Youth
Deer Hunt Oct. 29
Spooner Advocate
Last Updated: Wednesday,
October 12th, 2005 12:06:42 PM
This year’s Youth Deer Hunt will be held on Saturday, Oct. 29.
The youth deer hunt was made possible through the Deer 2000 and Beyond Project.
The hunt is designed to give young hunters, ages 12 to 15, who have successfully
completed a hunter education program an opportunity to hunt antlerless deer and
gain valuable hunting experience at a time when other hunters are not authorized
to hunt deer with a firearm.
Rules and regulations
• Open to youths 12 to 15 years of age (resident and non-resident) who possess
a hunter education certificate of accomplishment and a gun deer hunting license.
• Hunters may harvest an antlerless deer with a gun on Saturday, Oct. 29, in
deer management units (except state park and non-quota units) not included in a
Zone T hunt (since youth can already hunt on that Saturday in all Zone T units.)
• The bag limit is one antlerless deer per hunter’s choice or antlerless
deer permit.
• First-time graduates of the Wisconsin hunter education program may use their
certificate of accomplishment in place of a hunter’s choice permit.
• Antlered deer may not be harvested during the hunt unless the youth holds a
valid Class A or C disabled permit issued by the Department of Natural
Resources.
• Allowable types of guns are those authorized on the first day of the regular
gun deer season.
• Hunters shall be accompanied by an adult 18 years of age or older.
• One adult may not accompany more than two hunters, and all other hunting
regulations apply.
Season Dates
Archery:
Sept. 17 – Nov. 17
Nov. 28 – Jan. 3, 2006
NOTE: Archery Harvest in all Zone T units is restricted to antlerless deer only from Oct. 27 – 30. Archery harvest in Zone T units south of Hwy. 8 also is restricted to antlerless deer only from Dec. 8 - 11. All DMUs (Zone T and regular) north of Hwy. 8 are either-sex from Nov.28 – Jan 3, 2006.
Gun:
Early Zone T: Oct. 27 – 33 (antlerless only)
Regular gun: Nov. 19 – 27
Late Zone T: Dec. 8 - 11 (antlerless only and only in units south of HWY. 8)
Muzzleloader: Nov. 28 – Dec. 7
Youth Hunt: Oct. 29 (Blaze Orange Required Statewide Including Archery)
Disabled Hunt: Oct. 1 –9
Eradication Zone:
Gun: Oct. 27 – Nov. 13 (Earn-a-Buck)
Nov. 19 – Jan. 3 (Either-Sex)
Herd Reduction Zone:
Gun:
Oct. 27 – 30 (Earn-a-Buck)
Nov. 19 – Jan. 3 (Either-Sex)
Archery in both Zones:
September 17 – Oct. 26 (Either-Sex)
Oct. 27 – Nov. 18 (Earn-a-Buck)
Nov. 19 – Jan. 3 (Either-Sex)
NOTE: Archery hunters are required to meet blaze orange requirements during all gun deer hunting seasons.
MADISON -- In 2004 Wisconsin deer hunters harvested more than 517,000 deer, setting the second highest single season deer harvest total in Wisconsin’s deer hunting history. The total included record archery and muzzleloader harvests of 103,572 and 7,074 deer respectively. The 2004 total is only surpassed by the 2000 season when Wisconsin hunters set a national record harvesting over 617,000 deer.
In 2005 Wisconsin’s deer herd remains above population goals and is projected to be around 1.4 to 1.5 million animals going into the hunting season. While progress has been made reducing the deer population closer to goal in recent years, Wisconsin’s deer managers say an aggressive antlerless harvest is needed to continue to move the population toward goal. In Deer Management Units (DMUs), above goal, the department will continue to set aggressive antlerless quotas in an effort to reduce deer numbers. In these units there will be plenty of antlerless permits available for hunters that want the opportunity to harvest antlerless deer. Wildlife managers emphasize that if the gains made in reducing the size of the herd are lost, more herd control efforts will be needed in the future.
“There will be excellent deer hunting opportunity this fall and total season long harvest is expected to be around 400,000 to 450,000,” according to Keith Warnke, DNR big game ecologist. “As a result of extensive Earn a Buck (EAB) units last fall, there will be more older bucks in those units this fall. Aggressive antlerless deer harvests reduce the harvest pressure on bucks meaning more older bucks are available for harvest in future seasons.”
There are other tangible benefits to herd control say biologists. Keeping populations at goal through aggressive antlerless harvests reduces agricultural damages and vehicle-deer collisions; promotes forest regeneration by reducing browsing pressure, enhances forest diversity, and puts the hunter in a high profile and valued role as a contributor to the conservation of everyone’s natural resources.
Getting the deer herd to goal levels and maintaining it there is something that will benefit Wisconsin. Hunters are encouraged to take an antlerless deer (or two) if the opportunity presents itself.