Is Earn-a-Buck an effective management tool to control whitetail deer populations?

Is Earn-a-Buck an effective management tool to control whitetail deer populations? Earn-a-buck requires hunters to shoot a doe before shooting a buck.

Author: justinwp
justinwp - November 26, 2007
I have found that being required to shoot a doe can be a hassle. However, in Wisconsin a hunter can get a sticker to validate a buck tag for the same year and the next year so if a hunter plans well, he or she can always shoot a buck.
hunter - November 28, 2007
If it forces those trophy hunters to shoot a doe, I'm happy with it.
hunts - November 29, 2007
Ideally, yes. I think many may not pass up a buck though and either wait to register the buck until (and if) they get their doe or lie about which unit they shot it in. Also what keeps a hunter from saying they shot a doe in an earn-a-buck unit when they in fact did not just so they can get sticker to use the next year? I hunt for venison so I have no problem shooting does. I think the earn-a-buck program would work ideally, but I just wonder how many do the things I mentioned above to get around the rules.
justinwp - November 29, 2007
I think that quite a few hunters do what you are saying. Howerver, I think that in a few more years hunters will better understand eab and find ways to follow the regulations.

How do outfitters get around this with their clients?
Dan - January 15, 2008
Obviously more does are being killed now with EAB. I think the DNR is doing this to lower the population of deer to help control the CWD which is more easily spread in areas with higher deer populations. I hunt in Marquette County which is EAB and luckily saw a doe before the buck. I don't like to see populations lowered but Marquette is just north of Dane where CWD is occuring. I just hope deer populations can be maintained at a level sufficient for hunting there.
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