No Hunting on November 18th????

[billy302]

Hey folks!!

I heard a nasty rumor from a fairly reliable source that says no one is permitted to hunt ANYTHING or even walk into the woods with a gun on the day before the gun deer season in the entire state of Wisconsin...Is this true??? and if so, does anyone know the reason for such tomfoolery??  Cheers!

[steve]

According to the DNR rule book that is correct.  As far as I knew it has been like that for quite of few years.

[ihookem]

Can't shoot a firearm on gun season eve neither. Not even in a gravel pit. Stupid law, never stopped a poacher anyway. Catch a poacher double the fines. Leave the law abiders alone.

[banen]

Your reliable source is no liar.  It makes no sense to me.  Maybe there is a logical reason, but it wouldn't be the first "bright idea" that the WI DNR has had.  Wisconsin needs to gut it's DNR.  They are too expensive.. too in efficient... too ineffective.  At a minimum, they should strive for a 25% reduction in spend. 


1  They should leave the field officers alone (maybe even add a few so that they are reasonably resourced).  In my entire life hunting and fishing all over WI I have only been stopped once. 
2  They should slash a bunch of the yahoo's in Madison and other back office places. 
3  Stop a bunch of these expensive, low benefit programs
4  Fire every person who has supported allowing the wolf population get out of control
5  They need to make some hard choices now to limit harvests so that the population can rebound.  Imagine what one hard winter would do on top of current low levels. 


The DNR administration of the last decade is going to be responsible for a drastic reduction in hunters (who aren't seeing deer) who will decide to stop age old traditions or go elsewhere to do their hunting.  These hunters spend millions of dollars for hunting on license fees, gas, hotels, restaurants, 4X4 vehicles, ATV's, Trailers, clothing, guns and ammunition, archery equipt, tree stands, clothing, cabins, land, property taxes etc... and of course beer, liquor, and bar tabs    I could go on and on. 


Having said all that, I am hopeful that this year will be better than the last two and that we are on our way to recovery. 

[myronman3]

   no hunting...i always liked that rule.   let things calm down out there. 

[buck460XVR]

 
Waterfowl hunting is the exception to this rule......here it is direct from the 2011 Regulations.


 

it is illegal to possess any firearm from 12:00 midnight–11:59 p.m. on November 18, 2011 unless
the firearm is unloaded and enclosed within a carrying case. Exceptions: target
shooting at established target ranges, target shooting on private lands by landowners
and immediate family members, waterfowl hunting during open season, hunting
game birds on licensed bird hunting preserves, and hunting turkeys and small game
in CWD Management Zone units.
Note: An established target range means an existing location that is set up for target
shooting with firearms as its major purpose.

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Some laws made sense at the time they were enacted and perhaps make little sense today.  And unless there is a big enough complaint from the public nobody's going to change it.
 
I seem to recall being told that this law dates back to a time when it was common practice to shoot an antlerless deer before season to serve as "camp meat" during the rest of the season.  This was back when populations were low and the general frame of mind was that every doe ought to be protected.  The pendulum has swung the other way now . . .and may have even reversed direction again.
 
Sometimes laws are made to make it easier for wardens to pinch outlaws.  In this case most hunters probably thought it was no big deal to give up one day of hunting.  This made it easy for wardens to bust anyone caught hunting that Friday.  The wardens didn't have to prove they were hunting deer.
 
Much the same as the cased gun law.  There was probably little safety value in it.  But I will bet that a lot of road hunters were fined for uncased guns only because the wardens could not gather sufficient proof that they were actually road hunting.
 
While I will welcome the convenience of not having to case a gun to transport it, I do think this will make things easier for road hunters.  All they have to do is unload the gun when the warden stops them.  The only way they can get caught now is if the warden actually SEES them fire the gun from the truck.
 
This law was passed without even consulting with wardens. 

[myronman3]

big deal.   according to the dnr, there are too many deer anyway.   i dont agree with that, but that is their mindset.   i am not real big on the wardens as i have seen way too many of them try to bust an honest guy over chicken $#*!....while people that are hardcore violaters are pretty much ignored.   i would be pretty happy if they just disbanded the dnr. 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Myronman,
 
Right, now that there doesn't seem to be a concern about "growing" the deer herd, the no-hunting on November 18 seems a bit stupid.  I'm just saying that at the time it made sense.  If it bother's you guys so much you can bring it to the spring hearings or call your representatives.
 
I suppose you'd be pretty happy for a while, but I suspect it wouldn't take too long for everyone to blast the game to oblivion. 

[myronman3]

have you BEEN OUT in the northwoods?    

...but I suspect it wouldn't take too long for everyone to blast the game to oblivion.

  you jest, right?      i got news for ya....THE GAME IS ALREADY BLASTED TO OBLIVION!!!!!  thanks to none other than the dnr's bullspit policies.   

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Look, no DNR means there would be nothing to stop 1000's of hunters from heading into the woods with highpowered rifles during the height of rut.  Heck, no DNR means ya'll could shine-n-shoot 'em all night long.
 
While the deer population isn't anything like it was in the 80's and 90's I don't think it's as bad as things were in the 30's, 40's or 50's.
 
I've noticed a huge change over the last 20 years.  The biggest change from what I have observed is the number of deer sighted on opening weekend.  It used to be guys would come back to the shack and we'd hear all sorts of stories of who saw what.  Now?  Most guys see absolutely zilch on the stand.  Then come Monday when we start doing drives we begin seeing deer.  That's been the most distinct change and I don't think it has that much to do with the number of deer.  I think it has to do with the fact that we do not bait, and well the neighbor's . . . I don't know. . .   They certainly don't do drives like they did 20 years ago.

