Leader | Nov 18 | 2015 | deer hunting

NOVEMBER 18, 2015 SECTION C © 2015 Inter-County Cooperative Publishing Association

Inter-County Leader and Washburn County Register

H U NTING GUI D E

2015

With age, a buck can grow some pretty spectacular antlers in the wild, but protected, as this buck has been for several years on a northwestern Wisconsin game farm, the antlers can grow even larger. This buck has been featured for the past few years on the Inter-County Leader hunting guide, but is starting to show his age, and his antler size is beginning to decline. . – Photo by John Reed

INSIDE

Man arrows rare mule deer buck First-harvest certificates near Amery 2 offered 5 ••• ••• Deer registration stations 3 Blaze pink passes Assembly on bipartisan vote 7 ••• ••• Hunters Code of Ethics 3 How long will a hunter have after ••• Gun deer hunt FAQs 4 harvesting a deer before that deer needs to be registered?

8 ••• ••• Falls from tree stands are A few rules changes for 2015 5 leading cause of injuries during deer season 8 •••

••• Fishin’ in the Trade Lake Store 9 ••• Warden Jesse Ashton tapped for highest honor for state conservation officer 10 ••• Watch your clocks 11 ••• Lead in venison 11 •••

Chippewa Tribal Night Hunting FAQs 12-13 ••• CWD: What hunters should know 14 ••• Hunter mentorship program 16

PAGE 2 • INTER-COUNTY LEADER/WASHBURN COUNTY REGISTER - HUNTING GUIDE - NOVEMBER 18, 2015

Man arrows rare mule deer buck near Amery Not the first recorded mule deer ever shot in the Badger State Dean Bortz|Wisconsin Outdoor News AMERY – When opening day of the 2015 gun deer season rolls around on Saturday, Nov. 21, Wisconsin gun deer hunters may well hope they can repeat Randy Haines’ hunting story from Halloween, but the chances of anyone seeing another mule deer buck in Wisconsin this year?

Not very likely, no matter how hard Wisconsin deer hunters have their eyes peeled on opening day.

Haines, 21, of Amery, took some time off from trapping on Saturday, Oct. 31, to go bow hunting west of his Polk County hometown.

Although other Polk County residents had seen the yearling mule deer buck – either on the hoof or via trail camera photos – the word hadn’t spread to Haines or his circle of friends and family prior to Halloween.

Still, when he saw the young buck walking down a logging road about an hour before the end of shooting hours, he knew exactly what stood before him.

“It was coming right down a logging road. I thought, ‘What the heck?’ I knew what it was, but I was wondering how it got there,” he said.

Haines used to work at a bait shop and sold hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses. He knew that the DNR’s deer licenses do not specify whitetails-only.

When the buck stopped broadside at 30 yards, Haines released his arrow and quickly recovered a deer rare to Wisconsin.

“As soon as I got back home I called the game warden, Jesse Ashton, and he contacted a DNR wildlife biologist,” he said.

Haines was asked to cape out the shoulder, neck, and head, and then freeze the head so the DNR could test the deer for CWD. A DNR wildlife biologist picked up the frozen head the morning of Monday, Nov. 2. Haines got the head back Tuesday, Nov. 3, and dropped it off at a taxidermist’s shop that night.

The CWD test results were not available yet last week, according to Dave Zebro, the DNR’s Northern Region warden supervisor in Spooner.

As unusual as it might seem, Haines’ mule deer is not the first one to appear in Wisconsin. At least two other mule deer bucks have appeared in this state since 1969. Haines said a man contacted him after hearing about Haines’ mulie.

“He said his dad shot one during the rifle season in 1988 in Grant County,” he

Randy Haines, of Amery, shot this mule deer buck in Wisconsin in Polk County recently during the archery season. –Photo courtesy of Wisconsin Outdoor News said.

Wisconsin Outdoor News columnist Jim Evrard, of Grantsburg, is a retired DNR wildlife biologist who worked much of his career in northwestern Wisconsin.

“I registered and aged a yearling mule deer – much like the one from Amery – in the state’s deer gun season of 1969,” Evrard said. “The deer’s species was verified by the late wildlife manager John

Porter from Barron and the late wildlife supervisor Burt Dahlberg from Spooner.

The mule deer was registered in the old Spooner DNR ranger station.

“Dahlberg was the co-author of the early definitive book, ‘The White-tailed Deer in Wisconsin,’ and was the state’s deer expert at the time. He told me he was aware of several other mule deer that had been shot in Wisconsin through the

years,” Evrard said.

“Dahlberg thought the 1969 deer could have wandered into the state from the West, but more likely it was a fawn that someone picked up in a western state, brought to Wisconsin, and then released when it grew and was no longer cute,” he said.

Similar questions follow the killing of Haines’ buck. No one knows how it arrived in Wisconsin.

