DNR Asks Public To Avoid Feeding Deer As Cold Weather Continues March 21, 2023 Wisconsin DNR News

... Deer are well-adapted to survive in winter conditions, with a slower metabolism in cold months and adjustments in their gut microbiomes to adapt to winter food sources. Corn, alfalfa and other feed are not part of their natural winter diet and can cause severe digestive issues and even death. Even a single feeding can cause rumen acidosis, which can cause death in otherwise healthy deer..,

Deer not always to blame for suppressing tree growth March 20, 2023 Wisconsin, The Wildlife Society

... a study ... “We expected there to be a strong, measurable effect,” Jones said.  But that wasn’t what they found... Areas that weren’t fenced did show more evidence of deer browsing, but that declined over time. What seemed to give seedlings of both species [sugar maples and ash].  a higher chance of survival was being in transition zones between gaps and dense canopy ...

Wisconsin’s 2022 deer harvest numbers presented to Natural Resources Board February 17, 2023 Outdoor News

... The total preliminary deer harvest for Wisconsin during all seasons in 2022 is 339,620, up from 308,429 in 2021... 

DNR confirms CWD In 2 additional wild deer harvested In Marathon County February 15, 2023 Wisconsin, WSAW-TV

... These two CWD positive test results are from a 2-year-old hunter-harvested doe ... in the Town of Ringle, and a 4/5-year-old hunter-harvested doe ... in the Town of Elderon.  The first CWD-positive wild deer in Marathon County was detected in 2019..,

DNR Confirms CWD In Wild Deer Harvested In Langlade County February 8, 2023 Wisconsin, DNR News

... This positive is also within 10 miles of the Menominee Reservation, Menominee County and Oconto County borders.  The deer was a hunter-harvested 1-year-old buck and is the first confirmed wild deer CWD-positive detected in Langlade County.  As required by state law, the DNR enacts three-year baiting and feeding bans in counties where CWD has been detected ..,

Vernon County herd depopulated following CWD detection February 3, 2023 Wisconsin, La Crosse Tribune

... a Vernon County deer farm that tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in September 2022 has been depopulated. Of the 32 animals depopulated, four tested positive for the disease... The farm owner will receive indemnity ...

DNR confirms CWD in second wild deer harvested in Sheboygan County February 2, 2023 Wisconsin, WBAY

... The deer was a hunter-harvested 4-5 year-old doe taken during the 2022 gun deer season... This recent CWD positive reinstates a three-year baiting and feeding ban in the county, effective Feb. 1, 2023 ..,

DNR Confirms First CWD Detection In Wild Deer Harvested In Waupaca County

Baiting And Feeding Ban Renewed, Public Meeting Set January 26, 2023 Wisconsin DNR News

... As required by state law, the DNR enacts three-year baiting and feeding bans in counties where CWD has been detected and two-year bans in adjoining counties that lie within 10 miles of a CWD detection. Deer baiting and feeding have been banned in Waupaca County since 2014, initially due to CWD detections in farm-raised deer in Marathon County within 10 miles of the county border..,

CWD detected in wild deer in Waupaca County for first time January 26, 2023 Wisconsin, Madison.com

...  a hunter harvested a 2-year-old doe in the town of Harrison east of Rosholt and within 10 miles of the Shawano, Marathon and Portage County borders.  As required by state law, the DNR enacts three-year baiting and feeding bans ..,

Retired UW wildlife professor ponders CWD’s impact on deer hunting January 23, 2023  Wisconsin, antigojournal

... 19% of 7,325 deer tested in Wisconsin’s southern farmlands this past autumn carried CWD. That’s up from 12% of 8,635 tested in that region in 2018, and 3% of 7,097 tested in 2010... a deer camp that was viable for decades ... disappeared because of CWD..,

Wisconsin wildlife pictures captured on trail cameras by DNR program January 20, 2023, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

... Thousands of trail cameras sit in Wisconsin's forests, plains and pastures, silently waiting to capture an image of a passing elk, a curious bobcat or a pack of galloping otters.  And millions of those images have been compiled for all to see thanks to the Snapshot Wisconsin program ...

Finance committee blocks $15.5m conservation purchase January 6, 2023, Wisconsin, wqow.com

... The purchase would have been the largest land conservation effort in state history, Wisconsin Public Radio reported. The DNR's policy board signed off on the deal in October, agreeing to spend about $10.8 million in federal forest legacy dollars ... 

CWD detected in Buffalo County, the nation's trophy deer leader January 5, 2022 Wisconsin, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on MSN

... Will the disease finding lead more hunters to shoot does in 2023?  It's not likely in Buffalo County, where the hunting outfitting industry - focused on making profits on big-antlered bucks - plays an outsized role. "It's hard to get hunters to shoot does," said Tom Indebro of Bluff Country Outfitters. "They pay to come here for a chance at a buck ...

DNR confirms CWD In wild deer harvested In Buffalo County December 29, 2022 Wisconsin, La Crosse Tribune

...  a wild deer tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Buffalo County in the town of Lincoln.  The deer was a hunter harvested 2-year-old doe and is the first confirmed wild deer CWD-positive detection in Buffalo County...

Wisconsin gun season endlessly repeats 2009 results December 14, 2022 wdtimes.com

... the November 2022 deer hunt produced 204,881deer, with 99,042 bucks and 105,839 antlerless deer. That’s only 2,887 more deer than 2009’s “worst-ever” season. And this year’s buck kill marks the first time since 2018 that it exceeded the 2009 total... the Department of Natural Resources has documented 10,376 CWD cases since its discovery in Wisconsin 21 years ago, including a record 1,327 cases in 2021. ..,

DNR Confirms CWD in Second Wild Deer Harvested in Shawano County December 9, 2022 Wisconsin DNR News

... a wild deer tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in southwestern Shawano County in the town of Germania. The deer was a 4-5-year-old hunter-harvested buck taken during the 2022 archery deer season. This is the second confirmed wild deer CWD-positive case in Shawano County...

Chronic Wasting Disease, New Baiting and Feeding Ban in Effect in Lincoln County December 8, 2022 Wisconsin DNR News

... The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) was recently notified by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) that a farm-raised deer on a deer farm in Lincoln County tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD). As a result of this new detection, a baiting and feeding ban will go into effect starting Dec. 12, 2022...

Minnesota confirms CWD in wild buck, with possible link to illegal dump site December 2, 2022 Wisconsin, CIDRAP

... The adult male deer was found roughly 40 miles from a farm where CWD was found in deer carcasses illegally dumped in 2021. This is the first CWD detection in wild deer in Beltrami County, which is in north central Minnesota...

DNR investigating the illegal shooting of well-known buck in Menasha December 2, 2022 Wisconsin, WFRV

... This wasn’t a regular buck, it had become a bit of a local celebrity, especially among regulars at the Heckrodt Wetland Reserve. Some called him ‘The King,’ ... white markings on his neck in the shape of a bow tie to his huge antlers ...

