The Rhinelander Daily News - Online news and information for the Rhinelander, Wisconsin region

Computers are great, when they work. Ask anyone who tried to purchase one of the extra turkey tags on Friday, March 28, what they think of computers. Better yet, ask any Department of Natural Resources (DNR) staffers who were trying to assist turkey hunters who wanted to purchase tags.

It appears that the computer system the DNR recently brought on line crashed. This is not the first time the system has failed and frustrated hunters or staff. I’ve have been told that the situation is being handled and improvements have been made.

The Big Game Committee of the Conservation Congress met on Saturday, March 29, at the Mead Wildlife Area Visitor Center. Their purpose was to share information about the 2007 Wisconsin deer season and attempt to obtain the support of the Big Game Committee for the proposed 2008 Deer Season Structure.

Those of us who had attended the deer herd status meetings several weeks ago were given the Preliminary 2008 Deer Season Structure. The details of that structure were published in this space. Following an analysis of the effects of a winter that is still hanging on in our area, some changes in the preliminary structure were made. The structure that was handed out at the herd status meeting showed 16 deer management units that were designated to have a regular deer season. The updated structure sheet shows 22 deer management units that will have a regular nine-day deer season in 2008.

Basically, the units in northeastern Wisconsin will have the regular nine-day season. What that means is that in those units scheduled to have a regular season there will not be a four-day antlerless hunt during October, though there will be antlerless tags available in those units. The number of antlerless tags will be determined after the total impact of winter has been analyzed. Also, there will be a statewide four-day antlerless hunt in December.

In an effort to avoid the rut with the October four-day antlerless hunt it has been moved to an earlier date. Those new dates will fall on the opening weekend of the 2008 pheasant season. With that in mind pheasant hunters will be required to wear blaze orange on opening weekend.

I have been on the Big Game study committee of the Conservation Congress for several years and find the meetings fascinating. Keith Warnke, who is the DNR deer ecologist, spent the four hours we met explaining the structure for the 2008 hunt.

Much to his credit he fielded some very difficult questions and had statistics to back up his position. Over and over he was told that hunters are not happy with the goals for deer management units. Several committee members told Warnke that hunters in their areas do not attend meetings any more because the DNR does not listen. He indicated that he is trying to change that reaction to DNR actions.

The structure that was presented by Warnke received the support of the committee by a vote of 11 to 7. In addition to the units that are slated to have a regular season there will be 29 earn-a-buck (EAB) units. Fifty-five units will be under herd control. EAB and herd control units will have the four-day October antlerless season. The major stumbling block for the committee was the reintroduction of the four-day antlerless hunt during October.

Joe Weiss, a member of the committee, sent out an e-mail stating his opposition to the preliminary 2008 deer season structure.

“Even with the four-day October hunt hunters will not be able to kill enough deer to satisfy the Department,” Weiss wrote in an e-mail. “The hunting population is simply maxed out when it comes to killing any more deer. People just can’t use any more deer. Their freezers are full.”

It is his contention that a large percentage of the deer that are killed during the October four-day antlerless hunt are killed by non-residents of the state of Wisconsin.

As mentioned, the discussion at the Big Game Committee meeting went on for most of four hours with each member of the committee having the opportunity to voice their opinions. Deer hunting in Wisconsin is big business, which becomes an emotional activity anytime two or more deer hunters gather. It seems that everyone who hunts has an opinion about how our regulations should read.

Most of us on the committee who hunt across northern Wisconsin told Warnke that the hunters we talk with are not happy because we see so few deer in the woods. Those on the Committee who are bow hunters expressed their opposition on an October gun hunt.

Another topic that generates emotional disagreements is the topic of shooting deer over bait. That topic was not discussed during the meeting.

Although I was not totally pleased with the hunt structure I was happy to see that units 36, 38, 39 and 52 will have a regular hunt. Several landowners mentioned that the numerous hunts cause them some trespass problems.

Let’s think spring and open water fishing.

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Comments »

Jonathan Hibner wrote on Apr 14, 2008 9:54 AM:

" what is the 2008 hunting season far cwd. "

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