I wanted to put some pheasants on my land when I first bought it 27 years ago. It is in the Almond area about 25 miles SouthEast of Stevens Point. I made the mistake of calling the WI DNR first to ask what permits, if any, I needed. I was told something that stuck with me to this day. The WI DNR told me that I could not put any pheasants on my land because it was 50 miles from the Buena Vista area near Wisconsin Rapids where there were prairie chickens the DNR was managing on public land there. If I put pheasants on my land they "might" transmit an avian disease to the prairie chickens. I said okay, but what about all the planted pheasants you release on public land that is even closer to the prairie chicken area. The DNR guy on the phone told me "We are the DNR and we can do what we want"
So the DNR effectively told me that I could not have any pheasants on my private land. Their rules apply to everyone else but not to themselves. It was enlightening to have them say it with such arrogance. My mistake was to be a law abiding person and even ask them in the first place.
So the DNR effectively told me that I could not have any pheasants on my private land. Their rules apply to everyone else but not to themselves. It was enlightening to have them say it with such arrogance. My mistake was to be a law abiding person and even ask them in the first place.
