Post by Ron on Jan 31, 2010 11:46:32 GMT -6
So you will know what the DNR has tabulated for the 2009 season. you can read the full story at this link.
www.jsonline.com/sports/outdoors/83078942.html
Just to clarify what JS Online reporter meant when he wrote this line:
"Once the deer population estimate is known, the DNR will begin finalizing its regulations for 2010. It is expected that about 25 units, mostly in the north and northeast of the state, will have zero antlerless quotas for 2010. The DNR has pledged to limit antlerless permits in areas below goal to help deer numbers recover.
A "buck only" season is possible in some units. The Wisconsin Bowhunters Association board of directors has endorsed an idea to limit archers to bucks only in certain units, said board member Ron Kulas."
This is the reason for that statement and what I explained to Paul in a phone interview last week. Last year there were 13 DMU's that did not allow gun hunters to harvest antlerless deer. At the same time, bowhunters get a free antlerless tag that is good anywhere in the state (including those 13 units) While the harvesting of antlerless deer by gun hunters was forbidden in those units in 2009, bowhunters killed 1,381 antlerless deer in the 13 units that were well below goal. This fact is not missed by the gun hunting community.
It's not a stretch to think that bowhunters could lose our either sex tag if enough gun hunters complain. and we stand to lose our free antlerless tag state wide if we don't act. How do I know this?? Because that is exactly what happened this year the Conservation Congress big game committee meeting. because there are units that are well below goal and hunters are concerned for the deer herd, a citizen wrote a resolution last spring to prevent archers from taking antlerless deer in zero quota units. That resolution was then modified by the big game committee to return the archery deer license to the one (either sex) tag we had a few years ago. That motion failed and another was written to make the statewide archery tag into a buck only tag. All this took place in one meeting over the course of about a half hour. That is how fast will lose what we have fought for 70 years because gun hunters are not happy and consider bowhunters to have too much harvest ability.
This same concern was brought up by the legislature at the Dec. Hearing, asking about bowhunters being able to kill antlerless deer in units that gun hunters could not. I made a promise to the legislators that WBH would address the concerns of gun hunters. At the CC meeting WBH also made a promise to the CC that we would work with the Dept. to correct the issue of bowhunters taking antlerless deer in zero quota units. WBH is keeping that promise and I fully expect that in 2010 there will be even more zero quota units than last year and I fully expect that bowhunters will be held to the same rules as gun hunters in those units so that we are doing our share to ensure the deer herd can rebound.
This is a short term and unit by unit solution to the problem of under populated units and will correct itself as the herd in those units rebounds (with the help of bowhunters not killing antlerless deer). Once those units get back to goal, both gun and bowhunters would once again be allowed to harvest antlerless deer. WBH is committed to doing our part to help the deer herd rebound. This is what takes place as the deer herd shrinks and the current number of hunters are fighting over the limited number of deer.
This is a prime example why we think it important that WBH be involved and party to deer management decisions because had we not been active legislatively and working with the Conservation Congress, it is evident that bowhunters would have lost on a state wide level in reaction to an issue that took place in only 13 DMU's.
On another note, this has proven just how fragile and subject to sudden reaction and attitude shifts the archery deer season is. In terms of licenses, quotas and even season length, as the deer herd moves closer to goal, bowhunters will be looked at with a more critical eye. At the same time, there are those that hope to introduce tens of thousands of additional deer hunters into the archery deer season using crossbows meaning even more deer of both sexes being harvested before gun hunters get their chance to hunt.
www.jsonline.com/sports/outdoors/83078942.html
Just to clarify what JS Online reporter meant when he wrote this line:
"Once the deer population estimate is known, the DNR will begin finalizing its regulations for 2010. It is expected that about 25 units, mostly in the north and northeast of the state, will have zero antlerless quotas for 2010. The DNR has pledged to limit antlerless permits in areas below goal to help deer numbers recover.
A "buck only" season is possible in some units. The Wisconsin Bowhunters Association board of directors has endorsed an idea to limit archers to bucks only in certain units, said board member Ron Kulas."
This is the reason for that statement and what I explained to Paul in a phone interview last week. Last year there were 13 DMU's that did not allow gun hunters to harvest antlerless deer. At the same time, bowhunters get a free antlerless tag that is good anywhere in the state (including those 13 units) While the harvesting of antlerless deer by gun hunters was forbidden in those units in 2009, bowhunters killed 1,381 antlerless deer in the 13 units that were well below goal. This fact is not missed by the gun hunting community.
It's not a stretch to think that bowhunters could lose our either sex tag if enough gun hunters complain. and we stand to lose our free antlerless tag state wide if we don't act. How do I know this?? Because that is exactly what happened this year the Conservation Congress big game committee meeting. because there are units that are well below goal and hunters are concerned for the deer herd, a citizen wrote a resolution last spring to prevent archers from taking antlerless deer in zero quota units. That resolution was then modified by the big game committee to return the archery deer license to the one (either sex) tag we had a few years ago. That motion failed and another was written to make the statewide archery tag into a buck only tag. All this took place in one meeting over the course of about a half hour. That is how fast will lose what we have fought for 70 years because gun hunters are not happy and consider bowhunters to have too much harvest ability.
This same concern was brought up by the legislature at the Dec. Hearing, asking about bowhunters being able to kill antlerless deer in units that gun hunters could not. I made a promise to the legislators that WBH would address the concerns of gun hunters. At the CC meeting WBH also made a promise to the CC that we would work with the Dept. to correct the issue of bowhunters taking antlerless deer in zero quota units. WBH is keeping that promise and I fully expect that in 2010 there will be even more zero quota units than last year and I fully expect that bowhunters will be held to the same rules as gun hunters in those units so that we are doing our share to ensure the deer herd can rebound.
This is a short term and unit by unit solution to the problem of under populated units and will correct itself as the herd in those units rebounds (with the help of bowhunters not killing antlerless deer). Once those units get back to goal, both gun and bowhunters would once again be allowed to harvest antlerless deer. WBH is committed to doing our part to help the deer herd rebound. This is what takes place as the deer herd shrinks and the current number of hunters are fighting over the limited number of deer.
This is a prime example why we think it important that WBH be involved and party to deer management decisions because had we not been active legislatively and working with the Conservation Congress, it is evident that bowhunters would have lost on a state wide level in reaction to an issue that took place in only 13 DMU's.
On another note, this has proven just how fragile and subject to sudden reaction and attitude shifts the archery deer season is. In terms of licenses, quotas and even season length, as the deer herd moves closer to goal, bowhunters will be looked at with a more critical eye. At the same time, there are those that hope to introduce tens of thousands of additional deer hunters into the archery deer season using crossbows meaning even more deer of both sexes being harvested before gun hunters get their chance to hunt.