Deer Hunter Wildlife Survey 2019

By Jes Rees Lohr

Abstract Wisconsin deer hunters were asked to voluntarily submit their observations of deer and other wildlife they observed while afield hunting deer in 2019. Deer hunters could submit observations via smartphone, desktop, or mail. A sample of seventeen thousand deer hunters were drawn and mailed a paper survey form in 2019, which has been done since 2013. 7,940 hunting trips encompassing 32,532 observation hours were reported during the 2019 deer hunting season via the three survey methods. Trips were reported from 81 of Wisconsin’s 82 deer management units. Statewide, hunters averaged seeing 0.61 deer per hunting hour, a decrease from 0.70 deer seen per hunting hour in 2018. Methods Since deer hunters spend many quiet observation hours waiting for deer; they can be a source for information on species that may be hard to observe. Deer hunters could submit observations via three methods: smartphone, desktop, or mail. A sample of 17,000 (240 per county) deer hunters were drawn and mailed a paper survey form. Surveys were mailed in early September before the start of the archery deer season. Deer hunters could also submit observations via a new Survey123 smartphone app or from their desktop by clicking on a link provided on the Deer Hunter Wildlife survey webpage. Depending on their method of reporting, survey instructions were found on the webpage, the reverse side of the mailed paper survey form, or by watching the smartphone app tutorial video. As asked in prior survey years, all three survey types asked hunters to report the date they hunted, number of hours, a rating of the weather from 1–10 (1=worst 10=best), and the number of deer, turkey, skunk, house cat, ruffed grouse, red fox, gray fox, coyote, wolf, raccoon, porcupine, opossum, badger, bear, bobcat, fisher, elk and otter they saw while hunting. The survey also contained a comment field where hunters could write in any other wildlife not listed that they may have observed. Hunters could also provide their email address to have a personalized summary sent to them at the end of the survey period. Hunters were encouraged to report their hunting activity even if no wildlife was sighted. Hunters were asked to report the deer management zone (DMZ) they hunted in (Central Forest, Central Farmland, Northern Forest, and Southern Farmland) and deer management unit (DMU), now designated by county and tribal reservation. Sixty-two DMUs follow county boundaries and ten counties (Adams, Clark, Chippewa, Eau Claire, Jackson, Juneau, Marinette, Monroe, Oconto, and Wood) are split into two DMUs each, totaling 82 DMUs. There are also 5 tribal DMUs (not asked on survey). In addition to zone and county, hunters were asked to report the land type they hunted on, public or private.

All deer hunters were invited to participate via a press release issued prior to the start of the survey. A tally sheet was made available on the webpage so hunters could record their observations while they were away from a computer for an extended period of time. All survey methods were anonymous, and allowed any hunter with computer or smartphone access to report their observations without a user ID or password. A link was provided for deer hunters to send in via e-mail any trail camera pictures of endangered species, or of animals that are not normally seen in their hunting area. Results Deer hunters reported 7,940 hunting trips. Trips were reported from 81 deer management units, no reports from Menominee county were received. Hunters reported spending 32,532 observation hours in the field and averaged 4.1 hours per trip. Most trips and observation hours occurred in the Central Farmland Zone followed by the Northern Forest, the Southern Farmland and Central Forest zones (Table and Figure 1). Deer: Statewide, hunters averaged 0.61 deer seen per hour. This is the fourth highest deer seen per hour since the online version of the survey began in 2009 (1st 2017; 0.72 deer seen per hour). Deer seen per hour varied between deer management zones with the high being the Central Farmland Zone averaging 0.72 deer per hour and the low being the Central Forest Zone averaging 0.36 deer per hour (Table 1). Hunters reported hunting activity in 81 of the state’s deer management units. Comparisons between deer management units should be done cautiously due to small sample sizes in several lightly hunted units. Deer seen per hunter hour by deer management unit varied with the lowest deer per hour being 0.10 (St. Croix, Central Farmland) and the highest at 1.47 (Sauk, Southern Farmland, Figure 2). Deer seen per hour started at 0.76 during the first week of the archery season (September 14 – September 20) and remained fairly constant for the first 9 weeks. The week of the gun deer season (November 23 – November 29), sightings dropped to 0.46 deer seen per hour, the lowest during the survey period. Deer sightings then rose each week until the end of the survey period (January 5) (Figure 3). Weather rankings fluctuated slightly throughout the season (lowest 5.40; highest 7.20; with 1 being the worst and 10 being the best). The 9-day gun deer season had a weather ranking of 7.01 in 2019 by deer hunters (Figure 3). Other Wildlife: The most frequently observed species other than deer were turkeys. Hunter sightings varied by zone, with most sightings occurring in Wisconsin’s primary turkey range, the farmland zones (Table 2). The next most frequently seen animal was the ruffed grouse, with sightings per hour closely matching the species primary and secondary range. Sightings for the other species also closely matched perceived areas of primary and secondary range (Table 2). Reporting rates for many of the mesocarnivores (small-medium carnivores) generally followed their perceived ranges, having highest reporting rates in the two farmland zones. Bobcat and otter had highest reporting rates in the Northern Forest Zone, while fishers had highest reporting rate in the Central Forest Zone. Porcupine had highest reporting in the Central Forest Zone. Reporting rates for elk remain low despite the new elk herd in the Black River State Forest (Table 2).