Wisconsin hunters harvest more deer than in 2021 despite fewer hunters November 30, 2022 WKBT

... Hunters killed 203,295 deer ... 8% above the 5-year average.  The number of hunting licenses was down 1.6%.  DNR officials say the high kill count is thanks to snow on the ground and good weather.  “Overall, the hunting conditions were good,” ..,

Hunters register 14% more deer in gun season November 29, 2022 Wisconsin, Yahoo! Sports

... an increase of 14% from the previous year and 8% above the five-year average ... Pritzl cited snow cover that persisted across most of the state, an earlier opener to the season, good progress on corn harvest statewide and a mild winter in 2021-22 as contributing factors to the higher deer kill..,

2022 Preliminary Gun Deer Harvest Totals And

License Sales Now Available November 22,2022 Wisconsin

... As of midnight Sunday, Nov. 20, sales for gun, bow, crossbow, sports and patron licenses reached 779,123. Of that total, 421,474 were for gun privileges only. The year-to-date sales for all deer licenses are down 2% from the same time last year... In total, 103,623 deer were registered statewide during the opening weekend of the 2022 gun deer hunt, compared to the 90,023 registered for the same period in 2021. This is a 15.1% increase over 2021 and is on par with the average opening weekend harvest..,

Wisconsin firearms deer season forecast: About same as last year November 20, 2022 Journal Times

... Douglas County saw deer harvests as high as 11,241 as recently as 2007. But a string of harsh winters since then and an accompanying decline in antlerless permits have combined to push the harvest down, as low as 2,396 in 2014. The harvest has rebounded some to 3,897 in 2020 and 3,491 last season..,

PARTICIPATE IN CITIZEN SCIENCE WHILE YOU'RE HUNTING November 19, 2022 Wisconsin DNR

Tell us about what you see while you're in the field the season and contribute to wildlife management in Wisconsin.  The Deer Hunter Wildlife Survey is a great opportunity to contribute to this long-term database of wildlife observations. New this year, we've made it even easier to let us know what you see right from our new phone app. 

The 2022 Wisconsin Deer Forecast, Wisconsin DNR

... The winter of 2021-22 was rated severe for deer in Iron County, moderate for most of the northern

tier counties and mild for the rest of the state... well-positioned and prepared hunters this fall. Although spring was slow to start, comfortable temperatures and adequate rainfall has resulted in a vigorous

spring green-up that should provide ample cover and high-quality food for does that are nursing fawns and bucks during antler development...

DNR offers final precautions before gun deer season kicks off Saturday November 18, 2022 Wisconsin, NBC15

... DNR said that as of Friday, it has issued over 650,000 firearm, crossbow, sports and patron licenses to hunters across the state and that 310,000 are just for firearms...

Conditions shaping up nicely for 2022 gun deer hunting season November 17, 2022 Wisconsin, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

... Wisconsin's deer population has benefitted from a series of mild winters in recent years. The ample state of the deer herd is underscored by recommendations by all County Deer Advisory Councils to offer antlerless deer permits for sale this season.  That is a given in farmland counties. But in the northern forest it's rare..,

Wisconsin DATCP confirms deer tested positive for CWD November 18, 2022 WEAU

... a Lincoln County deer farm has tested positive for chronic wasting disease... The positive result came from a 5-year-old white-tailed buck. The f ...arm has been placed under quarantine ...

Proposed 2022 Wolf Management Plan Available Now November 10, 2022 Wisconsin DNR

... The DNR is holding a 60-day public review and comment period, during which the public can offer feedback on the draft plan. The 60-day period starts today and ends on Jan. 10, 2023. The draft plan and instructions for giving feedback can be found on the DNR’s Wolf Management Plan webpage... 

New Wisconsin wolf plan eliminates state population goal November 11, 2022 WUWM

... The draft plan the DNR released Thursday strips hunters of that argument by eliminating a statewide population goal. Instead it recommends the DNR with the help of advisory committee monitor local populations within the state's six wolf hunting zones and decide whether to reduce the local population, keep it stable or allow it to grow...

DNR Celebrates Successful 2022 Elk Hunting Season November 8, 2022 Wisconsin DNR News

... Wisconsin’s annual elk hunt takes place in the Clam Lake Elk Range, home of Wisconsin’s longest tenured elk population since reintroduction efforts started in 1995. In 2022, the estimated population of the Clam Lake elk herd is 336 elk. Bulls have been harvested across this range each year since the hunt started in 2018..,

Guest Column: Bring Back More Hunting Oversight  November 2, 2022 Wisconsin, Door County Pulse

...  It’s been six years since deer tagging and in-person deer registration were eliminated in Wisconsin. Today, 37 other states require physical tagging of deer, so Wisconsin hunters were surprised when the state discontinued tagging and physical carcass registrations...

Northern hardwoods seedlings respond to a complex of environmental factors when deer herbivory is limited - 2023, Wisconsin, Forest Ecology and Management

... Deer had only minor impact on growth and survival of sugar maple and ash seedlings.  Seedlings responded primarily to light availability, soil N, and initial size.  Measures of root collar diameter:height detected some effect of deer herbivory...

Agricultural land use shapes dispersal in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - Movement Ecology, 2022

... Dispersal predominantly occurred in juvenile males, of which 64.2% dispersed, with dispersal events uncommon in other sex and age classes. Juvenile male dispersal probability was positively associated with the proportion of the natal range that was classified as agricultural land use, but only during the spring. Dispersal distances were typically short (median 5.77 km, range: 1.3–68.3 km), especially in the fall...

Wild Things: Updated Wolf Plan Expected Soon October 19, 2022 Wisconsin,  Door County Pulse

...  the DNR recently released its 2021-22 overwinter wolf-population estimate. The computer model – based on winter monitoring surveys covering more than 16,700 miles and involving DNR staff, tribal members and volunteers – estimated that there were likely somewhere between 812 and 1,193 wolves in 243 to 352 packs. A best estimate, according to the DNR, is that there were at least 972 wolves in 288 packs...

Don't Accidentally Shoot Elk Or Moose This Hunting Season October 14, 2022  OnFocus

...  elk were reintroduced within the state in 1995. Through DNR efforts to reestablish the species ... Currently, there are two herds containing a total of more than 450 elk in Wisconsin reintroduction areas: one in the north including Ashland, Bayfield, Price, Rusk and Sawyer counties, and one in the area surrounding Jackson County.., 

Anderson: Wolves survived Wisconsin’s hunt, which is a lesson to Minnesota October 7, 2022 Wisconsin, Minneapolis Star Tribune 

... wolves returned to Wisconsin in the mid-1970s, they were listed as a state endangered species... By 1999 the Wisconsin wolf population was 197, and a state management plan that year set a goal of 350 wolves.  Before last year's hunt, the Wisconsin DNR estimated the state held 1,100 wolves ...

Deer herd status ahead of gun season: Wisconsin DNR gives report October 6, 2022 WEAREGREENBAY

...“The deer population is pretty stable to growing. That’s probably driven by the fact the winters have been pretty mild the past couple of years. That allows for pretty good reproduction during the spring,” said Jeff Pritzl, WI DNR State Deer Program Specialist..,

Deer at Vernon County deer farm tests positive for CWD October 5, 2022 Wisconsin, La Crosse-Eau Claire WEAU 

... a buck tested positive for CWD ... The single-acre farm has been placed under quarantine, meaning no live animals or whole carcasses can leave the property ...

DNR: Wisconsin wolf population likely now 972 animals September 30, 2022 wxow.com

... Department of Natural Resources officials released their latest population estimates at the agency's board meeting on Wednesday. They said they estimate between 812 and 1,193 wolves currently roam the state, with 972 likely the best estimate... Wisconsin's current wolf management plan, which dates back to 1999, calls for capping the population at 350 wolves..,

Hunters: Follow Baiting And Feeding Bans; Properly Dispose Of Carcasses September 19, 2022 Wisconsin , DNR News

... to help prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD)   ... Placing bait to hunt deer or feeding deer for viewing is banned by state law in certain counties due to the presence of CWD. In counties where CWD has not been found, hunters and other wildlife enthusiasts can still choose not to bait or feed deer and help reduce the risk of CWD transmission. You can easily check county baiting and feeding bans on the DNR website ...

