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Extended Deer Hunt?

AaronS

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Just saw this on the NRA web site, thought some might like to see it.





The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is proposing to extend the 9-day deer rifle season in November by seven days and wants the public to weigh-in. A number of public hearings have been scheduled across the Badger State and it is imperative that you attend and make your voices heard.

The hearings will begin at 6:30 p.m. with an informational presentation and overview of the proposed rule. Public comments and statements will be accepted beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Scheduled hearing dates and locations:

  • Crivitz - Wednesday, October 14, Crivitz Village Hall, 800 Henriette Ave.
  • Onalaska - Thursday, October 15, Onalaska High School Field house, 700 Hilltopper Place.
  • Madison - Wednesday, October 21, Lussier Family Heritage Center - Main Level, 3101 Lake Farm Road.
  • Rhinelander - Wednesday, October 21, James Williams Middle School, 915 Acacia Lane.
  • Ashland - Wednesday, October 21, Ashland AmericInn Conference Center, 3009 Lakeshore Drive E.
  • Appleton - Monday, October 26, Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton Campus, Room C190, 1825 North Bluemound Drive.
  • Eau Claire - Monday, October 26, Chippewa Valley Technical College auditorium, Room M103, 620 W. Clairemont Ave.
  • Pewaukee - Wednesday, October 28, Waukesha County Technical College, Room C051/C057, 800 Main St.
  • Spooner - Wednesday, October 28, Spooner High School Auditorium, 801 County A.
  • Stevens Point - Tuesday, November 3, Portage County Courthouse Annex, Conference Room 1, 1462 Strongs Ave.
Please attend these hearings and make your opinion heard. The proposal provides more hunting opportunities in Wisconsin and is biologically justified in light of the state's robust deer populations. Increasing hunting opportunities in Wisconsin would generate millions more dollars for conservation efforts and would stimulate local businesses. If you are unable to attend, please contact Bob Manwell at (608) 264-9248 or Keith Warnke at (608) 264-6023 for more information.
 

Lammie

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, Wisconsin, USA
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I don't have a strong opinion one way or another on this subject. It does pizzle me as to what the DNR's alterior motive is. By it's own figures the DNR claims that 80% of deer killed during the regular gun season are killed on opening week end. Also many hunters are actively employed and can only afford to take a week off for deer hunting each year. I would guess most of them choose the opening week. So with the reduction of deer kill and the declining hunter participation I don't see what 7 extra days of hunting will accomplish. I am suspicious the DNR is laying a foundation for some long range plan. Just my opinion.
 

Interceptor_Knight

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Since earn-a-buck has gotten such strong opposition, they are trying to be creative in methods of increasing the overall kill numbers. 7 extra days adds an additional weekend of hunting time. This will give mepersonally 4 more days in the woods.

If the additional kill rate over opening weekend is 20% of the total, they may hope that another week will give them an additional 15-20% increase in deer killed. That is a significant number and would offset opening weekend to be closer to only 65% of the total kill.


If we use 2008 numbers and assume an additional 20% kill for the 7 extra days, we would gain an additional 70,000 deer harvested.

I will be attending the October 26th Appleton meeting in support of this.
 

JimE

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I think this is a great idea. The reason I don't deer hunt anymore is I couldn't stand the intense hunting pressure/competition generated with such a short season with every Tom, Dick & Harry (plus their moms, etc) in the woods. I'm sure opening weekend will still be nuts,and for thisI would opt to hunt the second week in the season. Chances for bagging a trophy may be slimmer, but it'll make for a more relaxing hunt.
 

Interceptor_Knight

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J.Gleason wrote:
The only thing I am in support of is abolishing the Department of Neverending Regulation.

Wanna know the truth about the DNR here it is:

http://www.rmmoore1.com/
The current MO of the DNR is another reason why we need an organization to unify the gun groups across WI. Obviously, there are no individuals or small groups rich enough to take on their enforcement tactics. No one has been successful in filing a lawsuit against them. The former Hunters Safety instructor has made no progress in his complaint against them.
 

Nutczak

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I would rather see them start the gun-deer season a week earlier! it is a much better idea than trying to extand it later in the year.
Back in the day, opening weekend usually corresponded with the rut period, and we would see high harvest numbers, but lately,(the last 10-15 years)the rut seems to be starting earlier, usually during archery season.

You also have a huge lobbying force against extending the hunting season further in the year, it is named the AWSC (Association of Wisconsin Snowmobile Clubs) By extending the season after the 9-day hunt, they are encroaching on snowmobiling in a huge way. Snowmobiling is huge money for us folks up here, hunting, not so much in the last 2 decades due to private home onwership wiping out resorts, restaurants, and hotels profits.

