Photo by Mike Lambeth.

For Wisconsin's deer hunters, 2006 will not go down as a record year, but last year's deer-hunting season still was recorded as one of the state's best ever.

It is very clear that Wisconsin has plenty of deer and the deer numbers are liberally distributed around the Badger State's landscape. What remains to be seen is how the numbers will affect the quality of Wisconsin's deer herd this year and in years to come. During the nine-day gun hunt last season, 342,176 deer were harvested. Of those deer, 37 percent -- or 126,644 whitetails -- carried antlers. The total gun-kill, including muzzleloader hunting, was 393,063. Of the total gun kill, 64 percent had horns, up from 43 percent the year before.

Most deer hunters know these are tremendous numbers. To put it in perspective, in 1975, the total Wisconsin deer harvest was 131,000 animals. Ten years later in 1985, the harvest was 315,046 deer. As the annual harvest edges closer and closer to 400,000, no one can argue Wisconsin gun hunters enjoy above-average harvests. Missing the mark by less than 7,000 last year has many hunters expecting the 2007 gun deer season harvest to reach even closer to 400,000.

For a number of years now, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) has taken the stand that too many deer roam the Badger State landscape. As a result, the WDNR established a deer-management policy that calls for the reduction of the deer population whenever -- and wherever -- it stands over goal. Add in the deer management units (DMUs) where chronic wasting disease (CWD) prompts eradication hunts, and the result is increased deer-hunting opportunities for gun hunters of all kinds.

"Wisconsin deer hunters can look forward to terrific deer-hunting opportunity statewide again this fall," predicted Keith Warnke, head of the WDN's big-game program. "There was a strong deer population (remaining) after last fall's hunting season, and a very mild winter has left us with a herd that is quite a bit higher (in numbers) than it should be. A deer population properly managed through hunting balances hunter desires, societal demands and ecosystem conservation. Hunters (including gun and bow hunters) helped a lot last year by harvesting more than 500,000 deer. Thank you. A lot of people appreciate that."

But Warnke admitted moving the deer herd toward goal is difficult and will take several years of adjustments to the Wisconsin deer-hunting seasons to meet, including this season's framework: a 103-day bow season, a two-day youths-only gun hunt in early October, a regular nine-day gun season, a 10-day muzzleloader season and a four-day December antlerless-only gun hunt.

Furthermore, 35 DMUs are designated as "Earn a Buck" units. Hunters in these units are required to shoot an antlerless deer before they can legally take an antlered buck, and a one-buck limit is in place for all holders of both archery and gun licenses.

However, Warnke reminded Wisconsin deer hunters, EAB tags are good anywhere in the state. Following the taking of an antlerless deer in an EAB unit, the hunter can use the buck portion of that tag in any EAB unit including CWD units.

"And EAB stickers are not weapon-specific. A hunter can earn one with his bow, and use it with his or her gun tag," Warnke added.

And it doesn't stop there. If a hunter registered an antlerless deer last year, but did not take an antlered deer as well, in a unit that is EAB this year, he is pre-qualified to take an antlered deer this season. If that unit was not EAB last year, the WDNR will mail the hunter a tag in August for an antlered deer. If that unit was EAB last year, the same tag was issued at the registration station. If unused, the tag is valid this season. A hunter who lost this tag must again qualify for an antlered deer tag by first shooting another antlerless deer.

Meanwhile, most of those DMUs not among the EAB-designated units this year fall under "Herd Control" deer management and season structures. In these units, unlimited antlerless deer tags are available for $2 each. In addition, in just a few DMUs (mostly in northeast Wisconsin) where the populations are near goal, antlerless tags are limited and on sale for $12 each.