Rusk County deer harvest down 22.6 percent

Luke Klink

Deer registration season totals for Rusk County this year were down 22.6 percent in Rusk County compared with last year, according to state Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Biologist Mark Schmidt.

The number of bucks registered in Rusk County declined 9.1 percent from 1,692 last year to 1,538 this year. The number of does registered in Rusk County declined 31.3 percent from 2,642 last year to 1,815 this year. Overall deer harvested in Rusk County declined 22.6 percent from 4,334 in last year to 3,353 this year.

He said the lower figures are due to fewer herd control units in the area, meaning fewer tags available for hunters to shoot multiple deer. He added hunters did a good job buying up the $12 antlerless tags that were made available.

“Rusk County reports were not down as much as other places, so I was pretty pleased,” Schmidt said. By comparison, nearby Taylor County had a 30.6 percent decline in registered deer between last year and this year.

The statistics released Tuesday, two days after the end of the state’s nine-day gun deer hunt, represent where hunters registered their deer and not where deer were actually harvested. A statistical harvest breakdown by zone will be available early next February, according to Schmidt.

“The numbers will show deer populations are slightly lower than they were last year, and that will have an effect on the number of permits available next year,” Schmidt said about Rusk County.

He added herd control and earn-a-buck deer management units likely won’t be added in the county next year. These effective herd control measures increase harvest pressure on antlerless deer.

The state DNR license sales office reported 626,404 hunters hit the woods statewide with a license to participate in the 2009 nine-day gun deer season.

He noted hunters were out in force, aided by warm temperatures during the first few days of the season that started Nov. 21.

The 10-day muzzleloader deer hunt runs from Nov. 30 through Dec. 9. The muzzleloader hunt is statewide with the exception of most state parks. There is also an ongoing deer hunting season through Dec. 9 in designated metropolitan, or metro, units due to higher deer populations near some urban areas. Check current deer hunting regulations for details.

Following the muzzleloader hunt is a four-day antlerless deer hunt running Dec. 10 through 13 statewide except in state parks and in Menominee County.

“The later seasons generally are more relaxed and less crowded,” said Keith Warnke, big game ecologist for the Department of Natural Resources. “It’s a quieter time in the woods that many hunters find enjoyable and it extends the hunting season.”

The late archery deer season also started on Nov. 30 and runs through Jan. 3, 2010. Archers and small game hunters are reminded that they must observe blaze orange clothing requirements during the muzzleloader and December antlerless deer hunt seasons.

License sales officials say unit-specific antlerless deer tags are still available for some regular units for $12 each. Antlerless deer tags for herd control units and earn-a-buck units are available for $3 each.

For a breakdown of deer registration totals for northern counties and a statewide recap on the gun-deer season, see page 2A of the print edition of the Ladysmith News.