New season structure in Wisconsin.

[solocam88]

Bonus buck tags is terrible. Killing more bucks does not control or "maintain" a population. It just throws the buck to Doe ratio off even more and hurts the quality of the herd.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Trailcamaddict]

Like Mkuf79 said guys will have the possibility to shoot 5 bucks and no does. This is a recipe for disaster! Especially since the guys that feel they need to keep shooting bucks are usually the ones that don't care if they are shooting button bucks.

I see the big problem is that the hunters on this site are a unique group compared to the average guys out there. I would guess most of us are savvy about what we take now and what we leave for next year. However.....

Average guys that hunt want a good buck but don't want to put in the time. Most hunters at the end of the day shoot anything to get some meat before the end of the season buck, doe or nubby. With group hunting laws in effect for gun season, it pretty much ensures all tags have a good chance of being filled. Take what happened all over the state a few years ago when the DNR gave out like 6 doe takes if you had both a gun and bow tag + unlimited over the counter tags. "Hunters" shot a ton of deer and we are paying the price for that now. Now if we let the counties regulate the herds in their areas, you can bet that most of the guys on the boards that decide these things are going to be "average" hunters who want to be able to shoot EVERYTHING!

[JoeRE]

Especially with phone-in registration too, some argue that people will not phone in their kill and keep hunting, or it will be easier for people to get away with illegal activity. Others say that outlaws will be outlaws and the honest people will continue to follow the law. I can agree with parts of both sides of this.

A lot of other states have phone-in registration without major issues. It took a lot of getting used to for me TO have to check a deer when I started hunting WI a few years ago, I found it highly annoying (just like having to wear a back tag lol) compared what I had to do in other states before that. If a guy was going to poach a deer I think he would do it regardless.

I agree - there are some parts of the rule changes that are a bit confusing to me given the stated goals, but all in all I think the new rules are "better" than what WI has had for the last few years.

[Dewey]

Bonus buck tags is terrible. Killing more bucks does not control or "maintain" a population. It just throws the buck to Doe ratio off even more and hurts the quality of the herd.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

I agree. There are some areas that can maybe sustain this but grouping all of southern WI under that rule would be a huge mistake. Everybody I talk to that is for this proposal is only thinking of their own personal greed and are not even considering what it could do to the herd.

I am completely happy with my one buck with bow, one with gun and done. If I want additional opportunities I will hunt out of state.

[Brad]

In a perfect world I would like to srr a gun Buck and bow buck and 1 doe per hunter, that will more than fill the freezer, will help grown the herd in places that needs it but still keep it in check.

Bonus buck tags is terrible. Killing more bucks does not control or "maintain" a population. It just throws the buck to Doe ratio off even more and hurts the quality of the herd.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

I agree. There are some areas that can maybe sustain this but grouping all of southern WI under that rule would be a huge mistake. Everybody I talk to that is for this proposal is only thinking of their own personal greed and are not even considering what it could do to the herd.

I am completely happy with my one buck with bow, one with gun and done. If I want additional opportunities I will hunt out of state.

[ Post made via Android ]

[dreaming bucks]

I wonder where the DNR stand anymore on cwd control? Do they still want as many deer killed as possible to try and harness the disease a little, or are they just letting things take care of themselves now? I agree though, 1 buck bow, 1 buck gun, & 1 doe combined would be great. Too many guys whacking & stacking yet.

[ Post made via Android ]

[dan]

http://dnr.wi.gov/about/nrb/2014/Jan/01-14-3B8.pdf

Here is the updated rule changes. Bonus buck will be in all units that they want to maintain or decrease the population.

I emailed a couple people on the board yesterday telling them how this will make hunting in WI a lot worse. Registering buck fawns to get a bonus buck tag is a huge mistake. A hunter can possibly take 5 male deer in a season.

Are you aware that there is currently no limit in these areas? I ran into one guy who claimed to have shot over 30 deer a couple years ago. I know a local scool teacher who shot 8 small bucks in one season in rome marsh... 3 bucks voted on by a collition is way better than unlimited and though it ain't perfect its way better than the unlimited tags we have now.

