2007 Gun Deer Hunt to run Nov 17-25
Fall musky anglers reminded of bait restrictions when fishing with suckers
2008 waterfowl and pheasant stamp design contest winners announced
2008 hunting and trapping season dates set & available online
Grants available to properly abandon old, unused wells
2007 gun deer hunt runs Nov. 17-25
MADISON – Opening weekend of the 2007 Gun Deer Hunt is at the doorstep, and state wildlife officials say prospects are excellent, especially for those hunters who take time to scout their hunting areas before heading out.
“The herd is large and healthy and rutting activity is under way,” said Keith Warnke, deer and bear ecologist for the state Department of Natural Resources. “There is plenty of good hunting opportunity in all areas of the state but as always, the best chances for success go to hunters who’ve done the early legwork, scouting out travel lanes, food, water and bedding sites in order to be at the right place on opening morning.”
Biologists emphasize that it’s not too late to do some scouting.
“Deer respond to changes in their habitat and range over time,” says Warnke. “They change their patterns and routines in response to their environment. A tree stand or blind that provided good hunting in past years may not be as productive today due to changes in available food, forest cover, development, and other factors. Some of these changes take place slowly over time and aren’t as noticeable to hunters but they do affect deer behavior.”
Wisconsin’s deer herd is estimated at between 1.6 and 1.8 million animals heading into the nine-day Nov. 17-25 gun hunt, which will be followed by a muzzleloader only hunt Nov. 26 – Dec. 5 and a statewide antlerless deer only gun hunt Dec. 6-9. Deer hunters have harvested, on average, at least 460,000 deer every year for the last 10 years. Wisconsin’s deer harvest holds 3 places in the top ten North American deer harvests and in 2006 Wisconsin archery hunters established a new Wisconsin harvest record of 113,918.
DNR launches expanded call center features 1-888-WDNR-INFo
On Nov. 2, Department of Natural Resources Secretary Matt Frank announced the availability of an expanded toll-free 1-888-WDNR-INFo (936-7463) information center and violation hotline. The expanded call center will be staffed from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week to answer questions and to accept tips on violations. Spanish and Hmong speaking operators are available and the expanded service also features an electronic chat room where emailed questions usually will be answered within minutes.
“I’m very excited about these new customer services, especially on the eve of the deer season, one of our busiest times of the year,” said Frank. “Our call center staff are available when you need them, by phone or on-line. These services bring the DNR to you at your convenience and I invite you to try them out.”
Prequalification for Earn-a-Buck
Along with scouting it’s not too late to head out with a bow and prequalify for a buck sticker by shooting and registering an antlerless deer in anyone of the state’s 57 Earn-a-Buck (EAB) units. Thousands of hunters have taken advantage of this relatively new program that allows hunters hunting in EAB units to have a buck sticker in their pocket on opening day of the gun deer season. They earned the buck sticker by either shooting and registering an antlerless deer in 2006 in a hunting unit that is part of the EAB hunt in 2007 or by killing an antlerless deer during the early bow season or with a gun during the October gun hunts in any of this year’s Chronic Wasting Disease units.
Stickers earned in 2006 were mailed to hunters beginning in August. Hunters who think they should have received a sticker but haven’t, should immediately check for their name on the prequalification database by going to the DNR Web site or by stopping into a Service Center. Time is running short to mail stickers in time for the opener. Hunters who already have a sticker need to hang on to it: lost stickers are not replaceable.
Baiting and feeding
Wildlife biologists and conservation wardens recommend that people who hunt deer over bait review Wisconsin’s deer baiting and feeding regulations found on the DNR Web site [http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/bait.htm] and on page 40 of the 2007 Wisconsin Deer Hunting Regulations pamphlet to avoid unintentional violations. Baiting and feeding of deer is prohibited in 26 counties and is regulated in all remaining counties.