Operation Deer Watch tracks white-tailed population across state September 6, 2022  WLUK - Fox 11

...  During a two-month window, people are asked to help by looking for bucks, does and fawns and sharing the information online with the department.  "The fawn-to-doe ratios are what they're collecting with this Operation Deer Watch...

Taylor County Deer Farm Depopulated After CWD Detection August 25, 2022  State of Wisconsin, Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection

... The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) confirms that a Taylor County deer farm that tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD​) has been depopulated. Of the 238 animals tested as a result of the depopulation, 61 were positive for the disease.  In 2021, a 6-year-old white-tailed doe tested positive for CWD at the 22-acre farm..,

Deer Czar fails to assess impacts of his 2012 report  August 17, 2022 Wisconsin, Watertown Daily Times

... Page 56 in the Wisconsin Deer Trustee and Review Committee’s final report of June 2012. It reads: “We believe it is time to consider a more passive approach to CWD. … We feel that time is NOW!”  But yes, the report also recommended the DNR try to contain CWD by attacking each “spark” as if it’s a wildfire...

Waukesha Co. Deer Farm Depopulated After CWD August 16, 2022 Wisconsin, 715Newsroom.com

... The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) confirms that a Waukesha County deer farm that tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD) earlier this year has been depopulated. Of the 20 animals depopulated, eight tested positive for the disease...

No, Not Every Big Buck is Poached or a "High-Fence" Deer August 2, 2022 Wide Open Spaces

... It's bad enough escapees from these operations often spread diseases to the wild deer population. Wisconsin is now so inundated with CWD that I doubt it'll ever fully recover, all because of a few careless high fence ranches...

Maple Hill Farms deer herd depopulated due to chronic wasting disease  August 4, 2022 Wisconsin, Yahoo

... The herd of 301 white-tailed deer was eliminated last week at a northern Wisconsin farm where chronic wasting disease had been detected ... would not receive compensation for the fawns...many of the adult deer would be valued at less than $1,000 each...

Help benefit Wisconsin wildlife by completing citizen-science surveys for deer & birds August 2, 2022 WisPolitics.com

... The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is seeking the public’s help in collecting crucial deer and game bird management data.  Starting Aug. 1, the DNR will begin conducting the Operation Deer Watch Survey ...

More than 300 deer will be killed at a Wisconsin farm found to have chronic wasting disease July 23, 2022 YAHOO!News

... The largest depopulation of a deer farm in Wisconsin history is scheduled to take place this month at a Taylor County facility ... chronic wasting disease was discovered at the facility, Maple Hill Farms near Gilman, in August 2021..,

Wisconsin limits doe tags in northern counties as hunters raise fears of overharvesting on public lands June 23, 2022 Wisconsin Public Radio 

... Several hunters told the board Bayfield County has been issuing excessive tags on public land over fears that deer are causing too much damage to the forest... In the last five years, state data show the deer herd appears to be trending downward from a high of 33,100 in 2018 to 26,700 deer last year...

Langlade County deer farm depopulated after contracting deadly disease June 17, 2022 Wisconsin, We Are Green Bay

... The 6-acre farm had been under quarantine since CWD was detected in August of 2021, meaning no animals or carcasses were permitted off of the property... None of the remaining 47 deer at the property have tested positive ...

Antigo deer farm depopulated due to CWD; large Taylor County facility could be next May 27, 2022 Wisconsin, YAHOO!News

... Chronic wasting disease was discovered Aug. 13, 2021, at the facility when a 1-year-old doe tested positive for the fatal neurological disease. The farm had previously been placed under quarantine because it received a shipment of deer from a CWD-positive facility.  Indemnity payment to Van Ooyen will be made from federal funds ..,

White-tailed deer at Walworth County farm tests positive for chronic waste disease May 19, 2022 Wisconin, Chippewa.com

... The farm and its herd are under quarantine ...

Learning How Chronic Wasting Disease is Affecting Deer in Wisconsin April 29, 2022 Southwest Wisconsin CWD, Deer and Predator Study

...  staff evaluated 433 deer mortalities, and 141 deer were sent to the lab for a full necropsy ... Of all deer necropsied, 42% were CWD-positive ...  those with end-stage CWD infections. “You could see their bones jut out, especially around the ribs and hip. They lost muscle too ..,

CWD affecting more animals within the state April 13, 2022 Wisconsin,  Williston Herald

... In Wisconsin, CWD infects about 25-30% of the deer in its core management zone. In other areas, percentages of infected animals range from 0-30% in deer and wild elk. The number of animals diagnosed with CWD has steadily increased in recent years. It has also been found in numerous new locations where the disease was not previously detected...

Help Shape Deer Hunting In Wisconsin April 7, 2022, DNR News

... The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is seeking public comments on the county-level antlerless harvest quotas and other key parts of the 2022 deer hunt.  The DNR welcomes comments from anyone interested in helping shape local deer herd management preferences during the online comment period April 9-15... More information is available on the DNR’s County Deer Advisory Councils webpage...

Virtual Wisconsin spring conservation hearings run from April 11-14  April 2, 2022 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

.... Over the last decade the Department of Trade, Agriculture and Consumer Protection has allowed most CWD-positive deer farms in the state to stay open and in business.  .. A 2014 public attitudes survey conducted by the DNR found most Wisconsinites supported maintaining the population of wolves in the state at the time, about 700 wolves... 

Disturbing discovery of deer with arrow through head at Whitnall Park April 2, 2022 Wisconsin, CBS 5

... the Department of Natural Resources ... say the arrow came from a crossbow. They are aware of the specific doe and are monitoring the situation. They also confirm they've received reports of illegal hunting activity in Whitnall Park ...

DNR announces county deer advisory effort March 15, 2022 Wisconsin, HNG News

...  the first round of County Deer Advisory Council (CDAC) public meetings will take place March 21-31...

A Waukesha County deer farm is the latest facility to test positive, continuing a frightening trend in Wisconsin  February 19, 2022 Wisconsin, Yahoo! Sports

... Two ... 3-year-old bucks ... The facility ... has 11 whitetails and five elk on its 9-acre property... Wisconsin has 301 registered deer farms and 37 are CWD-positive ... Wisconsin has 301 registered deer farms and 37 are CWD-positive ..,

Minnesota DNR wants tighter regs on deer farms to combat CWD February 11, 2022 Markets

...  Recommendations are:  Faster fence repair, Tighter accounting, No imported deer, Faster detection, Faster depopulation of CWD herds ... In its first joint chronic wasting disease report to state lawmakers ...

Turn Your Property Into A Deer Destination February 7, 2022 Wisconsin, DNR News

... Attend DNR Virtual Open House Feb. 16 To Learn About The Deer Management Assistance Program, Apply By March 1 ... Join DNR staff and current Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) members via Zoom at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 16. Be sure to pre-register to reserve your spot... DMAP is a cooperative effort between the DNR, landowners and hunters to provide habitat and deer herd management assistance to those interested in managing their property for wildlife...

