To control deer populations, you cannot rely on hunting to revive the health of the woods.........A U.W.-Madison(Wisconsin) study projects over the next 20 years the state will see hunter numbers fall from the current 600,000 to less than 450,000.A decline in hunter numbers isn't a new trend. Since 2000, Wisconsin has seen its number of gun-deer hunters fall by nearly 50,000......And that echos the trend across North America...........The full suite of historical carnivores need to be back in the woods and prairies to restore the vitality of the land

Hunters: Legislation May Not Reverse Decline in Deer Hunting

By Jeff Alexander

Two weeks before the start of Wisconsin's gun deer season, the future of this annual tradition is on the minds of many.Governor Scott Walker signed a bill into law Friday, repealing some contentious hunting policies. The law eliminates the state's Earn-a-Buck policy and generally prohibits any gun seasons ahead of the traditional hunt.

Hunters have long complained about early gun hunting seasons and Earn-a-Buck, which they said forces them to pass up trophy kills.

The bill passed the Legislature last month despite objections from some Democrats, foresters, and conservation groups that said Earn-a-Buck is needed to control the herd and protect other wildlife.

Meantime, a bill designed to increase the number of deer hunters in Wisconsin has passed the state Assembly but has yet to be taken up in the Senate.

The Hunting Heritage bill would offer steep discounts to first-time license applicants, create a task force to improve hunter recruitment, and establish a half-credit for high school students who complete a DNR hunter safety program.

They're efforts by lawmakers to get more hunters in the woods.

A U.W.-Madison study projects over the next 20 years the state will see hunter numbers fall from the current 600,000 to less than 450,000.A decline in hunter numbers isn't a new trend. Since 2000, Wisconsin has seen its number of gun-deer hunters fall by nearly 50,000.

While most feel any legislation aimed at boosting participation is good, the reasons for the decline they say go far beyond what's being proposed. "Financial for one thing, too much expense, license fees going up, lack of places to hunt. There's lots of reasons," hunter Jeff Gussert said.

The Gussert family is dropping off recently harvested bear meat at a local processor.

Their 12-year old son loves to hunt, but he feels too many other kids his age don't have the opportunity or desire.

"I think with the computers and the TVs and all the video games and stuff, I think kids get more interested in that than they do hunting," Jacob Gussert said.

Many hunters feel despite their sport generating hundreds of millions of dollars for the state's economy, more and more people oppose it."Part of it is people need to know that a lot of hunters are good people and they do have ethics, they don't just take pot shots at things, and it's educating the non-hunters. Maybe that's what we need to do," Vicki Bach of Green Bay said.

Another concern -- and it's been a complaint of many hunters for years -- is having a place to hunt.

"Access is a problem," Dennis Possley of Sobieski said. "I live out in the country, too, but a lot of people don't let you hunt, even if you ask."

And that, hunters say, is one thing the proposed bill doesn't do: Set sights on changing attitudes.