Nearly 50 Oconto County residents attended the Department of Natural Resources annual spring fish and wildlife public hearing and the Wisconsin Conservation Congress county conservation meeting April 14 at Suring High School.
The meetings, which were held in every county in Wisconsin, help the DNR gauge public opinion on conservation and wildlife management. Attendees were given a survey at the meetings with 58 questions, one rule change, 34 advisory questions and 22 Wisconsin Conservation Congress advisory questions.
The survey results, which were released April 15, are available on the DNR’s website, dnr.wi.gov.
The one rule change put to attendees was a compromise of a plan rejected by sportsmen at last year’s meeting. That proposal would have allowed trolling statewide with up to three lines.
The compromise rule, which passed statewide 3,646-2,250, would allow one-line trolling in 17 counties and three-line trolling in the rest of the state, including Oconto County. The proposal passed 26-13 in Oconto County.
A DNR advisory question that would change the early catch-and-release trout season failed 2,651-2,199 statewide and deadlocked 18-18 in Oconto County.
An advisory question on simplifying fishing stamp requirements also resulted in a tie, 20-20, in Oconto County. It passed statewide, 3,300-2,265. A similar question on simplifying hunting stamps lost 22-19 in the county but passed statewide.
The advisory question on banning of deer baiting and feeding 10 days before and during the 9-day November gun season passed 3,639-2,180 statewide and 20-19 in Oconto County.
The Conservation Congress question about starting a tundra swan season lost statewide, 3,199-2,439, and produced another tie, 19-19, in Oconto County.
A question on the transfer of a license or permit to anyone eligible to use the license or permit passed 3,421-2,164 statewide and 21-19 in Oconto County.
The DNR put an emphasis on deer hunting rule changes for 2014 that were developed as a result of the Deer Trustee Report.
The first major changes will be to the deer management units, which will be divided into 72 units that follow county lines, and the establishment of four deer management zones: Northern Forest Zone, Southern Farmland Zone, Central Forest Zone and Central Farmland Zone, which includes Oconto County.
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