Protected wild animals
Wolves and coyotes
The gray wolf was removed from the list of endangered and threatened species in Wisconsin but is still classified as a protected wild animal. Persons shooting a wolf are subject to citation and fine and possible loss of equipment and hunting privileges.
“Removing the gray wolf from the endangered and threatened species list did not automatically mean they can be hunted,” said Adrian Wydeven, DNR mammalian ecologist and wolf specialist. “If anyone is experiencing problems with what they believe to be wolf depredation on livestock or pets they should call us immediately.”
The department and its partner USDA-Wildlife Services actively investigate all complaints and will remove known depredating wolves.
Hunters are also reminded that coyote hunting is closed in roughly the northern third of the state during the gun deer seasons, which this year run from Nov. 17 through Dec. 9. This includes the nine-day gun deer hunt, the muzzleloader hunt and the December antlerless deer gun hunt. For more information and boundaries of the closed zone refer to page 52 of the 2007 Wisconsin Deer Hunting Regulations pamphlet available at license outlets and on the DNR Web site at [http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/regs/index.htm].
Elk and Moose
Hunters are also reminded to look carefully and be certain of their target if they are hunting in the area of Wisconsin’s growing elk herd. Elk are protected wild animals in Wisconsin and it is illegal to shoot them. Elk are native to Wisconsin and once roamed over much of the state. Efforts to reintroduce them are underway and the growing herd is closely monitored.
Occasionally moose are found in Wisconsin, especially in the counties bordering the Michigan Upper Peninsula and these large mammals are also protected.
Safety
All hunters born after Jan. 1, 1973 are required to provide proof of successfully completing a Wisconsin hunter safety course or a similar course from another state to buy a hunting license in Wisconsin. More than 940,000 hunters have competed the training. In addition to learning about hunting laws, tactics and ethics, the four cardinal rules of gun safety are stressed. Known as “TAB-K” the simple to understand guidelines are:
• Treat every gun as if it is loaded;
• Always point the muzzle in a safe direction;
• Be sure of your target and what’s beyond it;
• Keep your finger out of the trigger guard until you are ready to shoot.
“Every year one of the most common sources of injury while hunting is falling out of a tree stand,” said Tim Lawhern, Wisconsin hunter safety education coordinator. “Our records show that one out of three hunters who use stands will be injured at some time. So in addition to your preseason deer scouting, check out your tree stand before opening morning. Make sure it’s safe and solid and either repair or replace anything that’s missing, looks worn or suspicious.
“Also, leave a hunting plan with someone at home or another member of your hunting party. It should list where you are hunting and when you’ll be home or when you’ll check in. It’s good insurance in case you become lost or disabled in the woods.”
Antlerless deer
2007 marks the second year of a two-year trial moratorium on October gun hunting outside of CWD zones requested by hunting groups.
The trial was designed to determine whether or not hunters could reach a 2-to-1 antlerless to buck harvest ratio in Herd Control units across the state over the two year span. The 2-to-1 ratio is necessary to pressure deer populations downward closer to established population goals.
Only one region (the Central Forest Region) of Wisconsin’s five deer management regions met the 2-to-1 goal in 2006. It is likely that October gun hunting will return to much of Wisconsin in 2008 say wildlife managers.
Nonetheless, deer and bear ecologist Warnke is optimistic hunters can get the herd close to unit population goals with several years of good effort.
“Hunters are making real progress at managing deer populations,” says Warnke. “Getting herd numbers to the goals is going to take time but with a sustained effort I believe it can be done. The key is for every hunter and every hunting camp to do their level best to harvest two does for every buck in all herd control and EAB units.
