WI gun deer season proposal to 19 days.

ruskbucks

5 year old buck +
The WI DNR is asking public input on adding another 10 days to the regular gun season. What are your guys thought on this? Those not from WI, we had the lowest harvest in 30 years last year, although the WI DNR said the herd is at a record high 2 Million +. Many hunters having been complaining about high wolf numbers impacting the northern herd. One study showed 4 counties where wolves actually killed more deer than gun hunters. Along with many new special seasons, like 4 day antlerless hunts, crossbow season, free tags, etc. Almost everybody I know had a poor season as far as deer sightings. Could it be the DNR deer numbers are way off,and maybe we need to cut down on the all the special seasons/tags instead of adding a even longer gun season?
 
I think the DNR's herd estimation doesn't work well in areas with high predator numbers. I don't think the wolf and bear zone has as many deer as the DNR claims are there. Adding 10 days to the gun season is a bad idea at least in the northern 1/3 of the state.
 
NO!
 
Make some calls, this will be awful for Wisconsin.
It’s so dumb, the gun season this year fell right after the rut when the bucks were recovering. They just weren’t moving as much, it’s that simple.

they also want to limit crossbow use and not allow it in the month of November. I personally don’t use one. All my neighbors do and really not much has changed. Still need to do things right in order to kill a mature buck. It’s all overreaction.

I’d like to see them look at ways to improve the quality of hunts. Things like Antler point restrictions. Less out of state licenses. Etc. it’ll never happen with CWD though.
 
No thank you! I saw way less deer this year, probably because my county is probably one of those wolf counties. Because I heard them howling every evening.
 
Absolute worse thing that could happen to deer hunting in Wisconsin. Personally and remember this is just my opinion, if they are truthfully concerned about people having enjoyable hunt then they need to mimic Iowa. Yes they might loose some money off the start but when things really start to bounce back they will make all that money right back. Also, grow a set and do what the western states are doing and open a wolf season.
 
I'm glad to see you guys feel the same way I see it. I think the dnr needs to take a break from everyones new ideas on new ways to change deer hunting in WI. Leave it alone or even go back to the way it was. I never remembered anyone complain back before we had earn a buck, free doe tags, etc. That's when it all seemed to head south. I also feel with all these seasons and months to get a deer with all kinds of weapons has taken away from the traditional gun season. Gun season seemed like the best time to get your venison.its it seems like a flooded market now, no urgency to tag a deer during gun when you can still have a chance to get one with a crossbow,bow, muzzleloader, and even a 4 day antlerless gun season.
 
Make some calls and sound angry!
 
Yeah I don’t like it, but if they extend the season after thanksgiving, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. Lots of guys that want to continue hunting just muzzleloader hunt anyway. I’m blessed with fairly good deer numbers by me though so maybe I shouldn’t talk
 
I've always had better luck during archery season, before the gun hunt, than during the gun hunt. This year I killed 3 during archery season, and none during rifle season. Near me, once the calendar hits Halloween there's a lower chance of seeing deer during daylight each successive day. Hunting pressure the first 3 weeks of November makes them nocturnal.

I can hunt public all day long and not see a thing, but then come back the next morning and see new tracks all over the place. There's still plenty of deer, just not stupid. It didn't help any that this past year was the first where I didn't see a single group on a deer drive the entire 9 days. Nothing was getting them moving where I was.
 
Subject switch .. has SW Wisconsin always been rifle? Thought at one time it was slug for part of the season?
 
Subject switch .. has SW Wisconsin always been rifle? Thought at one time it was slug for part of the season?
Idk. But areas in NE WI (Waupaca County and others) changed from shotgun to rifle a couple years back. Claims that shotguns were safer in than rifles in more densely populated areas were proven to be bullshit through studies.
 
19 day season - terrible if earlier start than traditional, not the end of the world if after the traditional season, nothing moving anyways.

Crossbows - yea shorten the season for the only weapon that is gaining popularity while everyone bitches about lack of hunter recruitment, stupid
 
19 day season - terrible if earlier start than traditional, not the end of the world if after the traditional season, nothing moving anyways.

Crossbows - yea shorten the season for the only weapon that is gaining popularity while everyone bitches about lack of hunter recruitment, stupid

Agree 100% not a big deal if gun starts after the rut is over. If they truly want to improve hunter satisfaction and recruitment they need to get the feds to give the state back control of the wolves and then get that population back to the original goal of 350. The quotas from past wolf seasons won’t cut it. Then get serious about our bears. Bears hammer fawns in the spring. It shouldn’t take 8-10 years to get a bear tag. That population needs to come way down. Stop giving out doe tags up north and go back to hunters choice from a lottery for any doe needing harvesting up there.
 
I’d rather they extend the muzzleloader season. It seems like odds are better that people participating in that are better sportsman. There is a lot of weird crap that happens during rifle season, shooting from vechicles... I remember one year parking the truck to go hunt some public, in the parking lot there were 3-5 carcasses just laying there with there heads cut off. So wasteful.

Not trying to bash gun hunters only here. Most hunt respectfully. Although it’s going to come across that. It’s more like people who don’t have any respect for the sport or animal are likely to choose to hunting with a gun vs anything else. again not all gun hunters are this way but I would rather not extend the amount of time to allow crap like that to happen in the woods.
 
A couple of reasons I hate this idea of the extension is that it will effect the muzzleloader, bowhunter, and crossbows, even small game hunters. The deer are going to be pressured and not be in there natural movements again. That will cut down on their opportunities. Everyone will have to be hunting in blaze orange the extra days. Longer if muzzleloader is moved back. I actually don't think that many people would take part in this extended season, but I'm sure a lot of them would do deer drives to fill up everyone's left over tags if needed.
 
I’d rather they extend the muzzleloader season. It seems like odds are better that people participating in that are better sportsman. There is a lot of weird crap that happens during rifle season, shooting from vechicles... I remember one year parking the truck to go hunt some public, in the parking lot there were 3-5 carcasses just laying there with there heads cut off. So wasteful.

Not trying to bash gun hunters only here. Most hunt respectfully. Although it’s going to come across that. It’s more like people who don’t have any respect for the sport or animal are likely to choose to hunting with a gun vs anything else. again not all gun hunters are this way but I would rather not extend the amount of time to allow crap like that to happen in the woods.
I agree with you on the muzzleloader hunters. Not to bash any x bow hunters, but unfortunately I have witnessed this when the made crossbows legal. I know a few people that never would of hunted with a vertical bow go out and buy a Xbox because their words is just like shooting a gun. They wouldn't take the time to practice and it would be to hard to pull back on a deer that close. I also know a couple of felons that jumped right in on the xbow hunting because they couldn't gun hunt by law. I have a feeling that maybe they don't follow the laws that close when hunting. I just think that if a hunter can't get a deer(even with the low numbers) with all these seasons and the technology in the weapons that maybe they should just take a defeat and sharpen their skill for next season. We have become a society that "everyone should get a trophy " I just feel thats how they think hunting should be.
 
It’s so dumb, the gun season this year fell right after the rut when the bucks were recovering. They just weren’t moving as much, it’s that simple.

they also want to limit crossbow use and not allow it in the month of November. I personally don’t use one. All my neighbors do and really not much has changed. Still need to do things right in order to kill a mature buck. It’s all overreaction.

I’d like to see them look at ways to improve the quality of hunts. Things like Antler point restrictions. Less out of state licenses. Etc. it’ll never happen with CWD though.

I agree with Peplin 100%
 
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