DNR Weekly News Update for July 30, 2019
Published - July 30, 2019 by the Central Office
- Bonus antlerless deer harvest authorizations available for purchase starting Aug. 19
- DNR seeks input on ruffed grouse management plan
- Public meetings throughout Wisconsin will gather input regarding the new waterfowl management plan
- Wild turkey, pheasant and waterfowl stamp design contest winners announced
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Bonus antlerless deer harvest authorizations available for purchase starting Aug. 19
Contact(s): Bob Nack, DNR big game section chief, 608-264-6137
MADISON - Bonus harvest authorizations (formerly known as tags) for antlerless deer during the 2019 Wisconsin deer hunting seasons will be available for purchase starting Monday, Aug. 19 at 10 a.m. through the Go Wild website and license sales locations.
The fall deer hunt is just around the corner. Hunters can search the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources website, dnr.wi.gov, for keyword "deer" to prepare for another season in the woods.
Antlerless deer harvest authorizations for the 2019 season will go on sale Monday, August 19 at 10 a.m.Photo credit: Linda Freshwaters Arndt
Bonus antlerless harvest authorizations will be sold at a rate of one per person per day until sold out or until the 2019 deer hunting season ends. The cost is $12 each for Wisconsin residents, $20 each for non-residents and $5 each for youth ages 11 and under.
For a list of units with bonus antlerless harvest authorizations available for purchase, search for keywords "bonus availability." These and all other deer hunting licenses and harvest authorizations are available online through the Go Wild website or at any of more than 1,000 license sales locations.
To prepare for the sale, each day at 9:45 a.m., an online queuing system will be put in place to manage volume in the Go Wild system. At 10 a.m., all online users that are on the site will be randomly assigned a number and staged into a "virtual" line regardless of the actual time you entered into the system. There is no advantage for customers who enter the site before 9:45 a.m. Please note that customers who enter the site after the randomization that occurs at 10 a.m. will move to the end of the "virtual" line in the order in which they arrive. All visitors to the site during this time will go into the queuing system.
When hunters access the Go Wild site, they should follow the prompts until they reach their personalized dashboard. To purchase a bonus antlerless harvest authorization, click the "Buy Licenses" button from the dashboard to open the sales catalog. From there, look for Bonus Antlerless Harvest Authorization at the very top of the list. People who haven't had the chance to get a license in advance will be able to purchase one through Go Wild after selecting the Bonus Antlerless Harvest Authorization.
Hunters will need to know the deer management zone and unit in which they intend to hunt. They will also need to determine whether they will hunt on public or private land to make their purchase.
The first three days of bonus sales are management zone-specific and will be available as follows:
- Aug. 19, 10 a.m. - Northern and Central Forest (Zone 1);
- Aug. 20, 10 a.m.- Central Farmland (Zone 2);
- Aug. 21, 10 a.m.- Southern Farmland (Zone 2); and
- Aug. 22, 10 a.m. - remaining bonus harvest authorizations (all zones).
As a reminder, Farmland (Zone 2) antlerless harvest authorizations are now available for distribution. A Farmland (Zone 2) antlerless harvest authorization is included with the purchase of each deer hunting license in units that offer them. Some units will offer more than one antlerless deer harvest authorization with each deer license.
GovDelivery
Anyone interested in receiving occasional email reminders can sign up to receive messages about season dates, license and harvest authorization types and other useful information. Visit dnr.wi.gov and click on the email icon near the bottom of the page for "subscribe for updates for DNR topics." Then follow the prompts and select a list of your choice.
For more information regarding deer hunting in Wisconsin, visit dnr.wi.gov and search keyword "deer."
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DNR seeks input on ruffed grouse management plan
Contact(s): Mark Witecha, DNR upland wildlife ecologist, (608) 267-7861
MADISON, Wis. - The public will have an opportunity to provide input and comments on a proposed ruffed grouse management plan for Wisconsin in person at a series of public hearings as wells as online. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is drafting a ruffed grouse management plan that outlines objectives and strategies to guide ruffed grouse management in the state from 2020-2030.
