if we didn't have another severe winter. Our group only saw 3 deer last year hunting from 1st light until dark for 6 days. Looks like the tradition of going up North for gun season may be over.

A truthful DNR employee. could we move him to central Mn?

 

[BJE80]

Actually if your land is in Langlade County it might be no doe or very limited as the DMU are by county now.

I'm just in Marathon county. Right where Lincoln, Langlade and Marathon all come together.

 

[Terrific_tom]

A truthful DNR employee. could we move him to central Mn?

It wasn't always that way in Wisconsin. I was surprised how open he was. I was going to question him why they didn't close doe season last year but figured I may need to get more info at a later time.

 

[Riggsgwp->]

I haven't seen anything from the MN DNR on projected winter kill. Since there's an awful lot of MN north of Bayfield (and in the snowbelt) I'd guess it was pretty awful in spots.

Interestingly enough, the MN DNR is wanting to create essentially an unlimited antlerless season in the Duluth metro...guess the deer there are immune to winter :rolleyes:

I have a friend that hunts Duluth metro so I'm curious about this. Last I talked to him he was worried that the metro hunt would be cancelled due to winter kill. I do know that they have shot the crap out of the does there over the last 5 yrs or so, but I guess that was the goal of a city hunt.

 

[Riggsgwp->]

Article in the last ODN about the Duluth hunt Riggs

Thanks I will have to check it out.

 

[Riggsgwp->]

They are going down a scary path if they go through with this. Like I said they have killed a lot of does in Duluth due to earn a buck and intensive harvest add winter kill onto that and.......The notion that most of this area has limited access is pure bs. Those guys are masters at getting permission to hunt from those city folks.

 

[dipper]

I have been going to Bayfield County for gun hunting season for 28 years. Even though I now have my own land the tradition to go up North with the same group kept me going back up. Well I got an email from the owner of cabin that we stay at asking if we were coming back this year. So before I booked cabin I figured I would call DNR Biologist to ask how bad this winter was. He estimates that 30 % of the deer died due to this winter. He said that they were checking car killed and almost all were showing signs of severe starvation. He also said that almost all the surviving deer were now along the highways due to the ditches being the 1st for greenup making deer numbers appear to be still high which wasn't the case. He also said that it would be at least 3 years or more for numbers to get back to normal if we didn't have another severe winter. Our group only saw 3 deer last year hunting from 1st light until dark for 6 days. Looks like the tradition of going up North for gun season may be over.

This is very interesting....last winter was the last year of a 3 year winter kill study. Has anyone seen the results from this year? The first 2 years of the study indicated more deer were dead in the southern location, than the northern zone with much harsher conditions. This makes alot of sense to me because when you have an overpopulation, there is less browse....much less food. Since there is few deer "up north" to begin with, along with the constant logging. The deer always have food.
I had 60 deer eating on my neighbors red norway pines. They climbed up the snow bank along the road for the extra reach. Many parts of my area have 0 regeneration, and there is an overpopulation of deer. Easily over 100 deeer/ square mile of habitat, in some locations. Our coyote group found just over a half dozen dead deer, which surprised me. A few might have been wounded, but the majority were starvation. I didn't hear much about starvation from anyone either.
Far and away, most deer survived the winter. I don't know, you could say maybe a 2% mortality rate. It's interesting to see what that mortality study says. I just can't see such a drastic flop between the north and the south.
I know the antler devolpment is gonna suck again. But those old hags had 3" plus on their backs going into January. I would think they get pretty beefy up north too, but I've never shot a doe up there?