In 1944, when wildlife ecologist Aldo Leopold put forth the very unpopular idea of shooting antlerless deer to reduce a burgeoning Wisconsin deer herd, his timing was unfortunate.

Walt Disney had just released the movie "Bambi."

Game managers with the state Department of Natural Resources aren't contending with a big-eyed cartoon fawn this year, but they are facing a daunting challenge of their own - convincing a skeptical hunting public that the agency's deer population estimates are correct.

The debate between the DNR and deer hunters over deer herd size is nothing new; Leopold faced the same controversy 65 years ago. But as hunters prepare for the Saturday morning opening of this fall's gun deer hunt, a number of recent moves by the DNR show that the agency may be listening more closely to concerns from hunters about the deer herd being too small instead of too large.

Among the changes:

• Suspension of the requirement that hunters shoot an antlerless deer before they shoot a buck. "Earn-a-buck" is controversial with hunters who believe too many deer are being killed through its use. This fall, it will only be used in areas being managed for chronic wasting disease, though the DNR warns that this could result in fewer deer killed and, ultimately, a larger herd.

• Increased communication with hunters. For the first time, the agency offered hunters the opportunity to take an online survey, which was completed by 6,000 people. And 40 meetings were held around the state to gather hunter opinions. Hunters told the agency they were concerned about the DNR's deer count, hunters seeing fewer deer, herd management policies and the use of earn-a-buck.

• Increased research by the DNR on deer numbers. A number of research projects are under way including studies on the size of the buck population, studies of hunter behavior and studies of how deer densities are calculated and population goals set.

The size of the state's deer herd is an important issue, not just for hunters but for everyone.

At stake, according to hunters, is the health and sustainability of the state's iconic deer herd.

"You don't see deer all year long," said Robert Bohmann, a deer hunter from Racine and a member of the executive council of the Conservation Congress, a group that advises the DNR on outdoor sporting issues. "What does that tell you? Hunters definitely want to see more deer."

But for the DNR, not shooting enough deer leads to a herd that is too large and a host of resulting problems. Agency deer specialist Keith Warnke said evidence that the deer herd is too big can be seen not only in the large number of deer killed in recent seasons - more than 453,000 last year - but also in car-deer crashes and damage to crops and forests.

Statewide, the herd remains at more than 1 million animals, according to the DNR estimates. The agency's deer experts say the population should be closer to 737,000.

Legislators oppose earn-a-buck

This year, it isn't just individual hunters questioning the agency's deer population estimates. After its own series of hearings around the state and pleas from hundreds of angry hunters, a committee of the state Legislature also entered the fray.

It recommended that the Natural Resources Board suspend use of earn-a-buck, one of the agency's most important herd reduction tools. The board voted 4-3 in April to ax earn-a-buck in as many as 40 units this fall. It will only be used in zones being managed for chronic wasting disease, including parts of Dane County.

Deer experts such as Warnke worry that not using earn-a-buck is going to result in a much lower kill and in many more deer, especially in agricultural areas in southern and south-central Wisconsin.

Is pressure trumping science?

Not everyone is as skeptical of DNR experts and their numbers. In fact, some worry that politics, or pressure from the hunting public, may be too often trumping science and that suspension of the earn-a-buck approach stands as evidence.

John Welter, a member of the Natural Resources Board, voted against suspending use of earn-a-buck and made a spirited defense of the science cited by agency deer specialists.

"It's frustrating to watch this discussion," Welter said. "In other areas, the strong scientific underpinnings are fairly accepted by the public. Like sturgeon, for example. But deer seem different."

But Bohmann, with the Conservation Congress, said hunting groups want more deer research done. He said that this year, for example, the congress recommended to the DNR that 25 cents from each hunting license sold - upwards of $180,000 or so - be used to do more research on the state's deer herd.

"They need to re-evaluate their data," Bohmann said. "We believe (deer population) goals can be raised throughout the state."

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