Deer hunting is big business
According to the 2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife Associated Recreation published by the US Fish and Wildlife Service
• Deer Hunting activity in Wisconsin produces $535 million in retail activity
• Deer hunting generates $1billion in total economic impact
• Deer Hunting generates $20.6 million in sales and motor fuel tax revenues
Good luck wishes
“As a boy growing up in Cross Plains the impacts of deer hunting were everywhere,” said DNR Secretary Matt Frank. “From the car loads of hunters driving through town to the hanging game seen cooling behind homes and barns. I deeply respect the traditions of hunting in Wisconsin and what it means to generations of families across the state. On the eve of the hunt I want to wish everyone good luck and safe hunting.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Keith Warnke - (608) 264-6023
Fall musky anglers reminded of bait restrictions when fishing with suckers
MADISON – Because of statewide restrictions now in place to prevent the spread of a deadly fish disease, anglers who use suckers for fall musky fishing are encouraged to buy only the amount of these bait fish they need for each outing before heading out onto the water for the remainder of the season, which closes Nov. 30. The same holds true for other anglers using live minnows or other bait fish.
Under emergency rules aimed at preventing the spread of viral hemorrhagic septicemia, or VHS for short, [http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/pages/vhs.html] that took effect statewide on Nov. 2, anglers are prohibited from taking live fish away from any water in Wisconsin, including leftover bait minnows, suckers and other fish.
These requirements reflect concerns that bait fish could possibly be exposed to the fish disease while anglers are fishing if the anglers change the water in which the minnows are kept. Using leftover bait on other waters could potentially spread VHS, says Mike Staggs, fisheries director for the Department of Natural Resources.
“If we knew exactly where VHS was in the state, we could tell anglers where it was safe to take home bait minnows,” he says. “But with 15,000 lakes and 44,000 miles of flowing rivers, we can’t test every water for VHS so an angler doesn’t know whether the water they are fishing has VHS or not.
“It’s important for anglers to keep in mind why they should never move suckers or minnows to a new water. We’re trying to prevent transferring potentially infected water or fish to a new water,” he says. “The best advice we can give anglers is to buy only the bait fish you need and carry commercially processed minnows in reserve.” The new rules do not apply to other kinds of bait such as leeches or nightcrawlers.
Minnows distributed by licensed wild bait harvesters, raised by fish farmers, or imported from other states must meet Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection fish health inspection and testing standards, but after the minnows leave the a licensed bait dealer, there is no way to track their fish health status.
VHS has demonstrated in other countries and Great Lakes states the potential to cause large fish kills, long-term reductions in wild fish populations, and severe economic losses for aquaculture operations, Staggs says.
While Wisconsin hasn’t had any large fish kills to date due to VHS, the disease is very new here, having been detected for the first time in May 2007. Fish appear to be most vulnerable to VHS in the spring, when water temperatures are cold and fish immune systems are stressed from the rigors of spawning. So the spring could hold the potential for fish kills that people would notice; it’s also important to note that other states have reported signs that the main VHS impact is on young fish, and fish kills of these smaller fish are not as easy to detect.
Muskies, walleye, bluegill, freshwater drum, and yellow perch are all very susceptible to VHS – they are all in the federal government’s “Tier 1” category of species that have been documented to have suffered fish kills, according to Tim Simonson, the fisheries biologist leading DNR’s musky team.
Muskies in particular are one of the species that has suffered major fish kills in the lower Great Lakes as a result of VHS. In spring 2006, large die-offs of musky in the Detroit River and St. Lawrence River were related to VHS. And there are signs now that the musky population in the St. Lawrence River in New York is dropping significantly as a result of VHS, which has already killed thousands of fish in the river.
More information about VHS and about the steps that all anglers and boaters statewide are required to take to help prevent the spread of this disease is available on the DNR Web site [http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/pages/vhs.html].
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Mike Staggs (608) 267-0796
2008 waterfowl and pheasant stamp design contest winners announced
MADISON -- A painting of a canvasback pair by Brian Kuether of Greenfield is the winning entry of the 2008 Wisconsin Waterfowl Stamp contest, while a painting of a pair of roosters by Craig Fairbert of Ladysmith is the winning entry in the 2008 Wisconsin Pheasant Stamp design contest.
