Northern WI Businesses concered about buck only

[BJE80]

http://www.waow.com/story/25669109/2014/06/02/northern-businesses-concerned-about-new-hunt-rule


I hope they realize that a few years of buck only may actually make more people drive up if/when the heard rebounds. IMO, most people that were driving up for the meat probably thought about not driving up for several years now.

 

[wiscwhip]

I wonder if any of them bothered to "express their concerns" about the low deer numbers up there in general putting a dent in there business during the DTR meetings or the spring hearings this year.:rolleyes: Hunter numbers in those areas have been slowly declining the last few years because of the low deer numbers as it is. Most of those business owners don't give a d#mn about the deer herd or any other wildlife issues until it threatens to cut into their bottom line.:mad: They should have been b!tch!ng to the DNR a while back about correcting the deer numbers up there when their customers would come in and report how bad the hunting was getting, not after the DNR was forced to take extreme measures to correct the population numbers.
What they need to realize is that if the DNR can stabilize the herd numbers up there with the new rule system, that more folks might just decide to buy and use property up there for deer hunting moving forward. Hopefully the mortality study helps the DNR to more accurately gauge antlerless permit numbers and the continued logging helps improve the habitat to support more deer. If the herd up there wasn't in such a shambles, I would consider buying up there, as it is the only place in WI right now that has land prices that I could maybe afford to move on at this time.

 

[Terrific_tom]

As a person that has gun deer hunted up in Northwestern Wisconsin for 28 consecutive years, I can honestly say that the decline in hunters up North has been going on for the last 10 years. Now if the business owners would have truely cared as Wiscwhip said they should have been complaining then. The business owners would have carried much more clout if they would of complained. I am afraid that the deer hunting in Northwestern will never be the same as it was. A lot of people forget that very few if any does will have fawns this year. So the deer numbers will be even lower after next winter due to buck harvest, predator kills and possible winter kill. The DNR closed doe season up north this year but also agreed to lower the amount of wolf permits this fall putting more pressure on the few remaing deer up North. When I talked to local DNR wildlife biologist about the deer numbers up there, he stated it may never be what it was and it could be 5 years before there is any kind of recovery. For that reason I will not be going up for 29th season.

 

[BJE80]

As a person that has gun deer hunted up in Northwestern Wisconsin for 28 consecutive years, I can honestly say that the decline in hunters up North has been going on for the last 10 years. Now if the business owners would have truely cared as Wiscwhip said they should have been complaining then. The business owners would have carried much more clout if they would of complained. I am afraid that the deer hunting in Northwestern will never be the same as it was. A lot of people forget that very few if any does will have fawns this year. So the deer numbers will be even lower after next winter due to buck harvest, predator kills and possible winter kill. The DNR closed doe season up north this year but also agreed to lower the amount of wolf permits this fall putting more pressure on the few remaing deer up North. When I talked to local DNR wildlife biologist about the deer numbers up there, he stated it may never be what it was and it could be 5 years before there is any kind of recovery. For that reason I will not be going up for 29th season.

I will say I'm satisfied with the amount of deer that I have on camera right now considering everything. What I am concerned about is i don't see any fawns yet and I only saw one doe on my last card pull that appears to be carrying yet.

 

[wiscwhip]

As a person that has gun deer hunted up in Northwestern Wisconsin for 28 consecutive years, I can honestly say that the decline in hunters up North has been going on for the last 10 years. Now if the business owners would have truely cared as Wiscwhip said they should have been complaining then. The business owners would have carried much more clout if they would of complained. I am afraid that the deer hunting in Northwestern will never be the same as it was. A lot of people forget that very few if any does will have fawns this year. So the deer numbers will be even lower after next winter due to buck harvest, predator kills and possible winter kill. The DNR closed doe season up north this year but also agreed to lower the amount of wolf permits this fall putting more pressure on the few remaing deer up North. When I talked to local DNR wildlife biologist about the deer numbers up there, he stated it may never be what it was and it could be 5 years before there is any kind of recovery. For that reason I will not be going up for 29th season.