Haines said there are no deer farms in the area that are known to be raising mule deer, so an escape is an unlikely explanation.

“The game warden (Ashton) is thinking it maybe traveled from the Dakotas. If that’s true, it’s just amazing how far it had to come to get here,” Haines said.

When contacted by Wisconsin Outdoor News, Ashton confirmed that Haines had shot a young mule deer buck.

“We are not sure where it came from at this point,” Ashton said in an emailed response.

Zebro said he is confident the buck was not a deer farm animal. There are no farms licensed for mule deer in the area, he said.

After word spread that Haines had shot a mule deer buck, he heard from others who had seen the deer, or had photos of the deer on trail cameras.

“From what I heard, (where he was hunting) wasn’t all too far from where they had pictures of it,” he said.

Haines was hunting from a tree stand that afternoon. The mule deer was the sixth deer he saw on that outing. He saw five does or fawns and one small whitetailed buck. None of those deer offered much for shots – they were all at 50 yards or more.

Haines said he had been doing more trapping than deer hunting, despite the fact that the price of fur has dropped way off this year.

“That’s OK. If I did it for the money I’d be better off staying at home. I’ll keep trapping until gun deer season gets here,” he said.

Haines has not been out West yet to hunt mule deer, but he expects to get there someday. In the meantime, he’s been talking to an uncle who lives in Wyoming. He’s planning a trip to Wyoming for a spring bear hunt in 2016.

– Dean Bortz is the editor of Wisconsin Outdoor News, and WON writer Dave Zeug also contributed to this report. This article is being reprinted with permission from WON

Polk County trophies

Ariel Moris, 14, of Dresser, shot her first buck with a bow recently.

– Photo submitted

Sometimes it pays to have a spotter while hunting. On Sunday, Nov. 1, Brandon Holdt was hunting with Jaimee Buck, both of Luck. She quietly alerted Holdt that the buck was approaching, and Holdt arrowed the 13-point trophy just north of Luck. He plans to get the deer mounted. – Photo submitted

NOVEMBER 18, 2015 - HUNTING GUIDE - INTER-COUNTY LEADER/WASHBURN COUNTY REGISTER - PAGE 3

Local deer registration stations NORTHWEST WISCONSIN – Deer registration stations for 2015 in northwestern Wisconsin are: Burnett County Danbury Houman’s Resort, daily 10 a.m. to close.

Grantsburg Crex Meadows, DNR Station, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Country Store, Monday - Friday 5 a.m. - 9 p.m., Saturday

and Sunday, 6 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Trade Lake Trade Lake Valley Store, Tuesday Friday 8 a.m. - 8 p.m., Saturday, 7 a.m. - 8 p.m., Sunday 7 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Webb Lake The Main Store, Monday – Saturday, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Dear Wisconsin hunter ...

Since 1953, deer registration has been the backbone of Wisconsin deer management. Your cooperation in reporting your deer harvest data was, and will continue to be, essential to managing our state’s deer population.

Thank you!

I’m excited that beginning this year, we can offer you a faster, easier and more convenient way to register your deer harvest. This fall all Wisconsin deer hunters will have access to our new electronic deer registration system.

For over 60 years, every successful hunter has been required by law to report their harvest, and we are trying to make that as easy as possible. Last fall, we asked over 14,000 hunters to test a new electronic system, and we surveyed them after the season to find out how they felt about the system.

Overwhelmingly, they found it fast, easy and convenient. They also provided great suggestions to make it better, and we now have a system we hope you will like. You have options to register your deer by phone or the Internet, and for those of you who enjoy going to an inperson registration station, we’ll have those, too.

To make registering your deer electronically even easier, we have provided you with this quick reference card. Just cut it out and put in your backtag holder, then pull it out for reference after your successful hunt.

Deer hunting is the powerhouse of our rich Wisconsin hunting heritage.

We can all play a role in keeping that powerhouse strong. I want to encourage you to take a new person hunting this fall. If you need help, we are offering many opportunities and new programs, like Learn to Hunt for Food. Many are so popular that finding enough mentors has been challenging. Share your years of hunting experience by getting involved. Make 2015 the year you personally introduced someone new to hunting.

Best of luck to you this fall. Be safe, have fun and enjoy the great traditions of Wisconsin’s deer seasons.

Cathy Stepp, Secretary Wisconsin DNR - from the 2015 Wisconsin Deer Hunting Regulations See page 15 for sample reference card

Polk County Wolf Creek River Roads Wolf Creek Bar, daily 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Washburn County Birchwood Ed’s Pit Stop, Sunday - Thursday 5:30 a.m. - 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 5:30 - 11 p.m.

Stone Lake Stone Lake Bait Tackle, daily 6 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Trego Uncle Mike’s Bar and Grill, Wednesday – Sunday, 11 a.m. - close. – from the DNR website

Springbrook Carlson’s General Store, daily 8:30 a.m.

