GUN DEER HUNTING

Heres to starting new traditions

Dear Wisconsin hunters:
Over the past few years,
those of us who proudly call
ourselves a Wisconsin deer
hunter have learned to navigate
change. Weve seen changes to
the shapes and names of our
deer management units, how
we register our deer, when
we can hunt, and more. While
we continue to adjust to these
changes, I want to offer my sincere thanks for your support in
helping Wisconsin update our
deer management programs.
In 2016, we will continue
to incorporate new changes
into our deer hunting heritage
many of you played a key
role in these changes through
your attendance at County
Deer Advisory Council meetings. Backtags are no longer
required and will no longer be
issued, the material we tag our
deer with will change, and blaze
pink will be seen in Wisconsins
woods.
As I think about my own

deer hunts, I
wonder how
these changes
will impact me
this season. In
the end, these
changes equate
to small parts of
my annual deer
hunt rituals. Returning to my
favorite woods, enjoying the
outdoors with friends and family, and the excitement of the
hunt itself will not change.
We love the time we spend
with our hunting pals. We love
that familiar chill and anticipation felt just as the woods are
waking up. We relish the smell
of gun oil and buck lure, or our
old hunting hat. And, whether
we harvest a deer or not, the
thrill of the hunt motivates us
to the point where we cant wait
to go again.
Change happens for a
reason, and the changes weve
seen in our deer seasons are
being made to make your

experiences more successful,

more convenient, and (most
of all) more fun. As you head
out into the woods this season, know that deer numbers
have increased in most areas
following two mild winters.
With more deer, more seasons,
and more opportunity, its a
perfect time to introduce a new
person, young or old, to this
tradition we all love so much.
Donate some of your hard
earned venison to a family in
need, or explore a new hunting
area during a new deer hunting
season. We are so lucky to have
the opportunities we do in this
great state. Start new traditions in 2016!
Best of luck to you this fall!
Remember to always be safe,
focus on the aspects of deer
hunting that you love most, and
enjoy all of your Wisconsin deer
hunts!
Cathy Stepp,
Secretary, Wisconsin DNR

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Registration Stations
Shawano County

Oconto County

Longbranch Saloon: W11218

Grunewald St., Gresham, 715-7873326, 11 a.m. to close Wednesday
through Sunday, 4 p.m. to close
Tuesday, closed Monday.
Star Campsite: N9126 County
Road D, Bowler, 715-449-2101, 8
a.m. to close daily.
Shawano DNR Field Station:
647 Lakeland Road, Shawano, 715526-4226. Self-serve available anytime. CWD testing only; must have
completed electronic registration.
Tangle Horn: N7695 Park Road,
Eland, 715-253-2626. Open every
day at 9 a.m.
Mountain Bay Bar and Grill:
N7724 Mill St., Eland, 715-2532514. 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. weekdays,
11 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. weekends.
Rachels Roadside Bar and
Grill: W17298 Spruce Road, Wittenberg, 715-253-3190. 11 a.m. to
close daily.
Kellogg Venison Processing:
N7284 County Road BB, Gillett,
715-853-9441. Daylight hours. CWD
testing only; must have completed
electronic registration.

Abrams BP: 2531 E. Frontage

Road, Abrams, 920-826-6066. 24
hours daily.
Mountain Sport and Repair:
13815 State Highway 32-64, Mountain, 715-526-1367. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
with extended hours for hunting seasons.
Blue Spruce: 8096 County Road
A, Lena, 920-829-5960. 11 a.m. to
close daily.
Underhill Town Hall: 5597 Cardinal Road, Gillett, 715-582-5010.
Business hours. CWD testing only;
must have completed electronic registration.
Wagner Shell/Foodmart: 517
Smith Ave., Oconto, 920-834-5711.
24 hours.
Gillett Shell: 6255 State Highway
32, Gillett, 715-855-2400. 4:30 a.m.
to 10 p.m. CWD testing only; must
have completed electronic registration.
Mobil 22: 710 County Road B,
Oconto Falls, 920-846-4779. 4 a.m.
to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday,
5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

GUN DEER HUNTING

WOLF RIVER MEDIA

Deer hunting gear you do and dont need

By Ross Bielema
Wolf River Media Correspondent

If four decades of deer

hunting have taught me
anything, its that deer hunters will buy anything. Were
willing to shell out big bucks
for any gear that might get
us big bucks. And yes, some
of this gear works.
But a lot of it doesnt.
All of us want an edge
over our fellow hunters,
and many of us (myself included) would rather skip
the hard work and take a
shortcut or two toward a
nice buck or at least some
does for the freezer. But
the hunters who do put in
the hard work with scouting, food plots, scent control, careful monitoring of
the wind direction and a
dozen other things also consistently kill the big deer.
Of course, there are those
lucky few who just stumble
into an opening-day buck
and drop it after a long night
of partying and poker. And
the rest of us hate those
guys.
Im going to cover a few
things that work and some
that dont. You may dispute
the things that dont work,
but Im going to apply logic
(and not slick marketing or
celebrity
endorsements)
to my statements. Be prepared to become upset, but
if you listen, I could save
you hundreds or even thousands of dollars this season.
Scent-blocking suits
dont. Sorry, but sure you
can wear them. Just dont

