Meetings Set to Discuss Wisconsin’s Deer Herd Size and Management Units

Every three years, County Deer Advisory Council’s (CDACs) provide recommendations to the DNR that help determine the herd size objective (increase, decrease, maintain) for their county. The fall of 2020 marks the end of the last three-year cycle and meetings are being held this winter to determine the herd size objectives for the next three years (2021-2023). Councils develop their recommendations using two meetings separated by a public input period to provide transparency and multiple opportunities for public input. The DNR will also discuss a review of deer management unit and zone boundaries as part of this process. Here are the upcoming steps and ways you can get involved:

1. December 7 – 18, 2020 – Preliminary objective setting

Councils will meet via teleconference to review deer herd metrics and harvest data from the last three years and to provide a preliminary recommendation on the herd size objective for the next three years. The DNR will also share preliminary recommendations on deer management unit and zone boundaries. You can find out when meetings will be held for each county and how to listen in by visiting the CDAC Find page.

2. January 4 – 13, 2021 – Public comment period

Opportunity will be provided for members of the public to comment on the preliminary council recommendations on herd size objectives and preliminary DNR recommendations on deer management unit and zone boundaries.

3. January 19 – 25, 2021– Final objective setting

Councils will meet via teleconference again to review the public comments on the preliminary recommendations and formulate a final recommendation. Meeting dates and call-in options for these meetings will be provided soon.

4. February 24, 2021– Natural Resources Board meeting:

Final recommendations will be presented to the DNR Natural Resources Board.

Information for the 3-year deer population objective meetings

WATCH your local biologist’s 2020 deer population objective presentation.

REVIEW your county deer metrics.

REVIEW forest regeneration metric information for your county.

LOOKUP when your county’s meeting will be held and how to join.