Cross Bow Hunting

Beginning in 2014, Wisconsin will allow cross-bow hunting for all hunters.  Check out this article from Bowhunting Magazine that invites you to comment on the new law.

The ever-expanding list of states allowing crossbow hunting got a little longer this month when Governor Scott Walker signed legislation expanding crossbow hunting opportunities in Wisconsin.

Under previously existing rules, only hunters age 65 and over or with physical disabilities were allowed to hunt deer with crossbows. Beginning with the 2014 fall hunting season, hunters of all legal ages and abilities will be able to purchase a crossbow hunting license and hunt during a crossbow hunting season that will run concurrent with the archery deer season.

Full Story Read & React: Wisconsin Introduces First-Ever Crossbow Season

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Fewer deer taken this gun season

Reports are showing that cold weather may have resulted in a 7% lower harvest of deer during the nine day Whitetail Deer Gun Season in Wisconsin.  Eight hunters sustained gun shot wounds, but none died.

Check out this article from the Peshtigo Times Deer Harvest Drops 7% As Wisconsin Wraps Up Season

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New State Record Buck

A new state record was set for archery nontypical with a buck taken in Waukesha County.

See the picture and article on outdoorlife.com Big Buck Alert: 249-Inch Whitetail Breaks Wisconsin Archery Record

Good luck hunters - Whitetail Deer Gun Season November 23rd-December 1st.

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Public Shooting Ranges

Looking for a public shooting range? The Wisconsin DNR has a Public Shooting Range Map showing each range's location, information and types of shooting activities allowed, as well as a link to the shooting range website.  Check it out: Public Shooting Ranges

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Hunting Discounts for Wounded Vets

An upcoming bill in Wisconsin will allow Purple Heart recipients to get discounts on hunting and fishing licenses.

See this article from WFIR.com  Wisconsin Senate to OK Hunting Discounts for Vets

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Rifles Allowed for Hunting After November 1st

It took three years, but rifles will now be allowed for gun hunting seasons, unless prohibited by local ordinances.  Hunter's safety was the biggest factor when considering this change.  See this article from the Wisconsin DNR to learn more.

MADISON -- Three years after the idea was first proposed in a citizen resolution during voting at Wisconsin Conservation Congress spring meetings, rifles will be allowed statewide for firearm deer hunting as of Nov. 1, 2013 – unless a local municipality has enacted a more restrictive ordinance

“Hunters are strongly urged to check with the local officials to see if rifles will be allowed for the November nine-day gun-deer hunt,” Scott Gunderson, assistant deputy secretary of the Department of Natural Resources, said of the law change which will not be in effect when the youth gun-deer hunt is held on Oct. 5-6. 

Gunderson said this law change has attracted much public debate in the three years since it was first suggested.

Full Story Rifles OK’d for hunting statewide, unless local -ordinances say otherwise

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Youth Hunt Programs

A learn to hunt program will be taking place October 4th and again December 7th at the MacKenzie Center near Poynette. Get more details from this article in the Portage Daily Register.

PORTAGE | The Columbia County Pheasants Forever Chapter is proud to announce it will co-sponsor Learn-To-Hunt programs this fall along with the Friends of the Poynette Game Farm. The events will be held Oct. 4 and Dec. 7 at the MacKenzie Center.

The chapter also co-sponsored two Learn-To-Hunt programs earlier this year, as well as two shooting events where kids and their families were able to shoot archery, air rifles, .22 rifles, muzzle loaders and shotguns. The chapter has worked for the past 13 years to provide opportunities for kids and their families to experience hunting and target shooting through Pheasants Forever’s No Child Left Indoors Initiative, and improve habitat for pheasants and other wildlife in Columbia and Marquette Counties. The chapter will announce several new youth programs at its upcoming banquet, to be held Oct. 3 at the Cascade Mountain banquet room.

Full Story Pheasants Forever co-sponsors youth programs

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Fall Hunting

The fall hunting seasons are underway here is Wisconsin. Bear, Mourning Dove and Canada Goose hunting seasons have begun with Whitetail Deer (Bow), Turkey, Rabbit, Crow, Ruffed Grouse and Squirrel seasons set to begin September 14th. Good luck to all the hunters for a safe and successful season.

While you're out trying to bag your prize, check out our great wooded acreages across Wisconsin, or let us help you find a great hunting property to call your own. Visit BuyWisconsinLand.com or email us at property@buywisconsinland.com and let us know what you're looking for.

Wisconsin Trappers' Association 50th Anniversary Convention

Attention Trappers!  The annual Wisconsin Trappers' Association Convention will be held September 6th and 7th at the Central Wisconsin Fairground in Marshfield.  This is their 50th Anniversary of protecting our trapping heritage and promoting future trapping.

Check out the vendors, see many demos and presentations, buy a raffle ticket or bid in the auction.  Camping available on the grounds. Admission is $10, kids 12 and under Free. Get the schedule of events here Fall Convention

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Wolf Hunt Drawing

A total of 16,672 hunters or trappers applied for a chance to receive one of the 251 permits for the 2013 Wisconsin wolf hunting season.  The drawing for these permits will be August 15th.  Read this Wisconsin DNR article for all the details.

