[{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/blog\/waupaca-deer-council-votes-down-buck-ban\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/blog\/waupaca-deer-council-votes-down-buck-ban\/","headline":"Waupaca Deer Council Votes Down Buck Ban","name":"Waupaca Deer Council Votes Down Buck Ban","description":"If you want a bunch of hunters to actually show up and make an appearance at public meetings, just tell...","datePublished":"2016-04-20","dateModified":"2018-10-24","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/author\/hagosto\/#Person","name":"Hector Agosto","url":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/author\/hagosto\/","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d7bfedbdc5ef3ed8f8df91eb37e1ffbe?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d7bfedbdc5ef3ed8f8df91eb37e1ffbe?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Legendary Whitetails","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"http:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/logo-legendary-whitetails.png","url":"http:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/logo-legendary-whitetails.png","width":522,"height":226}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/WaupacaCDAC-e1461250802422.jpg","url":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/WaupacaCDAC-e1461250802422.jpg","height":714,"width":1197},"url":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/blog\/waupaca-deer-council-votes-down-buck-ban\/","about":["News"],"wordCount":1377,"keywords":["News"],"articleBody":"If you want a bunch of hunters to actually show up and make an appearance at public meetings, just tell them they can\u2019t shoot a buck next deer season.\u00a0 This was the case in Waupaca County, Wisconsin, as droves of pick-up trucks filled the Waupaca High School parking lot.\u00a0 It was standing room only in the performing arts center as hunters waited to weigh in.The reason: A proposed recommendation by the County Deer Advisory Council (CDAC) to have an antlerless-only deer season in 2016.\u00a0 That\u2019s right, if a buck would walk by, you can\u2019t shoot it.That\u2019s some tough news for hunters in one of the top Boone and Crockett counties in America.\u00a0 Unlike the first public meeting, where only 9 people were present, well over 800 deer hunters and landowners filled the auditorium to give their input on the final deer herd recommendation for the upcoming season.\u00a0 It was no secret, the vast majority clearly opposed the antlerless-only season.Let\u2019s rewind to March 22nd, 2016, when the CDAC first met to discuss deer management quotas and recommendations for the upcoming season.\u00a0 In a small room sat 9 committee members and a few hunters tasked with making preliminary recommendations for the 2016 deer season.\u00a0 Based upon current trends and harvest numbers they decided upon an antlerless-only season as the only feasible option to get hunters to control the rapidly growing deer herd.\u00a0 Point blank, hunters aren\u2019t shooting enough does to maintain the current population and forests aren\u2019t regenerating.Now, fast forward three weeks to today and that decision has yielded quite the turn out for a public deer meeting.\u00a0 I was one of the 800 or so attendees, however, I didn\u2019t have much at stake in the decision since I don\u2019t hunt Waupaca County.\u00a0 I was there as a deer hunting enthusiast, and so I could write this piece and even enjoy a little free entertainment.Before diving into my thoughts and concerns for the county, the CDAC ultimately voted the antlerless-only season down with a 4 to 1 vote.For the final recommendation numbers click here.Here were my thoughts as I sat in the back row listening to the council and concerned deer hunters of Waupaca County:First off, I can\u2019t say I was surprised by the turnout.\u00a0 Waupaca is a large county with a lot of deer hunters and quality hunting land.\u00a0 Historically, it\u2019s been one of the top 10 Boone and Crockett counties in America.\u00a0 It was great to see a turnout of this size at a public meeting, but at the same time it\u2019s a shame only an unpopular ruling can draw them in.I\u2019ll be honest, I\u2019m a member of the Ozaukee County Deer Advisory Council and we\u2019re lucky to have two or three non-committee members attend the public meetings, as was the case for the first Waupaca CDAC meeting.\u00a0 Sure, the DNR might have to find out a better way to announce these meeting times and dates, but that information is out there.\u00a0 Bottom line, it would be nice to see more than just committee members at these public meetings on a regular basis.Secondly, you might be wondering what my position is on the recommendation.\u00a0 I\u2019m somewhere in between.