MADISON, Wis. (WXPR) — More deer will be open to hunters in northern Wisconsin this fall, under a plan approved unanimously Wednesday by the state Natural Resources Board, but the majority of bucks only counties are in the Northwoods. Ten counties will be off limits to female antlerless deer, down from 19 last fall. The so-called “buck only” zones were established in places where there were not enough females to maintain adequate deer herds. The D N R’s Bob Nack says the herd in the north is now growing after rough winters reduced their numbers in recent years. DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp says some hunters don’t trust some of the methods the DNR has used to determine deer numbers. Stepp says the sex- age-kill method is still favored by some, but she says that is changing. “The lack of public trust that keeps rearing its head for a long time now with the perceived focus on SAK. I can appreciate that. We are committing to work with other interested parties on other methods.” Oneida, Vilas, and Iron county will have a ‘bucks only’ gun deer season, with a ‘bucks only’ for all seasons in Forest county. For Langlade, Lincoln and Price counties, it’s a bucks only season with antlerless permits. The plan includes a nine-day “antlerless only” hunt between Christmas and New Year’s Day in 13 central and southern Wisconsin counties.
by Ken Krall, WXPR
