Recognizing the late April snow dumping has put added pressure on deer survival, the Vilas County Deer Advisory Council (CDAC) voted last Monday to reduce its preliminary recommendation to harvest 1,000 antlerless deer down to 500 on a 4-2 vote.
The 11 public persons present heard DNR Willdife Biologist Michele Woodford modify her earlier thoughts on an antlerless harvest. “We've been very conservative in Vilas County but with the recent snowfall I'm willing to re-visit my quota recommendation,” Woodford said. “I would still like to see an antlerless harvest somewhere in the 500 to 600 range. Fat reserves in does is moderate but in fawns it's in the severe range . . . we'll see a decrease in fawns this year.”
Vilas CDAC chairman Steve Budnik, a non-deer hunter, said reading the comments showed “most see a need for some antlerless harvest . . .not all, but most.”
Duane Harpster of Boulder Junction identified another possible option.
“You can't regulate what people shoot and if you want to reduce the buck harvest, antlerless tags won't do it,” he said. “Reduce harvest to one deer per hunter . . . by arrow or gun, only one.”
A motion to recommend reducing their preliminary recommendation to 500 was approved. If approved by DNR, 70%, or 350 would be on private lands and 30% or 150 on public lands.