- 7:30 p.m.

Hunters Code of Ethics STATEWIDE – Positive hunter behavior and ethics will preserve the future of hunting and will help ensure continued opportunities and places to hunt. Ethics cover behavior related to issues such as respect, responsibility and fairness which cannot always be addressed with laws.

Responsible and ethical hunters should always:

Respect landowners

• Always know where you are hunting and gain permission before entering private lands. Know how to use a map, compass or GPS unit when needed.

• Be courteous, follow the landowner’s rules and treat their property with respect.

Respect other hunters

• Don’t interfere or disrupt the hunt of another. Treat other hunters in a manner that you would expect to be treated.

Respect nonhunters

• Understand that not everyone supports hunting. While everyone is entitled to their own view, positive hunting behavior will not turn someone who is neutral into someone who is opposed.

Respect wildlife and other natural resources

• Follow all hunting laws and report violations observed to your local warden.

• Assist or support landowners and the DNR with wildlife habitat projects. – from the DNR website

Report hunting accidents STATEWIDE – Any person involved in an incident in which a person is injured by a projectile fired from a firearm or an arrow fired from a bow or crossbow while hunting or trapping must first render necessary assistance and then immediately

report the incident to the local warden, sheriff or police. In addition, every person involved in a hunting accident must render a written report to the DNR with 10 days. – from the Wisconsin DNR website

Poachers hotline number: 800-TIP-WDNR

Deer disease keeps worsening in Wisconsin, as predicted Bill Lueders | Special reporter

P

atrick Durkin, the Waupaca-based outdoor writer, had some fun with a recent state Department of Natural Resources press release regarding chronic wasting disease.

The release documenting the unmitigated spread of the always-fatal brain disease among deer, was titled: “Disease sampling results provide current snapshot of CWD in Wisconsin.”

Durkin, in a column, jokingly suggested a comparable headline for a report on the sinking Titanic: “Damage-control party assesses condition of ship’s hull.”

Though fewer deer are being tested, the incidence of the disease is up. In the 2014 season, which ended March 31, more than 6 percent of the roughly 5,400 deer tested were positive, a DNR tally shows. That’s an all-time high disease rate; as recently as 2008, it was below 2 percent.

More alarming still, the disease rate among adult male deer has reached 40 percent in north-central Iowa County and around 25 percent in two other sectors. And CWD is no longer found only in southern Wisconsin.

Tami Ryan, the DNR’s wildlife health section chief, calls these numbers “not a good news scenario” but also not unexpected, given that the state is no longer attempting to manage the disease but is instead just monitoring its distribution and prevalence. Earlier attempts to employ more aggressive strategies were abandoned amid intense public opposi-

tion.

Now, 13 years after CWD was first discovered in Wisconsin, Ryan says many hunters “just want things to go back to normal.”

That’s not likely to happen. A far more plausible scenario is that the disease will continue to spread, infecting and killing deer, until the number of animals available for hunters is seriously depleted.

And then, look out.

“The research we’ve done shows the disease is in an accelerating pace,” says Mike Samuel, a UW-Madison associate professor of wildlife ecology who studies CWD. “It’s going to continue to rise at a rapid pace, and it’s going to continue to spread until the people decide we’ve had enough.”

And while Samuel sees no way to get rid of CWD, using currently available strategies, he thinks it can be controlled through management practices. He suggests killing more bucks, among whom the infection rate is highest, perhaps by opening the gun hunting season earlier, when deer rut or mate.

But this, Samuel notes, is when bow hunters do their thing, and they are a powerful lobby group.

Past CWD-eradication strategies seen as detrimental to herd size drew opposition from hunters and were axed by lawmakers and Gov. Scott Walker. And Walker’s so-called “deer czar” recommended a more passive approach to CWD. “We have a lot of ways

to manage the disease that are politically unpopular,” Samuel says.

Michael Hansen, a senior staff scientist with the national Consumers Union who has long tracked the spread of CWD and related diseases, is appalled by what’s happening in Wisconsin.

“That’s horrendous news,” he says of the most recent numbers. “Do they not care about an epidemic that is sweeping the state? The science doesn’t matter to them?”

Hansen says the “proper response is to try and get rid of the epidemic, rather than just give up and let it sweep through.” Otherwise, it’s only a matter of time before “you’ve got such high rates that populations begin to crash.”

Dave Clausen, a veterinarian who formerly served on the state’s Natural Resources Board, shares this concern.

“The current policy is inconsistent with a long-term healthy deer herd,” he says, diplomatically. What is happening now

is exactly what he warned the DNR two years ago would happen, absent an aggressive response, “CWD will continue to spread across the state and will increase in prevalence where it is established.”

Now retired, Clausen calls the state’s willingness to essentially let this happen “a political decision, not a scientific one.”

