Door County Deer Damage

Been spending some time performing winter chores on the tree farm this weekend and I wanted to share with my readers evidence of the damage to working forests when a deer population begins to outgrow the carrying capacity of its habitat.  I took these photos last weekend.

In this part of Door County there is no longer any natural regeneration of cedar, oak, hemlock, white pine, etc.  None.  Having been picked clean by the deer and any new growth halted in its tracks (no pun intended) the understory is barren.  These cedars have been hammered by browsing deer.  

They’ll survive in their stunted condition but as a food source they’re done-for.  Nothing left to eat and it’s only the beginning of February.

This is one of many smaller trees.  It happens to be a red oak.  Like its thousand or so other struggling hardwoods it happens to be anywhere from knee to shoulder in height and already has been stripped of this season's buds by browsing deer.   

The tree will push out replacement buds in order to grow new leaves but a tree can only do this so many times over the course of several growing seasons before its reserves are depleted and the fatally-weakened plant succumbs to disease or insects.  This is not a laughing matter.  This has a cost that is measured in real money.

Southern Door County has too many deer.  Be mindful that high deer numbers result in a severe economic loss to tree farmers across the state.

After four years of inaction the Walker administration rolled-out their County Deer Advisory Councils (CDAC).  The purpose of the CDACs is to allow grassroots participation at the county level to influence deer management decision in each of Wisconsin's counties.  The Door CDAC has voted unanimously to reduce deer numbers.  The CDAC also voted unanimously to put an end to baiting and supplemental feeding of whitetail deer.

They already cannot sell $12 antlerless permits that nobody cares to purchase.  And as soon as the bait piles come out in September the deer restrict their movements to the dark hours when there is no hunting pressure.

Getting rid of the baiting and supplemental feeding is a good start.  And if I had my druthers I'd bring back the October antlerless gun hunt.  Oh wait.  Everything has to have legislative approval now.  Good luck with that.

Gotta wonder what use is the CDAC process after-all.