Enroll in Deer Management Assistance Program by March 1

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is looking to partner with landowners for the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) designed for healthy deer and habitat.

DMAP is a cooperative effort between the Department of Natural Resources, landowners, and hunters to provide habitat and deer herd management assistance to those interested in managing their property for wildlife. Wildlife and forestry professionals assist landowners with management practices that consider the ecological and social impacts white-tailed deer have on the landscape.

In return, DMAP participants can choose to share habitat information, collect biological data and participate in DMAP workshops. This one-on-one relationship, stressing communication and cooperation, makes DMAP a flexible and effective deer management program for private and public lands alike.

Although DMAP enrollment is open year-round, landowners, hunters and land managers with properties that are 160 acres or more are encouraged to enroll before March 1 to be eligible for a site visit with a DNR biologist and forester in 2020. Landowners who enroll by March 1 will also receive a management plan with recommendations to assist with reaching the goals for the property.

DMAP provides informational resources and professional assistance regarding wildlife habitat management for properties of any size to help participants improve habitat for wildlife. DMAP participants are invited to professional workshops on topics like:

_ Financial assistance programs.

_ Natural forage for deer, deer ecology and management.

_ Chronic wasting disease (CWD).

_ Deer research and predator effects on the herd.

DMAP participants receive regular updates on items of interest to land stewards and opportunities to participate in citizen science programs. Neighboring landowners with properties within one-half mile are encouraged to enroll as a DMAP cooperative.

Landowners who enroll in a DMAP cooperative with a combined acreage of 160 acres or more are eligible to receive a site visit and management plan. Cooperatives provide an opportunity to monitor local wildlife populations and share costs and equipment on habitat projects to benefit deer and other wildlife over a greater area.