If the scientists are right, and Wisconsin’s deer hunt is devastated, will politicians get the blame?

Bill Lueders is the former Money and Politics Project director at the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, WisconsinWatch.org. The center produces the project in partnership with MapLight.The center collaborates with Wisconsin Public Radio, Wisconsin Public Television, other news media and the UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

PAGE 4 • INTER-COUNTY LEADER/WASHBURN COUNTY REGISTER - HUNTING GUIDE - NOVEMBER 18, 2015

Gun deer hunt FAQs STATEWIDE – Some of the more frequently asked questions during the Wisconsin November nine-day gun deer hunt taken by the DNR call center last year were: Question 1: After removing a tree stand completely from state-owned public hunting land at the end of the hunting hours, is there a specific time hunters can put the tree stand back up for the next hunting day?

Answer: There is no set time after midnight that a person must honor before putting up a tree stand. But, if a hunter leaves the tree stand unattended, the tree stand shall have the owner’s department customer identification number or the owner’s name and address, written in the English language, attached to the tree stand in a manner so it is clearly visible to a person standing on the ground. The identification notice left on the tree stand shall be kept legible at all times. And it must be removed completely from the property at the close of hunting hours each day.

Question 2: Who handles trespass violations?

Answer: Landowners who suspect their properties are being trespassed should contact their local sheriff’s department or other local law enforcement agency. Conservation wardens do not have the authority to investigate trespassing complaints. Any person convicted of trespassing is subject to a penalty of up to $1,397.50. According to s. 943.13, of the Wisconsin Statutes, it is illegal to enter land of another without the expressed or implied consent of the owner or occupant of the land. This includes railroad tracks and their adjacent property. Also, it is illegal to enter or remain on land after having been notified by the owner or occupant not to enter or remain.

A person has received notice from the owner or occupant if he or she has been notified personally, either orally or in writing, or if the land is posted. Remember: Although hunters are required to make a reasonable effort to retrieve game they have killed or injured, hunters may not trespass to retrieve such game, even if the game was shot from outside the posted area. Ask first for permission.

Question 3: I have a hypothetical question. The hunter shoots a deer, but is unable to find it before sunset. The hunter finds the deer the following morning. However, the hunter discovers that the deer’s hindquarters have been eaten by coyotes. Does the hunter tag the deer?

Answer: The hunter is to tag and register the deer. A hunter who kills any deer must validate their tag and

place it on the deer, no matter what the condition of the carcass. This is clearly the obligation under s. 29.347(2), Wis. Stats. and s. NR 10.103(2), Wisconsin Administrative Code. A deer license provides an opportunity, not a promise, of edible meat, or any meat at all. If the deer carcass is not in a condition that is appropriate for transport or presenting to a registration station due to decay or missing parts, the hunter should contact the local warden or wildlife biologist for instructions and assistance in registering the deer. Once registered, the hunter can keep the antlers or other salvageable parts of the carcass. It is not legal to simply cut off the antlers or head without tagging and registering the deer first.

Question 4: If someone gets hurt while hunting on another person’s land, is the landowner held liable?

Answer: Under section 895.52 of the Wisconsin Statutes, landowners are generally immune from liability for injuries received by individuals recreating on their lands.

This law provides liability protection to landowners for injury or death of individuals participating in outdoor recreation on their land. This includes activities such as fishing, hunting, trapping, hiking, camping, boating and berry-picking. This immunity does not apply when the landowner receives more than $2,000 a year in income from the recreation activity or when the landowner acted maliciously with an intent to harm the person recreating.

There also is an exception for social guests invited specifically for an occasion on residential or platted property or property within 300 feet of a commercial building or structure. Courts have consistently interpreted this statute to protect landowners in furtherance of its purpose, which is to encourage landowners to allow others to recreate on their lands. This statute applies to the landowners of Managed Forest Law lands as well.

Question 5: I am calling in regard to the solid blaze orange material that needs to be visible on a ground blind used on DNR-owned or -managed lands. Would this requirement also pertain to hunters on their private land?

Answer: The requirement for blaze orange on blinds applies only to blinds placed on lands under the ownership, management or control of the DNR. However, it does not apply to blinds made solely of dead vegetation found on the property nor does it apply to tree stands or other elevated stands. This rule also generally applies to

Have a safe hunt!

those private lands leased by the DNR for public hunting, such as Voluntary Public Access properties. This rule does not apply to federal, county or municipal lands open to hunting, or to private lands not leased by the DNR for public hunting. It also does not apply to privately owned lands that are enrolled in the state’s Managed Forest Law or Forest Crop Law programs. At least 144 square inches of blaze orange material must be visible when looking at the blind from any angle, the full 360 degrees around the blind. When the ground blind is left unoccupied, the owner must post their DNR customer identification number or name and address written legibly in English somewhere in a conspicuous spot on the outside of the structure and near its entry. – published in Outdoor Recreation and taken from the Wisconsin DNR website

Deer harvest by zone and county separated by season Note: Data is preliminary and may be subject to further review. Data will be posted weekly.

