Deer Update & Assessing Your Hunting Situation with Jeff Pritzl

Wisconsin Sportsman - Sportsmen's Empire

On this episode of The Wisconsin Sportsman, Pierce sits down with the Wisconsin Deer Program Specialist, Jeff Pritzl to discuss all major deer hunting updates, how dynamic of a state Wisconsin is to manage deer in, how the Department of Natural Resources really operates, how public input is crucial to getting things done, why not everyone's hunting situation may be a reflection of DNR data, and how you as an individual can become an amateur biologist to accurately assess the health of your deer herd, hunting situation, and hunting expectations.

After a career in the field of biology, Jeff Pritzl now sits at the Deer Program Specialist for the Wisconsin DNR. Jeff's job is anything but easy as he looks at the wide range of struggles and experiences that deer and deer hunters deal with across a state with an extremely diverse landscape. In the Southern Farmland Region where deer can exceed 70 per square mile, to the Northern Forest Region where populations are a fraction of what they once were, there is no 'one size fits all' approach to addressing the issue of deer management in our great state.

Jeff also dives into the nuances of not only helping the DNR to manage deer populations across the state, but also the people hunting them and the challenges that come with that. People may look at data that claims there to be so many or so few deer in an area, but on a 40 acre piece, it certainly may not seem that way during the 9-day season depending on a wide range of variables. If that sounds like you, it's up to you to let the DNR know, attend you CDAC meetings, and take advantage of public input opportunities.

The guys also discuss how you can go about assessing your own deer herd and hunting situation, and how you can not only understand the sphere of influence you may have on your herd, but how you can assess the trends you're seeing over time in your area.

This is a great conversation that covers a wide range of topics, all of which should leave you thinking about how you hunt this fall. Enjoy!