New Commissioner of the DNR
Wisconsin
You have just been appointed commissioner of the DNR (this IS fiction). You have been given the green light to make two changes to hunting/fishing in Wisconsin with no questions asked. These can address any issues that you wish. It would be interesting to see the list-perhaps someone might think outside the box.
5-10 pan fish limit with technology it's not even fair. I don't even fish anymore but my nephews and friends do. Open Bear season in Zone C one week earlier close for 3 day holiday and reopen.
1. Raise non resident fees 2. Aprs for all hunters except youths and hunters 65+ yrs old
1. If nonresident owns more that 40 acres they pay resident fees. 2. Shotgun statewide in December to match IOWA's season. See who has biggest buck in 3 years.
1. Only have three deer seasons- bow, gun, and muzzleloader. No special or holiday hunts. 2. Go back in time and introduce elk into Wisconsin like Kentucky introduced elk.
Elk have been reintroduced to Wisco
Go back to registering deer in person and close archery hunting the week before gun hunting.
1) I bucktag/hunter for the season which can be used with any weapon during that weapons season. 2) end all party gun hunting.
Tweed, I am aware the DNR has two boutique elk herds to feed the wolves.
My post said to go back in time and introduce elk into wi like Kentucky did. They have a thriving herd, Wisconsin does not.
My best,
Kevin
Good point Kevin.
I guess I'd open wolf season and dedicate more funding to class room education/outreach.
First restrict cross bow use to gun seasons but allow use during the bow season to hunters impaired or over 65 years old. Second, have separate licenses for bow, cross bow, gun and muzzleloader. You may buy a maximum of 2 different licenses.
Cut antlerless tags in forest zones and on youth too. Raise fines and or jail time for poachers of all wildlife.
10-15 limit on pan fish
Cut only chinook stocking on Lake Michigan.
Whats with people and the panfish limit?
Can I have 3?
End deer drives on public land.
End group hunting.
Bring back the hunters choice tag. Getting rid of the doe and bonus tags.
Implement APR's and limit crossbow use to firearms seasons or for those 65 yrs or older.
Implement apr's for all except 1st time hunter.
Make gun season shotgun only and move it to December.
1. Put a bounty on Wolves and coyotes (hunt wolves on a small game license with no limits until the established quota is reached then go back to the draw system) and tell the Feds to shove it if wolves are not delisted.
2. No antlerless tags for anybody in the northern forest zone.
And since I can't limit it to 2, Number 3 would be prohibit deer baiting.
Raise all licenses so the DNR can afford to do their job (and stop the Governor from using lack of funds as an excuse for gutting the DNR).
Simplify the departments procedure and rules and post them to be completely transparent. Include all environmental assessments.....
Get outdoor/conservation classes in all schools.
Make blatant violations(poaching, illegal baiting, not registering game, over limiting on fish, shining outside of legal hours, hunting before or after hours, etc.) higher fines and loss of privileges for life.
What I find interesting is there are at least 6 ideas above that could have a great impact on deer hunting in Wisconsin - sorry panfisherman. And another 4 or 5 with merit as well.
I like: no scopes on muzzleloaders or crossbows, APR's for all hunters over 18, have 2 short gun seasons like Illinois or Iowa and hold them in December, raise non-resident fees - at least double, crossbows go back to medical use or age 55, ban deer drives and group hunting, stiffer fines & regulations on Deer Farms that spread CWD, wolf season like how coyotes are handled - year round hunting, a 2nd buck tag for archery season but no gun buck tag if you purchase.
And more panfish. :)
I tried to edit my post to include this link but didn't give me the option.
This is a class of kindergartners processing a moose
Go back to a 3 day gun season like it used to be.
Raise non resident fees to match bordering states.
3 day gun season??? #1 end deer baiting and make it hurt a little if caught #2 open the wolf season and lets start managing these buggers
As a non resident land owner, I can personally tell you of a handful of friends who won't buy land in WI just because of the license fees. If you want your state to have more money in the coffers, you have to understand you'll be better off with non residents buying land and bringing in their money vs. raising license fees. Gotta learn how to spend vs. just raising license fees.
Dan, if your friends can afford land here they should be able to afford our very low non res fees. I seriously doubt that's what's stopping them.
I for one wholeheartedly agree that our non res fees need to double or go to a point system where 1 point cost an extra $25 and it takes two points to draw a liscense. Of the buck buck states, we have by far the lowest non res fees. Why would a guy pay all that $ for IL or Iowa when he can simply go to Anywhere in the lower two third of our state and have a chance at the same kind of deer?