Judging for the 2008 waterfowl and pheasant stamp design contests took place in Oshkosh on August 24, 2008, at the annual Ducks Unlimited Great Outdoors Festival. A total of 20 waterfowl entries and 12 pheasant entries were received from around the state. The judging panel included Arthur Anderson, the artist featured on the current 2007 Wisconsin Waterfowl Stamp, Clarence Kunde of Wisconsin Ducks Unlimited, Mike Derrick, a wildlife artist and art/photography teacher, and Dave Austin, a wildlife artist and retired art teacher.
The winner of the 2008 Waterfowl Stamp Contest, Brian Kuether, grew up in rural Wisconsin where he gained an appreciation of the natural world, landscapes, and wildlife that surrounded him. He has traveled extensively throughout the country in search of wildlife subjects and continues to reflect the outdoor experience in his work. Kuether resides in Greenfield, Wisconsin, with his wife and their two children.
The first runner up for this year’s contest was Jon Rickaby of Green Bay with a painting of a pair of wigeons. The second runner up was John Nemec, Jr., of Peshtigo with a pair of hooded mergansers.
Proceeds from the sale of the $7 waterfowl stamps are used for developing, managing, preserving, restoring and maintaining wetland habitat in Wisconsin and Canada for waterfowl and other wetland associated wildlife species. Wisconsin duck and goose hunters are required to purchase “stamp approval” through the Automated Issuance License System in order to have a valid license, but will not receive an actual stamp unless they request it. DNR service centers will have the stamps available for free to everyone with stamp approval. Anyone else interested in collecting the stamp may purchase one directly from the DNR.
The 2008 waterfowl stamp can be viewed on the DNR Web site at: [http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/wetlands/watrstmp.htm]. Previous waterfowl stamp winners can be viewed at [http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/wetlands/stmpwinners.htm].
The winner of the 2008 Pheasant Stamp Contest, Craig Fairbert, is originally from Milton, Wisconsin, and spent several years in the Madison area attending college and working as an illustrator. He and his wife and four sons currently reside in Ladysmith, where Fairbert works as an artist for a screen printing and embroidery business specializing in wildlife art. Even outside of work Fairbert enjoys painting, as well as bow hunting and musky fishing. Fairbert has had a lot of success in recent years, winning and receiving runner-up recognition in several of the stamp contests, including the 2008 Great Lakes trout/salmon stamp contest and was first runner-up in the 2008 turkey stamp contest.
This year’s Pheasant Stamp contest first runner-up was Russ Meyer of Oconomowoc. Second runner-up was Anthony Lilly of Oak Creek, and third runner-up was Vernon Javes of Appleton.
The 2008 pheasant stamp can be viewed on the DNR Web site at: [http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/hunt/pheasant/pheasantstamp07.htm]. Previous pheasant stamp winners can be viewed at: [http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/hunt/pheasant/pstampprevious.htm].
Sales of the $10 pheasant stamp annually brings in more than $370,000 for developing, managing, conserving, and maintaining the wild pheasant population in the state and contributing to the stocking of put-and-take pheasants on Wisconsin’s public hunting grounds. A pheasant stamp is required to hunt pheasants in the state of Wisconsin.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: on the Waterfowl Stamp Design Contest contact: Michele Cipiti at (608) 266-7408; on the Pheasant Stamp Design Contest contact: Sharon Fandel at (608) 261-8458
2008 hunting and trapping season dates set & available online
MADISON – Hunters and trappers looking to do some long-range planning and preparation can find the 2008 hunting and trapping season dates on the Hunting and Trapping Seasons Dates page of the Department of Natural Resources Web site at [http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/hunt/seasdate.htm].
There is also a handy two-page document listing the dates that can be printed from the Web site. Hard copy versions should be available around the first of the 2008 year according to wildlife officials.
The handy guide lists season dates and permit application deadlines and drawing dates for upland game, big game and furbearers.
