Rancid Crabtree
09-25-2009, 08:58 PM
Part of the recommendations from the legislature after the Madison hearing on EAB was for the Dept. to utilize more car kill data as an indicator of population trends. When the gun buck harvest rates are high, so are the car kill numbers and so is the population as a whole. We all know that the gun buck harvest last year was the lowest since 1983. The WI car deer crash data by County came out today for 2009 (the fiscal year runs from June to July so 09 ended on June 30th) and low and behold, We hit deer in 2009 at about the same rate as we did back in 1983 (26 years ago) In fact, there has only been one year since 1983 that we hit fewer deer in WI and that was within only a few hundred of this year's total.
Statewide, the car deer crashes dropped another 11.2% from last year's drop. Since EAB kicked in 2004, the car deer crashes have dropped steadily.
2004: ......... 48,316
2005: ......... 41,687
2006: ......... 36,900
2007: .......... 35,685
2008: ......... 31,951
2009: ..........28,374
Since 2004, the gun buck harvest has dropped 22%. The car deer crashes in that same period have dropped 41%.
I looked at 2 of the counties that historically had some of the highest numbers in the state for car deer crashes over the years. Waupaca and Shawano County (62B) which was slated to be EAB again this year (before the EAB hearing) The Dept's estimates 62B is still 120% over goal at 55 deer per square mile of range. Here are the car kill numbers for Waupaca County.
2004: ....... 2,333
2005: ........1,701
2006: ........1,943
2007: .......1,335
2008: .......1,027
2009: .......905
Car kills have dropped 61% in that time and yet the Dept. says that in unit 62B, if half of the deer in that unit were killed today, they would still be 20% over goal. For Shawano County (the other half of 62B), the car deer crash results are the same.
2004: ......... 2,150
2009: ........... 970 ........ a 55% reduction.
Here are the gun harvest numbers for 62B
2004: 2,554 bucks ..........4,894 antlerless
2008: 2,003 bucks .........4,139 antlerless
That's a 22% reduction in buck harvest and with unlimited antlerless tags and EAB, a 15% reduction in antlerless harvest.
Nobody wants more car deer crashes but we do want accurate population estimates so that season structures can be set accordingly. My guess is that the residents of Waupaca County are shocked that they are 120% over goal with the deer numbers of today. Those residents include farmers of which there are only 2 enrolled in the crop damage program in Waupaca County while Shawano County only has 1 farmer enrolled. Clearly the population in 62B is way down, there is very little ag damage, a huge drop off in car kills and harvest and yet their 120% over goal. This is why hunters from Waupaca County went to Madison in April. I spoke with some of them. They said "Enough already with this EAB!" We don't have the deer the DNR thinks we do. STOP ALREADY!
To those that love EAB because of the older bucks EAB is credited for. That was never the reason for EAB and is not reason to continue with EAB. Let's get a better handle on the population estimate, the over winter goals increased, revise what is considered Deer range and then, let's talk about the need to reduce the deer herd. Not before.
Statewide, the car deer crashes dropped another 11.2% from last year's drop. Since EAB kicked in 2004, the car deer crashes have dropped steadily.
2004: ......... 48,316
2005: ......... 41,687
2006: ......... 36,900
2007: .......... 35,685
2008: ......... 31,951
2009: ..........28,374
Since 2004, the gun buck harvest has dropped 22%. The car deer crashes in that same period have dropped 41%.
I looked at 2 of the counties that historically had some of the highest numbers in the state for car deer crashes over the years. Waupaca and Shawano County (62B) which was slated to be EAB again this year (before the EAB hearing) The Dept's estimates 62B is still 120% over goal at 55 deer per square mile of range. Here are the car kill numbers for Waupaca County.
2004: ....... 2,333
2005: ........1,701
2006: ........1,943
2007: .......1,335
2008: .......1,027
2009: .......905
Car kills have dropped 61% in that time and yet the Dept. says that in unit 62B, if half of the deer in that unit were killed today, they would still be 20% over goal. For Shawano County (the other half of 62B), the car deer crash results are the same.
2004: ......... 2,150
2009: ........... 970 ........ a 55% reduction.
Here are the gun harvest numbers for 62B
2004: 2,554 bucks ..........4,894 antlerless
2008: 2,003 bucks .........4,139 antlerless
That's a 22% reduction in buck harvest and with unlimited antlerless tags and EAB, a 15% reduction in antlerless harvest.
Nobody wants more car deer crashes but we do want accurate population estimates so that season structures can be set accordingly. My guess is that the residents of Waupaca County are shocked that they are 120% over goal with the deer numbers of today. Those residents include farmers of which there are only 2 enrolled in the crop damage program in Waupaca County while Shawano County only has 1 farmer enrolled. Clearly the population in 62B is way down, there is very little ag damage, a huge drop off in car kills and harvest and yet their 120% over goal. This is why hunters from Waupaca County went to Madison in April. I spoke with some of them. They said "Enough already with this EAB!" We don't have the deer the DNR thinks we do. STOP ALREADY!
To those that love EAB because of the older bucks EAB is credited for. That was never the reason for EAB and is not reason to continue with EAB. Let's get a better handle on the population estimate, the over winter goals increased, revise what is considered Deer range and then, let's talk about the need to reduce the deer herd. Not before.