DNR taps UW-Madison expertise to measure, manage state deer herd

Wisconsin wildlife managers are tapping into University of Wisconsin–Madison expertise in wildlife ecology, forest ecology and environmental communications in order to better manage the state’s population of white-tailed deer.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and UW–Madison intend to partner on several deer-related research projects that should help wildlife managers more accurately assess the number of deer in the state and their impact on the environment, and come up with more effective strategies to manage the size of the state’s deer herd.

The DNR is helping fund the UW–Madison research as part of a broader effort to address criticism stemming from a 2009 deer season from which many hunters came home empty-handed.

Part of the UW–Madison research will focus on more effective measurement and management of the deer population. Wildlife ecologist Tim Van Deelen will lead a three-year study of how many fawns survive to become part of the adult deer herd, and the extent to which factors such as predation, weather and habitat influence that survival. He will also be conducting a five-year study to more accurately assess buck mortality.

A second line of research will help managers determine the appropriate deer population for different areas in the state. Forest ecologist Eric Kruger is undertaking a five-year study to understand the ecological impacts of increasing or decreasing white-tailed deer population goals in different types of ecosystems.

Still another study looks at some new strategies for stemming the decades-long decline in the number of people hunting deer in the state. Bret Shaw, an environmental communications researcher and extension specialist in the Department of Life Sciences Communication, will explore how social networking technology could be used to recruit new hunters.

The percentage of hunters in Wisconsin and nationwide has been declining due to urbanization, aging of the population, competing demands on time, and changing views of hunting. This concerns the DNR, because hunting license fees help support conservation efforts and hunting is a key part of the state’s wildlife management strategy.