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Not everyone is unhappy with the Wisconsin deer herd

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has been called on the carpet lately over thesize of the deer herd in Wisconsin. Hunters charge the DNR overestimated the herd and implemented management programs which resulted hunt numbers down 22% last year. On Wednesday, the Assembly and Senate Natural Resources Committees heard from dozens of hunters who charge the agency withmismanagement of the herd. Abbotsford Republican Assemblyman Scott Suder, a long-time critic of the agency, grilled DNR Secretary Matt Franks on the science used in determining the size of the herd. “If, as you state, the science is good, why did you cancel Earn-A-Buck because it would seemto me if the science is bad, why haven’t you corrected the science?”

Sheboygan Republican Senator Joe Liebham charged the DNR with not listening to people, “Why else are there hundreds of people here today that are frustrated because they feel the DNR has beenunresponsive and unwilling to listen?”

But not all who testified were unhappy with the deer herd management. Jeff Lyon with the Wisconsin Farm Bureau told the group, “We applaud the DNR for getting the deer herd down to a manageable level.” Lyon says theyunderstand the concerns of hunters and the reduced number of deer in some areas but cautioned against overreacting to the situation. “We support a moratorium on the Earn-A-Buck program as the DNR takes time to work with all of the stakeholders involved to make sure we have a balance in thedeer population to satisfy the hunters but also to keep it under control and manageable for farmers’ interest.” Lyon says Farm Bureau’s concern is scientific-based deer management will be overshadowed by a desire to placate the deer hunting community over the next few years resulting in arapid resurgence of the deer herd.

To go with that, Lyon says the organization is also concerned with a provision in Governor Jim Doyle’s proposed budget which would increase the deductable and reduce the maximum claim allowance for the Wildlife Damage Abatement and ClaimsProgram. That’s the program which pays farmers for losses due to damage from wildlife.

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