Current data includes deer registration records from Sept. 12 through Nov. 1. -from the DNR Youth hunt County Burnett Polk Douglas Washburn

Archery Burnett 130 Polk 342 Douglas 84 Washburn 111

57 362 34 99

187 704 118 210

Crossbow Burnett 113 Polk 227 Douglas 74 Washburn 106

37 181 18 109

150 408 92 215

Deer hunting rule highlights

STATEWIDE – Frequently asked questions about deer hunting rules are highlighted here, with additional information available on the DNR website.

How is the number of land type-specific tags, public or private, issued determined in DMUs? Starting in 2015, local county deer advisory councils provide recommendations on how many public and private bonus antlerless tags should be issued in each county. Similar to how the department has handled this in the past, the CDACs review harvest history, anticipated hunter success, population estimates and other factors. Then, they make recommendations on antlerless harvest and bonus tag issuance to help achieve threeyear county population objectives of increase, decrease or maintain.

Which tags will be issued with the purchase of a deer hunting license?

In 2015, hunters who purchase an archer, crossbow or gun deer hunting license will receive one buck tag valid in any unit statewide, plus one Farmland Zone antlerless tag. This antlerless tag must be designated for use in any one unit in a Farmland Zone. In addition, at the time of purchase, the buyer also chooses the land type, public or private, for which the tag will be valid.

What tags will be issued with the purchase of a Conservation Patron license?

Conservation Patron license holders will receive one gun buck deer carcass tag and one bow buck deer carcass tag that can be filled with either a conventional bow or crossbow. They will also receive two Farmland Zone antlerless tags valid for use in any Farmland Zone county and land type specified at the time of purchase, but which must be specified for a county unit and either public or private land at the time of license purchase. These antlerless tags are not weapon specific and can be filled with bow, crossbow or firearm. Conservation Patrons can specify different county units and land types for each free antlerless tag.

What if a hunter purchases both an archer and crossbow license?

That hunter will only receive one buck tag valid statewide, plus one Farmland Zone antlerless tag. This antlerless tag is valid in the particular Farmland Zone unit, county, and land type, public or private, that the buyer chooses at the time of purchase.

If a hunter first purchases an archer license and then upgrades to include a crossbow license, or vice versa, which back tag will they be required to wear?

Whichever license is purchased first will be the back tag the hunter will be issued and will wear. The hunter will not be issued a second back tag. When hunters buy the upgrade they will be issued a separate license that denotes the upgrade and they must carry that license while hunting.

If I plan to harvest a deer in multiple DMUs or outside the Farmland Zones during the 2015 deer season, will I need to buy separate tags?

At purchase, hunters will receive one buck tag that is valid in any DMU statewide and one antlerless tag valid in a Farmland Zone unit, which must be designated for either public or private land in a specific county. If a hunter would like to harvest an antlerless deer in a Forest Zone unit this year, that hunter must purchase a bonus antlerless tag for that unit, if available. If a hunter wants more than one antlerless tag in a Farmland Zone, that hunter may be able to purchase additional tags for $12 residents or $20 nonresidents each at a rate of one tag per hunter per day until sold out.

What tags will junior deer hunters receive?

They will receive one buck tag valid statewide and one junior antlerless deer tag valid statewide for each license. Youth hunters age 10-17 will not need to specify county, zone or land type on their tags.

If a 17-year-old buys a junior hunting license, but turns 18 before or during the deer season, can they still use the statewide antlerless deer tags they received with their junior hunting license?

Yes. Because the tags were obtained while the person was under 18 years of age, the tags are valid.

What tags will Class A and C disabled permit holders receive?

They will receive one buck tag valid statewide and one Farmland Zone antlerless deer carcass tag, specified for a zone, unit and land type. This Farmland Zone antlerless tag will be valid for any unit statewide, but hunters may only use this tag on the land type, public or private, specified on the tag.

What tags will qualified resident U.S. armed forces members receive?

A U.S. armed forces member who exhibits proof that he/she is a Wisconsin resident or was a resident upon entering active service will receive one buck tag valid statewide and the same Farmland Zone antlerless deer carcass tag as everyone else. However, this Farmland Zone antlerless deer carcass tag is valid statewide, including in buck-only units, but only under the authority of a gun deer license and only during a season open to hunting deer with firearms. The Farmland Zone antlerless carcass tag will still only be valid for the land type, public or private, listed on the tag.

Can class A and C disabled or qualified military personnel on leave tag a doe with their buck tag as before?