Deer built to survive winter months February 2, 2022 Wisconsin, Winona Daily News

... “The most critical month is March. If it has been a winter that has been severe, they (deer) are going to have used up their body reserves (to get that far),” Pritzl said. “Deer have the ability to reduce their metabolism and rely on fat reserves. They will work off of their fat reserves as needed. Every time we get a cold snap it dips into that reserve a little bit.” ...

Wisconsin DNR paid more than $1 million for wildlife damage to crops January 27, 2022 baldwin-bulletin.com

... The majority of the claims, more than $760,000, were attributed to deer....  Most claims are requests from farmers for a reimbursement of damages to crops...

CWD, Wisconsin Lawmakers should end their frolic with 'Hunter Nation' January 19, 2022 Watertown Daily Times

... As of Jan.15, Wisconsin has confirmed 9,450 CWD cases since discovering the disease in three deer shot west of Madison in November 2001. The DNR has documented 1,283 cases statewide so far this year after testing 16,165 samples. That’s 8% of all tests, which is similar to 2020’s rate...

Wisconsin Elk January 12, 2022 DNR News

     Once eliminated from the state through overhunting, Wisconsin now boasts a healthy, growing elk population thanks to two restoration efforts that began in 1995 and concluded in 2019... From 2017-2019, 91 elk from Kentucky were released to bolster the Clam Lake elk herd population, which has grown to an estimated 330 animals. Additionally, 73 elk were reintroduced to the 252-square-mile Black River Elk Range from 2015-2016, and the population today is estimated at 115 animals, bringing the statewide total population estimate to 445 elk..,

DNR Confirms CWD In Wild Deer Harvested In Oconto County January 11, 2022 Wisconsin, DNR News

... The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) confirms a wild deer tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in the Town of Underhill in Oconto County. The deer was a one-year-old hunter-harvested buck taken during the 2021 gun deer season. This is the first confirmed wild positive case of CWD in Oconto County..,

Other states found success with wildlife bridges, so where are Wisconsin’s? December 31, 2021 Hometown News Group News

... Deer cause more than 16,000 car crashes in Wisconsin every year, leading to millions of dollars in damage, and even a few lives lost. Yet the state has no wildlife crossing structures big enough for deer, which are effective in other states...

Fond du Lac family saves deer trapped on icy pond December 27, 2021 Wisconsin, WBAY

... A young deer that was stuck on the ice for so long it could barely walk made it back to the woods ...

CWD found for first time in Vilas County wild deer December 17, 2021 Wisconsin, WDIO

... Chronic wasting disease has been found in a wild deer in Vilas County, Wisconsin, for the first time...  a deer in the Town of Lincoln...

Dept. of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection: Portage County deer farm tests positive for CWD December 17, 2021 Wisconsin,  Wispolitics.com

...The 200-acre farm and its herd of approximately 370 deer are under quarantine ...

Local deer hunt numbers down, number of hunters continues to decline December 14, 2021 Wisconsin, riverfallsjournal.com

... year-to-date sales for all deer licenses are down 1.5% from the same time last year... the deer herd population, according to the DNR’s post hunt research, remains relatively consistent locally...

Wisconsin DNR bans feeding deer in Eau Claire, Jackson, Clark counties December 14, 2021 News8000.com

...  a deer tested positive for chronic wasting disease in Eau Claire County.  The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources notified the public that a farm-raised deer in the Town of Fairchild in Eau Claire County within 10 miles of the borders with Clark and Jackson counties had the disease...

Wisconsin's fall wolf hunt is on hold. Several lawsuits could affect whether it moves forward. December 6, 2021 Wisconsin Public Radio 

... on hold since a Dane County judge issued a temporary injunction in October ... a coalition of wildlife advocacy and animal protection groups filed a lawsuit ...  the population had grown to around 1,100 wolves prior to the February hunt ..,

Wisconsin's nine-day gun deer harvest is down 8% from last year  November 30, 2021 YAHOO!News

...Hunters registered 175,667 white-tailed deer during the 2021 Wisconsin nine-day gun deer season, a decrease of 8% from the previous year and 9% below the five-year average ...

Experts researching solutions for disposal of CWD-infected deer November 28, 2021 Wisconsin,  Stevens Point News

... Currently, incineration or landfills are the preferred disposal of infected deer, but ... is not efficient or economical... “If successful, this composting method captures the infection, destroys it and reduces the large volume of biomass that needs to be treated.” ...

Watch now: No bucks but woods were alive on the opener of Wisconsin's traditional gun-deer season November 21, 2021 Madison.com

... “There’s still a lot of deer up north, but it’s not what it used to be in the good old days. And that mostly relates to the general age of the forest. The forest had been logged off heavily and as that forest was regrowing, the young forests supported a lot of deer,” Pritzl said...

Northwestern Wisconsin deer forecast holds steady November 18, 2021, Duluth News Tribune

... Northwestern Wisconsin’s whitetail deer population should be about the same as last year, or maybe even a little larger ... Greg Kessler, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist stationed in Brule, said a mild winter allowed more deer to thrive, including more does that had more fawns...

Deer numbers up ahead of Wisconsin’s gun deer season November 18, 2021 MSN.com 

... After a three-percent bump in license sales last year, attributed to the pandemic, Pritzl says sales this year are about one-percent off that pace...  our deer numbers coming out of last year are trending upward due to the mild winter we had last year across the state and our harvest figures last year indicated population growth ...

As studies show SARS-CoV-2 in deer, Wisconsin plans to start testing by winter November 14, 2021 Wisconsin, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

... in work posted online Nov. 5, 36% of 360 wild deer in an Ohio study were positive for the virus ... There is no evidence animals, including deer, are playing a significant role in the spread of SARS-CoV-2 to people, according to APHIS officials...

Signs point to positive forecast for Wisconsin's gun deer hunting season November 14, 2021 Wisconsin, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

... In 2020, 876,000 people took part in deer hunting ... The agency estimates deer populations have increased over the last year in each of the state's geographical regions... the County Deer Advisory Councils throughout Wisconsin voted to allow antlerless deer permits in all counties...

Deer Farm tests positive for CWD in Eau Claire County November 9, 2021 Wisconsin, WFRV Local 5

... The 3-year-old white-tailed deer came from an Eau Claire County hunt ranch. The herd of about 15 deer is currently under quarantine ...

CWD, ‘It’s an emotional issue’: Inside the fight over deer farming and Northland hunting  Wisconsin, November 2, 2021   KBJR 6

... "Deer farmers across the board are so sick and tired of hearing about CWD," ... "I'll usually show the hunter a trail camera pic of the deer," said Holst. "The best looking, biggest deer has the highest price tag, and we start at $3,000 and go up to $10,000."...

CWD in Fond du Lac County deer, DNR confirms   October 29, 2021 FOX6 News Milwaukee

...  a wild deer tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in the town of Eldorado in north-central Fond du Lac County, within 10 miles of the Winnebago County border...

Conservation Fund to preserve 70,000 acres of northern Wisconsin forest October 20, 2021 Wisconsin, Madison.com

... A land conservancy organization has purchased about 70,000 acres of northern Wisconsin forestland in hopes of preserving it for public use and logging... provides habitat for species including the American marten and spruce grouse, as well as black bear, wolves, deer, bald eagles ...

Kind, Thompson Introduce Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act October 20, 2021 Wisconsin, Chippewa Herald

... The Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act will support state and tribal efforts to develop and implement management strategies as well as fund research into methods to better detect and prevent CWD...

