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when does WI bowhunting open?

Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 3:30 am
by PredatorTC
Does anyone know when WI bowhunting opens back up? I thought it was this coming monday but everyone is telling me there is a doe hunt, so it does not open for twk weeks? Ill make some phone calls and try and figure it out after work tonight if nobody knows

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Re: when does WI bowhunting open?

Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 3:34 am
by Black Squirrel
It's been open since November 17th. Runs through Jan. 6th. You just have to be wearing blaze orange if a gun season is open. Which is the case through Dec. 8th. This changed this year, you can now bow hunt during any gun season, the bow season only shuts down the Friday before gun. Not sure about the CWD units, could be different there.

Re: when does WI bowhunting open?

Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 4:00 am
by bowhunter15
Another point to add on to that, not only can you archery hunt during the gun season, but apparently you can also harvest a deer with your bow and tag it with your gun tag during the gun season. Talks about it on pg. 12 of the regs at the bottom.

And actually for CWD zones it looks like the archery season never even closed the day before gun opener. The regs (pg 11) say that the season runs September 15-January 6, 2013 except that Oct 11-14 and Dec 6-9 are antlerless only.

Re: when does WI bowhunting open?

Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 4:25 am
by Black Squirrel
bowhunter15 wrote:Another point to add on to that, not only can you archery hunt during the gun season, but apparently you can also harvest a deer with your bow and tag it with your gun tag during the gun season. Talks about it on pg. 12 of the regs at the bottom.


True, it's called the lesser weapon rule. You can now tag an archery Kill during an open gun season with your gun buck tag. As long as buck hunting is allowed. During the antlerless only season, you can't shoot a buck with your bow.

Re: when does WI bowhunting open?

Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 4:47 am
by PredatorTC
I guess i mean im wondering when i can use my buck archery tag. Bc if i shoot abuck with the bow during a gun season, im almost positive that i have to use my gun tag which i have used already?

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Re: when does WI bowhunting open?

Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 5:00 am
by Dewey
Bowhunting for bucks never closed except for the Friday before gun season and Dec 6-9 for the antlerless hunt.

Re: when does WI bowhunting open?

Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 5:05 am
by Black Squirrel
PredatorTC wrote:I guess i mean im wondering when i can use my buck archery tag. Bc if i shoot abuck with the bow during a gun season, im almost positive that i have to use my gun tag which i have used already?

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Nope, you can use your archery buck tag during the gun season. You could shoot a buck right now with your bow, and use your archery tag. If you hadn't filled your buck tag you could use either one.

Re: when does WI bowhunting open?

Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 6:40 am
by PLB
My archery buck tag is filled. So until the end of the antlerless season Dec.8th I can shoot another buck with my bow and tag it with my unfilled gun buck carcass tag??

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Re: when does WI bowhunting open?

Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 6:42 am
by PLB
Whoops only during muzzleloader season I think....

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Re: when does WI bowhunting open?

Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 7:23 am
by Dewey
Public Land Beast wrote:Whoops only during muzzleloader season I think....

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Correct

Re: when does WI bowhunting open?

Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 3:12 pm
by bowhunter15
I for one really like the new rule. Still allows the guys who love bowhunting to shoot multiple bucks without forcing them to use a gun if they don't want to.

Re: when does WI bowhunting open?

Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2012 3:44 pm
by PredatorTC
Black Squirrel wrote:
PredatorTC wrote:I guess i mean im wondering when i can use my buck archery tag. Bc if i shoot abuck with the bow during a gun season, im almost positive that i have to use my gun tag which i have used already?

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Nope, you can use your archery buck tag during the gun season. You could shoot a buck right now with your bow, and use your archery tag. If you hadn't filled your buck tag you could use either one.


Im going through the WI regulations right now just to double check before I go out in the morning bowhunting with my archery buck tag. I cannot find anywhere in the regulations saying that this is allowed.

Can anyone else find it and tell me what page its on? Thanks!

Re: when does WI bowhunting open?

Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2012 3:51 pm
by Dewey
Page 8
Where it says......
2012 Archery Deer Seasons-Herd Control Units

Bowhunting only closed the day before gun season and has been open since. The only time you can't kill a buck in Herd Control units is during the antlerless hunt this coming Thursday-Sunday.

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Re: when does WI bowhunting open?

Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2012 4:00 pm
by PredatorTC
Ok cool, i found that, but now if you go to page 4 it says

"During any gun deer season, hunters can use a firearm, bow and arrow, or crossbow
as their weapon of choice while hunting under the authority of their gun deer license
and gun deer carcass tags. During the 10-day muzzleloader season, a hunter can use a
muzzleloading firearm, bow and arrow, or a crossbow as their weapon of choice while
hunting under the authority of their gun deer license and gun deer carcass tag. See page
16 for more information."

WHat i understand from reading that is that you can use you bow, you just need to use your gun tag?

Thanks for the help Dewey

Re: when does WI bowhunting open?

Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2012 4:52 pm
by Crazinamatese
PredatorTC wrote:I guess i mean im wondering when i can use my buck archery tag. Bc if i shoot abuck with the bow during a gun season, im almost positive that i have to use my gun tag which i have used already?

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Why worry? you technically have two buck tags at your disposal right now until muzzleloader season ends.