"Big buck states" not buck buck states.
1. First change, I get to make more than one change.
2. Implement meaningful APR's.
3. Eliminate crossbows for able bodied hunters.
4. Eliminate baiting statewide.
5. Do anything to bring back wolf management.
6. Eliminate group bagging for gun deer.
7. Greatly shorten the bear training season.
8. Limit bear baits by kill tags. (Like 3 baits stations per kill tag)
9. Eliminate MFL closed program. (cant believe I agree with Masterbait)
10. Raise NR fees to average of all surrounding states. Increase R fees as well.
11. Triple all game violation fine amounts.
I'll think of more later and have not even considered fish yet.
When a business sales just hit a 40 year low(dnr license sold), you dont raise the cost. A nr Iowa landowner cant get a buck tag evety year and Iowa land prices are double Wisconsin prices. Nr bow/gun license=$326. My 2 rt air, airport parking, car rentals were $1,300. Before food, drink, buying cheese gifts, mustard mueseum, packer/badger game. I also bought a puppy for $1,000. There is a price point where family who moved out of state would not buy a license to hunt with family when coming home for turkeyday. Starbucks knows they maximize profits with a $5 latte vs charging $12. Nr are not abusing the resource. I know many who pass dozens of bucks and take a buck every three years. By choice they are already spending $1,000 in license/buck taken. I personally will not spend $125 for a fall tutkey tag, i would if it was $60. As a nr landowner i can never get drawn for spring period 1,2. So i fly back and plant trees instead.
Nov- it's obvious your spending way more than the average nr. I can say nr do abuse the resource in our area. They hunt every yr and will not leave without filling their tags. If I went to their state it would cost me $400+ for a license. How is that fair? I agree if you own 35+ acres you should be considered a resident, otherwise the nr fee should be doubled.
Are there any published numbers or estimates as far as how many deer are actually killed by group bagging by NR hunters?
I've said this before and know that it's not popular, but I like that party hunting is legal in WI's gun season. The WI gun hunt is when I get together with some friends that I don't really see the rest of the year. I drive a considerable distance and make the time commitment to stay up at my buddy's place. We don't do drives. With our hunting style, it has been really rare that anyone fills someone else's tag. But party hunting allows me to remain in the field with my buddies and continue enjoying the hunt.
And it may not make much sense, but when I've tagged out, I'm not really looking to punch a buddy's tag...yet I wouldn't want to be a fifth wheel in the field. And I don't think that I'd want to just hang around in the cabin while my buddies hunted.
I appreciate the potential opportunity that I don't really intend to use. Told you that it might not make sense.
But I guess that if party hunting were to go away and I had a couple of years where I tagged out early in the hunt, I might be inclined to skip the expense and time of the gun hunt and try to work out time to fish with these guys instead. I prefer to bowhunt anyways.
And maybe you guys would cheer that on. One less NR hunter for the gun season. But I think that it would be another bit of erosion of the hunting tradition.
And I agree with November. Turkey tags are too expensive. As are tags in my state of residence.
Elk
maybe we should shorten the archery season that would eliminate a lot of problems with archery hunters who think they are entitled and own the woods.
In relation to your comments 7 and 8.
"As a non resident land owner, I can personally tell you of a handful of friends who won't buy land in WI just because of the license fees"
If it weren't the license fees they would have another excuse or 10. If our present bargain basement fees are what they are using for an excuse, they are just blowing hot air.
Now, that's creative-including a football game, a puppy and a trip to a mustard museum in the hunting expenses. Creative....
DT, remember I'm Commissioner now. Archery season remains the same! :)
Isn't a 3 month training season a bit much before the bear season actually starts? Also baiting unlimited sites is just crazy in my opinion.
The following would be implemented!!! 1. Shorten the bear. Bait / training period! 2. Delist wolfs! Add coyotesBoth would be fair game. During. The deer gun season. 3. Add. Bear to the Deer licence. 4shorten. The archery season. Oct 1. To dec 30 5. Back to the party tag system 6 eliminate crossbows only for the disabled! 7. No group tagging! 8. 2 deer limit. Per. Year 9 no managed food or bait plots 10. Throw out. The youth / disabled muzzle loader late season holiday combine. All to. The Deer Hunt 11 managed forest crop land out the door 12raise NR. licensee 13 wanton waste. Of game. Loss of license 14. Tax. All. Permenant stands A set. Amount. Eye sores to the beautiful. Landscape! 15. Return. Mandatory reg of deer at registered stations 16. Get. Rid. Of the. Farmer. / landowner. Deer damage tags. A great abuse of the system 17. Check out the online registration vit don't ask if. It's a antlered buck. Buck fawn doe fawn etc! No glue. Of the deer herd 18.ban shining. / 19.