I would rather see them ban all baiting and feeding of deer, start the gun-deer season earlier, and do away with the young hunters weekend now that 10 yr olds can hunt if supervised.

The DNR needs to relax some regulations to allow people to get farther into some areas, places that are too far to travel by foot. Some of the biggest bucks I have seen are totally inaccessible by foot without a half-day hike, and being able to set up camp in that area. Give us off-road vehicular access (ATV &Snowmobile)to those areas and we will thin the herd in a big way. I am too old to drag a deer multiplemiles out of the woods.

Some of the most productive hunting areas near the willow flowage get gated & locked 1 week before gun season, and they have gated and locked several other big areas too. It seems as if the DNR does not want to harvest these deer becuase they continue to stop access to productive spots.
 

Interceptor_Knight

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Nutczak wrote:
You also have a huge lobbying force against extending the hunting season further in the year, it is named the AWSC (Association of Wisconsin Snowmobile Clubs) By extending the season after the 9-day hunt, they are encroaching on snowmobiling in a huge way. Snowmobiling is huge money for us folks up here, hunting, not so much in the last 2 decades due to private home onwership wiping out resorts, restaurants, and hotels profits.

I would rather see them ban all baiting and feeding of deer, start the gun-deer season earlier, and do away with the young hunters weekend now that 10 yr olds can hunt if supervised.

We have not had significant snow on the ground the week after Thanksgiving for quite a few years. This extra week would not hurt snowmobile tourism dollars any appreciable amount.

It does not good to bring 10 year olds into the woods if the greedy adultscontinue to have a MO of "If it's brown, it's down"... It's really "manly" to be blasting a Sandwich deer....:lol: It is nice to give the kids theirown weekend early in the season when the weather is still decent.
 

Hillmann

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Nutczak wrote:
The DNR needs to relax some regulations to allow people to get farther into some areas, places that are too far to travel by foot. Some of the biggest bucks I have seen are totally inaccessible by foot without a half-day hike, and being able to set up camp in that area. Give us off-road vehicular access (ATV &Snowmobile)to those areas and we will thin the herd in a big way. I am too old to drag a deer multiplemiles out of the woods.

Some of the most productive hunting areas near the willow flowage get gated & locked 1 week before gun season, and they have gated and locked several other big areas too. It seems as if the DNR does not want to harvest these deer becuase they continue to stop access to productive spots.

The problem with ATV's is people like to spin ther wheels,throw mud and tear things up. I can show you 7 seprate areas on the trail within 2 miles of my house that are no longer passable because of people playing in the mud. I can only imagen what they would do if they didn't need to stick to the trails.

I can admit that in most of the areas that I am talking about I am also guilty of playing in the mud and and adding to the ruts.
 

Nutczak

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Interceptor_Knight wrote:
Nutczak wrote:
You also have a huge lobbying force against extending the hunting season further in the year, it is named the AWSC (Association of Wisconsin Snowmobile Clubs) By extending the season after the 9-day hunt, they are encroaching on snowmobiling in a huge way. Snowmobiling is huge money for us folks up here, hunting, not so much in the last 2 decades due to private home onwership wiping out resorts, restaurants, and hotels profits.

I would rather see them ban all baiting and feeding of deer, start the gun-deer season earlier, and do away with the young hunters weekend now that 10 yr olds can hunt if supervised.

We have not had significant snow on the ground the week after Thanksgiving for quite a few years. This extra week would not hurt snowmobile tourism dollars any appreciable amount.

It does not good to bring 10 year olds into the woods if the greedy adultscontinue to have a MO of "If it's brown, it's down"... It's really "manly" to be blasting a Sandwich deer....:lol: It is nice to give the kids theirown weekend early in the season when the weather is still decent.

The trials need to be surveyed for safetybetween hunting season, and snowmobile season.Some hunters will shoot or destroytrail markers, haul trees across the trails, and do other stupid things to endanger snowmobilers. There are thousands upon thousands of miles of snowmobile trails in the state that all need to be surveyed, it takesquite a while.

And what about "Muzzleloader only" season, does that then get pushed back another week becuase of this or do they eliminate it? opening earlier would also correspond with Michigan.
Snow; I am not quite sure where you hunt, but I can only remember one year where we had no snow for deer season up here.
 

Interceptor_Knight

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Nutczak wrote:
And what about "Muzzleloader only" season, does that then get pushed back another week becuase of this or do they eliminate it? opening earlier would also correspond with Michigan.
Snow; I am not quite sure where you hunt, but I can only remember one year where we had no snow for deer season up here.
Because Michigan is a week early and there are alot of hunters who hunt in both Michigan and WI, and the fact that bow hunters are a more organized group than gun hunters, I don't believe that opening gun season a week earlier would get much support. Muzzle loading would likely just start a week later. I plan tofind out details in a couple of weeks at the meeting.