\u00a0 I don\u2019t agree with a doe only season, but I also agree that more hunters need to shoot does.\u00a0 I\u2019m a firm believer in quality deer management and a balanced and healthy deer herd is the number one goal.\u00a0 The problem is not the recommendation to harvest more does, it\u2019s the tools provided to get it done.\u00a0 Prior harvest numbers show hunters are unwilling to kill anywhere near the proposed quota number on their own.\u00a0 So how are we, as a county of hunters, supposed to fix our deer herd if we (collectively) are a broken tool?\u00a0 Some mentioned incentives, we\u2019ll see.As a side note, we are facing the same thing in Ozaukee County \u2013 hunters shooting less and less does.Breaking off the last point, some hunters mentioned that Earn-A-Buck (EAB) would be a good compromise \u2013 an incentive to shoot a doe.\u00a0 Governor Walker banned EAB in 2011 due to hunter backlash.\u00a0 While it sounds good on the surface, it\u2019s only because Waupaca is faced with the one thing worse, no bucks at all.\u00a0 Let\u2019s be honest, had the committee been able to recommend earn-a-buck as recommendation, there would have been the exact same backlash and turnout at Waupaca High on Tuesday night.\u00a0 After all, nobody that spoke had a property with a single deer on it and a number of those same people saw hundreds of deer per sit just 5 years ago. . . If you didn\u2019t catch it, that would be some of the \u201cfree entertainment\u201d from the meeting.One indisputable argument several Waupaca hunters fronted was the possibility of robbing a youth or first-time hunter of the chance to harvest a buck if it were to walk by.\u00a0 Like I said, this is indisputable in my eyes. \u00a0Another important factor is the impact it would have on local businesses. \u00a0Hunters surely would go elsewhere to harvest a buck and that’s not good for local small businesses, especially taxidermists. \u00a0One taxidermist spoke and he’s right, it would be devastating. \u00a0You take away the one thing hunters shoot and bring to a taxidermist and you essentially eliminate the majority of their relied upon income.Some other popular subjects that didn\u2019t really have anything to do with the recommendation of an antlerless-only season were the issues of baiting and antler point restrictions (APRs).\u00a0 I\u2019ll keep it short, I\u2019m not in favor of hunting over bait and I\u2019m not sure why the APR issue came up.\u00a0 Perhaps it speaks to the growing volume of quality deer managers in the state who are sick of their neighbors continually shooting small bucks.\u00a0 Hmmm\u2026 if only they would shoot does instead!In the end, I left with more concerning thoughts about the state of deer hunters.\u00a0 Several hunters made comments with regards to intentionally breaking the law if this antlerless only season was to pass. These weren\u2019t private mumblings, these were expressed in front of the large crowd on a microphone for all to hear and they sounded something like this, \u201cWith this new electronic registration, what\u2019s stopping me or anyone in here from shooting a buck in Waupaca, and registering it in a different county?\u201d\u00a0 Hmmm, I don\u2019t know, maybe someone\u2019s law abiding conscience? But I get it, big bucks make people do stupid things. They always have and they always will.Now that it didn\u2019t pass, I\u2019d be more worried about hunters falsely registering does they never shot in order to drive up harvest numbers so this decision won\u2019t come back in the future.\u00a0 As far as I\u2019m concerned, the only way the DNR can stop this from happening is to go back to a standard in-person registration for any doe harvested this next season.\u00a0 Otherwise the numbers used in the current Sex-Age-Kill (SAK) population model will be off even further, and if you were at the meeting, you know many hunters already question the DNR\u2019s numbers.\u00a0 If that\u2019s what it has come to, it\u2019s pretty sad.In conclusion, as I sat back against the wall after two hours of public commenting, the advisory council voted against an antlerless only season 4 to 1.\u00a0 The hunters were heard and the hunters were happy.\u00a0 I agree with the decision for the simple fact that you can\u2019t take away the driving force of hunters and expect positive results. \u00a0As deer hunters, we want a buck. Yes, obtaining venison is important also, but we\u2019d at least like a chance at a big buck should the situation arise."},{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/#breadcrumbitem","name":"Legendary Whitetail's Blog"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/blog\/waupaca-deer-council-votes-down-buck-ban\/#breadcrumbitem","name":"Waupaca Deer Council Votes Down Buck Ban"}}]}]