Wisconsin deer fall victim to epizootic hemorrhagic disease October 18, 2021 Wisconsin, Madison.com

... The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reported Oct. 11 that confirmed cases were discovered in Houston and Winona counties. Later in the week, Wisconsin DNR confirmed a case in Juneau County and a third La Crosse County case in the town of Medary....

CWD review committee's work will go for naught October 7, 2021 Wisconsin wdtimes.com

...  the DNR has found CWD in wild deer in 34 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties. In 2020 alone the DNR found CWD in 1,578 of 18,892 (8%) deer tested, including 1,579 of 9,375 (17%) samples from Wisconsin’s southern farmlands... No other state or Canadian province has documented similarly dismal data...

 Understanding environmental patterns of canid predation on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)  Canadian Journal of Zoology, 2021

...  We studied where gray wolves ... and coyotes ... killed white-tailed deer ... in northern Wisconsin... We found no evidence that vegetative cover or human development affected predation risk; however, we did find that increasing snow depth resulted in increased relative predation risk. This finding is consistent with existing research on the influence of snow cover on white-tailed deer survival...

Hundreds of deer, wildlife could be killed at Sandhill Wildlife Area October 1, 2021 Wisconsin, La Crosse-Eau Claire WEAU

 ...“If CWD were to be found inside Sandhill now, we just know that it would change significantly the way that the public would be able to come in, the way we would be able to manage it,” Johansen explained.  This means that all of the wildlife will have to be killed or removed ...

Vilas County farm-raised deer tests positive for CWD  September 29, 2021 Wisconsin, Upper on MSN

... DATCP has quarantined the approximately 250 white-tailed deer at the 600-acre farm...

EHD, La Crosse County Deer Positive For Fatal Disease September 29, 2021 Wisconsin, Patch

... One deer tested positive for a fatal virus Tuesday after a landowner found eight dead deer ... epizootic hemorrhagic disease ...

La Crosse County deer tests positive for epizootic hemorrhagic disease September 28, 2021 Wisconsin, News 8000

... The DNR collected tissue samples after a landowner reported eight dead deer on a 200-acre property ...

Agriculture officials grappling with fate of CWD-positive deer farm in Taylor County September 25, 2021 Wisconsin, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

... The detection at Maple Hill Farms near Gilman, which sent hundreds of deer to 40 facilities in seven states in the last five years, has sent shock waves through the deer farming industry and agricultural agencies...

Farm-raised deer tests positive for CWD, baiting & feeding ban in effect for 2 N.E. WI counties beginning Oct. 1 September 25, Wisconsin, We Are Green Bay

... A new baiting and feeding ban is in effect for Outagamie and Calumet Counties beginning October 1, after a farm-raised deer tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD)...

Follow up: DNR establishes CWD testing plan for Green Lake County September 7, 2021 Wisconsin, Ripon Commonwealth Press

... “Within a 10 mile radius of that positive case, we're going to try and collect 300 samples,” DNR Wildlife Biologist James Christopoulos said. “That should give us a 95% confidence interval of detecting the disease if it's present in at least 1% of deer.” ...

Outagamie Co. deer farm tests positive for CWD September 2, 2021 Wisconsin, We Are Green Bay

... The herd consisting of around 30 deer will remain under quarantine while an epidemiological investigation is conducted...

Langlade County deer farm tests positive for CWD September 1, 2021 Wisconsin, WSAW

... a 1-year-old doe was confirmed by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa. All 57 deer at the 6-acre farm were already under quarantine after receiving animals from a CWD affected farm...  

DNR To Host Public Meeting On Green Lake County CWD Response Plan August 21, 2021 Wisconsin, DNR News

... in June, a 2-year-old buck tested positive for CWD in Brooklyn Township. To better understand the frequency and distribution of the disease in Green Lake County, the DNR will be sampling additional deer in the area ...

Manitowoc looks at results of 15 years of city deer hunting August 19, 2021 Wisconsin, WBAY

... “We average 45 to 50 a year in the city. That’s pretty consistent from year to year, and that was pre-bow hunt and after the bow hunt.” Lt. Schroeder, who oversees the city hunt, says ... accidents involving deer have remained stable ...

The Michael Phelps of deer: 12-point buck spotted swimming miles between Apostle Islands in Lake Superior August 18, 2021 Wisconsin, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

... estimated to be a 12-point buck was swimming hundreds of yard offshore, making its way to Michigan Island more than three miles away...  a couple people were sitting on a dock.    “They said, “Oh yeah, the animals do this all the time,’ ” ...

Snapshot Wisconsin: networking community scientists and remote sensing to improve ecological monitoring and management  2021.  Ecological Applications

... Biological data collection is entering a new era. Community science, satellite remote sensing (SRS), and local forms of remote sensing (e.g., camera traps and acoustic recordings), have enabled biological data to be collected at unprecedented spatial and temporal scales and resolution. There is growing interest in developing observation ... Snapshot Wisconsin demonstrates that expansive observation networks can be tractably managed by agencies to support decision making ...

 Chronic Wasting Disease found in deer at Sauk, Taylor Co. farms August 11, 2021 Wisconsin, NBC15 

...The Sauk Co. case was traced back to a single-acre fenced farm, while the other deer had lived among 200 other deer at a 22-acre farm in Taylor Co.,.. 

The 2020 Data Are Now Available on the Data Dashboard July 8, 2021 Wisconsin DNR

... Snapshot’s Data Dashboard is a data visualization tool that lets the public interact with the data collected from over 2,000 trail cameras spread across the state. The Data Dashboard first was made available to the public in October 2020 and showcased the data of 18 species ...

Study says hunting, poaching reduce Wisconsin wolf numbers July 6, 2021 Wisconsin, Madison.com

... Based on population models ... environmental scientists ...  say the deaths reduced the statewide wolf total to between 695 and 751, down from at least 1,034 in spring 2020... an associate professor of wildlife ecology at Utah State University, questioned the methods ..,

 Incredible moment hero deer saves rabbit from being torn apart by hawk before stamping bird to death July 7, 2021 Wisconsin, The Sun

... caught on CCTV of the exact moment that the bird of prey swooped down on the bunny... A deer then suddenly appears and runs straight at the hawk, kicking at it with its hooves. ...

Evers' DNR destroying young deer in name of COVID July 2, 2021 Wisconsin, Empower Wisconsin

...The Department of Natural Resources rolled out stringent protocols for wildlife rehabilitation centers just days before the late spring birthing season. That left most rehab facilities unable to meet the COVID-19 biohazard requirements in time to take in injured and orphaned fawn. So, many young deer have had to be destroyed...

Policy board repeats its Wisconsin deer quota fiasco July 1, 2021 Wisconsin, Watertown Daily Times

.. Kazmierski again accused the CDACs of caving into foresters’ complaints of deer overabundance in many areas ... Secretary Cole angrily asked Kazmierski: “How many times do we need to explain as an organization that unless you put a fence around it and keep deer out, you will have browsing? ...

Know What To Do If You Find A Fawn This Summer June 29, 2021 Wisconsin, DNR News

... Holding any wild animal, including a fawn, for more than 24 hours is illegal in Wisconsin and can result in a citation with a monetary fine. The 24-hour grace period is allowed for transporting an injured or sick animal to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator without delay...

