WI Muzzleloader Season

[Vic Price]

Howdy folks,

The WI deer hunting seasons ( when, where, etc. ) are currently being decided for the future. There will be no "T Zones", but will now be called "Deer Reduction Units" or something like this....which is no big deal. The big deal that's now being considered is the stand alone muzzleloader season may get squeezed by a late antlerless only season where cartridge rifles can be used, so the Th-F-S-Su part of the current muzzleloader season MAY have another season mixed in. The snowmobilers are pushing this, so I suggest you make some contacts with your local politicians and also ask landowners to close their lands where the snowmoble trails come through if this goes any farther.

TraderVic

 

[Ryan O]

So that means the current 7 day muzzlelaoder season will be reduced to a 3 day??.... :bull:

 

[leadball]

I thought it was a 9 or ten day season? Oh well, i will be moving to mInnesota in the next 2 years

 

[Vic Price]

The current muzzleloader season in WI is 9 days. That will not change. What's being proposed is a late season antlerless season that will run for 4 days during the muzzleloader season. So...what's the difference ? During the 4 day antlerless season, hunters may use cartridge guns.

WI Mzldr season : M-T-W-Th-F-S-Su-M-T-W
Proposed Antlerless : Th-F-S-Su
{--same time----------}

Vic

 

[Riley/MN]

Oh well, i will be moving to mInnesota in the next 2 years

Let us know when & where...

-Riley
TMA MN State Rep

 

[sundowner]

Did you see the deer season that will be this year in the sports section of sundays journal-sentinel . The late t-zone is after the muzzleloader season .
Charlie

 

[Vic Price]

I haven't caught up to the new seasons for 2006 yet. I'll check them out and then comment back here when I can.

Regards, Vic

 

[Elkinde]

Now they want to sell us a muzzleloader hunting license. Gunderson (R) WI. proposed this. Also which is worse, they want to let muzz. hunters shoot another buck. I don't believe it should be right for a hunter to take 3 bucks a year. There's just not that many to go around. Just think of the poor souls that have to hunt public land. It will be great for us land owners but I believe the guy that only has a couple of bucks to shell out for hunting is going to get screwed again. I wouldn't take 3 bucks off my property in a year anyway. It just wouldn't be right. What do you think about this.

 

[Vic Price]

Greed, selfishness & Politics are driving hunting seasons in Wisconsin. When the Natural Resources Board does make a sound recommendation ( which is not always the case these days ), the legislature intervenes/interferes and uses their political authority to make capricious decisions which are usually supported by selfish/greedy special interest groups.

It's really a sad state of affairs right now in our capital !

Regards, Vic

 

[ayetter2003]

too many deer in WI any way i propse a year where you can kill as many as you want year round then we might finally put a dent in the population instead a dent in my new car if i see deer lying dead on the road or standing by the road that is one deer too many. :cursing: also revise the whole process for turkey hunting get rid of the application process and give everyone 1 tag whenever they buy a small game license and allow the hunter to use muzzleloaders up to .40 and rimfires up to .22 mag. just my thoughts

 

[spaethjm]

Let politicians run the DNR and everything will be a mess

 

[cayugad]

Anytime the DNR or our political idiots in Madison can see a way of squeezing another buck out of the sports people you can bet they will. They promote all these different environmental programs and the hunters foot the bill.

It does not surprise me that they want to charge muzzleloader hunters. They have more deer then they can handle in most places, they want the herd thinned and shot off, but they want to make another dollar off the hunter.

People should just refuse to even purchase a license. This is getting crazy. Fishing season opened and a big warning of mercury levels was put in the paper. Really makes you want to run out and eat fish.

Remember when the big CWD scare came out. The DNR warned all of us how serious this was. Then they wanted big research funding and money to remodel their offices. (After all if you're going to fight CWD you need to be comfortable). Then, all their funding was denied. And because of their scare tatics, hunting license sales plumted. It did not take the DNR long to change their tune, and down play the seriousness of CWD.

I've really gotten disgusted with the way the DNR has handled Wisconsin's resources. In my area they shot off all the deer around me. I have not seen a deer cross my fields in two years now. It used to be I'd see numerous deer every night along the edge of the woods.

Where these deer are crashing into cars, is the hunting pressure heavy? Not that is does not happen here, but not like it used to.

 

[Wink]

I mean no disrespect and I'm certainly no fan of our DNR. I do support however a separate Muzzleloader season with a separate tag. I feel the 24 dollar cost is well worth the added opportunity to spend aditional time in the woods to pursue our sport without having to worry should I or shouldn't I use my buck tag during the regular rifle season. The added dollars would add additional revenue to our DNR and to those merchants who benefit from the hunting industry.