Well now Neverbait I just need to convince you that landowners that enhance their lands with trees thru food plots are actually helping wildlife. Not just about antlers. And certainly not deer farming. Again JMO
I find it hard to believe anyone considering an out of state hunt for deer is really deterred by license cost. At least in Wi where its quite cheap.
Orion, I really do understand where your coming from concerning group bagging. I guess were concerned with the slob hunters out there that abuse it, shooting kids deer and filling tags for people not even trying. Heck I cant even help my wife catch a few bluegills so it just seems to make sense that would apply to big game too.
Turkeys are too expensive also, about time to designate them small game and lump them together with the rest.
Rut-That noise from western Wisconsin in response to guys from Minnesota not coming because of an additional hundo is a strong YEAAA! Ever see Hwy 63 on a Friday night in the fall...loaded with MudDucks.
I hear ya Elk. I'm talking about following the rules, not using grandma's tag (who's never stepped foot in the woods). And I don't know, but I suspect that if the law were to change, the slob hunters would continue shooting deer for others and using their tag...the only real change would be guys like me. I can admit that my only reason for wanting to keep that is self interest, even though we don't do drives.
I think the bowseason starting Oct. 1st like other states is a good idea as well. Paying for a turkey tag for each extra season is a bit of an over-reach as well.
Why trim the second half of September?
"Ever see Hwy 63 on a Friday night in the fall...loaded with MudDucks."
It gets bad. I grew up in the Ellsworth area and the influx of hunters from across the border was bad 20 years ago.
1- No crossbow in Archery season unless over 65 or handicapped. 2- No golden nugget piles. 3- Free tags for veterans and no "special" hunts ie. Holiday, antlerless, youth etc.
Elk elsewhere- do you think land owners would still enhance their land if there wasn't any deer? My guess would be .... not really. BUT only my guess.
Pasq, in all honesty no I don't think many would.
But then again there are deer so the "what if" question is pointless.
How many $25k fishing boats get sold with no fish? Frankly land enhancement is still minimal but it helps far more wildlife species then deer. Ask a dmap biologist.
"How does it come to be with land enhancements (bait plots) are at an all time high in popularity, that the deer kill/ hunter participation is at 30-40 year lows. One would think the benefit to deer would have exploded populations." Yes we sure would expect one to think, however that does not happen whenever the name "Masterbait" is involved. But, let's ponder a few points. 1) What proof can you offer that bait plots are at an all time high? 2) Do you think there is any correlation between deer kill numbers and the number of hunters participating? Certainly there are many other factors that intelligent people would consider but then again, to this point you have not exhibited any intelligence. Just sayin'...
Masterbaiter- it's because the true hunters and managers of their own land are getting smarter. The old mentality was when the herd was rebuilt with descent #s was to allow everyone to pull the trigger on whatever moves. Now hunters are realizing they pay for that in the future and are using restraint to keep those deer around. I really wish all our neighbors planted food plots to keep the deer fat and healthy. :):):):):)
After 48 years hunting in my hood i have seen a huge dropoff of deer drives and most guys are letting young bucks pass. After 4 years of rifle this is the first year we had no wounded deer which is nice. Foodplots? No. thermal tree plantings? No. invasive eradication? No woodie boxes? Yes .i do believe hornporn perpetuated by cable shows, magazines, deer expos have had a significant impact on deer camps. Taking huge bucks is a lonely, solo sport vs the old days of guys walking around, smoking, talking, taking doe opening weekend, ect. I dont blame anyone who drops $200k on a 40 and pays $2400/year in taxes to intensely manage/hunt the piece as he sees fit. Jmo
2 Isn't enough...
1. No crossguns in archery season without medical exemption/65yrs+ 2. Start rifle season 1 week or more later 3. End party tagging 4. Ban baiting statewide 5. If it can't all be moved back to 12, minimum small-game hunting age - 10, minimum big-game hunting age - 12 6. 1 buck/year unless earn-a-buck for max of 2. 7. Reinstate earn-a-buck in southern & over objective units 8. Ban shining
Camp, aprs have many negatives. 1) mistakes left untagged2) many yearlings and really nice 2.5 yo have 4-5 on a side. Aprs put focus on those up and comers. On a side note, the Waupaca county hunters did not do the job on antlerless having only harvested 300 more doe. So they were on the brink of a no buck 2016, were given 3 doe tags per weapon and chose not to use them. Guess what 2017 will bring?