[buck460XVR]

have you BEEN OUT in the northwoods?  i got news for ya....THE GAME IS ALREADY BLASTED TO OBLIVION!!!!!  thanks to none other than the dnr's bullspit policies.

But Myron, it wasn't the DNR that blasted the deer to Oblivion, it was hunters. The same hunters that are now whining there are no deer left are the ones that blasted every deer they saw during years of liberal seasons. They thought it was great that the DNR gave out all kinds of antlerless permits, but didn't have the sense to quit shooting when they started to see fewer deer. How much sense would those same folks have if there was no DNR and the regs and restrictions that go with it? If there are too few deer in any given area, it is because the hunters there have or are shooting too many. Not because of wolves, not because of bears preying on fawns, but because the hunters in that area are SHOOTING too many. The only reason we had the deer boon of the 80s and 90 was because of stricter enforcement and stiff fines for poaching deer(thanks to the  DNR). The reason for the increase of antlerless permits a few years ago is because of the increase of car/deer accidents and high amounts of crop damge.......but, the reason for the huge decline of deer in some areas of the state is because of the old war cry...."if it's bown, it's down!".  Bass and muskie fishing continues to get better every year in our state even tho we have very liberal season on them. The reason there are more fish and more trophy opportunities is because the fishermen themselves limit what they kill and take home. This is the kind of stewardship and conservation we need from more of our deer hunters. The only reason we have any deer at all in the state is because of the DNR. Put the blame where it belongs....on deer hunters.

[Cheesehead]

No anterless permits, no antlerless deer shot. The DNR does have a hand in this.
 
Cheese

[myronman3]

the dnr has been promoting wholesale slaughter of the deer for the past 10 years.   this year is no different.  guys up north say there isnt crap for deer, yet a guy can get all the anterless permits he wants to buy.    ludicrous.    y'all can say what you want, but the dnr is hugely at fault.  most residents i know think the same way, but when the dnr hands out all those permits, out of staters come here and slaughter.   dont tell me it isnt the out of staters, i seen too many minnesota trucks and trailers loaded with deer; didnt see the wisconsin vehicles like that.....story kinda tells itself. 
i got better things to do than argue about it.  i care not a bit about the dnr, and the sooner it is disbanded, the better. 

[buck460XVR]

  guys up north say there isnt crap for deer, yet a guy can get all the anterless permits he wants to buy.    dont tell me it isnt the out of staters, i seen too many minnesota trucks and trailers loaded with deer

If there ain't any deer, where are those folks from Minnesota getting all those deer stacked up in their trucks and trailers? Are you sayin' they're better hunters than your "guys up north" or that there are really deer there that the "guys up north" ain't seein' ? If there were no deer, why would they pay the big non-resident fees to come here and hunt? Odds are they are also paying big lease fees to hunt private land loaded with deer that the average hunter can't access or afford. I see this a lot in the Northwest corner of the state.

i got better things to do than argue about it.  i care not a bit about the dnr, and the sooner it is disbanded, the better.

No reason to argue, when one can have a reasonable discussion. I know the DNR and their policies can be a volatile subject. I don't always agree with them either and sometimes their rules and regs don't fit with the times. Unfortunately they cannot manage the deer herd for just deer hunters. There are farmers who make a living off the land that are affected by crop damage and there are non-hunters that are paying high insurance premiums because of deer/vehicle collisions. There is also carrying capacity and forest regrowth to consider also. I don't want to argue either Myron, but there ain't a state in the union without some form of DNR or FAG, and it's for good reason. Like has been said before, there are sportsmen hearings every spring in every county in the state where individuals and groups/organizations can go and give their opinions and suggestions. This is where many rule changes come from. Deer numbers and how they are derived is always a heated subject. I too do not see the numbers of deer I saw in the 80s and 90s. But I still see many more than I did in the 60s and 70s. I also can hunt Wild Turkeys that weren't here back then. Whether I get a deer or turkey does not constitute success or failure to me....the opportunity to be able to does. Without any form of DNR or their regs and enforcement there would be none other than by pay to shoot. That form of hunting does not appeal to me.

[myronman3]

yeah, real big lease fees    ....on the public land.  this is years ago.  the out of staters would come and shoot, shoot, shoot.   i didnt see resident trucks loaded like that.  one or two, and that was reasonble.     
  disband the dnr now.   disband the dnr now.  disband the dnr now.  disband the dnr now.
 
 you are a reasonable guy...i just dont have the energy to put into making a detailed post.  i am just going to say i saw enough with my own two eyes to know who was doing the killing/wasting (found many tagged deer dumped in the ditch, reported it and no dnr showed up or even called me back), and who was allowing it to happen.   

[Cheesehead]

The DNR are the self proclaimed regulators, so it goes right back on the them. They have told me this themselves. Most wardens are a bunch of cop wannabes with stupid attitudes.
 
Cheese

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

guys up north say there isnt crap for deer, yet a guy can get all the anterless permits he wants to buy.    ludicrous. 

There were 8 units in the north where absolutely NO antlerless tags were available.  Last year it was even more.  Seems the only thing ludicrous was your statement.

[Cheesehead]

I see at least 12 managment units north of Highway 8 that have unlimited tags available. That, specifically, is absurd, beyond ludicrous.
 
Cheese