Wisconsins Muzzleloader season or lack of.

[Wink]

While wisconsin does have a quasi muzzleloader season I cant help but feel it falls a bit short of what it could and should be. In Wisconsin we have a nine day gun season immediately followed by a 10 day muzzleloader season. The problem with this season is that you must have an unused deer gun tag to harvest a deer. Personally Id like to see a 9 day either sex muzzleloader season, with a separate muzzleloader license, opening the Saturday following the close of the regular deer gun season. I feel such a season would allow the deer to settle down a bit for a few days, increase revenues for our States Game Dept by adding another revenue source, namely a muzzleloader license,benefit retailers, resorts and buisneses with increased tourism during what is normally a slow period before the holidays when there is adequate snow for winter sports. I think this a good idea, let me know if you think I'm off base.

 

[jdixon]

Yeah, the MZ season right after the regular gun season blows! If they have to do it that way, the MZ hunters should have the first crack at 'em, not the other way around! You need a break in there to give the deer a little time to return to a more normal routine. In Kentucky, MZ hunters get "first shot" at the deer during a two day season in October - should be later still too warm in mid-October for enjoyable hunting. After the end of the regular gun season there is a two week break before an eight day late MZ season kicks in (this ended just last Sunday). No special license required given the type of weapon you use. This seems to be a pretty good compromise.

 

[Norskie]

Hunted all my born days in Wisconsin. Last few years I didn't even take the .270 into the woods on opening morning of deer season, just used my .50 Traditions Pioneer. We tried to get a muzzleloading season in October, but the bowhunters raised a stink. They were afraid of the inline crowd, I guess. Maybe we should have asked for a flintlock only season.
I've got fond memories of October squirrel hunting in Wisconsin: crisp air with some woodsmoke, days still kind of long, sitting at the base of an oak, rattling the bolt of my Mossberg .22 until some squirrel just had to see what that noise was and stuck his head out. Hunting deer with a muzzleloader would have been sweet on those days...
Now I've moved to Western North Carolina where the days never get colder than November in Wisconsin. Sure wish I had a place to hunt.

 

[Rocky Johnson]

Wink Michigan had a muzzleloader license at one time I don't know what happen to it. We have the 15 day rifle season Nov. 15 to 30 and in zone 3 muzzelloader season Dec. 2 to the 18th. thats over a month that you can hunt with a muzzleloader, You buy a combo license and you can take two[url] bucks.In[/url] Allegan county you can buy A doe permit every day for private land and still we have a lot of deer. I did not see any antler this year, hunted at leased 20 days,took a doe for the frezzer,could have taken more does,anyway how much deer hunting do you need? :winking: Rocky

 

[Vic Price]

Wink,

I couldn't agree with you more, however, politics drives Wisconsin's deer hunting seasons and the chance we'll get our own muzzleloading season with separate tags is likely not very good. A very good friend of mine is a WI DNR WL Biologist and I can say without a doubt that politics and not science - is dictating what WI outdoorsmen (outdoors women as well) get for seasons of any kind. IMHO - the bow hunting lobby is too strong to allow a separate muzzleloader season before the regular gun deer season. The snowmobilers gripe about the current muzzleloader season in December, so.............no matter when a season is recommended, there will be opponents from one or more other "user group".

Regards, Vic

 

[cayugad]

While wisconsin does have a quasi muzzleloader season I cant help but feel it falls a bit short of what it could and should be. In Wisconsin we have a nine day gun season immediately followed by a 10 day muzzleloader season. The problem with this season is that you must have an unused deer gun tag to harvest a deer. Personally Id like to see a 9 day either sex muzzleloader season, with a separate muzzleloader license, opening the Saturday following the close of the regular deer gun season. I feel such a season would allow the deer to settle down a bit for a few days, increase revenues for our States Game Dept by adding another revenue source, namely a muzzleloader license,benefit retailers, resorts and buisneses with increased tourism during what is normally a slow period before the holidays when there is adequate snow for winter sports. I think this a good idea, let me know if you think I'm off base.

I agree that the muzzleloader season starting right after the modern rifle season does not give the deer much time to settle down, but by waiting a week, that would interfear with late season bow hunters. So it will never happen. Besides, in many areas of the State, there is very few other hunters out there with muzzleloaders. That is my wander around time.

I personally like it right after modern season. I take a doe in the early season, and usually one with a bow which fills my freezer. Then modern season I horn hunt and ocassionally fill another doe tag.

With muzzleloader season right after modern, I just keep right on hunting. This allows me to take a doe and/or a buck during Muzzleloader season.

As for a seperate license, I disagree. I pay enough to the State to hunt, fish, and trap every year. Another license fee is just not something I want or feel justified in paying.

Anytime I rifle hunt I use a muzzleloader, so my muzzleloader season starts real early.

 

[Flintlock58]

I like things as they are for now as well. There have been quite a few task groups looking at WI deer seasons and then throw in the snowmobilers etc. any changes are always a nitemare to bring about. I think that as long as we get the extra antlerless tags to keep the deer population down, we have more than enough opportunity to harvest deer however you want to. In fact I am a big supporter of ONE ANTLERED DEER PER HUNTER PER YEAR. Harvest does after that. I used a muzzleloader for all the gun seasons this year including the late t zone hunts.