No. The law requires that we provide Class A and C disabled hunters and military personnel the opportunity to hunt either sex deer statewide during any firearm deer season under the authority of their gun deer

Antlered Antlerless Total 43 47 90 88 103 191 23 43 66 37 46 83

license. Their buck tag is now valid only for bucks.

Will active duty military service members still be offered bonus antlerless tags for units that are sold out?

Yes, we will continue to handle this as we have in the past. Residents who are in active service with the U.S. armed forces outside this state and on furlough or leave will still be able to purchase a bonus antlerless deer tag for any unit and land type, public or private, which has an antlerless quota, even if they are already all sold out.

Are antlerless tags weapon specific in 2015?

No. All antlerless tags may be filled with any weapon and during any season with the appropriate license.

Is regular hunting or hunting under an agricultural deer damage shooting permit allowed on the Friday prior to the November nine-day gun deer season?

Yes. The prohibition of possessing a loaded or uncased firearm on the Friday prior to the November nine-day gun deer season has been eliminated. This allows hunting with a firearm for any animal with an open season or under damage shooting permits.

Why are hunters charged a $2 fee if they decide to defer the decision on designating the unit and/or land type on their tag to a later date following their initial license purchase?

The $2 fee covers payments and commissions to agents and contractors, plus a transaction fee that is set in state statute. Similar transactions, i.e. deferring turkey permits, can only occur through the DNR, so no additional fees are incurred. – from the DNR website

NOVEMBER 18, 2015 - HUNTING GUIDE - INTER-COUNTY LEADER/WASHBURN COUNTY REGISTER - PAGE 5

Wisconsin deer hunting rule changes for 2015 MADISON – With the launch of the GameReg system and electronic registration, hunters now have until 5 p.m. the day after harvest to register a deer. This rule applies for all deer hunting seasons.

“Previously, hunters could register their deer by 5 p.m. the day after the close of the nine-day season, regardless of the date of harvest,” said Matt O’Brien, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources administrative warden. “The new registration deadline is a bit of a change for 2015, so hunters should make sure they are up to speed before the nine-day gun deer hunt.”

After tagging a harvested deer, hunters can visit gamereg.wi.gov or call 844-426-

3734 to access the game registration system. Hunters may also register their deer electronically at a participating registration station. Upon completion, hunters will receive a 10-character confirmation number to write on the carcass tag as proof of registration. This tag should remain with the deer until the meat is consumed.

Hunters may find a variety of deer season materials, including season structure maps, frequently asked questions and helpful links, at dnr.wi.gov, keyword deer. To learn more about GameReg and electronic registration, search keywords electronic registration.

When purchasing a license or bonus

antlerless tag, hunters must specify the zone, county and land type for each antlerless tag.

All deer registration will be completed electronically, but some in-person registration stations will be available to assist hunters. All deer must be registered by 5 p.m. the day after harvest in the unit of kill or an adjacent unit.

The December four-day antlerless-only hunt will be offered statewide.

The antlerless-only holiday hunt will not be offered.

Antlerless quotas and bonus antlerless permit levels are now based on county Deer Advisory Council recommendations.

One Farmland Zone antlerless tag is included with each deer hunting license.

Junior antlerless deer tags are valid statewide.

Also the bonus buck has been discontinued, and no bonus buck authorization stickers from any year are valid. Hunters will no longer be able to earn a bonus buck authorization sticker upon harvesting an antlerless deer, regardless of zone.

Albino and all-white deer are protected statewide, including those found within the CWD-affected areas. – from the 2015 Wisconsin Deer Hunting Regulations

2015 deer season northern district forecast Mike Zeckmeister | DNR Northern District wildlife NORTHERN WISCONSIN – Conditions during the winter of 2014-15 were much milder compared to the very severe winter that was experienced in 2013-14. Last year, without question, there were both direct and indirect losses (reduced fawn recruitment) from that severe winter. Hunters saw the results of that severe winter during the various deer seasons in 2014. Historically, the buck kill has beenl as much as 25 percent lower when the

winter severity index is in the very severe category. So it was no surprise that there was a significant reduction in the buck kill in most northern counties during the 2014 deer seasons.

Following a relatively mild winter and an early spring in 2015, deer went into this spring in good shape and the DNR expects fawn recruitment to be much improved.

This is good news for those counties where they are trying to rebuild the deer herd. Likewise, there should be

improved antler development due to the milder winter. Conservative quotas in much of the Northern Forest Zone, as recommended by the county deer advisory councils, should spell increased deer numbers in northern Wisconsin. It will, however, take several years to get over the 2013-14 very severe winter from a deer age structure perspective.

First-harvest certificates offered STATEWIDE – The Wisconsin DNR would like to congratulate people on harvesting their first deer. They are now fully entrenched in the rich tradition and family values that are deer hunting in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources would like to present each lucky hunter with a certificate to commemorate their experience, and honor that special moment. If you would like to receive a first-harvest certificate, log on to

the DNR website and fill out the information and upload a photo of your harvest. A printable certificate will then be sent to the supplied email address.

