Contributors to this thread:
The other thread is getting too long. So how about this. You have to pick bow or crossbow when you get your license, no upgrade. If you use a crossbow during archery season and shoot a buck. You get no buck tag for gun season. If you want to shoot another buck with your crossbow during archery season. Your "archery" buck tag is not good until late season. Of course there will still be plenty of slobs shooting bucks they don't have tags for during gun season under the group bagging law. But that's another one to work on.
Now doing it this way if you were to shoot a buck with a vertical bow during bow season. You would still get a firearms buck tag.
Some hunters are selective no matter what weapon they use. I haven't shot a deer in WI since 2012. Does are scarce, so we don't shoot does, and I haven't had what I'd consider a shooter buck within range with either Xbow or rifle. Xbows don't kill more deer, people do. So I have yet to shoot a deer in WI with my Xbow.
How about this? With first license you get a buck tag. and x (by county) doe tags. Add a muzzle loader license type to the list. So Gun, muzzle loader, crossbow and bow are all different licenses. You buy for the weapon you want to hunt. Lesser weapons overlap other weapons. IE you can hunt with your bow on a bow license during the gun periods, but guns can only hunt during gun seasons.
I was hoping the suggestion was going to be a nice big bonfire with crossbows as the fuel.
The fire has fizzled out.
Knife, you are probably correct. Being lazy, crossbow users will soon move on to the next easier activity.
I heard that a lot of crossbow users are taking up golf at the courses that require them to ride in carts. So the numbers should be dropping,,,,,
Sorry, just had to....
If the concern is over harvest of bucks, why not change the rule to one buck per hunter per year regardless of weapon.
I happen to agree with brew crew. One buck kill it however you want.
no need for a one buck rule,,,, that is political science, not wildlife science,,,,, we should manage the herd for the good of the herd
Just my two cents, we need more dnr biologists / conservationists per county / region to get a better handle on actual herd management requirements vs arbitrary numbers, I don't care what you shoot them with as long as its ethical and maintains a healthy herd
Brew... you're correct. There's a fallacy that the exception of Xbows in the "archery" season would lead to an increase of hunters in the woods, especially "newbs", which in turn would lead to an over harvest of deer. When in reality, the people that truly enjoy hunting, especially during the early fall, which tends to be more of a solitary sport, will choose to hunt, regardless of the weapon. I'm sure there's been people who took up Xbow hunting once they became legal during the archery season, but quickly realized it's not the same as hunting deer during the gun season when people are moving deer around. Also, the younger generation who've grown up watching hunting shows, soon realize there's a lot of alone time and countless of hours of no to low deer encounters. So really, the truly "lazy" hunters will move on. They'll meander the woods for a while with their loaded Xbow and come back to reality and go back to playing video games or "socializing" on the interweb.
ground hunter.... +1....brewcrewmike..... Why should we go to one buck season just so cross gunners can have a long season. We have group bagging during the gun season now. Thats what should be addressed. Before cross gunners there was no major problems.
If there were no problems then what have you guys been bitching about the last 35 years?
SAK, EAB, to many doe tags, not enough doe tags, the NRB, the CC and so on.
I agree with Chief2 when he says, "Just my two cents, we need more DNR biologists / conservationists per county / region to get a better handle on actual herd management requirements vs arbitrary numbers, I don't care what you shoot them with as long as its ethical and maintains a healthy herd."
However, are these biologists going to advocate for a quality deer herd, the hunter, the tradition of hunting as a pastime, etc...?? Will the deer hunter "feel the love" that seems to be directed at the wolf currently or will they (biologists) be totally PC and not want to ruffle any feathers from all the anti crowds?
Do Wisconsin deer hunters settle for things too easy? In another post Groundhunter mentioned his take on Iowa after doing some scouting. My brother and his buddy have hunted there for 20+ years and your jaws would drop if you would see what they consistently bring home. Wisconsin has such an upside pertaining to opportunity (acreage), soil, habitat and habitat diversity for an even higher quality deer herd, but we seem to settle too easy and don't want to explore ways to improve hunting. I know this ruffles the feathers of many here who say trophy hunters are the problem or the "how dare you tell me what I can kill" crowd. IMHO Too many of us are easy come...easy go concerning bowhunting. When most posts are political/management issues consisting of digital shouting matches, you start to see a lot of good posters drop off. I'm not saying that these types of posts are necessarily bad, but they turn bad fast. The reality of a really fractured group of hunters I guess.
The crossbow debate is what baiting was (and is) to this site and then some-...toxic.
