TOP COUNTIES
The counties with the highest number of kills in 2007 were Waupaca (4,976), Marathon (4,917), Shawano (4,440), Buffalo (3,198), Clark (3,072), Marinette (2,821), Polk (2,652), Jackson (2,590), Taylor (2,519) and Oneida (2,467). Except for Shawano, Waupaca and Polk counties, the percentage of bucks killed during the bow season varied between 32 and 38 percent. Of the top 10 counties, Shawano and Waupaca counties scored the lowest percentage of bow-killed bucks -- 23 and 26 percent, respectively -- and Polk County scored highest with 42 percent.

Of Wisconsin's 72 counties, the average buck harvest with a bow was 33 percent. Milwaukee County scored the highest percentage of bucks, 64 percent, but only 33 deer were taken with a bow. Only two other counties, Crawford and Sheboygan, recorded buck bow kills higher than 50 percent. Ten counties, Ashland, Monroe, Iron, Polk, Pierce, Adams, La Crosse, Forest, Sawyer and Barron scored between 40 and 44 percent.

Door, Shawano, Lafayette, Calumet and Brown counties scored lowest with percentages in the low 20s.

A SEVERE WINTER
When discussing the effect of winter weather on Wisconsin's deer herd, it's usually relevant only to the northern part of the state. Last winter, however, southern Wisconsin endured one for the record books. Normal seasonal snowfall ranges between 30 and 50 inches, but 99 inches was recorded in Milwaukee by mid-April, the snowiest winter since 1885. In Madison, it was the snowiest winter ever with 101 inches recorded by mid-April. Rock, Racine, Dodge, Washington and Jefferson counties also received more than 100 inches.

"During the late spring months, some dead deer were reported in the southernmost counties, but weather-related mortalities in the farmland regions aren't expected to have much impact on reducing the deer population," Warnke said.

To monitor winter weather conditions in northern Wisconsin, the DNR maintains a winter severity index. Developed in the 1970s, the WSI is calculated by adding the number of days with 18 inches or more snow on the ground to the number of days when minimum temperatures were 0 degrees Fahrenheit or below between Dec. 1 and April 30. Days when both conditions exist get two points. At the end of the winter, all points are added. A winter with an index of 50 points or less is considered mild, 50 to 79 is moderate, 80 to 99 is severe and over 100 is very severe.

Although last year's numbers aren't complete, most data indicates the very severe category.

"The effects of this past winter are going to have the greatest impact on the deer herd in the forested regions of north-central and northeast Wisconsin," Warnke said. "The availability of nutrient-rich food sources is less in this area and the winter severity was the greatest, which impacts deer mortality and recruitment of new fawns in the spring. Many deer management units in this area are already near overwintering goals, therefore, more northern DMUs will enforce a regular status with a bucks plus quota system that restricts antlerless harvest."

"The effects of this past winter are going to have the greatest impact on the deer herd in the forested regions of north-central and northeast Wisconsin."