• Certificates will be created for deer harvested in 2015 only.

• Photo must show no alcoholic containers, inappropriate gun/bow handling, disrespect to the animal, etc.

• Photo must be taken in the field and be appropriate

for publication. People submitting a photo deemed inappropriate will receive a stock photo.

• Requests for certificates that contain inappropriate language or messages will not be fulfilled. - from the DNR website

Wildlife violator compact

STATEWIDE – The state of Wisconsin is a participating member of the Wildlife Violator Compact. The Wildlife Violator Compact is an agreement between participating states that prohibits a person whose hunting, fishing or trapping privileges are suspended in a participating state from obtaining licenses or permits, or participating in those activities in all participating states.

• If your hunting, trapping or fishing privileges were suspended or revoked for a fish- or wildlife-related violation by any of the member states after April 15, 2008, you may not engage in those activities in Wisconsin or purchase any license, permit or tag that authorizes those activities in Wisconsin during the period of the revocation or suspension.

• If a person is cited for a wildlife violation in this state

and fails to pay or appear in court, Wisconsin will revoke all that person’s hunting, fishing and trapping privileges and will communicate that information to that person’s home state and other participating states. The participating states include: Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Wyoming. – from the Wisconsin DNR website

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NOVEMBER 18, 2015 - HUNTING GUIDE - INTER-COUNTY LEADER/WASHBURN COUNTY REGISTER - PAGE 7

Blaze pink passes Assembly on bipartisan vote

Wisconsin to be first state in the country to offer hunters an option

STATEWIDE – Legislation introduced by Wisconsin Sportsmen’s Caucus Co-Chairs Nick Milroy (D-South Range) and Joel Kleefisch (R-Oconomowoc) to allow gun deer hunters to wear “blaze pink” was passed Nov. 3 by the state Assembly on a voice vote.

In the legislation, blaze pink is described as bright pink or fluorescent pink. Prior to introduction of the legislation, Milroy turned to Professor Majid Sarmadi, a renowned color scientist at the University of WisconsinMadison School of Human Ecology, for answers on if blaze pink would be safe to wear in the woods.

“Professor Sarmadi conducted experiments revealing that to the human eye, blaze pink is just as visible as, or

even more visible than, blaze orange,” Milroy explained.

“Equally important, existing research concludes that blaze pink is actually more difficult for deer to see than blaze orange, meaning that blaze pink could give hunters an advantage in terms of camouflage.”

Retailers and manufacturers recognized the untapped market of pink camo and other pink apparel and started promoting this merchandise, including everything from clothing to weapons. However, blaze pink is not a current legal alternative to blaze orange while hunting. Allowing the legal use of blaze pink will add an additional option for hunters.

Kleefisch said he has found there is a large interest in the use of pink for hunting. “Recently I stopped at a local sporting goods store and was approached by a sales associate who expressed his interest for the legislation,” Kleefisch said. “The associate told me his customers are excited about this new option, and he has countless cus-

tomers inquire about the legislation daily.”

Co-sponsors Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton) and Kathy Bernier (R-Chippewa Falls) expressed their support for the bill, pointing out that it is difficult to find hunting clothing to fit well. “In the past manufacturers and retailers have only had blaze orange hunting clothing, and it was geared to fit men,” they commented.

“Now that pink camo is in the sporting goods stores, we can easily find clothing to fit us, but it is not legal to wear this clothing while hunting.”

The legislators learned a Minnesota legislator intends to introduce similar legislation in the spring and has asked Sarmadi to provide his testimony in support of that bill. Milroy and Kleefisch said they have also been contacted by other states interested in following their lead. The bill will have to pas the state Senate and be signed by Gov. Scott Walker to become a law. – from press release

Vehicle collisions with deer and other wildlife STATEWIDE – Contact the DNR vehicle-killed deer hotline at 608-267-7691 prior to possessing or removing a deer from the scene.

Deer on highway Deer-vehicle crashes continue to be a major concern for Wisconsin motorists. The majority of deer-vehicle collisions occur during the months of October and November when deer are most active during the breeding phase.

Many collisions also occur during May and June during spring fawning, when yearling deer are seeking out new home ranges.

Regardless of the time of year, motorists should be aware of the potential for deer to cross roads at any time.

Taking proper precautions like driving slow during evening and nighttime hours and scanning roadsides for deer can prevent many of these accidents from occurring.

Vehicle-killed deer, bear and turkey possession Any person may claim a deer, bear or turkey that has been accidentally killed by a motor vehicle. The driver of a vehicle that collides with and kills a deer, bear or turkey has first priority to the carcass. If the driver does not want the carcass, any other person who arrives at the scene may request possession of the carcass.