PHOTO BY ROSS BIELEMA

Trail cameras like this Moultrie model used by outdoors writer Ross
Bielema have revolutionized deer hunting. Advanced models can take
time-lapse photos of food plots and even send images to smart phones
and computers. Look for models with fast shutter speeds, fast recovery
time and long battery life.

have any openings in your

clothing and dont sweat.
Literally. Unless you are
in a giant zip-lock bag,
your body odors are everywhere, all the time. One
of the outdoor magazines
recently tested a similar
theory with a drug-sniffing
dog. No matter what the
test subject wore, the dog
found him in a few seconds.
Deer have scent receptors
that far exceed the noses
of dogs. Every little bit
helps, OK. If someone had

only a few onions outside a

sealed container in a small
room, would you be able to
smell those onions? I feel
the same way about rubber boots. They are always
uncomfortable and open
on top. You might not be
leaving as much of a scent
trail, but you are still plenty
stinky to a deer. Staying
downwind of a deer is really the only thing that will
consistently save you from
a deers detection. Cover
scents might help, and I

think some will swear that

smoking does, too, but I
dont recommend taking
up smoking to help take a
deer.
Trail cameras do. Todays hunters dont have
to guess about which trails
are being used by which
deer. They can install a few
trail cams on several trees
and check the results over
a period of days, weeks or
months. Pop an SD card in
a portable viewer or a small
camera and check to see if
Mr. Big visited his scrapes.
Newer models will send images to your smart phone
or home computer. Nothing in recent decades has
changed deer hunting more
than trail cameras. There
are so many good ones,
but look for a fast shutter
speed, fast recovery time
and distance of the flash or
no-flash infrared lighting.
More advanced ones can do
time-lapse of food plots, can
be installed without straps
and even send images in
real time to a smart phone
or computer. Now thats
high-tech hunting!
Deer calls and rattling
sometimes do. Imagine
standing in a busy singles
bar and yelling, Hey, ladies, Im available! It could
work now and then, but its
a low-percentage shot. Randomly using grunt calls,
bleat calls and antler rattling is the same thing. In
the right situation, it might
work. Ive talked to many
experienced trophy hunters
who will tell you that if you

use a grunt call on a smaller buck, it often will spook

them away as fast as an
alarm snort. If you are not
after a huge buck and just
want venison for the table,
use grunt calls sparingly or
not at all. Rattling can create curiosity in most deer,
but again, if the young buck
perceives a challenge from
Mr. Muscles, hes gonna
hightail it out of there. Bleat
calls typically represent a
fawn in distress looking for
his or her mother, or a mature doe making a Whats
up? sound. Sometimes you
can stop or even turn a buck
with a bleat, even one made
with your mouth. They are
less threatening than grunt
calls and work in more situations.
Deer lures and scents
sometimes do. Again, its
all about the time of year
and matching the scent to

the deers activity. I have to

admit when I was a rookie
bowhunter still in high
school and armed with a
Bear Grizzly recurve bow
and Bear Razorhead-tipped
cedar arrows, I was a fan of
Pete Rickards Indian Buck
Lure. I used the stuff like
a high school boy at prom
sprays on Axe body spray.
Id splash it on my boots, the
area around my tree stand,
the limbs of my tree stand,
and everywhere else but behind my ears. I dont know if
it worked or not, but it took
me years to get my first
deer with a bow. I do think
there is some effectiveness
in a cover scent, such as
fox urine. My older brother
had great luck with Skunk
Screen, a cover scent that
involved mixing two liquids
to create that nasty skunk
aroma. Just dont get it on
your clothes!

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GUN DEER HUNTING

WOLF RIVER MEDIA

Hunt with this not that

By Ross Bielema
Wolf River Media Correspondent

A best-selling book series on making wise diet

choices, Eat This, Not
That by David Zinczenko
and Matt Goulding, helps
readers decide which choices can yield fewer calories
and more nutrition.
After pondering all the
information I could pass on
to rookie or even veteran
deer hunters, I thought this
might be a fun format that
will yield you some important hunting tips and help
you fine-tune your gear to
avoid some of the mistakes
Ive made over the years.
Without further ado,
here are Hunt with this
not that tips for the upcoming gun-deer season:
Hunt with a hard
plastic water bottle, not
a crunchy bottled water.
Most of us over-50 crowd

