By Gary F. Martin

When the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources tallied up the 2002 archery deer registration numbers, a dramatic drop from the harvest of 2001 was evident. Bowhunters killed 54,093 deer in 2002, compared to 83,120 in 2001, about 35 percent fewer deer. The kill has not been that low since the early 1990s and everyone wants to know why.

A lack of hunter participation, not a lack of deer, was suspected as the reason for the low 2002 harvest. Chronic wasting disease (CWD), discovered in Wisconsin early in 2002, may have kept archers out of their tree stands.

The DNR, in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Survey Center, surveyed 2,100 firearm deer hunters from around our state and found that CWD was just one reason hunters chose not to hunt in 2002. Only 22 percent of those surveyed who did not hunt claimed it was because of CWD and venison-safety concerns. The statewide ban on baiting was another suspected cause, but only 1 percent of the respondents listed the baiting ban as the most important reason they chose not to hunt in 2002. Of those hunters who chose not to hunt in 2002, 24 percent said they didn't hunt because of lack of time or other responsibilities.

The survey did not address bowhunting specifically, but since solid information about CWD was not readily available until late in the archery season, it's likely many bowhunters simply didn't participate until their fears about venison safety were allayed by the numerous public meetings held statewide in November 2002. Yet another contributing reason for dropping bow-kill numbers may be the increased focus on trophy hunting rather than meat hunting. Bonus tags and Zone T tags could be filled during any of the various firearms hunts, and archers may have just spent their time waiting for a trophy buck to come their way.

During the 2002 firearm deer season, hunters donated over 40,000 samples for CWD testing. Out of the 41,000 heads tested, only 207 tested positive for CWD, and 201 of those came from the 411-square-mile Intensive Harvest/Eradication Zone in Dane, Iowa and Sauk counties. The other six came from the surrounding CWD Management Zone. In other words, no deer tested positive outside of the CWD Management Area. Hunters in other areas of the state can relax to some degree. Of course, that doesn't mean that the disease will not be found elsewhere, just that it hasn't yet.

Photo by BillKinney.com

Bowhunters who normally sit over bait stations adapted by scouting for areas where deer tend to travel naturally and setting up their stands at trail crossings, ridge saddles and other locations where it was likely they would see deer. They went to the deer instead of trying to bring the deer to them with bait piles. In one archer's words, "It was the first time I actually hunted. I enjoyed it, and saw more deer than in other years."

Of the 54,093 deer killed by archers in 2002, 51,222 (95 percent) were taken during the early season, and antlered deer (29,317) accounted for over 54 percent of the statewide archery kill figure. At this writing, the 2002 archery kill figures by county are still incomplete, but the totals by deer management unit (DMU) are in. Seven DMUs saw over 1,000 deer registered in 2002. They are as follows: DMU 53, 1,089; DMU 59C, 1,121; DMU 61, 1,575; DMU 62B, 1,648; DMU 63A, 1,472; DMU 65B, 1,232; and DMU 69, 1,001. All of these DMUs are located in central Wisconsin and extend from the east side of the state to the west side. The percentage of antlered deer registered from these units was above the state average and spanned 56 to 66 percent of the kill. For comparison, there were 26 DMUs in 2001 in which bowhunters killed 1,000 or more white-tailed deer.

The next batch of DMUs, those that had 800 to 1,000 deer registered, include the following: DMU 59A, 811; DMU 59B, 819; DMU 62A, 889; DMU 63B, 805; DMU 64, 846; DMU 66, 835; DMU 67A, 886; DMU 70B CWD, 890; DMU 58, 898; and DMU 76A, 817. Interestingly, most of these units are located near the top seven units and support a conclusion that central Wisconsin is the best place for bowhunters to hunt. The antlered-kill percentage was 60 to 68 percent of the overall kill in these units.

By comparing the location of the above DMUs to Wisconsin's counties, the top west-central counties in Wisconsin last year were Dunn, Pepin, Buffalo, Chippewa, Eau Claire, Trempealeau, Clark and Jackson.

East-central Wisconsin also has a cluster of top DMUs covering part or all of the following counties: Waupaca, Shawano, Marathon, Portage, Oconto, Outagamie, Winnebago and Waushara.

