Statewide Antlerless Deer Hunt to be Held December 9-12 Hunters heading out to participate in the December 9-12 statewide antlerless deer hunt need to check deer tagging rules carefully for the unit in which they intend to hunt. The best source of information is the 2010 Wisconsin Deer Hunting Regulations booklet available in hard copy at license vendors or online:
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/regs/.
A 2010 Deer Season Structure map can be found in the regulations booklet or online:
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/HUNT/DEER/dmu.htm. Depending on the type of deer management unit in which a hunter is hunting, the following tagging rules apply:
Regular units
* Requires a unit-specific antlerless tag in these units. Tags, if available, are $12 each for residents and $20 for nonresidents from all DNR license sales agents. Tag availability can be found online:
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/cs/BonusAvailability.htm. Hunters may also hunt with unused unit-specific antlerless tags from the 9-day season,
* ?Buck Only? Regular Units: ONLY the following hunters can harvest and tag an antlerless deer in these 18 deer management units.
o First-time Wisconsin hunter safety education graduates with an unfilled free special antlerless deer carcass tag issued upon completion of safety courses or available at DNR Service Centers (hunter must present their hunter education certificate) or by calling 1-888-936-7463. Group hunting is not allowed to fill this tag.
o Qualified Armed Forces members (see page 11 of the 2010 hunting regulations for qualifications and tagging requirements).
o Class A and C Disabled permit holders with an unfilled gun buck deer carcass tag which they may use to shoot a deer of either sex killed with a firearm during the Dec 9-12 hunt.
o Landowners on properties with agricultural damage permits may issue antlerless permits to hunters who wish to hunt on these properties.
Herd control units
* Requires a herd control antlerless deer carcass tag in these deer management units. One antlerless tag valid in herd control units comes with the purchase of every gun deer hunting license. Additional tags are available for $2 each from all license sales agents.
Chronic wasting disease management units
* Hunters may use any unfilled 2010 deer carcass tag in these 22 deer management units. Like all other units, bucks may not be harvested in the CWD Management Zone from Dec. 9-12, even if the hunter has a buck authorization sticker in their possession. However, antlerless deer tagged and registered during the Dec. 9-12 hunt will earn the hunter a 2010-2011 buck authorization sticker from the registration station.
A frequently asked questions fact sheet on the 2010 deer hunt season structure and tagging (pdf) is available from the DNR website:
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/hunt/deer/taggingfaq.pdf.
Other things to keep in mind
Hunters should also be mindful that a lot of people are out enjoying Wisconsin?s outdoors including cross country skiers and snowmobilers who may not be aware of on-going hunting seasons and not wearing blaze orange.
?Always be sure of your target and what is beyond,? says Chief Conservation Warden Randy Stark,
All gun deer, archery and small game hunters, except waterfowl hunters, are required to wear blaze orange during this 4-day antlerless deer hunt and follow all safety guidelines. Non-hunters should consider wearing bright or blaze orange clothing to increase their visibility while recreating in areas being hunted.
?Hunting is a safe today as it?s ever been and getting safer? Stark said. ?The recently completed nine-day gun deer hunt was firearm fatality free for just the second time in our records and with everyone?s help and attention to firearm safety, we can keep it that way.?
Hunters with additional questions about the season structure or tagging requirements can contact the toll-free DNR information line at 1-888-WDNRINFo (1-888-936-7463).