Buckmaster, Before crossbow hunters there were no problems?!? Look at this list Drop Tine mentioned, "If there were no problems then what have you guys been bitching about the last 35 years? SAK, EAB, to many doe tags, not enough doe tags, the NRB, the CC and so on. Many of these came long before crossbows. Blaming crossbow hunters for all the problems that currently exist with hunting is the same as trusting a wet fart. They are both crap!
I agree with Musky. I joined this site to gain info, gain knowledge, and just see what is happening throughout the state. The Crossbow thing is toxic and makes the site less enjoyable. With that, I really think the only thing that MIGHT happen is the state will not allow scopes anymore. But how do you regulate that with the ability to quickly remove scopes off of the weapon. Just my 2 cents...
Too many years of earn a buck in a row and the CC always advancing stupid questions to draw sportsmen to the spring hearings.
But yet you seek the CC to be your saving grace with their resolution question this year. Is this one of their “stupid questions”?
DT .... You said yourself the CC has questions just to try and increase attendance. Even if 80% of attendance votes against cross guns the CC won't do a thing.
What can the CC do other than get the pulse of the citizens on how they feel on issues? It’s up the the NRB or state legislature to act. The CC does not have that authority to make change. Never did.
Change does not happen overnight either. My one resolution took 5 years to become reality. I’m currently working on another that was started in 2011.
Then your telling me its a waste of time to go
I’m not telling you that at all. I’m just giving you an understanding of the CC and its niche that it fills.
But yet you seek the CC to be your saving grace with their resolution question this year. Is this one of their “stupid questions”?
It was my understanding the question was rejected by the WCC but brought back at the request of the NRB.
Educating you? I tend to agree.
Lots of secret crossbow lovers! Time to come out of the box blind!
"I heard that a lot of crossbow users are taking up golf at the courses that require them to ride in carts. So the numbers should be dropping,,,,,"
If the numbers drop then maybe you guys that have gotten use to bow hunting the lazy, easy, way (during the rut when bucks are easy to kill) can stop the constant whining and grumbling about having to share the rut with other hunters.
GEITZ "But yet you seek the CC to be your saving grace with their resolution question this year. Is this one of their “stupid questions”? It was my understanding the question was rejected by the WCC but brought back at the request of the NRB."
The actual chain of events are, that in the 2016 Conservation Congress spring hearings, there was a total of 7 citizens resolutions submitted, to the effect of changing the crossbow season. In 2017, there was a total of 5 citizens resolutions submitted to the effect of changing the crossbow season. For the 2018 spring hearing, the Conservation Congress did have a three part question drafted for the questionnaire. But Greg Kazmerski on the Natural Resources board felt that it was to confusing. So it was pulled and the current question by Kazmerski replaced it. The Conservation Congress was not rejecting anything from the previous resolutions. You can find the original question on the DNR website. The interesting thing about this whole situation, is that with the 2016 and 2017 citizen resolutions submitted, totaling twelve, eleven were submitted by officers, directors, past directors, etc. of the Wisconsin Bowhunters Asscociation. The 12th was submitted by an executive member of the Congress, and strangely was a exact typed word for word copy as the resolution submitted by the WBH president. They each merely hand wrote their name and address for submitters info. Of the twelve, individually several did pass, but if you total the resolutions vote by year, they both failed This is all public information. doesn't take a rocket scientist to see where this is all materializing.
Geitz, that I’m not aware of as I’m not on either Committee that would deal with this.
But it seems like there was two separate resolutions going to be proposed. The NRB’s and a citizens. It sounds like it could have led to confusion and the one was dropped and they went with the Boards question.
Again this is not gospel and just what I found from doing some digging. Either way the question will be asked.
Thanks for setting the record straight Geitz
Some people speak from experience, some from their posteriors. Geitz has the experience.
In addition to my previous post, relating to the original Conservation Congress question
Sorry, can't get link to work
OK - Finally got it to connect. With regards to my previous post, pertaining to the Original Conservation Congress question drafted for 2018 spring hearing Questions 22-24
Musky buck, I agree with your comments on my previous post about the biologists, I guess I would hope they would make appropriate recommendations based on herd health without regard to money or sport as I would like my grandkids to eventually enjoy the woods the way I did as a kid which was game filled
"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
That's Gospel, DT
I'd love to spill the beans on what some of you hold so close but some have to care enough to find out.
Dang...... Geitz is back to Boomer1! Not sure how that worked. Anarchy;)
Chief, herd health is only one of many factors that the herd is managed for. The DNR is supposed to manage the wildlife of the state for all the citizens, not just the hunters. Crop damage, animal lovers, native Americans, hunters and many other issues all play a part in wildlife management.
I manage wildlife for wine women song and breakfast lunch and dinner. I must be doing it wrong :D
Thanks cap but I don't care about the other reasons honestly
Chief, I don't either but it does not change the fact.
