Deer Hunting And Management Figures Prominently At DNR Board Meeting

The issue of deer hunting and management was in sharp focus at a Department of Natural Resources Board meeting in Madison Wednesday.

One prominent item on the board’s agenda was an emergency plan regarding so-called “hobby deer farms.” New regulations from the state and federal agriculture departments have changed fencing requirements for the captive deer farms, but the DNR has said 43 operations that don’t export deer would face significant costs if they had to install the now-mandated double or solid fences.

The board ultimately approved eliminating the requirement for those smaller farms, despite concerns raised by George Meyer, a former DNR secretary and current leader of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation. Meyer said the move could increase the spread of chronic wasting disease between captive and wild deer.

“DNR reports there’s an average of 20 to 30 releases or escapes of captive deer into the wild every year, and that goes back many many years,” he said. “And that doesn’t seem to be declining at all.”

A DNR warden said he isn’t sure how many of the deer escapes are from hobby farms.

On CWD and Hunting Casualties

Meyer had more to say to the board on CWD: He said that the agency had gone far astray from carrying out its goal of minimizing where the disease occurs, as well as the number of infected deer.

“Since that goal was established, the number of counties in which CWD exists has significantly multiplied, and the disease can be found from border to border of this state, either in the wild or captive deer herds,” said Meyer.

A DNR plan the board approved about five years ago called for the agency to review its progress on CWD after the 2015 gun deer season. DNR Board Chairman Preston Cole has given the agency until after next year’s gun deer season to complete its report.

The eight gun-related casualties — three deaths and five injuries — recorded during the latest gun deer season were also touched upon at the Wednesday meeting. DNR Chief Warden Todd Schaller told board members that the number, which received a fair amount of media coverage, was actually below the state’s 10-year average of incidents per 100,000 hunters.

“This is really a tribute to not only our hunters for knowing and following the four rules of firearm safety, but certainly to our hunter education program and our over 4,000 hunter education volunteers who teach the hunter education program,” said Schaller.

The deaths were the first firearm-related fatalities during the gun deer season since the year 2012.

Beyond Deer

Deer weren’t the only fauna in focus at Wednesday’s meeting: Trout and hogs were also given some attention by the board.

The board ended up passing new limits on fishing for lake trout in Lake Superior. The emergency rule includes a daily bag limit of three lake trout in key recreational areas.

The move comes amid population studies indicating a decline in the number of lake trout over the last six to eight years. DNR Board member Frederick Prehn said he voted for the change to protect all Great Lakes fish: “They’re all being hammered up there,” he said.

The Wisconsin Wildlife Federation argued against part of the rule, which would allow commercial anglers to fish in the Hagen’s Beach area next summer. The DNR said that was an issue that may be addressed later.

The 10-month recreational and commercial lake trout seasons in Lake Superior are already underway.

In addition, Mary Dougherty with the group Farms Not Factories brought her case against a controversial hog farm proposed for Bayfield County before the board. Dougherty said residents of the area feel powerless to stop the 26,000-hog concentrated animal feeding operation, and worry it won’t be regulated.

“I’m really concerned that the intersection between little and no DNR operational oversight and the self-regulating, self-reporting nature of the CAFO industry will result in disastrous consequences for Lake Superior,” she said.

Dougherty asked the DNR Board to speak up for Bayfield County and avoid having the hog farm cause water pollution.

Chairman Cole told Dougherty that the proposal is on the DNR’s radar.