Wolf Harvest Advisory Committee Meeting June 22, June 21, 2021 Wisconsin DNR

... Using the scaled occupancy model, the DNR estimates the overwinter pre-hunt 2020-21 wolf abundance to be 1,136 wolves. There is a 95% chance that the population falls in the range of 944 to 1,377 animals, with the most likely population in the middle of that range. The results from this winter’s wolf survey and monitoring efforts indicate the population remained generally stable from the previous year..,

DNR confirms CWD in Green Lake County deer, new ban in effect June 19, 2021, Wisconsin, NBC15

... This is the first wild deer that has tested positive in the county, and its location is within ten miles of Fond du Lac, Winnebago and Waushara counties, according to the DNR.  State law requires the DNR to enact a ban on feeding and baiting ...

     CWD positive deer in Green Lake Co., Winnebago Co. under a feeding & baiting ban June 18, 2021 Wisconsin, We Are Green Bay

... The deer was found in the Town of Brooklyn in early May 2021 and is the first deer to test positive for CWD in Green Lake County ... 

2020 Wisconsin CWD numbers June 5, 2021 Osceola Sun

... Almost 19,000 deer were tested for CWD in Wisconsin over the course of 2020. There were 1,578 CWD positive results. The southern farmland zone made up almost half of the sample size, with over 9,000 deer tested. But, they made up 98 percent of positive cases. Of the 1,578 CWD positive deer tested, 1,549 were from the southern farmland zone..,

White-tailed deer and rare newborn triplet fawns captured on video in Milwaukee by Urban Ecology Center May 14, 2021 Wisconsin, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

...Researchers in a white-tailed deer reproduction study in northern Illinois ... Of the adult does that were pregnant, 77% had twins, 12% had singles, 9% had triplets and 1% had quadruplets. One case (less than 1%) of quintuplets was also observed...

Some wildlife rehabilitation centers struggle to meet new DNR biosecurity requirements May 11, 2021 Wisconsin, WBAY

... a study in a laboratory setting found deer can get COVID and spread it from one another, hence the new changes... Some of the requirements include needing respirators or multi-mask systems for rehabbers .... simply can’t accommodate or afford...

Killing white deer approved in DNR Spring Hearings April 20, 2021 Pennsylvania, WXOW

...  in the DNR Spring Hearings ... Participants voted overwhelmingly to allow hunters to harvest white deer ...

Vote this week to protect Wisconsin's white deer April 14, 2021 Madison.com

... From April 12 at 7 p.m. until April 15 at 7 p.m., any person, any age, in Wisconsin or anywhere in the world can vote on Wisconsin wildlife issues, including a white deer hunt. It is question #14 on the Conservation Congress section of this questionnaire...

Former judge can avoid conviction for illegal deer shining, but gives up rifle, this year's hunting privileges and $544.50 April 13, 2021 Wisconsin, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

... a circuit judge until his retirement last week, had been challenging how a DNR warden gathered evidence in the case, which also led to a pair of citations in addition to the misdemeanor shining charge...

Should white deer be hunted? Mercer author and photographer say no April 12, 2021 Wisconsin,  WJFW

...Ghosts of the Forest." That's the title of the book ... "The usual notion is that albino deer has to have pink eyes," said Bates." "But that's not the case."  The albino deer on the front of the book has bluish-grey eyes...

Help Shape Deer Hunting In Wisconsin April 7, 2021 Wisconsin, DNR News

... Anyone interested in helping shape local deer herd management preferences can submit comments online April 12-25. The online input tool for public comment will be available on April 12 on the DNR's CDAC webpage...

Wisconsin deer councils to draft recommendations March 20, 2021 Iron Mountain Daily News

... County Deer Advisory Councils in Wisconsin will meet virtually beginning Monday to discuss the upcoming deer seasons.  Every county in Wisconsin has its own CDAC ...

Burnett County Deer Herd depopulated due to CWD March 18, 2021 Wisconsin, 

Osceola Sun

... a white-tail deer herd at a Burnett County breeding farm that tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in 2020 was depopulated on March 3, 2021. None of the remaining 14 deer tested positive for the disease...

  Madison, McFarland fire departments rescue deer that fell through ice on Lake Waubesa March 15, 2021 Wisconsin, Madison.com

...  saw four deer trotting along the ice, but two of them broke through. One of them was able to get back up, but the other was stuck ... tied the deer’s front hooves together and back hooves together ... People were just elated...

How have the deer been impacted this winter? DNR uses metric to help track population March 19 2021 Wisconsin, We Are Green Bay

... “We do expect the deer out there to generally be in good shape.” ... all signs pointing to this winter finishing in the mild category. A mild winter doesn’t bring much over winter mortality..,

Jeff Pritzl Named DNR's New Deer Program Specialist March 5, 2021 Wisconsin, Door County Pulse

...  If we focus less on statistics and more on story, Wisconsin deer hunters still have a lot to look forward to in 2021.”  Pritzl said that without a doubt, the two biggest changes have been hunters shifting to more stationary hunting strategies and spreading their hunting effort out over a broader part of the calendar...

Wisconsin hunters kill over 200 wolves in less than 3 days after removal from Endangered Species Act  March 3, 2021 Wisconsin, Chicago Tribune

... At least 216 wolves were killed in less than 60 hours, exceeding the state quota of 119 ... “These animals were killed using packs of dogs, snares and leg-hold traps,” ..,

Wolves in the UP February 27, 2021 Wisconsin, Escanaba Daily Press

... Wisconsin’s data shows that wolves are responsible for more than 31% of deer killed in 17 northern counties. Also, they kill more than gun-deer hunters in the four-county area of Iron, Ashlund, Douglas and Forest...

Improve Habitat For Wildlife By Enrolling In DMAP Today February 25, 2021 Wisconsin DNR

... Landowners interested in wildlife management, whether for deer or other wildlife, can apply to join the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) to receive resources, participate in workshops and gain access to a community of like-minded landowners around the state. Visit the DNR website to learn more about DMAP...

Wisconsin wolf harvest 82% higher than goal February 26, 2021 YAHOO!News

... That total harvest during the court-ordered wolf season means hunters and trappers killed nearly 20% of the state's estimated total wolf population of 1,100 in less than 72 hours..,

Landowners: Enroll In DMAP By March 1 February 20, 2021 Wisconsin

... Landowners who enroll in the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) receive a wealth of resources to improve habitat for deer and other wildlife on their properties...

Judge orders Wisconsin DNR to hold immediate wolf hunt February 12, 2021 Wisconsin Winona Daily News

... U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service removed gray wolves from the endangered species ... DNR’s policy board voted 4-3 last month against opening the season in February amid concerns that the department had not consulted tribal nations as required by treaties and did not have time to set quotas...

Wisconsin's wolf woes pale compared to deer dramas February 11, 2021 Wisconsin,

Watertown Daily Times

... Kroll wrote his recommendations for Wisconsin deer hunting in 2012, but Kaz then ignored public input for implementing Kroll’s plan, and installed his own do-little or do-nothing tactics. And since implementing the Kaz Plan in 2014, Kaz and his NRB accomplices have blocked all efforts to manage the herd and stymie chronic wasting disease...

Chronic Wasting Disease in tri-state deer populations on the rise February 8, 2021 Wisconcin, KFGO News

... In the southern part of Wisconsin, 50% of Bucks and 30% of does have the disease.  Imagine looking at a field of 30 deer and half of them are sick ...