never expected to buy bottled water, but it is convenient. Those noisy, flimsy
crackling-popping plastic
water bottles have no business in your tree stand or
hunting blind, however.
Nothing makes more noise
while doing nothing more
than drinking. A G.I. plastic
canteen or olive drab plastic flask (its flat and easy to
stash in a backpack) is my
choice for replacing standard bottled water, but any
hard plastic water bottle
can work. Avoid the metal
ones, too, because that
tink-tink sound will alert
deer half-a-mile away. A
deers two best senses are
hearing and smell, so keep
that in mind every time you
buy something for deer
hunting.
Hunt with a wool,
fleece or other soft jacket,
not a vinyl vest or nylon
jacket. Nothing will peg

you as a rookie hunter in

deer camp or at the local
restaurant or bar more
than wearing one of those
flimsy, cheap vinyl blaze orange vests. If you are a jogger trying to be extra safe
on the road get the hell
off the road when its dark.
Seriously, you might be the
only candidate to buy one of
these without getting an audible laugh from the clerks.
Vinyl is extremely noisy
when walking through the
brush and is quickly shredded in briars. There are
several hush fabrics used
to replace nylon and other
water-resistant materials
for rainwear, so invest a few
extra bucks in the good stuff
to avoid spooking deer with
that zip-zip sound. Because
youll get zip deer with vinyl.
Yes, wool and fleece pick up
stick-tights and cockleburs.
Oh, well.
Hunt with a low-powered scope, not anything
with high magnification.
Other than snipers, most
military infantrymen have
switched to low- or no-powered optics for their battle
rifles. They stake their lives
on being able to shoot fast,
so if you want to get on a
deer fast and put it down,
you want an optical sight
(most are 3-power or less)
or a low-powered scope (a
2-7X is ideal, but a 1-4X is
great, too). The 3-9X scope
is still probably the best
seller, but unless you live in
a western state, you dont
need that much magnification. Its impossible to shoot
offhand without moving the

PHOTO BY ROSS BIELEMA

Avoid carrying crunchy water bottles like the one on left when deer hunting, because they will spook those keeneared bucks. Instead, opt for a solid plastic water bottle like the Army surplus GI flask on the right.

image if its more than 10X,

but the odds are good you
wont be able to find the
deer in your scope if youve
moved it to a higher number. Play the odds and buy a
brighter low-powered scope
with huge light-gathering
abilities and a wide field of
view. Most deer in Wisconsin are shot at 50 yards or
less.
Use a low-powered
binocular, not a high-powered one. For the same
reason as the scope one
mentioned before, a set of
5- to 7-power binoculars will
provide a wider field of view
and a brighter image than
higher-powered ones. Anything over about 8 power is
difficult to hold steady without a tripod. Low-powered
binocs make it easier to find

deer and other critters in

thick brush, too.
Gut your deer with a
small knife, not a Bowie
knife. Theres nothing
wrong with carrying a big
knife in your pack or on your
hip for trimming shooting
lanes, but use a small blade
for field-dressing. I love
the little Wyoming knife
for zipping open the chest
cavity neatly without cutting intestines. Its unique,
angled blade and finger
holes make it a joy to use.
I typically carry multiple
knives and a brush saw in
my pack for a variety of cutting needs, but a fixed-blade
knife with a 4-inch blade or
less is perfect for most fielddressing. Big knives in the
deers chest cavity are bad
news.

Use a deer cart or sled,

not a deer drag. You are
shooting a sophisticated
rifle with a nitrogen-filled,
fogproof scope, wearing
Gore-Tex fabric and using
GPS and trail cameras for
finding and mapping out
your deer, so why would
you drag your trophy buck
or delicious doe through the
muck, brush and burs with
a primitive rope? Besides
hurting your back and possibly risking a heart attack,
you will get leaves and dirt
on the meat and create
more work for the processor (that could be you if you
cut up your own). A deer
cart is hands down the best
piece of hunting equipment
I ever bought. A plastic sled
works well, too, even without snow.

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GUN DEER HUNTING

Get involved in deer management in Wisconsin

There are many opportunities for you
to take an active role in the management
of whitetailed deer in Wisconsin. Visit dnr.
wi.gov and type in the keywords listed below to get involved.
County Deer Advisory Council
(CDAC): keyword CDAC
Created in 2014, CDACs provide input
and recommendations to the department
on deer management at the county level.
Members come from the general public,
deer hunters and professionals in the fields
of forestry, agriculture and business/tourism. Each council is chaired by a member
of the Conservation Congress. To apply for
a seat in your county or learn more, visit
dnr.wi.gov and search keyword CDAC..
Deer hunter wildlife survey: keywords
deer hunter wildlife