A draft of the 2020-2030 ruffed grouse management plan is open for public comment from July 30 through August 26.Photo credit: DNR
The draft management plan will be available on the DNR website from July 30 through August 26. Anyone interested in reading the plan and submitting a comment can search the DNR website, dnr.wi.gov, for "ruffed grouse management."
DNR staff will also present the plan at three informational sessions around the state. All of the sessions will run from 7 to 8 p.m.
- Tuesday, August 20, Spooner: Spooner DNR Service Center, 810 W Maple St.
- Wednesday, August 21, Black River Falls: Black River Falls DNR Services Center, 910 Highway 54 E; and
- Thursday, August 22, Rhinelander: Rhinelander DNR Service Center, 107 Sutliff Ave.
"Ruffed grouse are one of the most popular and widely-distributed game birds in the state of Wisconsin. They are a vital resource for Wisconsin's outdoor enthusiasts and economy and an important component of Wisconsin's outdoor heritage," noted Mark Witecha, DNR upland wildlife ecologist. "This management plan is intended to guide both long-term and emerging needs in ruffed grouse management, to serve as an outreach tool for increasing knowledge and awareness about ruffed grouse, and to providing opportunities to engage stakeholders and grouse enthusiasts on grouse management issues."
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Public meetings throughout Wisconsin will gather input regarding the new waterfowl management plan
Contact(s): Taylor Finger, DNR migratory game bird ecologist, 608-266-8841
MADISON, Wis. - The public will review and provide comments on a proposed waterfowl management plan for Wisconsin at a series of public meetings being held around the state in August. The final comment period will end Friday, August 16 at midnight. After public comments have been collected, the plan's structure will be finalized for review by the Natural Resources Board later this fall.
A mallard duck getting banded. Banding waterfowl is one of the tools biologists use in waterfowl management. A new draft Wisconsin waterfowl management plan is now available for review and comment.Photo credit: DNR
The Wisconsin Waterfowl Management Plan will guide how the Department of Natural Resources manages waterfowl for the next decade, directing habitat management for waterfowl, assessing and monitoring populations, managing harvest and hunting seasons, researching waterfowl and also improving hunter satisfaction, education and recruitment.
Public meetings will be held at the following locations:
- Tuesday August 13, 6 p.m., Eau Claire, - Wisconsin DNR Eau Claire Service Center, Rooms 185, 1300 W. Clairemont Ave.
- Wednesday August 14, 6 p.m., Green Bay, Barkhausen Waterfowl Preserve, 2024 Lakeview Dr., Suamico; and
- Thursday August 15, 6 p.m., Madison, - Wisconsin DNR Fitchburg Service Center, 3911 Fish Hatchery Road.
The department will accept public comments on the proposed waterfowl management plan at each public meeting. If you would like to provide input directly or are unable to attend a hearing, written comments will be accepted through midnight Friday, March 16. Written comments can be sent to Taylor Finger or Jeff Williams, Wisconsin DNR, PO Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707, via email to Taylor.Finger@wisconsin.gov or Jeffrey.williams@wisconsin.gov or by calling 608-261-6458.
To view the proposed waterfowl management plan online, search the DNR website, dnr.wi.gov, for keyword "waterfowl."
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Wild turkey, pheasant and waterfowl stamp design contest winners announced
Contact(s): Alaina Gerrits, DNR assistant upland wildlife ecologist, 608-261-8458
MADISON, Wis. - A Greenfield, Wis., artist took first place in the 2020 wild turkey and pheasant stamp contests while an Arbor Vitae, Wis., artist took first place in the 2020 waterfowl stamp contest.
2020 stamp contest judges stand with winning artwork chosen for next year's pheasant, waterfowl and turkey stamps.Photo credit: DNR
The Department of Natural Resources received a total of 28 pieces of artwork from 16 different wildlife artists for the 2020 Wisconsin wild turkey, pheasant and waterfowl stamp design contest. Contest judging took place July 24 at the Natural Resources Building in Madison. The judges for the 2020 Wisconsin Wildlife Stamp Art Contest were Jeff Maletzke from Ducks Unlimited, Sadie Odell from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Andy Opichka from National Wild Turkey Federation and Gretchen Oleson from Pheasants Forever.