That is all very disheartening TT. That info coming from a long time visitor to the area like yourself and the local biologist will definitely keep me looking elsewhere in the state for a new property. I was recently looking at a couple parcels in northern Sawyer Co., but I'm afraid that area is smack in the middle of the "trouble zone". I know there are much better areas a lot closer to home for me, the issue is they are 5 to 10 times the price per acre so it will take me a bit longer to move on one closer to home.

 

[BJE80]

What about like Marinette county Whip? Prices are still decent and there are still a fair amount of deer.

 

[Terrific_tom]

I will say I'm satisfied with the amount of deer that I have on camera right now considering everything. What I am concerned about is i don't see any fawns yet and I only saw one doe on my last card pull that appears to be carrying yet.

I am satisfied with the amount of deer by my land in Antigo which I will be hunting both gun and bow this year even though Langlade County will be closed to doe hunting. A lot of people thought I was crazy for going up to Bayfield County for gun season after I bought my own land but it was hard giving up that tradition.

 

[BJE80]

That's a haul from west central Wisconsin. If I were buying land it'd have to be much closer than that.

Gotcha.

What about Marathon?

 

[Steve Bartylla]

A lot depends on how much land you're looking at buying, too, Whip. I'll be honest. I'd have a hard time pulling the trigger on a 40 up North, as I've also seen the steady decline in deer/bucks over my life time up there. On a 40, you just don't have enough ground to make up for what the "neighbors" are doing. Now, if you were talking 400, that can be a completely different story. I'd be arrogant enough to believe I could make that 400 overflow with deer. 200? I'd still feel pretty decent about my odds. At around 100, I'd have to think hard on it, and it'd have to be a pretty special 100 to make me bite.

I'm not saying I'm right, just explaining my thought process. I can tell you that I'd personally much rather own 400 up north than 40 in Buf Co, but some of that has to do with all the extra work/activities/games I could play with on 400 over 40. The sad truth is that the right 40 in Buf Co could probably produce as many wall hangers as the 400 in N WI could.

 

[wiscwhip]

What about like Marinette county Whip? Prices are still decent and there are still a fair amount of deer.

Yeah that would be like a 5 hour drive for me one way, pretty sure the wife would frown on that every time we packed the car. Now if I still lived in Oshkosh that would be a different story.

Gotcha. What about Marathon?

I have thought about Marathon, Clark also. I may have to start looking more intently in those areas.

 

[wiscwhip]

A lot depends on how much land you're looking at buying, too, Whip. I'll be honest. I'd have a hard time pulling the trigger on a 40 up North, as I've also seen the steady decline in deer/bucks over my life time up there. On a 40, you just don't have enough ground to make up for what the "neighbors" are doing. Now, if you were talking 400, that can be a completely different story. I'd be arrogant enough to believe I could make that 400 overflow with deer. 200? I'd still feel pretty decent about my odds. At around 100, I'd have to think hard on it, and it'd have to be a pretty special 100 to make me bite.

I'm not saying I'm right, just explaining my thought process. I can tell you that I'd personally much rather own 400 up north than 40 in Buf Co, but some of that has to do with all the extra work/activities/games I could play with on 400 over 40. The sad truth is that the right 40 in Buf Co could probably produce as many wall hangers as the 400 in N WI could.

At this juncture, I would definitely take the 40 in Buffalo, given the "right" neighbors. With the situation up north and the seemingly ever increasing predator base up there, it would be a no-brainer for me. Besides, Buffalo Co. is only 45 minutes from my house as it is.;) I wish there was more public land over there that didn't get the crap pounded out of it during the gun season, but from what I understand from the guys I work with that own land over there, it is worse than the public land hunting in LaCrosse Co. Mainly because they get hunters from not only the Metro LaCrosse area going up there, but lots of guys come down to hunt Buffalo from the Metro Eau Claire area as well.