I hunt just south of Hwy 64. Over the past 15 years there have been few (if any)with enough snow to open the trails to snowmobile on by me and many with warm temperatures where there was very little if any snowand even some sleet and rain instead.
 

JimE

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Prohibition of off-road vehicles onDNR land is really one ofit's best attributes. Nothing is more irritating while hunting thanbeing subjectedto a constant symphony of:Blaaat, putt..putt...putt, Blaaaat, Blaaaaat, putt....putt....putt....putt, Blaaaaaaat.
 

Lammie

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, Wisconsin, USA
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Can't use an ATV to transport a firearm anyway.

Rules of concealment as ruled by the State Supreme Court in Hamdan, Cole and Kieth.

1. The person knows the firearm is there.

2. The firearm is hidden from ordinary view.

3. The firearm is within reach.

The III Dstrict Court of Appeals in Alloy ruled that a person must comply with both statutes 941.23 and 167.31 and in order to do so must carry the firearm "out of reach" when in or on a vehicle.

It is impossible to carry a firearm out of reach on an ATV as commonly constructed. Therefore you can run afoul of 941.23 if you encase it so that it is hidden from ordinary view or of 167.31 if you carry it uncased.

Same situation applies to snowmobiles.

I implore you. Don't shoot the messenger. Complain to your legislative representatives.
 

Johnny Stiletto

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Be careful hunting this year. Here is a link to the DNR's "2008 HUNTING INCIDENT SYNOPSIS":

http://dnr.wi.gov/org/es/enforcement/docs/2008HuntingIncidentSynopsis.pdf

It seems like a lot of people tend to shoot themselves in the foot. For the love of God, don't everpoint yourgunin a direction thatyou are not prepared toshoot in! There is even an incident listed where a handgun "discharged while in the holster".
 

Interceptor_Knight

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Lammie wrote:
Can't use an ATV to transport a firearm anyway.

Rules of concealment as ruled by the State Supreme Court in Hamdan, Cole and Kieth.

1. The person knows the firearm is there.

2. The firearm is hidden from ordinary view.

3. The firearm is within reach.

The III Dstrict Court of Appeals in Alloy ruled that a person must comply with both statutes 941.23 and 167.31 and in order to do so must carry the firearm "out of reach" when in or on a vehicle.

It is impossible to carry a firearm out of reach on an ATV as commonly constructed. Therefore you can run afoul of 941.23 if you encase it so that it is hidden from ordinary view or of 167.31 if you carry it uncased.

Same situation applies to snowmobiles.

I implore you. Don't shoot the messenger. Complain to your legislative representatives.
Alloy was not on an ATV. In Alloy, the cased firearm was not visible from outside of the vehicle, therefore it was consealed. If you are paranoid on an ATV, use a transparent case.
 

Lammie

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, Wisconsin, USA
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Sorry Interceptor Knight but I have documented information from the head of the DNR legal department that in view of the information I listed in my postthe carry of an encased firearm on certain "single person vehicles" could present a conflict between the two statutes. The respose was that [If a firearm is properly encased IAW 167.31 in a case that advertises the presence of a weapon the DNR will overlook the concern that the firearm may be concealed.] I received that responsedated Sept. 17, 2006 11:01AM.

If you request a public search of the DNR email files on that date you may possibly get a copy of it.
 

AaronS

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Lammie wrote:
Sorry Interceptor Knight but I have documented information from the head of the DNR legal department that in view of the information I listed in my postthe carry of an encased firearm on certain "single person vehicles" could present a conflict between the two statutes. The respose was that [If a firearm is properly encased IAW 167.31 in a case that advertises the presence of a weapon the DNR will overlook the concern that the firearm may be concealed.] I received that responsedated Sept. 17, 2006 11:01AM.

If you request a public search of the DNR email files on that date you may possibly get a copy of it.
With this in mind, would you say that one of the gun cases that mount to the ATV (in the shape of a long gun),would be ok? I do not have an ATV, but I know I have seen this kind of case on them in the past. How about just a locking rack mount on the ATV? All could see it, but yet it is locked...? This kind of stuff is just wrong for us to have to guess at. The DNR needs to be put in its place.
 

Interceptor_Knight

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Lammie wrote:
The respose was that [If a firearm is properly encased IAW 167.31 in a case that advertises the presence of a weapon the DNR will overlook the concern that the firearm may be concealed.] I received that responsedated Sept. 17, 2006 11:01AM.
Their response was to the effect that they are not going to ticket you for a properly "encased" firearm...... How does this change anything???
 
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