Help monitor the relative abundance

and distribution of deer and other wildlife
species in Wisconsin. Use the online form
to submit information that you experienced.
Operation Deer Watch: keywords
deer watch
Help monitor deer reproduction in Wisconsin. Keep a tally sheet in your car to record all deer sightings during the summer
months (Aug. 1 to Sept. 30). The department
is interested in all deer sightings of bucks,
does and fawns. Your data is combined with
DNR staff observations to estimate deer
populations.
Conservation Congress Spring Hearings: keywords spring hearings
The Wisconsin Conservation Congress
holds its annual meeting to provide citizens
with the opportunity to comment and vote

on proposed fish and wildlife rule changes

and to submit resolutions for new rule
changes for the future. This meeting is held
in every county of the state on the second
Monday in April. Its an opportunity unique
to Wisconsin and plays a significant part in
determining how you enjoy your time in the
outdoors.
Contact your local biologist: keyword
contact
Wildlife biologists are available to speak
with you to answer questions, address any

concerns you have and to gather input

when setting the upcoming deer season
framework.
Snapshot Wisconsin: keyword snapshot Wisconsin.
Snapshot Wisconsin is a statewide, yearround program where citizens, students
and the department work together to monitor trail cameras. Data from this program
helps provide information on a variety of
Wisconsin wildlife species.
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

GUN DEER HUNTING

WOLF RIVER MEDIA

Whats New For 2016

Here is whats new for the deer gun
season in 2016.

Carcass tags and tagging

All carcass tags issued through the

Go Wild licensing system (GoWild.wi.gov)
can now be printed on plain paper from
home, at a DNR service center or at a license agent (for a $2 processing fee). This
will give hunters the flexibility to print
copies of carcass tags in case one is damaged or lost, but hunters may only possess one copy of each individual carcass
tag while afield.
Farmland Zone DMUs may offer
between one and three Farmland (Zone
2) Antlerless Deer Tag(s) which can be
selected through Go Wild with the purchase of a license. Hunters have the
option of selecting a different land type

(public-access or private) for each Farmland (Zone 2) tag offered in the DMU of
choice.
Certain DMUs containing a metro
sub-unit may offer metro antlerless tag(s)
with a license and/or for sale. These may
only be used in the metro sub-unit and
land type specified on the tag. Metro subunit antlerless tags were recommended
by County Deer Advisory Councils with
an interest in more closely managing urban deer.
Junior Antlerless Deer Tags may
be used statewide including in buck-only units (except in Ashland, Forest and
Sawyer counties), but must be designated for either public-access or private
land. Junior antlerless tags also may not
be filled by anyone other than the junior
hunter. These policies ensure that only

the youth to whom it is issued can fill this

tag.
If you leave it, tag it! Hunters must
validate carcass tags by writing in the
date and time of kill, but no longer need
to immediately attach the tag to the deer.
This will help prevent tags from being lost
or damaged while moving the deer out of
the field. However, the hunter must attach and protect the tag (in a zip-top plastic bag is recommended) when leaving
the deer carcass.

Gamereg

In 2016, online (gamereg.wi.gov) and

phone (1-844-426-3734) electronic registration through GameReg will begin with
the hunter entering the unique tag number found on the paper carcass tag, rather than using the customer ID number.

Hunters can also register electronically

at a participating in-person registration
station (dnr.wi.gov, search registration
stations) and have until 5 p.m. the day
after harvest to register a deer.

Seasons and policies

Backtags are no longer issued to

hunters. This requirement was repealed
by the Legislature.
The antlerless-only Holiday Hunt will
be held in certain Farmland Zone DMUs
from Dec. 24 to Jan. 1. Only antlerless deer
may be harvested in these DMUs during
this period. Blaze orange/pink must be
worn by all hunters during this hunt.
Blaze/fluorescent pink is allowed as
an alternative to blaze orange clothing.
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Tagging and Registration

Tagging your deer

What to bring: carcass

tag(s); pen or pencil; plastic zip-top bag or other protective enclosure for tag;

fastener such as string,

wire or zip-tie.
When to validate: Validate tag immediately after
kill.

How to validate: Write

the date and circle time of
kill (a.m. or p.m.) in space
provided on tag.
When to attach tag: If

you leave it, tag it. You may

not leave the carcass unless the validated carcass
tag is attached.
How to attach tag:
Secure the tag with a fastener to the deer (such as
to antler or through ear).
How to protect tag: It
is the hunters responsibility to keep the tag protected and legible. Con-

sider enclosing the tag in a

sealed plastic bag.
Register the deer. Its
mandatory. Register your
deer by 5 p.m. the day after the harvest in the DMU
of harvest or in adjoining
DMU. Registration is required by law.
Choose the registration
method best for you:
Easiest and fastest:

Go to gamereg.wi.gov on
your computer or mobile
device.
Call 844-426-3734.
Visit an in-person registration station and use
the computer or mobile device provided. Find a registration station by going to
dnr.wi.gov and searching
registration stations or
by calling 888-936-7463.
Before you register, have the carcass tag
number handy. Answer
questions as asked. A
10-character confirmation
number is provided upon
completion.
Record the confirmation number on the space
provided on the carcass
tag. Keep the tag until all
meat has been consumed.
Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources

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your business
in specialty
publications
like this one!
advertising@
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GUN DEER HUNTING

GUN DEER HUNTING

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More buck sightings expected in Northeast District

Deer harvest in the
Northern Forest Zone
portions of Marinette and
Oconto counties did not
show evidence of herd
growth during the 2015
season, but after a second mild winter, we can

expect more adult deer

in the herd this fall. Buck
sightings should improve
as fawns from 2015 will be
sporting their first set of
antlers.
County Deer Advisory
Councils in these coun-

ties recommended a conservative antlerless harvest approach, waiting to

see harvest evidence that
the herd is growing before making more aggressive recommendations in
the coming years.

