FITCHBURG, Wis. -- Local hunters got a chance to sound off to the Department of Natural Resources officials on Tuesday night at an open house in Fitchburg.

At the forum, DNR officials shared recent deer herd status estimates. The herd numbers have been a hot issue since many hunters came up short this past deer-hunting season.

Now, the DNR is asking for their feedback from the hunting community.

"Our short-term goal is simply to listen to the hunters," said Don Bates, chronic wasting disease (CWD) operations supervisor with the DNR. "Take the info they give us and also to provide them with what info we have."

The hearing was one of several held statewide and unlike other meetings held around the state, this one wasn't contentious and turnout was fairly low, WISC-TV reported.

Last year, the DNR found deer numbers in the northeastern part of the state were 20 percent below the goal number. Deer numbers are still too high in southern Wisconsin in the CWD zone.

Both DNR findings are leaving some hunters concerned.

"I think if it would continue this way it's definitely going to affect the recreational hunting and also the businesses up north," said hunter James Schunk. "They get a big shot in the arm by deer season."

"The message we need to take away is that we need to manage the deer herd at levels that are both socially acceptable from an agricultural damage standpoint and from a hunters' standpoint," said wildlife biologist Jake Fries.

DNR representatives at Tuesday's open house said it's difficult to find a balance between hunters who are looking for higher deer numbers and other groups like some farmers, who are hoping deer numbers go down.

DNR officials discussed limiting or eliminating antlerless permits in low-population areas and continuing to issue doe permits in areas like the CWD zones where there are still too many deer.