DNR Reconsiders, Suggests Split of Door Deer-Management Units February 5, 2021 Wisconsin, Door County Pulse

... Wisconsin Conservation Congress Door County Chair David Tupa ... believes a rapid decline in the Northern Door deer population began with too many years of earn-a-buck hunts between 2004 and 2008 and continued after the local CDAC voted to give more free antlerless tags than anywhere else in the state ...

Virtual program explores how to turn property into deer destination February 3, 2021 Wisconsin, Ashland Daily Press

... Participants can join DNR staff and current Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) members at the virtual open house on Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. via Zoom...

Researchers use car collisions with deer to study mysterious animal-population phenomena January 27, 2021 Wisconsin, Science Daily

... The researchers found weather patterns driven by El Nino influenced predictable fluctuations in deer populations across the state as well as synchrony between different deer populations...  three-to-seven-year weather fluctuation directly influenced synchronous population cycles in the state's deer...

DNR Bans Deer Baiting and Feeding in Juneau and Adams Due to CWD January 26, 2021 Wisconsin, HNGnews.com

... The positive test came from an adult buck that was shot in southern Wood County during the 2020 gun deer season ... 

DNR Confirms CWD In Wood County Wild Deer; Renews Baiting And Feeding Bans January 21, 2021 Wisconsin, DNR News

... the first wild deer has tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in southern Wood County in the Town of Port Edwards, within ten miles of Juneau and Adams counties. As required by state law, the DNR will renew the baiting and feeding bans in Wood, Juneau and Adams counties..,

DNR Confirms CWD Detected In Shawano County January 12, 2021 Wisconsin, DNR

... The CWD-positive deer was an adult doe harvested during the 2020 gun deer season and was tested as part of the department's disease surveillance efforts. This is the first wild deer detection in Shawano County..,

     For first time, CWD detected in Wisconsin’s Shawano County January 12, 2021 Outdoor News

...  a wild deer tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in the Town of Germania in southwestern Shawano County ... The CWD-positive deer was an adult doe harvested during the 2020 gun deer season ...

Take Five Minutes To Make Your Voice Heard On The Future Of Deer Hunting In Wisconsin January 5, 2021 DNR News

... Every three years, Wisconsinites like you have the chance to weigh in on what the future of deer hunting will look like in your county. Between now and Jan. 13, let us know your thoughts on proposed herd-size objectives in your county... Provide feedback on the DNR webpage here.

Elk Management Plan Open For Public Comment January 5, 2021 DNR News

... Once widespread here and across North America, elk were eliminated from Wisconsin in the 1880s due to unregulated hunting and habitat loss... From a population of 25 elk reintroduced in 1995, and with the help of a second reintroduction effort that started in 2015, the state's total elk population is quickly approaching 400 animals providing significant viewing and hunting interest in the state..,

Comment now on proposed Douglas County deer unit split January 5, 2021,

Duluth News Tribune

... A proposal to split Douglas County from one deer management unit into three units ... Comments will be accepted until Jan. 13. Go to dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Hunt/cdac and click on Douglas County to comment...

'Maintain' Sawyer deer population, committee advises December 27, 2020, Wisconsin, Ashland Daily Press

   ... concerned about deer numbers in the forested areas of the county ... “The habitat up here has changed so dramatically in the last 50 years, where food coming in after timber cuts or burns is not good deer food. New species taking over the heavily-browsed areas are ironwood and blue beech, which don’t have a lot of nutrients for deer. We’re losing our shoots of maple and popple to these invasives.” ...

  Daring deer rescue: a hands on solution saves deer stranded on icy reservoir December 23, 2020 Wisconsin, Madison WMTV

... “I just kind of put my hands on her and started pushing her,” he said. “I could slide her across the ice and just kept going, and got to the shore and she took off.” ...

Chronic wasting disease has racked up another sad milestone in December, December 17, 2020 Wisconsin, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel 

... So far this year 17% of the samples submitted from the southern farmland district have been positive, up from 14% in 2019 and 12% in 2018 and 11% in 2017... increases of CWD-prevalence in all age classes and both genders of deer in specific study areas...

Baiting/feeding ban enacted after wild deer confirmed with chronic wasting disease December 15, 2020 Wisconsin, TMJ4

... Per state law, the DNR will now enact a two-year ban on baiting and feeding in nearby Ozaukee County effective Jan. 5, 2021 and renew a three-year baiting and feeding ban in Washington County...

Where are Wisconsin's Wildlife Overpasses? December 14, 2020 WXPR

... Other states like Florida, Colorado, California, and Wyoming are all reducing damage, injury and loss by investing in infrastructure to give wildlife safe passage across the highways we put there. So why not Wisconsin? I can only guess that it comes down to money...

What Happened to Wisconsin's Wolves? December 9, 2020 WXPR

... Wolves have been living in Wisconsin since the last Ice Age ... When Americans first started settling in Wisconsin there were anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 wolves in the region... in 1865 the legislature passed a bounty ... five dollars for each wolf killed. By 1900, no wolves remained in the southern part of the state ..,

Help Shape Deer Management In Wisconsin December 2, 2020 Urban Milwaukee

... Wisconsinites have two upcoming opportunities to weigh in on deer hunting across the state. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will host virtual public meetings in each county to discuss deer management Dec. 7-18 and a separate virtual public hearing Dec. 9 on the current white-tailed deer hunting season...

DNR: Nine-Day Deer Hunt Harvest Totals And License Sales Now Available December 1, 2020 Wisconsin, Wispolitics.com

... The year-to-date sales for all deer licenses are up 3.5% from the same time last year... Current deer harvest totals have surpassed the total deer harvested in 2019, but harvest trends lag behind 2018 ... A number of units in the northern forest zone ... experienced another year of declining buck harvest ...

Bullet hits Fond Du Lac County home after hunter fired at deer November 28, 2020 Wisconsin, Fox11online.com

... Sheriff's deputies and the Wisconsin DNR arrived to the area and came across a group of hunters that were actively hunting on state-owned public land which bordered the Springvale home...

Almost 100,000 deer harvested on opening weekend of gun-deer season November 24, 2020 Wisconsin, Green Bay-Appleton WBAY-TV

... The number of deer hunters grew from last year. Through midnight Saturday, 810,233 gun, bow, crossbow, sports and patron licenses were sold -- 3.2% more than last year. There were 559,591 licenses specifically for gun privileges..,

  Albino buck spotted in snowy Wisconsin backyard November 20, 2020 7News Miami

...  the creature is part of a protected class, and hunters are prohibited from shooting “albino and white deer ...

Help Shape Deer Season for Your Community November 17, 2020 Wisconsin, DNR News

... The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) invites hunters, farmers, foresters and anyone interested in the Wisconsin deer herd to attend upcoming County Deer Advisory Council (CDAC) meetings held virtually across the state Dec. 7-18.  Councils will meet via teleconference to review deer herd metrics and harvest data from the last three years and to provide a preliminary recommendation on the herd size objective for the next three years...

Wisconsin Deer:    Mild winters into 2022 have benefited deer survival while good hunting conditions contributed to the increased deer kill.  The 2022 Forecast.  The state deer metrics page shows an estimated 1,544,400 deer post hunt in 2021 down 0.85 percent from the estimated 1,611,000 deer post-hunt in 2020.    The 2021 Wisconsin Deer Forecast.  A stable to growing population in 2022.  A pre-hunt population estimate of 1.8 million in 2019 with a post-hunt population of 1,311,000. See the table below for the post-hunt population. The number of deer hunters increased by about 3.2 percent in 2020.  The 2020 forecast.   A mild 2020-21 winter reduced deer mortality, but the 2019-20 winter was severe in some northern most counties, reducing fawn survival, moderate to mild in much of the rest of the north.  