Antlerless quotas are

reduced a bit in the Forest Zone portions of the
counties, and held steady
in the Farmland Zone.
Conditions appear favorable for a solid acorn
crop, although this can
quickly be impacted, like
in 2015 when what looked
like good acorn numbers
did not turn into a good
food source as many
acorns were attacked by
insect larvae which consumed the nuts. Hopefully this year, more will
be full of meat.
Fawn production and
survival is expected to be
very good again this year
in the Central Farmland
Zone. Some Farmland
Zone County Deer Advisory Councils are finding
it challenging to meet
their objective to stabilize
their deer herd in the face

of high fawn productivity.

Antlerless quotas increased compared to
2015 in 10 counties in
the Northeast District,
but some counties held
steady,
acknowledging
that the quota is already
higher than historical
harvests. The call for increasing the antlerless
portion of the harvest
in an attempt to stabilize herd growth was led
by the Waupaca County
CDACs initial recommendation to have an
antlerless-only season in
2016. Their final recommendation was to allow
buck harvest, but the
message from Waupaca
and surrounding counties, as well as the Lake
Michigan coast counties
of Door, Kewaunee and
Manitowoc is that in order
to demonstrate the ability

to maintain a stable deer

population, the antlerless
harvest must increase.
Those counties have
provided hunters generous opportunities to
achieve that goal in the
form of multiple antlerless permits and implementation of the Holiday
Hunt in some counties.
Buck harvests are
expected to be good
throughout the district
this year. Of course there
are many variables that
make hunting somewhat
unpredictable, but that is
also what makes hunting
intriguing and an adventure every day. This year
is a great opportunity to
explore some new areas
and enjoy all the bounties that the autumn landscape provides.
Jeff Pritzl, DNR Northeast
District wildlife supervisor

Sale Ends December 31, 2016

GUN DEER HUNTING

WOLF RIVER MEDIA

Hunt Chronology
Wisconsin has a long
and storied tradition of
regulated gun deer hunting stretching all the way
back to 1851. There have
been many changes over
the years, but few as notable as those experienced by hunters during
the late 1990s and early
21st century.
1834 - Lafayette County, first reported crop
damage by deer.
1851 - First closed
season for deer, Feb. 1 to
June 30; Indians permitted to hunt anytime.
1876 - Hunting with
dogs prohibited statewide.
1887 - Two game wardens appointed by governor at a monthly salary of
$50; night hunting prohibited statewide.
1888 - Game laws published in pamphlet form.
1890 - First chief warden appointed.
1892 - Lawful to kill
any dog running or hunting deer.
1895 - Sheboygan first
county closed to deer
hunting; deer cannot be
transported unless accompanied by hunter;
last October deer season
in state.
1897 - First bag limit
for deer, two per season;
resident license costs $1,
nonresident license costs
$30; estimated license
sales total 12,000.
1900 - Twelve hunters
killed by firearms.
1903
Estimated
78,164 licenses sold.
1905 - Salt licks prohibited.
1909 - Season 20 days
long, limit one deer; first
civil service exam given
on a competitive basis for
prospective wardens.
1910 - Deer populations drop to record low
numbers due to unregulated hunting and market
shooting.
1914 - Twenty-four
hunters killed, 26 injured;

license sales at 155,000

1915 - First buck only
season.
1917 - Shining deer illegal while possessing
a firearm; Conservation
Commission
delegated
some powers related to
deer season, but legislature retains authority
to set seasons; deer tags
(paper) required for the
first time. They cost 10
cents.
1919 - Estimated kill is
25,152.
1920 - First use of metal deer tags. They cost 10
cents.
1921 - Wardens are
instructed that all deer
found in possession
with horns less than
three inches in length, is
a fawn and should be confiscated.
1924 - Estimated kill is
7,000.
1925 - Legislature
passes law closing deer
season in alternate years.
1927 - No open season.
1928 - Deer hunters
required to wear official conservation button
while hunting; Game Division formed with Conservation
Department;
estimated kill is 17,000
with 69,049 deer tags sold.
1929 - No open season.
1930 - Estimated kill
is 23,000 with 70,284 deer
tags sold. First deer killed
by a bowhunter.
1931 - No open season.
1932 - Deer tag price
is raised to $1; estimated
kill is 36,009 with 70,245
deer tags sold.
1933 - No open season;
Conservation Congress,
an advisory group representing public opinion registered at annual
county hearings, begins
to assist the Conservation
Commission in establishing a deer management
policy.
1934 - First official archery deer season; estimated gun kill is 21,251
with 83,939 deer tags sold.

