bow hunting season Saturday
September 17th, 2006 by Administrator
Deer hunters start bow hunting season Saturday
WAUSAU, Wis. - Deer hunters took to the woods Saturday for the 2006 archery season. But the state Department of Natural Resources said hunters should try to kill lots of deer or they would have to bring back the October gun deer hunt.
The state DNR estimates there are 1.5 million to 1.7 million whitetail deer in Wisconsin, 12 percent higher than last fall.
The DNR wants hunters to kill antlerless deer in addition to bucks, especially in areas where the whitetail herd is thickest.
Hunters persuaded the DNR to eliminate the October firearm season for this fall, except for a youth hunt Oct. 7 and 8.
“If hunters don’t harvest enough antlerless deer to control growing deer populations, we’ll have no choice but to bring the October gun hunt back (in future years),” said Keith Warnke, deer and bear ecologist with the DNR.
“Everyone needs to keep in mind the need to harvest two antlerless deer for every buck in the herd-control and earn-a-buck units,” he said. “That is what is necessary to get a handle on growing deer populations.”
The archery season runs through Nov. 16, when it closes for the gun-deer season. Bow hunting season resumes Nov. 27 through Jan. 3.
Dan Reilly, 48, said bow hunting tests his skills more than using a rifle.
“It’s more of a challenge for me,” the Wausau resident said while practicing with his compound bow this week at Marathon County’s Duane L. Corbin Shooting Range in the town of Mosinee