A permit application date for Horicon and Collins goose seasons is listed in the guide but except for the early Canada goose season, all other waterfowl seasons won’t be set until the August Natural Resources Board meeting.
A second exception that will be clarified following the 2007 deer hunting seasons is whether or not there will be a statewide October antlerless deer only gun hunt. 2007 is the final year of a trial two-year moratorium on October antlerless gun hunting outside of Chronic Wasting Disease deer management units. A decision to return the October gun hunt will be made once the results of the 2007 season are tabulated, according to wildlife officials.
“It may be jumping the gun a bit since we’re still 10 days away from this year’s gun deer hunting season,” said Holly Robinson, DNR assistant wildlife regulations specialist, “but there are folks who can be helped by having these dates as early as possible in order to plan vacations and family activities.”
Expanded Information Center Hours and Services 1-888-WDNR-INFo (936-7463)
On Nov. 2, DNR Secretary Matt Frank announced expanded DNR Call Center hours and services in press conferences around the state noting that, “This expansion of our call center is the DNR’s response to what our customers want and need. Now hunters can be sitting in their tree stands and reach the call center with any questions they might have.”
“The DNR has expanded its Customer Call Center operations to ensure that it is more accessible than ever before,” said Diane Brookbank, director of DNR’s customer service and licensing operations. “The trained staff are available to answer any DNR-related question from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. We have Spanish and Hmong speaking staff available and we also have an Internet chat service if you choose to contact us via the Internet.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Loomans, DNR wildlife regulations specialist - (608) 267-2452
Grants available to properly abandon old, unused wells
MADISON – Private well owners with moderate incomes can now get state grants to help properly fill and seal old, unused wells on their property to make sure their water is safe to drink and to reduce contamination of groundwater.
The grants are aimed at accelerating efforts to address the hundreds of thousands of abandoned private wells that now pose a threat to groundwater, which supplies 70 percent of Wisconsin’s residents with drinking water.
“We hope that qualified well owners will seize the opportunity and have their unused wells properly filled and sealed. They can better protect drinking water for their own families and their neighbors, along with protecting Wisconsin’s groundwater,” says Mark Putra, who leads the Department of Natural Resources private water section.
As of Oct. 26, 2007, private well owners who meet income guidelines can get grants to help pay for up to 75 percent of the cost of properly filling and sealing an unused well. Grants are also available now to help people replace contaminated wells with new ones and seal the old wells.
The 2007-2009 budget adopted late last month by lawmakers allows the expansion of the DNR’s Well Compensation Program to include costs of properly sealing an old, unused well. Previously, state grant funds could be used to seal wells but only as a requirement in cases in which the well owner was already receiving state money to help pay for a new well to replace a contaminated well, according to Tom Riewe, a DNR hydrogeologist.
All categories of grants through this program are limited to families with an income of up to $65,000, with the reimbursement proportional to the income.
Private wells that are no longer used for drinking water, for farming, or for other activities and have not been properly sealed can directly contaminate groundwater and are a big problem in Wisconsin. These old wells allow contamination to bypass the soil and rock layers that otherwise would help filter out impurities.
“Contaminants that might have normally had to pass through 75 feet of soil have a direct conduit into the groundwater,” he says. “It poses a threat to the groundwater that supplies drinking water to well owner and likely their neighbors.”
State well codes have required property owners to seal unused wells on their property since 1936, but many well owners have failed to take this step and there are many relic wells leftover from the days when Wisconsin had many more farms, Putra says.
Up to 90,000 such wells have already been properly sealed, but there’s likely more than 250,000 unused wells still out there given Wisconsin’s reliance on private wells, he says. The state has nearly 1 million private wells supplying people with drinking water, and 17,000 new ones are drilled every year.
The expansion of DNR’s Well Compensation Program to create the well abandonment grants is part of DNR’s efforts to make sure water is safe to drink and reduce contamination of groundwater. Another part starts next June, when a requirement goes into effect mandating that if an inspection is performed for a real estate transfer, it must be done by a well driller or pump installer, and they must search for unsealed wells.