1935 - No open season.

1937 - Shortest deer
season on record, three
days.
1938 - Use of .22 rifle
and .410 shotgun prohibited.
1939 - Licensed children between ages 12
and 16 must be accompanied by parent or guardian; buckshot prohibited
statewide.
1941 - Deer predators
rare, timber wolves nearing extinction; estimated
gun kill is 40,403 with
124,305 deer tags sold.
1942 - Back tags required while deer hunting.
1943 - First doe and
fawn season in 24 years.
The 1943 season was
unique in Wisconsin,
with a split season with
forked (>1 fork) bucksonly for 4 days followed by
a 3-day closure and then
4 days of antlerless-only
(128,000 harvest).
1945 - First year of
shotgun only counties;
wearing red clothing
required while hunting
deer.
1949 - The 1949 season
was an unusual any-deer
hunt - bucks with more
than a two-inch fork were
protected (159,000 harvest).
1950 - First any deer
season since 1919; estimated gun kill is 167,911
with 312,570 deer tags
sold.
1951 - Deer hunting license and tag cost $2.50;
orange clothing now included under red clothing law; Wisconsin leads
nation in whitetail deer
kill for third consecutive
year.
1953 - First season gun
deer hunters required to
register deer at checking
station.
1954 - Two-thirds of
bucks harvested are less
than three years old; portions of Walworth and
Waukesha Counties and

all of Jefferson County

open for the first time
since 1906.
1956 - 100th established gun deer season;
registered gun kill is
35,562 with 294,645 deer
tags sold.
1957 - Legislature authorizes party permit.
1958 - Longest deer
season since 1916, 16
days; Rock County open
for the first time since
1906; first harvest by deer
management unit (in
northwest and northeast
only); registered gun kill
is 95,234, of which 44,987
taken by party permit;
335,866 deer tags and
58,348 party permits sold,
respectively.
1959 - First statewide
deer registration by unit;
Game Management Division of Conservation
Department assumes responsibility for coordinat-

ing the states deer program; first open season

in Kenosha County since
1906.
1960 - Hunter not permitted to buy a license
after opening day of gun
season; Green and Racine Counties open for
the first time since 1906;
all counties now open
except Milwaukee; registered gun kill is 61,005,
of which 25,515 taken by
party permit; 338,208 deer
tags and 47,522 party permits sold, respectively.
1961 - Resident big
game license increased
from $4 to $5; first use of
sex-age-kill (SAK) population-reconstruction
technique for estimating deer numbers; hunters required to transport
deer openly while driving
to registration station;
legislation
authorizing
unit specific quotas for

antlerless harvest established.

1962 - Deer population
above 400,000; deer management unit specific
population goals established.
1963 - First year of
quota party permits in
eight management units;
assassination of President John F. Kennedy
lessens hunting pressure.
1964 - Party permit
quota extended to 32
management units.
1967 - Hunter Safety
Education Program begins.
1970 - Registered gun
kill is 72,844 with 501,799
licenses sold; 13 hunters
killed.
1973 - No deer season
fatalities.
1978 - Record registered gun kill is 150,845
SEE HUNT, PAGE 10

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GUN DEER HUNTING

10

HUNT
FROM PAGE 9

with 644,594 licenses sold.

1980 - Blaze orange
clothing required; first
season of Hunters Choice
permit; new law prohibits
shining wild animals from
10 p.m. to 7 p.m., Sept. 15
to Dec. 31; coyote season
closed in northern management units to protect
nascent wolf population.
1981 - Record registered deer kill of 166,673
with 629,034 licenses sold.
1982 - Another record
registered gun kill of
182,715 with 637,320 licenses sold; three deer
season fatalities.
1983 - Harvest continues to rise with another
record registered gun kill
of 197,600 with 649,972 licenses sold; experimental antlerless deer shunt
in six southern management units to relieve crop
damage.
1984 - Big jump in registered kill, fourth record
harvest in a row of 255,726
with license sales totaling 657,969; handgun deer
hunting allowed in shotgun areas; group hunting
legalized.
1985 - Fifth consecutive record kill of 274,302
with 670,329 licenses
sold; deer season extended in 21 management
units; legislature further

strengthens road hunting

restrictions.
1986 - Gun deer season
now nine days statewide;
landowner
preference
program begins for Hunters Choice permits.
1987 - First year of bonus antlerless permits;
seven fatalities and 46 injuries.
1988 - Handguns permitted statewide.
1989 - Record registered gun harvest of
310,192 with 662,280 licenses sold; pre-hunt
herd estimate of 1.15 million deer; two fatalities
and 37 firearm injuries.
1990 - License sales
peak at 699,275. Another
record gun kill of 350,040,
including 209,005 antlerless deer; archers take
49,291 deer; pre-hunt
herd estimate of 1.3 million; season extended for
seven days in 67 management units.
1991 - First year of
separate, seven-day muzzleloader season; third
consecutive year of record gun harvest, 352,330;
archery harvest jumps to
69,097; hunters allowed to
buy more than one antlerless permit.
1992 - Natural Resources Board approves
DNR secretarys recommendation to keep the
gun season at nine days;
new metro management
units established around

