Wisconsin deer harvest down 29 percent

It wasn't a surprise, but the numbers still are eyebrow-raising: Hunters in Wisconsin's nine-day gun season killed 195,647 deer, a 29 percent decline from the 276,895 harvested last year.

The numbers are preliminary and based on deer registrations and included 86,251 bucks and 109,396 antlerless deer.

DNR wildlife officials said they anticipated the decline due to changes in season structure that significantly reduced the antlerless deer harvest. They also said there was lower fawn production and tough weather conditions.

These quotes are from a DNR news release:

"Deer populations are variable throughout the state," said Keith Warnke, DNR's big game biologist, "and we believe people when they say they did not see deer in their hunting area. We have also received reports from successful camps. As always, local populations make all the difference.

"Wildlife management and especially deer management is a process of continual adjustment. In response to hunter input we adjusted seasons this year to reflect lower populations across the north and central forests and suspended EAB in many areas."

"There are still days to hunt in 2009 in herd-control units where deer are above goal and in CWD units. The muzzleloader hunt is underway and the December antlerless hunt is around the corner."

Also, there were no firearms incidents among the 9,907 mentored hunting licenses purchased by 10- and 11-year-olds.

Wisconsin sold 638,040 gun licenses through the end of the season on Nov. 29, nearly the same as last year when 642,419 hunters hit the woods. Women bought 8.6 percent of all gun licenses sold, and 54,000 hunters age 65 and older bought licenses.

Ryan Bronson, well-known in Minnesota conservation circles as a former DNR hunter recruitment official and current conservation specialist with Federal Premium Ammunition, has been appointed to the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council.

Bronson, of Eagan, also formerly worked for the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association and the Minnesota House of Representatives Environment and Natural Resources Finance Committee.

This from a news release issued by the governor's office:

Bronson is a volunteer firearms safety hunter education instructor and a volunteer instructor with Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow. His memberships include the Association of Fish and Wildlife (associate member), Wildlife Management Institute, The Wildlife Society, Minnesota Deer Hunters Association, Minnesota Waterfowl Association, Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Ruffed Grouse Society, National Wild Turkey Federation, Safari Club International, Mule Deer Foundation, International Hunter Education Association, Congressional Sportsmans Foundation, and Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Alliance.

Bronson replaces Robert Schroeder as a public member on the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council to complete a four-year term that expires on January 7, 2013.