Planning For Winter And Beyond

Fireworks going off in the distance, people cheering and confetti flying...Happy New Year!

We always welcome the new year with fanfare, hope and celebration. It's the perfect time to celebrate everything we accomplished in the year past and the possibilities awaiting in 2024.

For DMAP, this seems especially true as we wrap up a year of continued growth and reflection and welcome the program's tenth year. Here are a few things DMAP is celebrating:

2023 Accomplishments

• Growing Membership: DMAP's membership grew by more than 10% this year, with over 3,000 members managing over 500,000 acres.
• Expanded Programming: The DMAP team doubled the number of workshops offered this year and interacted with more than 900 people through workshops, guest presentations and expo appearances.
• Amazing Members: DMAP is blessed to have dedicated, hardworking members who continually invest in their properties through habitat improvement projects, non-commercial timber harvesting, trail improvements, food plot creation and invasive species management, to name a few. 
• Continual Improvement: Thanks to the support of our members, partners and DNR staff, DMAP completed a full program review, which culminated in the approval of a new comprehensive plan.

Looking Ahead

• Implementing Improvement: Throughout the year, we will work diligently to communicate and enact the improvements outlined in our plan. 
• More Programming: We will continue our efforts to expand the workshops, resources and tools available to DMAP members.
• Increased Staffing: The DMAP team is excited to welcome two new Private Lands Deer and Habitat Biologists (watch for their introductions in our February update).

Check out our newly released 2023 DMAP Annual Report for more information on these accomplishments. 

And don't forget to check out the rest of this month's update! We are launching a new section, Herd You Were Wondering, and diving deep into winter habitat management. Did I mention that our new section comes with a DMAP prize?!

Upcoming Virtual Workshop

Managing For White-tailed Deer And Ruffed Grouse: Thermal Cover Edition Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024 7-8:30 p.m. via Zoom Join the DMAP team as we welcome researchers from UW-Madison and Biologists from the Ruffed Grouse Society/American Woodcock Society in a conversation on thermal cover. Through a series of short presentations, we'll discuss the biology and winter requirements of ruffed grouse, how they relate to the needs of white-tailed deer, and how to account for these needs on your property, including potential funding for implementing them.   View the full workshop agenda. To register for the workshop and access the Zoom link: Login to MyDMAP Navigate to the "Resources" Tab Scroll down to "Workshops & Events" Select RSVP next to "Managing for White-tailed Deer and Ruffed Grouse: Thermal Cover Edition" Photo by: Sam Lau

To Supplement Or Not To Supplement – Ask The Deer

By: Liam Stevens, DMAP Biologist

Winter can be brutal, especially when food is limited. So, what can we do to help deer survive? Should we supplement their diet with corn? Or do better options exist? Read To Supplement Or Not To Supplement to find the answers. Photo by: Corey Seeman

Winter To-Do List

Photo and Article By: Matt Esser, DMAP Private Lands Deer and Habitat Biologist

As winter sets in, we are lucky to have thermostats we can turn up and fresh food from the grocery store. Wildlife, on the other hand, don't have that luxury. Help your herd by adding a few habitat improvement projects to your winter to-do list. Read the Winter To-Do List to figure out which projects you should be tackling.

We're Not Alone

Written by: Liam Stevens, DMAP Biologist

After a gun deer season like we had this year, I find myself wondering how Wisconsin's harvest compares to the rest of the Upper Midwest. The Upper Midwest trends were reminiscent of a rollercoaster. Many counties, especially those in the north, experienced lower-than-average harvests, while those in the south showed increases or at least much smaller declines.

For example, Wisconsin saw a statewide decrease of 17.6% in comparison to 2022, with a nearly 30% decline in the Northern Forest zone but only a 6% decline in the Southern Farmland. States like Minnesota and Michigan also reported similar trends, with the UP and Minnesota's north shore experiencing much higher declines but having harvest increases in their southern counties.

What's causing these trends? Well, there are many reasons, but the most likely culprit has to be 2022's lagging winter. With almost 3 feet of snow in April throughout most of the northern Midwest, deer struggled to push through in the last official month of winter. Just another reason to implement some of the practices discussed in this month's update!

Management Planning

Like most updates, we've discussed several habitat improvement projects this month. But, if you're like me, the plethora of potential projects can be overwhelming. That's why I like to start with a plan. 

Creating a habitat management plan is a great way to identify what you have, what can be done and when it should get done. That doesn't mean it needs to be elaborate. I think the key is to put down whatever information is most helpful to you. 

Here are a couple of great resources to help you get started:

Developing Your Wildlife Management Plan by the Wisconsin DNR: This is a comprehensive document created by the DNR to walk you through all the steps of developing a management plan. 

Property Management Plan Template: A fillable template created by the UW-Extension's "Coverts" project to guide the development of a customized property plan.

Management plans should be living documents. Let them grow, change and evolve with your property and management goals.

Welcome to the NEW DMAP trivia section, "Herd You Were Wondering!" Get ready to explore the deer and habitat management world and test your knowledge with questions ranging from deer biology to management techniques. Did I mention that we will draw a monthly winner from all participants? The lucky winner will receive a DMAP prize! 

Let the trivia challenge begin! 

Question: There are two types of hair on a deer's winter coat: hollow guard hairs and inner "wool-like" hairs. The guard hairs trap air and have specialized sebaceous glands that help with waterproofing. The inner "wool-like" hairs act like super insulators trapping body heat. Guard hairs grow at approximately 2,500 hairs per square inch. Approximately how many hairs per square inch are the inner "wool-like" hairs grown?