The results of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to be felt around the world, including here in Wisconsin, where April’s combined Conservation Congress and Department of Natural Resources spring hearings will be held virtually.
These hearings give hunters, anglers and other wildlife lovers in all 72 counties the chance to voice their opinions on a number of state fish and wildlife proposed rule changes as well as proposals by America’s only grassroots conservation rule advisory group.
Conservation Congress has delegates in each county, and any citizen can write a proposal for the process. Ultimately, voting on these proposals only serves as an advisory aid for the DNR’s Natural Resources Board, which has the final say in most hunting, fishing and trapping regulations. Some changes require state legislative action, and those Conservation Congress votes serve to advise the state Assembly and Senate as well.
One great example of the power of this citizen advisory group is the legalization of crossbows for all ages. The issue was brought to state sportsmen at the spring hearing, and citizens overwhelmingly supported it. Crossbows became legal for everyone, not just those with physical handicaps or the elderly, during the 2014 deer season. Since then, crossbow sales have greatly exceeded compound bow sales statewide and crossbows are now used to harvest more deer than compound bows during the archery seasons.
The virtual format, used since 2020, will begin this year at noon April 10 and close at noon April 13. To access the hearings site, go to https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/about/wcc/springhearing.
Each person is allowed to vote just once on each question via an online survey. Safeguards are in place to prevent more than one vote. The survey takes 20 to 30 minutes to complete, according to the DNR.
New this year are in-person open houses April 3-6 for the Conservation Congress delegate voting, which used to occur during the in-person spring hearings prior to COVID-19. DNR staff also will be on hand to answer questions about the resource management issues related to that county.
Only residents of that county may vote for the delegates (two of five delegates are up for election in each county). Doors open at 6 p.m. at each location for meet and greets and to obtain delegate ballots, with voting at 7 p.m. The Shawano County meeting is April 5 at the Shawano Community Middle School large-group instruction room, 1050 S. Union St., Shawano. The Oconto County meeting is also April 5 at the Suring High School cafeteria, 411 E. Algoma St., Suring.
Key wildlife-related issues to be voted on at the virtual spring hearings period include:
• Expanding the October youth deer hunt from two to four days. The new season, if approved, would open on the Thursday closest to Oct. 8 and close the following Sunday.
• Removing the public/private designation on junior antlerless deer permits.
• Replacing an antlerless deer permit with an either-sex permit if the harvested antlerless deer tests positive for chronic wasting disease.
• Allowing deer, elk and bears to be cut up into any number of pieces in the field. Current state law allows these big-game animals to only be quartered with the head left on.
• Legalize size F shot (0.22 inch) for waterfowl hunting. By comparison, BB shot is 0.18 inch and BBB shot is 0.19 inch.
• Allow anyone on private land to shoot a bear that is attacking a domestic animal.
• Increase the trapper education student fee from $12 to $20. The last increase was 2008.
Key fishing-related issues to be voted on during the spring hearings include:
• Establishing a statewide muskellunge fishing season from the first Saturday in May to Dec. 31 on open waters. The state currently has a split North Zone and South Zone season with different starting dates.
• Reducing the inland waters daily walleye harvest from five fish to three. This includes saugers and hybrids. The Great Lakes and border waters are not included in this proposal. The Wolf River and Winnebago system already has gone to a three-walleye limit.
• Mandating a self-registration system for small fishing tournaments .
• Five bass limit (largemouth and smallmouth) but removal of the 14-inch limit on Rost and Wescott lakes in Oconto County. Numerous small fish are affecting management goals, according to the DNR.
• Allowing the collection of minnows for personal use in VHS-affected waters.
Conservation Congress advisory questions include a proposal to allow bobcat hunting at night, an effort to reduce the amount of lead shot used, banning the shining of all animals from Sept. 15 to Dec. 31, and allowing the use of fishing equipment in a sturgeon spearing hole.
Ross Bielema is a freelance writer from New London and owner of Wolf River Concealed Carry LLC. Contact him at Ross@wolfriverccw.com.
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