MADISON – A total of 16,672 interested wolf hunters or trappers applied to receive a permit or a preference point for the 2013 Wisconsin wolf hunting season, according to Department of Natural Resources officials. The permit drawing is scheduled to occur Aug. 15.  

“This is Wisconsin’s second state-managed wolf hunt, and a continued testament to the recovery of wolves in Wisconsin,” said Dave MacFarland, DNR carnivore specialist. “As we did for the inaugural hunt, we are entering this second season cautiously and will continue to learn valuable information for updating the state’s wolf management plan and adopting permanent wolf hunting rules. We are anticipating another successful, safe, season. “

Full Story Wolf permit drawing will occur August 15

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Wisconsin DNR at the Wisconsin State Fair

If you're heading for the State Fair this year, look for the "DNR Park" where you can get licenses, passes and park stickers, plus there are lots of fun interactive activities. Find all the details in this article from the DNR Weekly News:

WEST ALLIS, Wis. -- The 2013 Wisconsin State Fair kicks off this week in West Allis and the Department of Natural Resources has a lot of new things for the entire family to enjoy.

Start at the front desk where adults can pick up hunting and fishing licenses, trail passes and state park stickers, while kids can grab materials for their DNR Park scavenger hunt. Search with them for items in the DNR exhibit area such as an aquatic invasive crime scene, an insect that lives in water and a fish with a nose like a paddle. 

Full Story Visit DNR Park at the Wisconsin State Fair

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Wisconsin Park Photo Contest

Open to all amateur photographers 14 and over, a chance to be part of the 2014 Friends of Wisconsin Parks calendar.  Send in your photos from a Wisconsin park, trail or recreation area before August 30th.

Get all the details here Photo contest underway for 2014 Friends of Wisconsin State Parks Calendar

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Get Your Fall Licenses and Permits

The Wisconsin DNR is reminding everyone that August 1st is the deadline for many licenses and permits for fall hunting seasons.  Don't miss out!  Visit this DNR website link and get information and permits - Hunters, trappers and sturgeon spearers reminded that Aug. 1 is deadline for many season applications

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Hunting, Fishing and ATV Info

Looking to find out when your favorite hunting season begins? Need a quick link for County ATV trails? Need to find your local County Forester?

Find this information and more on BuyWisconsinLand.com. Check out our Wisconsin DNR Link page and our Wisconsin ATV Trails page. And while you're there check out the great wooded recreational properties available across Wisconsin.

Record number of Bald Eagle Nests in Wisconsin

According to the Wisconsin DNR, there are bald eagle nests in nearly every County in Wisconsin, something thought to be nearly impossible just a few years ago.

Check out the eagle's nest photos and story on WQOW.com

RHINELANDER (Press Release) – State biologists take to the skies again this month to count how many young bald eagles hatched this spring, buoyed by April aerial survey results suggesting a record number of occupied nests in a record number of counties.

"We're really close to having eagles nesting in all Wisconsin counties," says Jim Woodford, the Department of Natural Resources conservation biologist coordinating the survey this year. "We're well beyond what we would have thought possible in the state."

Full Story Record number of bald eagle nests found

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Free Fishing Weekend

June 1st and 2nd are the dates for the summer Free Fishing Weekend in Wisconsin. No license needed, but limits and other regulations still apply.

The Wisconsin DNR is holding several free Fishing Clinics on June 1st. Check here to see if one is in your area.

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Groundhog - or Woodchuck - Hunting Season?

A new proposal was put forth in Madison to create a groundhog hunting season.

Here is one man's take on the debate around the proposal - Patrick Durkin from madison.com

Let this flap about a hunting season for groundhogs be a lesson to lawmakers: Once people put a name with a face – especially one that’s borderline cute – expect mud fights and silent friends if you can’t specify good reasons to hunt the critter.

This proposal by state Rep. Andre Jacque, R-De Pere, was difficult from the start because we can’t even agree whether this overgrown ground squirrel is called a groundhog, woodchuck or whistlepig. And we sound downright cranky when declaring dates (March 1 to Dec. 31) when it’s OK to shoot Sun Prairie's “Jimmy the Groundhog” or Pennsylvania's “Punxsutawney Phil.”

Full Story: Patrick Durkin: Fuss over hunting groundhogs expected, of course

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Cooking Wild Turkey

Have you bagged your prize tom? Now what do you do with all that meat?

If you looking for a new way to prepare your bird, check out this recipe with a spicy flair on Grant's Blog at GrowingDeer.tv After The Hunt: Cooking Wild Turkey

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Fishing for Trout

Looks like it will be a great trout fishing season starting May 4th as the Wisconsin DNR is stocking over 330,000 catchable fish before the season begins.  You can find out what kind of trout and where the fish are being stocked and more in this WDNR article.

MADISON – Nearly 330,000 catchable size trout are being stocked in dozens of inland trout waters across Wisconsin before the May 4 inland fishing season opener. A list of waters receiving fish and how many were planned for stocking is now available online.

Go to the Department of Natural Resources website, dnr.wi.gov, and search keyword “fishing,” and click on the trout stocking feature in the center of the page.

