# Deer Hunting in the Midwest



## svk (Nov 27, 2022)

Plain and simple, I need to find a different area.

The wolves have so decimated our deer herd up here that it doesn’t even make sense to hunt anymore. The only deer that remain in any numbers are those that hang close to towns or rural communities. The DNR is squarely to blame for this because they will not regulate the wolves. Knowing that is not going to change, I need to vote with my feet and do something different. Now the thing that pisses me off is that my kids will never know how hunting used to be around here because we have to deal with all these damn protected wolves now.

I more or less need to drive 3+ hours in any direction. If I cross the border to Canada, the hunting is better because they allow anyone to shoot wolves with a small game license. Otherwise need to head west or south and get out of the wolf zone.

Part of me wants to get out of the state of MN altogether and hunt elsewhere So the MN DNR won’t get any of my license money.

Maybe I need to find someone who has some good hunting land elsewhere and trade them for a guided fishing trip or something. We have world class fishing up here for many species. Also have a good duck and grouse hunting.


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## Ronaldo (Nov 27, 2022)

Steve,
We have plenty of deer here in central Iowa and would certainly enjoy you coming down to hunt but the out of state tags are expensive and i think you have to apply in early summer.


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## blades (Nov 28, 2022)

Same problem in parts of WI.


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## svk (Nov 28, 2022)

blades said:


> Same problem in parts of WI.


How far south do the wolves go in WI? Eau Claire?


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## snobdds (Nov 28, 2022)

I have heard the same thing about the wolves totally taking out the deer in MN. I have family that hunt there that are so frustrated about the situation. 

From what I have heard from family, the wolves have moved on since they ate all their food. They suspect they are going to where the food is, down south more. Things are going to come to a head at some point. 

We have wolves in Wyoming. There are conflicts but it was managed for years. Just a year ago, the feds got the wolves relisted on the protected list. Talk about pissing everyone off. Managing them is far better than letting them ravage wildlife.


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## svk (Nov 28, 2022)

snobdds said:


> I have heard the same thing about the wolves totally taking out the deer in MN. I have family that hunt there that are so frustrated about the situation.
> 
> From what I have heard from family, the wolves have moved on since they ate all their food. They suspect they are going to where the food is, down south more. Things are going to come to a head at some point.
> 
> We have wolves in Wyoming. There are conflicts but it was managed for years. Just a year ago, the feds got the wolves relisted on the protected list. Talk about pissing everyone off. Managing them is far better than letting them ravage wildlife.


I hear you on that. They do not understand that you can't leave an apex predator unmanaged while they manage all other types of game!


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## EchoRomeoCharlie (Nov 28, 2022)

svk said:


> How far south do the wolves go in WI? Eau Claire?


If you stay south/west of I94 you should have plenty of deer to get after.


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## svk (Nov 28, 2022)

I know the wolves are south of Hinckley in MN. A few years back one made it into a far northern suburb of Minneapolis. There was widescale DEMAND that it MUST be live trapped and moved further north. And they did just that.

Funny because they have all of the excuses in the world for the destruction cause by wolves when it NOT in their backyard.


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## blades (Nov 28, 2022)

wi wolves south of Wasaw have been reported possibly further- They were a couple Elk kills attributed to wolves over the last couple years. (used to be a problem with dog packs since the reintroducktion of wolves haven't heard much on that end) Bears vs fawns - spring time , Mountain Lions got some of those also, all the way down to the Milwaukee metro area. ( WDNR says they are just passing through- uh no - there are more sightings now than back in the 80's, thanks to game cams. I have tracked them and they have set up house keeping - Yotes all over. and of course certain ethnic groups that are like vacuum cleaners vs any game. current farming practices have had a very large impact on deer as well as various upland game critters in the mid section of the state as well as the DNR themselves.


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## esshup (Yesterday at 3:23 PM)

I go up to the Presque Isle/Manitowish Waters/Boulder Junction area to deer hunt and see relatives every year. Despite having a doe tag (Vilas County) other than seeing deer 15 yds from the house 6 of us never saw a deer in the woods. Less and less tracks too, I saw 3 sets. We hunt big woods, no agriculture anywhere around. Wolves and Bears are the issue, plus there just aren't the number of deer per square mile that there is here at home, and there are less deer than there were 7-10 years ago. 2 deer were shot by our group in the past 3 years. And one guy got both last year.


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