On the Wisconsin Deer Season
By Jim Olsson
I'm not sure where to even start. As I sit here writing this I'm wondering about the dismal results of the 2013 gun deer season and what the newly passed crossbow bill will do to even further divide the ranks of hunters who venture afield each year. Only time will tell but here is my two cents.
Crossbows
I am neutral on my position on the use of crossbows so all I can do is give a few pros and cons from my point of view.
Pros
The positives of crossbow use from my perspective are that it may give some kids and adults that are unable to use a compound or traditional bow an opportunity to get out and share in the outdoors. I believe that many hunters are going to object and say that it gives those who choose to use a crossbow an unfair advantage in the woods. May I remind those same people that when compound bows hit the market the conversation was the same. I believe the Pope and Young club originally had a maximum let off percentage for an animal to be included in their record books. I’m not sure of the status of that rule currently. In my opinion it is still a bow, it discharges a single projectile that is tipped with some form of broad head to cause traumatic injury resulting in death. This is the same way a compound or traditional bow is used to kill game animals.
Cons
I am purely stating my opinion here but what I truly see as a downside is that Wisconsin DNR has chosen to issue a special permit for crossbows; it's another tag for Wisconsin hunters to not only buy but also fill. The real problem with the current state of hunting is that so many hunters seem to be motivated by greed. If your neighbor shoots an 8 point buck you want a 10. If my buddy shoots 2 does to fill the freezer I have to tag 3 to prove I'm a better hunter. I have talked to many hunters across the state who know someone personally that has killed more than 10 deer in the past year. What does a person do with 10 deer? Do they give them away? Do they eat venison every day? I'm not trying to pass judgment. I am though, asking your initial consideration of a new hunt concept offered at the conclusion of this piece.
THE FUTURE OF OUR DEER
I don't think that many hunters in Wisconsin really believe that CWD is the antichrist of deer hunting like it is portrayed to be. Many states in the western United States have had CWD as an issue that affects wildlife for many years. They chose to watch and monitor its effects to determine if any real damage would be done to the herds of wildlife. Those states didn't need to follow what I like to call "The Chicken Little Syndrome" of Wisconsin. We are trying to eradicate the most sought after game species in the entire southern half of the state in the name of stopping the spread of CWD. Wait, does that make sense? We are going to kill all of the deer so that some of the deer don't die. Ok I'm not even sure where to go from there.
Regarding the northern half of the state, the great north woods is where so many men and women learned the art of hunting and so many parents connected with their children on a whole new level. The north woods that feels like home when summer turns to fall. The north woods that now are nearly devoid of game animals but overrun with wolves. Is the wake -up call coming? Do you see what I'm thinking?
A Time for Change….
A General License, and we Decide
It’s time for a change. It's time for hunters to take responsibility for our actions. It's time to make our voices heard and make it loud and clear. We should decide how we will pursue the deer that roam our forests, hills and valleys. My belief is that a general hunting license should be issued that includes all the hunting seasons. Gun, bow and crossbow would be lumped together with a harvest restriction placed on each individual hunter. My belief is that we should have 2 buck and 2 doe tags for all the seasons available. It doesn't matter what weapon you use to harvest your deer but once you fill those tags you're done. This tag would also include a wolf tag and we would vote on a meaningful and adequate quota for wolf hunting with one statewide zone; not the criteria lacking credibility that is currently being used for season and zone structure. The season would close one day after 90% of the quota had been reached. This may not be the right way but it's time that we as sportsman start taking a stand on how things should be done.
Jim Olsson
Antler King Trophy Products
Pro-Staffer
Jim Olsson is a lifelong resident of the state of Wisconsin. He was raised near Antigo and currently resides in a Waukesha County. He is an avid outdoorsman who spends in excess of 50 days per year hunting and fishing.