The decline in the 2019 deer harvest was partially attributed to a  late hunt start date, past the peak of the rut.  2019 Deer Forecast.  The 2019 license sales were down about 1.5% from 2018. The 2018-19 winter started mild then ended hard, but most of the northern deer survived. 

The deer population was estimated at 1,510,400 post-hunt in 2018 and 1,343,500 deer in 2016 [PDF] post-hunt.   About the same in 2017, up from the estimated 1,181,400, deer in 2015 post-hunt, up 8 percent from the 2014 population of 1,094,100.  The 2018-19 winter started mild then ended hard, but most of the northern deer survived.   2018 Deer Forecast.  License sales dropped by about 2.5% in 2018.  For 2018, most deer advisory councils asked for stable to increasing deer populations.  A tough late winter for 2017-18 likely reduced deer populations in parts of the north, but generally good conditions in the state for 2018.  

For the 2016 gun season, the deer kill was the lowest in 34 years and license sales the lowest in 40 years. An average of 25 deer per square mile, ranging from 3 to 58 per square mile.  In 2014 an estimated 1,182,000 white-tailed deer.  After three mild winters, the state increased the antlerless quota for 2017-18.  An enormous mast crop in 2017 also benefited the deer.  Deer hunting licenses fell by 5.8% from 1999 to 2017.  2017 Hunting Forecast.  An extremely mild winter in 2015-16 and a mild 2014-15 winter allowed a population increase, particularly in the west central agricultural regions and northwest. 

State Post-Hunt Population Estimates

Year   Population

2002    1,600,000

2007    1,230,100

2008    1,002,300

2009      987,300

2010     1,161,300

2011     1,150,900

2012     1,280,400

2013     1,125,900

2014    1,086,600

2015    1,181,400

2016    1,345,000

2017     1,377,100

2018     1,510,400

2019    1,311,100

2020    1,611,000

2021    1,544,400

From Wisconsin Deer Metrics for 2007 to 2020

Links to other sources by year 

The number of deer killed during the 2016 gun season was the lowest in 34 years, the numbers of licenses sold the lowest in 40 years.   In 2016 the number of antlerless tags increased by 14%, reflecting some recovery for the herd, but buck-only hunts for 10 northern counties.   2016 Forecast and 2015-17 population recommendations.  

Only 38.2 percent of the 2015 deer hunt were does, a low ratio designed to encourage deer growth.  The herd still recovering in the central forest.   For 2015 WDNR eliminated anterless tags in 12 units to increase the population. Although 2014-15 winter was mild, populations had not rebounded. In Sawyer County, 40% percent of deer tracked for a study died.  A total 612,377 licenses sold in 2015, up from 608,711 in 2014.  Only about 13 percent of the deer taken in 2015 were on public land.  

To help rebuild herds 19 counties, about the northern third of the state,  had no doe hunting in 2014.  The largest "no doe" zone in 20 years.  Fawn mortality was estimated at 43 percent.  Populations in the Central Forest and the Central and Southern Farm areas fared better.  Deer harvest down about 15.5 percent in 2014. The 2013-14 winter was the harshest since 1960.  State population estimates are based on the Sex-Age-Kill model.  

A pre-hunt deer deer population estimated at about 1.4 million in 2013, about 1.5 million in 2012  Long lasting winters in 2012-13 and 2013-14, the worst since 1960,  reduced populations.   A pre-hunt population estimate of 

An estimated 1.15 million deer after the 2011 hunting season and 1.16 million deer after 2010 hunting season.   An estimated 990,000 deer in January 2010, down significantly since 2000 based on legislated deer goals. Deer hunting was estimated to have $1.3 billion in economic impact on the state.  The 2009 pre-hunt population was estimated at 1.37 deer, with an over-winter population of 990,000. A pre-hunt population of 1.5 million in 2008.

An estimated 1.6 million deer in 2002.  Hunter success in 2000 was 76 percent, about 37 percent from 1966 to 2009; 40 percent in 2013, 31 percent in 2014.    A timeline history.

Deer management was reorganized along county boundaries in 2014, each county formed a County Deer Advisory Council (CDAC) of six to eight members.  The state instituted an earn-a-buck policy designed to increase the doe kill, but it was abolished in 2011 by the Legislature after a poor hunt in 2009.

There were 311 registered deer farms in 2020.  In 2019 about 384 deer farms.  In 2018 about 380, in early 2017 about 387 deer farms. In 2015 an estimated 458 deer farms.  

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) was first discovered in 2001 in the Town of Vermont in Dane County.  In 2002 the first case in a deer farm was reported in Walworth county and more than 40,000 deer were tested in the state.  In March of 2002 a deer was found in the wild that had escaped from an infected game farm.

Over 4,000 cases CWD cases reported through 2017.  In 2017, 60 deer from hunting ranches tested positive.  The first case of CWD in wild deer in Lincoln county was reported in January, 2018.  The first case in Eau Claire County in April, 2018.  About 50 percent of bucks were CWD-positive in parts of Iowa County.  One hundred deer suspected of having CWD were euthanized at a deer farm in 2018, more at other farms.  From 2013 to 2018, records show that 181 deer escaped from deer farms.  About 17,000 deer were tested in 2018, with 1,063 positives while the state debates responses.

In 2019, CWD was detected in  1,338 out of 19,348 deer sampled and an elk in a breeding farm.  That year the DNR shifted its focus from restrictions to research.  In 2019 the first wild deer tests positive for CWD in Sheboygan County.  Little progress in the legislature on CWD bills. In 2020, there are 311 registered deer farms or ranches in Wisconsin with 28 testing positive for CWD since 2001 and 405 case in the previous decade.  In 2020 the first case of CWD of a wild deer in Marathon County, a total of 1,578 positive cases out of about 19,000 tested.  By early 2021 in parts of southern Wisconsin 50% of bucks and 30% of does have the disease.  More cases in 2021.  As of Jan.15, 2022, Wisconsin confirmed 9,450 CWD cases in total.  By February, 2022, Wisconsin had 301 registered deer farms and 37 were CWD-positive.  In 2022, 300 deer were "depopulated" from one CWD-positive deer farm.  In fall 2022, 19% of 7,325 deer tested postive for CWD in Wisconsin’s southern farmlands.  More in 2023.

Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD)  A mild outbreak in 2019, another in 2021. Outbreaks in 2017 and 2012.

History:  In 1851, the state restricted deer hunting from Feb 1. to June 30, but Indians could hunt anytime.  In 1876, hunting with dogs was prohibited and in 1892 it was declared lawful to kill any dog running deer.  The first bag limit, two per season, was established in 1897.  In 1900 through 1942, only bucks were hunted.  To further protect the herd in 1925, the legislature closing deer seasons in alternate years, enforced through 1935.  A 1929 survey put the deer population at below 30,000.  A 1936 count found 34 deer per square mile in northwestern Wisconsin forests. 

The 1937 season was only three days.  The Conservation Commission closed deer season from 1938-1943, beginning a restocking effort with deer from Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and relocating some deer within the state.  Aldo leopold estimated the deer population at 500,000 in 1943, more history .

Graph Below:  Deer Population and Harvests Estimates (1960 to 2010).  Source Wisconsin DNR