Today, we continue to fine tune this modern method of deer management. Managing our aging forests presents a continuing challenge. Young forests are filled with sun-loving trees like aspen, jack pine, scrub oak and white birch that provide food and shelter for a number of animals including deer, bear and grouse. As forests mature and shade-tolerant trees proliferate, game and nongame animal populations can decline. Yet, we need to maintain a mix of each forest type to maintain Wisconsin's natural biodiversity.
Grasslands also support a rich mix of species.
Native prairies once covered two million acres. These fertile, treeless expanses were plowed into cropland and wildfires were controlled which used to keep the encroaching forest at bay. Today, less than 12,000 scattered acres of native prairie remain. Pastures and hayfields which provided habitat for pheasants, ducks, bobolinks and meadowlarks steadily were converted to other uses. Programs like the Conservation Reserve Program, the Glacial Habitat Restoration Project, and pheasant stamp funds are providing incentives to restore large tracts of grassland landscape.