 

[Dave H]

I guess I have mixed feelings about an aditional fee for a seperate muzzleloading season. My job doesn't allow me any time off during the Thanksgiving holiday except for the weekends, so for the last several years I have hunted the opening weekend of the regular rifle season ( with my muzzleloader ) the second weekend and then the the muzzleloader season which follows. After the regular season ends the deer have been under a lot of hunting pressure and for the most part have gotten into a new routine. I don,t think that I would be willing to pay almost $50.00 to continue hunting the days I do now. It would all depend on when and how the muzzleloading season is set up, if the muzzleloading season would allow me a GOOD oppertunity to hunt, I would only hunt that season. If not, I have some thinking to do.

 

[Wink]

I feel that by adding a 9 day either sex muzzleloader season begining the Saturday after the close of the regular gun season would be a great time to hunt. It would allow the deer a week to settle down and give hunters a week to recharge their batteries. Also I hope that it would eliminate the need for the DNR's T zone antlerless hunts and earn a buck hunts that in my opinion have de-valued deer in our state to the status of vermin.

 

[ayetter2003]

WI DNR has enough of a budget already the do not need more funds they need to learn how to mange what they have already. some of you have some good ideas but lets never promote quality deer management deer hunting is for meat and the experience not antlers. part of the problem in WI is the archers they have a strong lobby, almost 4 months of hunting and all they are after are "the big bucks".

 

[Old Ironsights]

Indiana has a seperate fee/seperate tag system. It works well.

During Gun season I can use a Shotgun OR ML (any type) and take a deer.

During ML season I can take a deer and usually a "bonus" antlerless deer or two depending on area.

I can do both seasons if I want to, or just one.

Lots of options that way.

 

[leadball]

cayugad, could it be because of the increase in wolves in your area? If I remember you live near the che national forest. I know near the summit trail near my house were it meets with the gandy dancer there are wolves. there is still alot of deer but they dont move around as boldly as lets say the deer in superior. By the way, hearing any increase in ruffed grouse drumming? On my property there is 2 more drumming from last year

 

[leadball]

My understanding is the zone T opens right after the bp season

 

[barebackjack]

Ah the problem of blossoming deer populations.....my state has the same problem.

The REAL problem is biologists who should know better apparently dont realise that to effectively control a population, you MUST KILL FEMALES!!!! They give out deer tags like candy, but not enough doe tags. Which is why my state gets the short end of the stick for big buck genetics (we kill anything that shows any potential at 2.5 years of age with our 80 bazillion percent success rate).

The other problem is, nobody wants to shoot does. (Im not a big fan of North Dakota gun hunters to start with, dont get me started, If you want to know, PM me and Ill tell you some horror stories), but their all antler greedy. Thats all they want to shoot.
There are ways to "coerce" these people into shooting does however. Offer "preference points" for other big-game licenses for every three does shot, or whatever number you like. Or preference points into drawing a deer tag in a coveted locations. Bribe them, or they will NOT shoot does.
Our muzzleloader season is a weighted lottery held after regular gun season in early december, hardly the most ideal time to be afield with a primitive weapon (dont get me wrong, i love hunting that period) but its not good, the deer are all bungled up from the gang bangers, its cold (If youve been to ND in december, you know), its just not condusive to taking numbers of animals (its toted as a way to harvest more deer right now, which is does not accomplish). Anyway, ITS A WEIGHTED LOTTERY wether for doe or buck. Does that make sense when your trying to reduce a population.....NO!!! Make the buck tag lottery, but they should sell doe tags over the counter.

Im not a huge fan of my states Game and Fish (DNR), and Fish and Wildlife have been on my "list" a loooong time.

The problem is beuracrats sitting in an office at the state capital who received a M.S. Degree from the University of Timbuktu 28 years ago, who have no idea what happens in the real world, and who got their job because of campaign contributions and "who they know". Hunting is run by the rich, the average joe is in for rough waters ahead if its not curtailed early. Its happened in states like texas, and its happening in alot others. Its already happened in mine for waterfowl, and upland and big game is following fast. Pay to play, regulations catering to the well to do, I dont like it.

I think you guys should scream bloody murder at your state trying to fit more gun bangers into your M/L season. Extend the regular season, tack it onto the end of your M/L season, just keep it out of the M/L season. If your deer are anything like mine, they go completely nocturnal when those yahoos start beating around, and that hurts YOUR hunt. I quit bowhunting for two weeks in November usually during the peak of the rut because of orange clad 300 win mag totin morons blasting away at everything. (The huntin sucks, and I dont want a hole in me).

That was a bit of a rant....but the moral of my story is....DONT LET THEM DO IT, because before you know it, you wont have a M/L season at all, it will just be added to the gun season.

Boone