More information on the Well Abandonment Grants and applications for the grants are available on the DNR Web site [http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/cfa/Grants/wellabnd.html], along with a “Answers to Your Questions on Well Abandonment” fact sheet [http://dnr.wi.gov/org/water/dwg/Forms/wellabandonment.pdf] and more information about keeping private wells safe [http://dnr.wi.gov/org/water/dwg/prih2o.htm].
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Riewe (608) 266-8697; Mark Putra (608) 267-7649;
OUTDOORS CALENDAR
*Indicates date remains the same each year, except some permit deadlines may be extended one day if they fall on a Sunday or Federal Holiday.
September 15 through December 31
• Illegal during this time to shine for wild animals between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.
September 15 through First Saturday in May
• From Sept. 15 through the first Saturday in May, hook and line fishing is prohibited from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise in all Lake Michigan tributaries except the Oconto River and its tributaries and the downstream portion of the Peshtigo River (see regulations for details).*
November 11
• Sharp-tailed grouse season closes.
November 15
• Early archery deer season closes statewide. Reopens Nov. 26 through Jan. 6.
• Fall turkey hunting season closes.
• Jackrabbit season closes.*
• Fall crow season closes.
• Trout and salmon fishing closes on downstream section of Lake Superior tributaries that remained open after Sept. 30. (see current trout fishing regulations for stream sections).*
November 16
• Collins zone Canada goose hunting period 3 closes.
• It is illegal to hunt with a firearm the day before the gun deer season opens, except for waterfowl hunting or hunting on licensed game farms or shooting preserves.
November 17
• Regular gun deer season open through Nov. 25.
• Late gun deer season opens in CWD disease eradication and herd reduction zones through Dec. 9. See special CWD regulations in the current deer hunting regulations pamphlet for details.
November 20
• Northern zone duck season closes.
November 25
• Regular gun deer season closes.
November 26
• Muzzleloader season opens through Dec. 5.
• Late archery season opens through Jan. 6.
November 30
• Muskellunge season closes.*
• Turtle season closes. *
December 1
• Lake trout season on Lake Superior opens, through Sept. 30.*
December 2
• Southern zone duck season closes.
December 5
• Muzzleloader deer season closes.
December 6 – 9
• Late statewide antlerless-only firearm hunt. Hunters may use Herd Control and Earn-a-Buck antlerless deer carcass tag in deer management units with those designations. Hunters in regular units must purchase a unit-specific antlerless deer carcass tag to hunt in those units. Archery season will also remain open in these units during these four days but is restricted to the harvest of antlerless deer. Blaze orange requirements apply for all hunters during this time period.
December 8
• Ruffed grouse season closes in the eastern zone.*
December 9
• Canada goose season in the north exterior zones closes at sunset. Check current waterfowl regulations for subzone season dates.
• Late gun deer season closes in CWD disease eradication and herd reduction zones. See special CWD regulations in the current deer hunting regulations pamphlet for details.
December 10
• Spring turkey permit application deadline.*
• Application deadline for bear hunting kill permit.*
December 14
• Canada goose season closes in the south exterior zone. Check current waterfowl regulations for subzone season dates.
December 16
• Horicon zone Canada goose hunting periods 3 & 4 close.
December 27
• Canada goose season closes in the Mississippi River Subzone
December 12
• Bobwhite quail season closes.
December 31
• Pheasant season closes.*
• Ruffed grouse season closes in the Northern Zone.*
• Hungarian partridge season closes.*
• Bobcat hunting and trapping season closes.*
• Fisher trapping season closes.*
• Frog season closes.*
Wisconsin DNR News
Edited by Paul Holtan
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
PO Box 7921
Madison WI 53707-7921
(608) 267-7517
Fax: (608) 264-6293
E-mail: paul.holtan@dnr.state.wi.us
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/news/