 

[Da U.P. 'eh]

We have been hunting Vilas Co., for the last 20 plus years. We used to see enough deer to keep it interesting and we shot our share too, albeit nothing big, but rather the normal fare on public land. The last 7 or 8 years however, our group of 7 hunters over 3 days see extremely few deer. I believe, in total, I have seen one doe in the last 5 years. The number of hunters in the area is way down as well. At noon on Sunday when I stop in at our favorite watering hole to catch the Packer game I pretty much can sit wherever I want whereas 10 to 15 years ago there was nowhere left to stand anywhere in the place, much less sit at the bar. I think the bar and restaurant owners should have been concerned for quite a few years already.

 

[wiscwhip]

Do those numbers reflect the fact that Mom and Little Johny didn't shoot their own deer, they just tagged and registered them in their name. Nice chart, but the numbers are likely skewed by a few percent at the very least.

 

[dipper]

This is a habitat forum, deer don't live in mature timber. Tell the Feds to cut the 80 year old timber down, there will be more deer. Just like anywhere there are pockets of deer in northern wi. The thing is they ain't on public land, so let the wolves have their share and man less.

 

[Terrific_tom]

This is a habitat forum, deer don't live in mature timber. Tell the Feds to cut the 80 year old timber down, there will be more deer. Just like anywhere there are pockets of deer in northern wi. The thing is they ain't on public land, so let the wolves have their share and man less.

Dipper I can't talk for the entire Northwoods but in Bayfield County there is plenty of logging going on and still no deer. Also the private land in Bayfield county has very low deer numbers also. The winter kill and predator kill do not know what private/public property is, it kills deer on both.

 

[wiscwhip]

I have thought about Marathon, Clark also. I may have to start looking more intently in those areas.

I was just looking at some Clark Co. properties and it appears the Wallace-Woodstock Nursery is for sale. Turnkey with lots of stock in place $575,000. A bit out of my price range and I don't know enough about trees to make a business out of it.

 

[Don'tWorryIHuggedItFirst]

It's been for sale for years.

 

[BJE80]

Marathon still has some pretty good deer numbers and land can be purchased for under $2000/acre. I've seen most normal hunting land in the $1800/acre range depending on many factors.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I own land in Rusk County and the deer numbers in our area are lower than they were when we purchased the land in 2006, but we still see some deer. The predators make the hunting tough since the fawn recruitment is quite low and the deer don't get a break. But in my opinion being in a baiting zone has a greater impact on bagging deer than anything. I don't want to start a baiting debate, but I would not buy land in an area where baiting is legal - it dramatically decreases daylight movement. We see more mature bucks on camera in Rusk County WI than we do on our land in SE MN, but we see 10X the daytime movement in MN where baiting is banned. If you're fine with baiting, then set up a stand in the thick stuff and throw out a bucket of corn and you're set. I've talked to a neighbor who does just that and he had a wall filled with big northwoods bucks.

Even though the deer hunting in Rusk County isn't as good as it could be, it's really a great place to be an outdoorsman. The grouse, rabbit and hare hunting is world class as is the bear hunting. There is plenty of public land available and we rarely see other hunters while chasing small game up there. There are lakes and flowages everywhere and you can fish a different lake/river every day of the week without having to drive more than 15 minutes.

I'll admit that I think about selling the Rusk County land and picking up a smaller parcel in a better deer area, but I just can't do it yet since the rest of the hunting and fishing in that area is so good. Decent parcels with a mix of wooded and ag land in Rusk county can be purchased for $1500-$2000/acre.

 

[Da U.P. 'eh]

Dipper, you brought up a good point regarding the mature timber. They just finished a large cut in our area and the young aspens are coming up thick. I am looking forward to a much larger deer herd in our neck of the woods, and better hunting, in the coming years.