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County deer registration down

By BRIAN LEAHY
of The Gazette
Registration figures from opening weekend of the gun deer season in Portage County are mirroring the reported 21 percent statewide drop in the deer kill.

Hunters registered 1,486 bucks and 1,079 anterless deer opening weekend for a total of 2,565 deer, which is 17 percent less than the 3,093 deer - 1,728 bucks and 1,365 anterless - registered in 2001. Compared to the record kill year of 2000, hunters registered 40 percent fewer deer this opening weekend than at the beginning of the season two years ago.

"It's slow this year," said Doug Hightshoe of Morey's Bar, a Portage County registration station. "I just don't think there are as many hunters. That's what everybody is telling us this year that comes in. They just aren't seeing the hunters out there."

The Department of Natural Resources reports deer license sales were down 10 percent this year, in part because of hunters' concerns following the discovery of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Wisconsin's wild deer herd. At one point this fall, deer license sales were 30 percent less than last year's pace.

Preliminary figures indicate hunters registered 120,658 deer during the first two days of the nine-day gun deer season, the lowest number since 1994.

"This is a year where we just can't do normal projections, but 120,000 is a good harvest, especially when you note the number of hunters was down about 10 percent," said Tom Hauge, director of wildlife management for the DNR. "We have six or seven more days of the season left, and late Zone T is yet to come. We asked hunters to get out and hunt and help us trim the herd, and they are coming through for us, even after months of uncertainty about chronic wasting disease."

As of Tuesday, about 240 deer were registered at Club 10, said Pam Duncan. Usually the tavern registers a few more does than bucks, but this year the number of does was down.

Greg Swan reported the number of deer being registered at Swan Oil Co. in Almond was "not very darn good."

"On the opening two days, we normally have between 47 and 60 deer registered, but this year I had 23 for those two days," Swan said.

Hunters registered 16 deer on Monday, which is about normal, Swan said.

Some of the reasons hunters gave for fewer deer being registered was they were seeing fewer hunters because of the CWD scare, deer weren't moving and, with the cold weather, people were holding off registering their deer, Swan said.

"There's lots of theories, but not real answers, I guess," Swan said.

Preliminary numbers can be deceiving because hunters don't have to register their deer the day they shoot it, Hauge said.

"They have until 5 p.m. the day after the season closes, which is next Monday, to register deer," Hauge said. "Because it was cold throughout the state this season, many hunters and hunting parties are likely hanging their deer, with the intention of bringing them in all together to register at one time. Last year it was much warmer and people were bringing their deer in right away so they could get them into coolers."

Last year the gun deer season opened at its earliest possible date, while this year it opened at its latest possible dates. The later the opener, the less likely bucks are to be in the rut and actively moving as they search for does.

Weather may also have played a factor. High winds that popped up over much of the state late Saturday through Sunday may have kept deer in their beds. A three-quarters full moon also gave enough light for deer to travel and feed at night, they said.

DNR officials had set a goal of collecting 50,000 deer heads from hunters around the state to test for CWD. For the results to statistically sound, the DNR needed 500 heads from most counties. More than 1,200 volunteers were at registration stations statewide helping the department collect 22,000 heads, giving the DNR a total of 32,000 heads collected so far. Most collection stations closed Sunday.

Preliminary figures show the DNR collected 499 heads in Portage County on opening weekend.

The DNR had estimated the deer population at 1.6 million and set a goal of reducing the herd to 1.1 million by the end of the hunting season. Historically about one-half the deer killed during the gun deer season are bagged on opening weekend.

"I think there are plenty of deer out there, personally, but they just aren't getting them," Swan said.



	County deer registration down By BRIAN LEAHY of The Gazette Registration figures from opening weekend of the gun deer season in Portage County are mirroring the reported 21 percent statewide drop in the deer kill. Hunters registered 1,486 bucks and 1,079 anterless deer opening weekend for a total of 2,565 deer, which is 17 percent less than the 3,093 deer - 1,728 bucks and 1,365 anterless - registered in 2001. Compared to the record kill year of 2000, hunters registered 40 percent fewer deer this opening weekend than at the beginning of the season two years ago. "It's slow this year," said Doug Hightshoe of Morey's Bar, a Portage County registration station. "I just don't think there are as many hunters. That's what everybody is telling us this year that comes in. They just aren't seeing the hunters out there." The Department of Natural Resources reports deer license sales were down 10 percent this year, in part because of hunters' concerns following the discovery of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Wisconsin's wild deer herd. At one point this fall, deer license sales were 30 percent less than last year's pace. Preliminary figures indicate hunters registered 120,658 deer during the first two days of the nine-day gun deer season, the lowest number since 1994. "This is a year where we just can't do normal projections, but 120,000 is a good harvest, especially when you note the number of hunters was down about 10 percent," said Tom Hauge, director of wildlife management for the DNR. "We have six or seven more days of the season left, and late Zone T is yet to come. We asked hunters to get out and hunt and help us trim the herd, and they are coming through for us, even after months of uncertainty about chronic wasting disease." As of Tuesday, about 240 deer were registered at Club 10, said Pam Duncan. Usually the tavern registers a few more does than bucks, but this year the number of does was down. Greg Swan reported the number of deer being registered at Swan Oil Co. in Almond was "not very darn good." "On the opening two days, we normally have between 47 and 60 deer registered, but this year I had 23 for those two days," Swan said. Hunters registered 16 deer on Monday, which is about normal, Swan said. Some of the reasons hunters gave for fewer deer being registered was they were seeing fewer hunters because of the CWD scare, deer weren't moving and, with the cold weather, people were holding off registering their deer, Swan said. "There's lots of theories, but not real answers, I guess," Swan said. Preliminary numbers can be deceiving because hunters don't have to register their deer the day they shoot it, Hauge said. "They have until 5 p.m. the day after the season closes, which is next Monday, to register deer," Hauge said. "Because it was cold throughout the state this season, many hunters and hunting parties are likely hanging their deer, with the intention of bringing them in all together to register at one time. Last year it was much warmer and people were bringing their deer in right away so they could get them into coolers." Last year the gun deer season opened at its earliest possible date, while this year it opened at its latest possible dates. The later the opener, the less likely bucks are to be in the rut and actively moving as they search for does. Weather may also have played a factor. High winds that popped up over much of the state late Saturday through Sunday may have kept deer in their beds. A three-quarters full moon also gave enough light for deer to travel and feed at night, they said. DNR officials had set a goal of collecting 50,000 deer heads from hunters around the state to test for CWD. For the results to statistically sound, the DNR needed 500 heads from most counties. More than 1,200 volunteers were at registration stations statewide helping the department collect 22,000 heads, giving the DNR a total of 32,000 heads collected so far. Most collection stations closed Sunday. Preliminary figures show the DNR collected 499 heads in Portage County on opening weekend. The DNR had estimated the deer population at 1.6 million and set a goal of reducing the herd to 1.1 million by the end of the hunting season. Historically about one-half the deer killed during the gun deer season are bagged on opening weekend. "I think there are plenty of deer out there, personally, but they just aren't getting them," Swan said.