There are mistakes with 3inches or more now for bucks. Aprs with 4 points on one side will exclude 95% of 1 1/2 yr old bucks, which is key in age structure.
I've been contemplating which two to pull off a list, so here goes (in no particular order). 1:If you choose to come here your state determines what you pay. (If Wisc. guys have to pay 500 bucks-so do you). 2:If you choose to hunt the public land that the year-round residents pay taxes on to support, you'll need a fifty dollar permit. 3: If Wisconsin residents need an outfitter to hunt your state/province you'll need to hire one in Wisconsin. 4: The shoulder-fired machine rules revert back to the rules in effect in 2012. 5: If your state/province requires an "export fee" to take the game home-so do you. 6: One buck tag per hunter-weapon specific. Here is the list...flame away
Lame. Reciprocal licensing, what states actually do this? I think I like that.
No states do this. Most state dnr run thier own ship and shy away from petty tit for tat schoolyard bs
I have to own 50+ acres to get land owner preference in the state I reside in. Why would we give resident status to NR hunters for any amount less than that?
Elk-Not real sure but it used to get talked about quite a bit. If I remember correctly that was what tipped the balance so that nonresidents could hunt Kansas. Before 1994 the deer hunting in Kansas was residents only. Reciprocal fees-not sure where but maybe it is time. This year is the first time since 1983 I didn't travel (U.S. of Canada) and I have seen massive increases in tag costs especially in the west (better include Iowa and Illinois). My feeling is if the guys from other states are really bothered by this sort of thing-get your state to lower YOUR fees. The nonresident thing is pretty simple-you either live here or you don't. If you choose to live elsewhere you'd need a nonresident tag.
Compate apples to apples. Only states with otc unlimited deer tags. As a resident in cal it takes me 5 years of points/$$$ to draw a buck tag.
As a resident of California you would have no say in this matter....
UT OH.... Hahaha! Here comes socal tax rant!
Lookin forward to it in 3, 2, 1.....
Its 75 and sunny here today like everyday of the year. I live here by choice as well as every 9 americans ,no tax rant needed. I watched the Packer game today, brrrrr!
Brrrrrr..... ????? That's what wisconinites call a beautiful day!!!!!!!
#1 No crossbows except for handicap hunters. #2 Gun season stays 9 days, no special seasons, and includes muzzle loaders, no special season. Bow season ( only ) reopens first Sat after gun and runs thru 12/31.
"I live here by choice as well as every 9 americans ,no tax rant needed."
I don't live there by choice. Snowballs beat screwballs.
"#2 Gun season stays 9 days, no special seasons, and includes muzzle loaders, no special season. Bow season ( only ) reopens first Sat after gun and runs thru 12/31."
I don't understand why so many bow hunters want to take away from other hunters?? Bow season runs 4 months roughly and other seasons get a week or so.
That attitude wouldn't stand a chance if 550,000 gun deer hunters rise up and demanded change. The tradition of the gun hunt at thanksgiving is only a generation of going away.
I hunt bow, gun, and muzzleloader seasons so if one of the gun seasons moved into the rut who am I to try and stop it when bow hunters are trying to take seasons and days away from hunts I partake in.
Sue the DNR/State for special interest that screwed the original intent of bowhunting that was originally set forth. Let WBH set the rules of the season by majority. Reciprocal NR tag fee no xbow in bow season, except for disable (missing limb or near-disease) no scopes on muzzleloaders, cap & ball that was original set. baiting,group bagging and gang drives on public disallowed set a balance wolf quota enjoy the hunt or get out
Minnesota was #1 in book entries(simply is a yardstick of mature bucks) 25 years ago. Coincidentaly they moved their gun opener to peak rut. Today they are 16th in book entries. Not a coincidence.
get rid of all baiting in the north and no one kills any does for awhile,,,,,, can be adjusted in the future
I have doe up the wazoo and can't shoot them. Due to no or limited tags.
Nov. is right about the Mn. gun mess. They let their wives convince them to move up the season and extend it so they could be home for Thanksgiving. Killed many a deer camp and made it a trickle hunt. DropTine I agree w/ most but tradition is alive and well up north.
Start up the tree processors in the CNF and don't stop until every over mature maple stand is eradicated.
Then "feed the deer aspen in the winter and lead in the fall"