 

[Rocky Johnson]

Michigan should be just one antlered deer a year also but the DNR would not sell all the extra buck tags so thats not going to happen. :winking: Rocky

 

[Wink]

I appreciate your input and I dont want anyone to get the wrong idea about me and perhaps being greedy hunter who just wants to kill bucks.I have been deer hunting for almost 30 years and I am a traditional bowhunter who hunts very selectively, I normally take a doe or two with my bow for meat and let all smaller bucks go. This year I finally took a 140 class buck with my recurve and a doe with my muzzleloader. I do not believe a trophy is measured by the size of an animal but rather the ethical effort required to humanely harvest one. I simply believe a separate muzzleloader season with a separate license would allow us to pursue our sport longer,increase revenues for our strapped Fish and Game Dept and posssibly provide an alternative to the unpopular T Zones and Earn a buck requirements in our state which often require hunters to shoot a doe before they are allowed to take a buck. These particular hunts in my opinion have de-valued the life a doe in our state. I support antler restrictions on bucks and a limit on the number of bucks a person can take.

 

[Vic Price]

Wink,

No problem at all with your mindset, ethics, etc. Most hunters I know are pretty much in the same camp as you, as well as myself. Did you notice how significant the buck kill was this year compared to previous years ? "Earn-a-Buck" was distasteful to many last year, but the 27% increase in buck kills ( and alot of nice bucks besides ) is certainly a result of this system. The WI DNR didn't get the doe kill they needed in many management units, so WI hunters should expect a continued effort to target does' - and "Earn-a-Buck" may become more commonly used......or something like it.

Regards, Vic

 

[Flintlock58]

I think your ethics and your opinion are just fine too. I do agree that earn a buck is not good even tho it seems more large bucks are harvested in the next season. I do think T zone seasons are ok for those that like to hunt them and harvest a doe. T zones surely afford does a higher status as a game animal than earn a buck where antlerless is just a ticket to a possible buck harvest. It will definitely be interesting to see where we go next with antlerless harvest.

 

[Chiefs50]

Rocky J wrote, "We have the 15 day rifle season Nov. 15 to 30". Those dates are inclusive - Michigan has a 16 day firearms deer season. In the U.P. where I hunt we only have a 9 day muzzleloader season. It starts the Saturday after the regular firearms season ends.

mike

 

[Wink]

Hey Chiefs Where do you hunt in the UP? I am somewhat intersested in buying hunting land in the UP and would appreciate some first hand input.

 

[ktw]

Hey Chiefs Where do you hunt in the UP? I am somewhat intersested in buying hunting land in the UP and would appreciate some first hand input.

Southern UP (Lake Michigan Watershed) has higher deer numbers and higher hunter numbers. Particularly Southern Iron, Menominee and Delta Counties.

Northern UP (Lake Superior Watershed) has low deer numbers and low hunter numbers. Particularly Keweenaw, Northern Alger, Northern Luce and NW Chippewa Counties. The deer tend to be larger here. There are rarely, if ever, any antlerless permits available in this area.

If you want to stack up some venison, hunt the southern UP. If you want better quality hunting and aren't all that concerned with connecting every year, hunt the northern UP.

Approximately 70% of the acreage in the UP is open to the public for hunting (State, Fed or timber company ownerships).

The State of Michigan has a map of Deer Management Units at the link below. If you click on a DMU on that map it will serve up a detailed description of the DMU (State Wildlife Manager's perspective, pdf format).

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10363_10856_10905-129948--,00.html

-ktw

 

[Rocky Johnson]

Wink you have heard about the wolf population up there. The local people in Bergland say that why we don't see as many deer as we used to. I hunt east of Lake Gogibic along the Two Mile river I love that place but don't see many deer. We got two bucks for seven hunters this year last year only one for nine hunters in camp. :winking: Rocky

 

[Rocky Johnson]

Chiefs50 you are right it is 16 days. :winking: Rocky

 

[Vic Price]

While hunting the last 4 days of the WI muzzleloader seson in Sounthern Bayfield County (near Grandview), we crossed alot of wolf tracks. Out of four hunters, we hung one 5 year old doe on the buck pole. We would likely see more deer in Northern Wisconsin IF the Natural Resources Board ( who are invertebrates ) would outlaw baiting and feeding of deer by landowners & hunters.

Vic

 

[Gleason.Chapman]

That is what we have in VA, ML season before regular Firearms season. Wow is it nice with the peak of rut being in ML season. After Christmas or after firearms season is not good, because the deer are all wary and scared and it is a lot more difficult in snow with a ML, early November is perfect, sharing the season with archery and crossbow. More and more are getting into ML becaue of the early season and the ease of use of inlines. Many, like me are now into flintlocking and it is a lot of fun also. EAch type of hunting has it challenges. Chap Gleason Loudoun Co Va

 

[Wink]

TraderVic... I hunt just south of you near Drummond, I have realtives who own land in the Grandview area and near Ino. My parents live in the Eau claire lakes area...small world.

 

[asabai]

I wish WI had more opprotunity for muzzle loading deer hunting. There are not too many of us to cause snowmobilers a problem. I don't really want to hear them whinning in the woods though. Having the hunt after the nine day gun deer season is not a problem for the deer in my opinion. The nine day regular season is too short. I wish we never allowed inlines in the woods for muzzleloader season, but they are here to stay.

Rusty Nipple