Reporting rates for the larger carnivores also generally followed perceived range. Wolves had the highest reporting rate in the Northern Forest Zone. Coyotes had the highest reporting rate in the Southern Farmland Zone. The bulk of the bear observations occurred in the Northern Forest Zone. Caution should be taken when comparing observation rates between species or species groups. No correction for observer bias has been made and it is very likely that larger more mobile species that move more during daylight or twilight hours are more likely to be seen than other more nocturnal animals (Table 2). Hunters were also given a chance to list any other species of animal they saw that was not already on the survey. Squirrels were the most commonly reported animal. Other animals reported included woodcock, dogs, hawks, woodpeckers, pheasants, owls, mink, eagles, crows, blue jays, and beaver. Comparisons: This was the eleventh concurrent year of the Deer Hunter Wildlife Survey. In 2019, deer hunters reported fewer trips (7,940) than in 2018 (8,954). Deer hunters could submit observations via three methods: smartphone, desktop, or mail. Eighty-five percent of the observations were submitted via the mail. The 2019 survey year saw a decrease in the statewide deer seen per hour hunted (0.61). Prior years reported: 0.70 (2018), 0.72 (2017), 0.45 (2016), 0.64 (2015), 0.40 (2014), 0.43 (2013), 0.39 (2012), 0.32 (2011), 0.28 (2010), and 0.19 (2009). All zones decreased in deer seen per hour hunted from 2018. Overall, hunters saw about the same number of other species per 1000 hours hunted in 2019 than 2018. Wolves had the largest increase per 1000 hours hunted in 2019 (3.07, 1.47 in 2018). Wild Turkeys had the greatest decrease per 1000 hours hunted in 2019 (274.19, 339.19 in 2018). Thank you to all the anonymous hunters from across the state that took the time and interest in Wisconsin’s wildlife to fill out the survey or send in a trail camera photograph! Because of your hard work and awareness, the Wisconsin DNR can have another independent estimate of distribution and abundance of wildlife across the state.

Table 1. Deer hunter wildlife observations of deer by deer management zone.  

Deer Management Zone

Trips Hours Bucks/Hour Does/Hour Fawns/Hour Unknowns/Hour

Total Deer/Hour

Central Farmland 3,840 15,439 0.14 0.31 0.20 0.06 0.72

Central Forest 373 1,906 0.06 0.18 0.08 0.04 0.36

Northern Forest 1,918 8,344 0.06 0.22 0.12 0.03 0.43

Southern Farmland 1,626 6,098 0.18 0.30 0.14 0.04 0.66

Unreported 183 745 0.08 0.32 0.18 0.03 0.60

Statewide 7,940 32,532 0.12 0.28 0.16 0.05 0.61   Table 2. Other species seen by deer hunters by deer management zone per 1,000 hours hunted.

Zone  Turkey  Skunk  House Cat 

Ruffed Grouse

Red Fox 

Gray Fox  Coyote Wolf  Raccoon Porcupine  Opossum Badger Bear  Bobcat Fisher Otter Elk 

Central Farmland  325.01  0.91  11.92 15.87  3.89 6.09 9.78  0.52  13.54  1.36  3.04  0.00  2.01  1.88  2.33  1.10 0.00 

Central Forest  114.90  0.52  4.72  22.04  1.05 0.00 12.07  3.67  1.57  3.67  3.67  0.00  0.52  2.10  2.62  0.00 0.00 

Northern Forest  174.15  1.20  1.80  95.04  0.84 0.36 6.35  9.35  2.88  3.48  0.48  0.12  7.31  2.40  1.08  1.92 1.56 

Southern Farmland  353.41  4.26  11.15 2.95  3.28 4.26 21.48  0.16  28.70  0.00  17.22  1.48  0.00  1.48  0.16  1.48 0.00 

Unreported  100.64  2.68  8.05  65.75  1.34 0.00 0.00  8.05  5.37  0.00  5.37  0.00  0.00  0.00  2.68  0.00 0.00 

Statewide  274.19  1.63  8.67  35.26  2.77 3.78 11.01  3.07  12.76  1.75  5.13  0.31  2.86  1.91  1.63  1.29 0.40    

  

Figure 1. Deer seen per hour by deer management zone.

Figure 2. Deer seen per hour by deer management unit.

Gun Deer Season

Figure 3. Deer seen per hour and mean weather rating by week.

Gun Deer Season

Figure 4. Other species seen by deer hunters per 1,000 hours hunted (statewide) and 3-year average.

Figure 4. Continued.

Figure 4. Continued.