There will be extended hunting seasons again this year, as the DNR estimates that 40 percent of the fall deer population was killed in the hunts, which ended in March in the Eradication Zone. Extended hunts will probably be available in all of the CWD DMUs again. As this is being prepared to go to press, the seasons have yet to be determined and the 2003 hunting regulations are not out.

Of course, when hunted intensely, deer become extremely wary, nocturnal and challenging to effectively hunt. While it may be difficult for some hunters to find anything good about CWD, additional hunting opportunity is one positive aspect. Extended seasons allow you to hunt somewhere you have never hunted before, without taking time away from your traditional hunting camp and area.

Two northeastern Wisconsin DMUs (40 and 45) are below the DNR's population density goal, but the remainder of the DMUs are above goal. The DMUs in this area are 40, 41, 45, 49A, 49B, 50, 51A and 51B. Overall, 2,601 deer were registered by archers, and 47 percent were antlered deer. Only DMUs 40, 45 and 51B saw more antlered deer registered than antlerless.

Longer hunting seasons and reduced deer populations to control CWD have been proposed for the areas where the disease is found, but more hunting opportunities may become available for bowhunters throughout Wisconsin as well. Most deer hunters support action rather than inaction regarding CWD, and it makes sense that if license sales drop, those who choose to hunt should be given more time and opportunity to do so. In addition, attempts to reduce the deer herd throughout the state must continue.

According to DNR officials, lowering the deer population in the CWD areas will help prevent the spread of the disease, which will hopefully lead to the eventual eradication of the problem. Scientists claim that CWD is transmissible between animals. Larger populations will have more animal contact and more animals disperse outward each year. This could spread the disease farther and farther if population controls are not implemented. The point here is to prevent the cycle of spreading the disease between sick and healthy animals, and to areas beyond the current CWD Management Zone.

The DNR's current proposals call for a zero overwinter population goal in CWD Eradication Zones; a less-than-10-deer-per-square-mile goal in an Intensive Harvest Zone immediately surrounding an Eradication Zone; and a 10-deer-per-square-mile goal in a CWD Herd Reduction Zone. This is a fluid situation and the zone boundaries may change as the result of CWD testing.

Earn-a-buck regulations would exist in CWD units until populations reached five deer per square mile in the Intensive Harvest Zone and 15 deer per square mile in the Herd Reduction Zone. When those goals are reached, the earn-a-buck requirement would be dropped.

Seasons in the CWD Intensive Harvest Zone would begin in late October and run continuously through Jan. 31. In areas outside of the Intensive Harvest Zone identified as the Herd Reduction Zone, there would be a four-day antlerless gun hunt in October, and the regular gun hunting season would run from the Saturday before Thanksgiving continuously through Jan. 3.

While many bowhunters who are also gun deer hunters may not think these proposals apply to their hunting area, the possibility exists for the discovery of CWD anywhere in Wisconsin. That would require the creation of a new CWD management zone with the same rules.

Feb. 28, 2003, marked the one-year anniversary of the discovery of chronic wasting disease in southern Wisconsin's wild deer population. The DNR released a new publication titled Chronic Wasting Disease Update and it's available on the department's Web site and at DNR Service Centers. This publication outlines, in timeline format, CWD actions taken to date and describes actions in progress that will ultimately lead to a long-term CWD management plan for the state.

Wisconsin deer hunters will likely see more informational meetings this year as the deer seasons near. Attending, and learning, is the best thing the ordinary hunter can do to help fight CWD and still enjoy hunting. A typical meeting will have several guest speakers to answer questions and take comments. Speakers might include DNR officials, scientists, veterinarians, meat processors and experts on safely field dressing your deer. You will leave these meetings armed with knowledge about CWD.

Sometimes when there are changes you don't like, you have to accept them and learn to adapt to them. Deer hunters who thought baiting was the only way to hunt learned last year that there are alternatives and that those alternatives are often more fun and productive.

Consult the General Hunting Regulations pamphlet before hunting, or for more information and current updates on CWD and Wisconsin's deer hunting seasons, log on to www.dnr.state.wi.us or visit a local DNR Service Center.