La Crosse, Madison and

Milwaukee. After three
recordbreaking harvests,
gun harvest drops to
288,820, still the fourth
highest on record.
1993 - Pre-hunt herd
population at 1 million
with many units below
prescribed
goals;
34
units, mainly in the north,
designated as buck-only
units; license sales dip
to 652,491; gun harvest
at 217,584; archers take
53,008 deer; one fatality,
17 firearm injuries.
1994 - Gun harvest
back up, by more than
90,000, to 307,629. Hunters Choice permit widely
available; six northwest
management units remain buck only; herd
beginning to build up in
southern
agricultural
range.
1995 - For the first
time hunters can use
their bonus or Hunters
Choice permits in either
the gun, bow or muzzleloader seasons; gun harvest totals 398,002, a new
state record; archers kill
a record 69,269 deer; 32
firearm incidents, one fatality.
1996 - First October
gun deer hunt since 1897;
Earn-a-Buck rules, requiring hunters to harvest a doe before taking
a buck, established in 19
deer management units
in agricultural range;
special four-day, antlerlessonly season in October in all 19 of these
DMUs. October gun harvest is 24,954 deer.
1997 - The safest gun
season ever with one

fatality and 10 injuries;

Earn a Buck provision
scuttled; early Zone T
(October gun) season in
seven management units
and three state parks.
1998 - Gun harvest of
332,254 is fifth highest;
bow hunters take a record 75,301 deer, 18.5 percent of total; 19 firearm
incidents with two fatalities; after a mild winter,
most DMUs estimated
to be above population
goals; early October season held in one management unit, 67A.
1999 - Record gun harvest of 402,204 deer; record archery harvest at
92,203; licensed hunters
at 690,194, second highest
to date; resident deer license costs $20; non-resident license $135; early
archery season, traditionally closed a week before
November gun hunt, is
extended in all 7 Zone T
units through the Thursday preceding the traditional gun opener.
2000 - The gun harvest jumps by more than
125,000 deer to an alltime record of 528,494.
With 694,712 licensed gun
hunters, their success
rate is an astonishing 76
percent. By comparison,
in the 43 years from 1966
to 2009, the average success rate for gun hunters
is 37 percent.
2001 - Routine testing
by DNR, weeks after the
close of hunting, reveals
that three deer harvested
in the Town of Vermont in
Dane County had CWD, or
chronic wasting disease.
The gun harvest drops to

WOLF RIVER MEDIA

361,264, still the fifth highest on record and higher

than any harvest prior to
1995. Archery harvest remains high at 83,120, so
the total harvest is fourth
highest on record. October and December Zone
T gun hunts in 67 DMUs.
2002 - The DNR and
hunters begin looking
for answers after CWD is
found for the first time in
wild deer east of the Mississippi River. For two
decades, the always fatal,
contagious disease had
been largely confined, in
the wild, to deer and elk in
Colorado and Wyoming.
DNR
reacts
aggressively, setting up a CWD
management zone, with
expanded hunting, and a
smaller disease eradication zone, with a 14-week
gun hunt. DNR samples
41,000 deer statewide for
CWD. License sales drop
10 percent.
2003 - Bow hunters
harvest a record 95,607
deer. Gun deer license
sales up 14 percent over
2002, climbing to 644,818.
Earn-a-buck rules in effect and no bag limit in
the CWD management
zone in southwest Wisconsin; 115 wild deer test
positive for CWD with all
but two positives from the
disease eradication zone.
2004 - Hunters set a
new record with venison
donations by giving 10,938
deer
yielding
nearly
500,000 pounds of venison
for food pantries across
the state. Widespread use
of earn-a-buck and Zone
T hunts. Bow hunters set
yet another record, har-

vesting 103,572 deer. License sales up slightly to

649,955.
2005 - Top five gun
deer harvest counties all located in central Wisconsin - are Marathon
(15,871), Clark (13,918),
Waupaca (12,260), Shawano (11,748) and Jackson (11,461). DNR tests
4,500 deer in the agencys
northeast region and
CWD not detected.
2006 - Gun deer license
sales at 644,906. Demographics show a gradually declining number of
hunters nationwide due
to a variety of changing
social conditions. DNR,
wildlife organizations and
hunting clubs across state
are ramping up efforts to
encourage young hunters.
NRB has approved a special, 2-day youth hunt in
early October. Total gun
harvest is 393,306, fifth
highest on record.
2007 - Wisconsins
156th deer season; archery harvest peaks at
116,010 deer; gun hunt
now lasts 23 days in the
CWD Zones; 57 of Wisconsins 130 DMUs have
earn-a-buck rules.
2008 - Most of southern Wisconsin now lies
within the new CWD
management zone; focus
has shifted to managing
rather than eliminating
the disease; rifles can be
used to hunt deer in previously shotgun-only areas
of the CWD zone; more
than 642,000 licensed
hunters kill 352,601 deer
during all gun seasons.
SEE HUNT, PAGE 11

