Wisc. Reminder - the grinch that stole late season

[dan]

Just getting over the last doe only hunt, and just as the deer get back into routine, the Grinch stole the rest of late season for a lot of hunters:

Antlerless-only Holiday Hunt - Dec. 24 - Jan. 1, 2018
*Valid only in the following farmland units: Adams, Brown, Buffalo, Crawford, Door, Dunn, Iowa, Kewaunee, Marinette, Milwaukee, Oconto, Polk, Richland, Sauk, Waukesha, Waupaca, and Waushara.

I hunt a few of these counties, but luckily Im concentrating on others or my season would be done.

[tgreeno]

I am very lucky I don't hunt those counties!!! I feel sorry for the guys that do. It basically ruins your late season.

[vtbuck]

My main focus, “Big Mac” resides in a holiday hunt zone. That’s why I’m not hunting till the 1st

[brancher147]

We have antlerless gun in this week also and it's the last week of the season. I will probably be out with my bow still chasing a buck. I have never seen anyone hunting this late antlerless season in WV, but if they do, they may even help me where I plan to sit.

[tgreeno]

We have antlerless gun in this week also and it's the last week of the season. I will probably be out with my bow still chasing a buck. I have never seen anyone hunting this late antlerless season in WV, but if they do, they may even help me where I plan to sit.

In WI if there's an anterless season, we can't shoot a buck even if we're hunting with a bow.

[brancher147]

We have antlerless gun in this week also and it's the last week of the season. I will probably be out with my bow still chasing a buck. I have never seen anyone hunting this late antlerless season in WV, but if they do, they may even help me where I plan to sit.

In WI if there's an anterless season, we can't shoot a buck even if we're hunting with a bow.

Got it. My bad. That doesn't make any sense... I thought WV had some stupid laws... That would be frustrating.

I keep telling myself not to comment on stuff in other states if I don't know what is going on. Lesson learned.

[vtbuck]

Yes, WI is very frustrating

[stash59]

I kinda get the first statewide antlerless hunt in Dec. If I was an owner of alot of private land. To me that is the optimum time to take out the part of the doe population that is needed. By waiting until then it would keep/draw more bucks to the property for the rut. By waiting til Dec. and not doing it early in the bow season your putting less human pressure on the land. No treks into or near buck bedding to recover does that are killed.

Looking at it from the DNR's perspective the majority of deer hunters still hunt on private land and hunt with guns. Things change as time passes. So as a deer hunter that prefers bowhunting. I can understand a need for some compromise to please the gun hunters a bit.

The holiday hunt is a totally different story. Keeping a larger part of the traditional bow only late season hunt statewide should be what happens. During this time period. I feel it's a bad hunt for overall herd health, because of the large chance to shoot a shed buck as an antlerless deer. The early Dec. antlerless hunt most bucks still at least have one side yet. Which protects them. Most areas in the state still have lopsided buck/doe ratios. So killing any buck that has shed as an antlerless deer keeps this imbalance going or getting worse. Which in the long run is a form of an unhealthy herd IMHO!

I would actually go for an extended late bow season. Keep it open until Jan. 31st. But maybe make it a antlered buck only hunt for the month of Jan. To protect shed bucks.

[tgreeno]

We have antlerless gun in this week also and it's the last week of the season. I will probably be out with my bow still chasing a buck. I have never seen anyone hunting this late antlerless season in WV, but if they do, they may even help me where I plan to sit.

In WI if there's an anterless season, we can't shoot a buck even if we're hunting with a bow.

Got it. My bad. That doesn't make any sense... I thought WV had some stupid laws... That would be frustrating.

I keep telling myself not to comment on stuff in other states if I don't know what is going on. Lesson learned.

My comment was only made to let guys from other states that aren't aware of our rules, why it frustrates bowhunters trying to fill their buck tags.

[Twenty Up]

Come to Georgia our seasons open Sept 9-January 14 or 31st depending on where you are!
Rifle goes from ~Oct 21st to Jan 14......

You won't kill a Booner but you can take 10 does & 2 bucks

[Dewey]

Glad there is no Holiday Hunt where I am but if there was I wouldn’t hesitate to travel to a different part of the state to hunt if I still had a buck tag. It sucks but you just have to adapt and overcome. That’s why you have to scout all over the state so you always have a Plan...B.....C.....D.......

[TreeToad]

Why do they put Milwaukee County into the Holiday Hunt. As far as I'm aware you can't discharge a firearm in Milwaukee County anywhere. So why is there a firearm hunt for the county?

[llcooljames]

Does anyone know if the Metro subunits are lumped into the holiday hunt?

[dan]

Does anyone know if the Metro subunits are lumped into the holiday hunt?

If there in the counties listed, I believe they are included.

[Crazinamatese]

Not seeing anyone hunting in my county during this hunt. Negative digits with windchill, and lots of folks out on the ice too. What a waste of a season.