Wild Turkey Stamp
Brian Kuether of Greenfield, WI, submitted winning artwork for the 2020 turkey stamp.
Brian Kuether won the 2020 Wisconsin wild turkey stamp contest with a painting of a gobbler and hen along a field. He has been painting most of his life, having started in the fourth grade. Kuether's grandmother was a wildlife artist and taught him how to paint starting with watercolors, which sparked a life-long passion. Kuether went on to pursue a degree in the arts with an emphasis in painting and has been painting professionally in different capacities his entire adult life. From researching and sketching to designing and painting, Kuether said it can take up to 200 hours to complete one of his wildlife paintings. He explained that the most time-consuming parts include researching, observing the animals in their natural state, and laying out the design of his pieces. The hours spent with a brush in hand taking the least amount of time. Kuether loves spending time in the outdoors, and he has plans to visit Yellowstone National Park this year to research and gain inspiration for future paintings.
Second place in the wild turkey stamp contest went to Betty Casper of Almond, who created a beautiful depiction of a gobbler. Jon Rickaby of Suamico, a veteran of the wildlife stamp contest, won third for his painting of a tom and hen walking together through the forest.
All turkey hunters are required to purchase the $5.25 Wild Turkey Stamp to hunt turkeys in Wisconsin legally. Proceeds from stamp sales provide vital support for turkey management and hunting in Wisconsin and bring in over $775,000 annually for habitat management and restoration projects, education, research, equipment purchases and management of the wild turkey program.
Pheasant Stamp
Kuether also submitted winning artwork for the 2020 pheasant stamp.
Kuether also won the 2020 pheasant stamp design with a striking rendition of a hen and rooster pheasant hiding in the grass.
Second place went to Robert Metropulos of Arbor Vitae, for his painting of a hen and rooster pheasant in a snow-covered field. Third place went to Jon Rickaby for his painting of a pair of pheasants with a barn on the horizon.
A $10 Pheasant Stamp is required to hunt pheasants in the state of Wisconsin. Proceeds bring in approximately $500,000 annually for the development, management, conservation and maintenance of wild pheasants and their habitat in Wisconsin. Stamp dollars also support the state game farm that raises pheasants for stocking efforts on Wisconsin's public hunting grounds.
Waterfowl Stamp
Robert Metropulos of Arbor Vitae, submitted winning artwork for the 2020 waterfowl stamp.
Robert Metropulos of Arbor Vitae won the 2020 Wisconsin waterfowl stamp contest. He learned how to paint from his mother, who was an artist herself. Growing up, Metropulos's mother used drawings and pictures as teaching tools. He felts this helped him to overcome dyslexia, a diagnosis he received later when he was in college. Metropulos said that he does not see dyslexia as a disability but instead feels it has helped him to become an even better painter. Metropulos has been painting since he was in high school and has owned an art gallery in northern Wisconsin for over 39 years. His advice to new painters is to find what makes you happy in life and go from there. "Happiness," he said, "is the greatest inspiration." In his free time, he enjoys gardening, disc golfing and photography.
Second place went to Keith Raddatz of Watertown, for his painting of a gadwall in fall. Third place went to Brian Kuether of Greenfield, for his painting of a northern shoveler.
Duck and goose hunters are required to purchase the $7 Wisconsin Waterfowl Stamp in order to hunt waterfowl in the state. Revenue from these sales generates an estimated $350,000 for managing, restoring and protecting habitat in Wisconsin and Canada for waterfowl and other wetland-associated species.
Winning artwork from the 2020 stamp contest was on display in Natural Resources Building on July 24Photo credit: DNR
Please note that an electronic "stamp approval" is printed on the licenses of wild turkey, pheasant and waterfowl hunters at the time of purchase. Hunters will not receive an actual stamp unless they request it. To obtain a physical copy of a stamp, visit the Wildlife and Fish Collector Stampwebpage or go to any DNR Service Center.
For more information regarding Wisconsin's wildlife stamps, visit dnr.wi.gov and search keyword "wildlife stamps."