GUN DEER HUNTING

WOLF RIVER MEDIA

HUNT
FROM PAGE 10

2009 - The new Mentored Hunting Program

is introduced, allowing
any licensed hunter aged
18 or older to take any
new hunter age 10 or older on a hunt. The mentor
does not carry a weapon
and stays within arms
reach of the novice. Nineday gun hunt opens with
unseasonably warm temperatures and heavy fog
throughout much of the
state. Gun harvest drops
to 241,862.
2010 - Hunters may
now divide a deer into up
to five parts (four quarters
plus the head attached to
the spinal column and rib
cage) to facilitate removal
from the field. Hunting
regulations are available
on DNRs web site; 18
DMUs in the north have
buck-only hunting during
both gun and bow seasons
to allow herd to grow in
the north. No earn-a-buck
units except in CWD zone.
2011 - Archery season
is permanently extended
to run through the gun
deer season. Hunters report higher deer numbers
in north. There are no October herd control hunts
outside the CWD Management Zone. Earn-abuck rules are completely
eliminated by legislation
statewide and hunters in
the CWD Management
Zone may shoot a buck
first. Earn a Buck is replaced with bonus buck.
CWD detected in a doe
harvested outside of Shell
Lake in Washburn County, prompting sampling
and public outreach. State
hires independent deer
trustee to review Wisconsin deer management.
DNR embarks on multimillion, multi-year study
to quantify various causes
of deer death (whether by
hunter, disease, weather,
vehicle collision or predation by wolf, bear or coyote). More than 400 hunt-

ers volunteer help make

the first year of field research a success.
2012 - For the first time
since 1995, there are no
October herd-control gun
hunts anywhere in the
state. CWD zone hunters
can take additional bucks
under bonus buck rules.
Anyone may now hunt with
a crossbow during any gun
deer season. Hunter participation in deer field research remains strong; $5
introductory licenses for
various game species are
introduced to help recruit
new hunters and encourage past hunters to return.
Bowhunters set an all-time
record harvest of bucks.
2013 - Rifles allowed
for hunting statewide after research shows they
pose no greater risk than
shotguns even in more
populated counties. Hunting allowed in most state
parks for the first time
for about a month in the
spring and a month in the
fall, with archery hunting
in parks running longer.
Citizen action teams
working on the Deer
Trustee Report complete
their recommendations,
the DNR prepares pro-

posed changes to deer

management
and
35
public hearings are held
statewide. One proposal:
reduce the number of
deer management units,
either
by
combining
units or managing deer
by county. CWD surveillance expanded in Adams, Juneau and Portage
counties after four deer
test positive outside the
CWD management zone
in southern Wisconsin.
2014 - A crossbow
season for deer is established for the first time,
and the sale of crossbow
licenses is robust. The
crossbow season runs
concurrently with the archery season, from midSeptember through the
first weekend in January.
Crossbow permits are no
longer limited to handicapped hunters or those
aged 65 or older. Deer
management units now
coincide with county lines
and fall under farmland
or forest zones. After a
second consecutive severe winter, antlerless
permits are eliminated in
19 forest zone counties.
As a precursor to a major change scheduled for

2015, a pilot program for

electronic deer registration is established.
2015 First year of
electronic registration for
recording harvested deer,
allowing hunter to use a
telephone or a computer
with internet access to
record their deer harvest.
Over 309,000 deer are registered, including a new
buck harvest record for
archery/crossbow hunters. County Deer Advi-

11
sory Councils and citizen
involvement
through
programs like the Deer
Management Assistance
Program continue to play
a key role in decision
making and resource and
habitat management as
we enter a new era of deer
hunting in Wisconsin.
2016 The requirement
to wear a backtag is eliminated, and blaze pink is
allowed as a legal hunting
color. Deer are no longer

required to be tagged immediately upon recovery.

A new licensing system,
Go Wild, is introduced
and gives hunters added
convenience to purchase
licenses and tags. County
Deer Advisory Councils
continue to play a key
role in deer management
in Wisconsin and provide
feedback to help shape the
2016 season structure.
Wisconsn Department of
Natural Resources

12

GUN DEER HUNTING

WOLF RIVER MEDIA