Full Story 330,000 catchable trout to be stocked before opening day

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No Elk Hunting in Wisconsin...Yet

Although greatly anticipated, the Northern Wisconsin Elk population near Clam Lake is not yet high enough to begin an elk hunt in Wisconsin. The DNR is planning to bring more elk to the state and begin a second herd near Black River Falls.

See this article from the Superior Telegram about Wisconsin's Elk population.

Hunters will have to wait at least another year before they can put a northern Wisconsin elk in their sights.

Department of Natural Resources big game ecologist Kevin Wallenfang said there will be about 175 elk in the Clam Lake area after calving season this summer; that’s short of the 200 needed before a hunt can begin.

Full Story  No elk hunt for Wisconsin this year

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State Park Turkey Hunting Zones

Turkey hunters take note: if you plan to hunt in one of the 16 State Parks that have allowed hunting in past years, you will need a special zone hunting permit. Other State Parks will be open to all hunters.

See this article from the Door County Advocate with more information about the Spring Turkey hunt in Wisconsin State Parks.

Turkey hunters interested in hunting in a Wisconsin state park during the 2013 Wisconsin spring turkey hunting season should note that the 16 state parks that were open to spring turkey hunting prior to 2013 are still designated as special turkey hunting zones.

“To hunt in state park turkey zones, a person must have a turkey hunting permit that is issued specifically for that zone,” said Scott Loomans, wildlife regulations specialist for the Department of Natural Resources. “The new law opening state park properties to hunting did not eliminate the established state park turkey zones that are set in current administrative codes.”

Full Story Existing Wisconsin state park turkey hunting zones remain in place

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New Hunting, Fishing Licenses go on sale March 6th

Ready for another year of hunting and fishing?

The Wisconsin DNR will have 2013 Hunting and Fishing licenses available for sale staring March 6th.  Note: if you buy one before the 6th, it will only be vaild until March 31, 2013.

Get all the information at the DNR website or stop by the DNR booth at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Sports Show March 6th-10th at the Wisconsin State Fair Grounds.

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Register for Hunter's Education Classes

The spring hunting seasons will be here soon, so now is a great time to sign up for your Hunter's Education Classes. There are three options: classroom instruction, online instruction or the online test out. Sign up early to get the class you want. This is a requirement for all hunters born in 1973 or later to be able to purchase a hunting license in Wisconsin. Visit the Wisconsin DNR website for all the details Numerous hunter education courses open statewide

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Ice Fishing Safety Tips

With the extreme cold weather many lakes have developed thick ice safe enough for ice fishing. However there are still reports nearly every day of a truck or snowmobile going through the ice.

This article from lake-link.com was written by an 20 year ice-fishing veteran with tips to keep you safe and what to do if you fall into the water.

This is an article about being safe when on the ice. I’ve fished through the ice on Saginaw Bay for almost 20 years; my father has fished the bay for almost 50. I’ve learned most of what I know about staying safe from him. Most of the information contained in this article is pertinent to Saginaw Bay, but could easily be applied to many other bodies of water. I’m NOT going to present the common views that are prevalent in our society that ‘no ice is safe’, as I know otherwise and also realize that you probably know otherwise. (Sometimes, being on the ice is safer than walking down the sidewalk.) How you behave on the ice is more important than how thick it is. Also, I’ve found that warnings telling people to stay off the ice because it’s ‘unsafe’ serve the purpose of making people ignore all of them, as warnings of this sort are issued all winter long. I’ve gone out when warnings have been issued more times than not and have never needed assistance; I have rarely fallen in and have never gone for a ride on an ice floe. This article is by no means a complete guide to being safe on the ice, but I hope it helps educate people about things they hadn’t previously considered or thought about. Following these guidelines should help prevent incidents where people need help. In this article, I’m going to present some of the information I’ve learned over the years with examples of real situations I’ve been in. I hope you find it useful and that it helps keep you safe during this and future ice fishing seasons.

Full Story Ice Fishing Safety Tips - Remaining Safe on the Ice

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40 Years of Protecting Wildlife and Plants

2012 was the 40th Anniversary of the Wisconsin law protecting rare and endangered plants and wildlife. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is proud of its record of successes. Here is an article published by the DNR that showcases some of their efforts.

MADISON -- The 40th anniversary year of Wisconsin's law safeguarding rare wildlife and plants is winding down with the penultimate feature posted today on the Department of Natural Resources website highlighting successful comebacks and innovative approaches achieved under the law.

The new feature focuses on private landowners teaming up with DNR staff and other partners to restore habitat that will benefit the state’s at-risk species. The feature, like the 11 that have preceded it, uses videos, slide shows, and other media to help tell the story and encourage people to get involved.

Full Story 40 years of endangered resources successes captured in Web features

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2013 Hunting and Trapping

The 2013 Wisconsin Hunting and Trapping Season Dates Flyer is now available. Check it out or download a copy here 2013 Hunting Season Flyer

And visit BuyWisconsinLand.com's DNR links page for MFL information, licensing links, lake maps, burn permit info, the WDNR latest headlines and more Wisconsin DNR links.

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