[BassBoysLLP]

I know I'm not in the majority, but I like the opportunity to take a genetically inferior mature buck and not burn my buck tag. I went the runt mature route one year. I still have mixed feelings about the decision.

[ Post made via Android ]

[Dewey]

http://dnr.wi.gov/about/nrb/2014/Jan/01-14-3B8.pdf

Here is the updated rule changes. Bonus buck will be in all units that they want to maintain or decrease the population.

I emailed a couple people on the board yesterday telling them how this will make hunting in WI a lot worse. Registering buck fawns to get a bonus buck tag is a huge mistake. A hunter can possibly take 5 male deer in a season.

Are you aware that there is currently no limit in these areas? I ran into one guy who claimed to have shot over 30 deer a couple years ago. I know a local scool teacher who shot 8 small bucks in one season in rome marsh... 3 bucks voted on by a collition is way better than unlimited and though it ain't perfect its way better than the unlimited tags we have now.

That's great in the CWD Zone but a 3 buck limit in the rest of southern WI where it is currently a 1 buck limit now is what many are concerned about.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[dan]

I see your point Dewey... But 3 deer is not going to be the law... Its going to be 2 bucks state wide, and in order for the 3rd one to go into effect it has to get voted in by the hunters collation of that county because of a over population issue.
I might just try to get onto the Jefferson collation and you would have a hard time getting me to vote 3 anytime soon.

[trapper57]

I see your point Dewey... But 3 deer is not going to be the law... Its going to be 2 bucks state wide, and in order for the 3rd one to go into effect it has to get voted in by the hunters collation of that county because of a over population issue.
I might just try to get onto the Jefferson collation and you would have a hard time getting me to vote 3 anytime soon.

Dan,
Do you know how or what it takes to get in a collation?
I'd like to get in on my county's.
Could you let me know when you find out?

Thanks

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[dan]

I see your point Dewey... But 3 deer is not going to be the law... Its going to be 2 bucks state wide, and in order for the 3rd one to go into effect it has to get voted in by the hunters collation of that county because of a over population issue.
I might just try to get onto the Jefferson collation and you would have a hard time getting me to vote 3 anytime soon.

Dan,
Do you know how or what it takes to get in a collation?
I'd like to get in on my county's.
Could you let me know when you find out?

Thanks

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Thats a good question to ask the WDNR Biologist in the Wisconsin forum sticky... He is the one telling me about all of this stuff.

Here is a direct link:

viewtopic.php?f=38&t=23553

[BassBoysLLP]

I see your point Dewey... But 3 deer is not going to be the law... Its going to be 2 bucks state wide, and in order for the 3rd one to go into effect it has to get voted in by the hunters collation of that county because of a over population issue.
I might just try to get onto the Jefferson collation and you would have a hard time getting me to vote 3 anytime soon.

This is a good point Dan and good opportunity for people to get involved in the state's management.

I'm sure attendance to this year's spring hearings will rival the feral cat year.

[Mark the Biologist]

Get rid of the December anterless hunt any where in northern wi. Can not emphasize this enough.

North of highway 8 for sure and possibly highway 64.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

According to the summary, there will be no holiday or 4-day hunts in the northern forest zone, and there will be "increase" goals for the entire zone in 2014!

[Mark the Biologist]

Thank you Mark for keeping us informed on all the new rule changes..... Does anyone know if these new laws area done deal, or do they have to pass lelegislation or anyone else first? Mark???

[ Post made via Android ]

My pleasure! Nothing is set in stone on this yet. The rules package followed Dr. Kroll's recommendations very closely, and included public input from thousands of surveys and 35 public hearings. The Board voted to approve the rules, but now the DNR will need to work out the details with partner groups (e.g, how are local deer committees going to be selected). The final rules package will then have to be voted on by the Natural Resource Board.