Possession of vehicle-killed deer Contact the DNR vehicle-killed deer hotline at 608-2677691 prior to possessing or removing the deer from the scene. Upon completing notification to DNR, a vehiclekilled deer may be legally possessed and transported without a tag in compliance with the chronic wasting disease transportation rules, available in the annual Deer Hunting Regulations pamphlet.

Possession of vehicle-killed bear and turkey Contact your local sheriff’s department before moving

the bear or turkey to obtain a free tag so that the carcass can be legally possessed.

Possession of other vehicle-killed species A person who accidentally kills small game animals while operating a motor vehicle on a roadway can take possession of the carcass without the need to obtain a tag only if: the animal is not a fisher, otter, bobcat, wolf, migratory bird or a protected, endangered or threatened species; the person possesses a license authorizing the hunting or trapping of the type of animal that was killed; and the animal killed was killed during the open season for that species; If the operator of the vehicle that killed the animal does not want to take possession of the carcass, then any person with a license authorizing the hunting or trapping of that animal may take possession of the carcass if it is during an open season for the species. – from the DNR website

Wisconsin deer donation

STATEWIDE – The deer donation program will be continuing Wisconsin’s autumn tradition of helping those in need. Since the program began in 2000, hunters have donated over 85,000 deer, which were processed into over 3.8 million pounds of ground venison. You can also help charitable organizations by donating deer hides.

Donation throughout the state 1. Properly tag deer, field dress and register electronically using a telephone or the Internet.

2. Contact one of the participating processors to verify they have space to accept the deer.

3. Drop deer off at a participating processor by Feb. 1, 2016. Donate the entire deer to receive the processing for free (head and antlers may be removed for mounting.)

4. When dropping off your deer at the processor, sign the log sheet indicating your desire to donate the deer.

The 2015 deer donation program began accepting deer Aug. 1. Hunters may make voluntary donations to help pay for the costs of deer processing when they buy their hunting license.

Wisconsin has a network of venison donation partners including: County Land and Water Conservation Departments, food pantries, charitable organizations, Hunt for the Hungry, USDA - Wildlife Services and participating processors who all help implement and administer the

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CWD processors For information on venison processors in the CWDaffected counties please view the CWD sampling/registration stations and pantry donation drop-off sites for station details. – from the DNR website

PAGE 8 • INTER-COUNTY LEADER/WASHBURN COUNTY REGISTER - HUNTING GUIDE - NOVEMBER 18, 2015

How long will a hunter have after harvesting a deer before that deer needs to be registered?

STATEWIDE – All deer must be registered by 5 p.m. the day after the animal is recovered and the carcass tag is validated.

Does this registration deadline apply to all deer harvested during the 2015 deer seasons?

Yes, any deer harvested in any 2015 deer season must be registered by 5 p.m. the day after it was harvested.

With the implementation of electronic registration, will the registration requirements for harvested deer change?

With the full implementation of electronic registration in 2015, all deer harvested during all deer hunting seasons must be registered before being transported from the unit of harvest or an adjacent unit. In-person registration stations may still be open to provide electronic registration services, however, hunters are not required to register their harvest in person. Hunters can find additional information on electronic registration on the DNR

website.

What is the requirement for transporting registered deer?

A person may not possess another hunter’s deer while afield, even if the deer is tagged and registered, without the tag holder being present. However, anyone can possess and transport another person’s registered deer on a public highway for purposes of transportation to, and possession at, a dwelling or a business without the tag holder being present. A dwelling includes both permanent and temporary residences, and would include hunting cabins and campsites. This allows a person to leave their registered deer at a hunting camp, meat processor or someone else’s residence when they are not there.

Does that mean it’s OK if I leave my tagged deer hanging in my hunting camp and go home?

Yes, a cabin or a campsite is considered a dwelling for the purpose of this rule and as long as it is your dwell-

ing, camp or residence, you can leave or store your deer there. The deer would not be considered possessed by another when you leave your deer at your own dwelling. This is true whether the deer is registered or not but don’t forget to register your deer by the required 5 p.m. deadline.

If someone is using an ATV/UTV either on their land or they are disabled, are they allowed to transport anyone else’s deer with the ATV/UTV? The tagger must continue to accompany the deer when it is being transported, moved, even after the deer has been registered, except when being transported on a public roadway. They do not need to be in or on the same vehicle and could be following in another vehicle, ATV or UTV, as long as they are traveling together. – from the DNR

Falls from tree stands are leading cause of injuries during deer season STATEWIDE – Falls from a tree stand are the leading cause of injuries during the gun deer season, according to a 2008 Wisconsin study, recently confirmed by a 2010 Ohio study. The good news is such falls are easily preventable. You can continue to gain the benefits that hunting from a tree stand delivers – increased field of vision and avoiding detection by your prey – while reducing your risk of injury if you follow a few simple safety tips.

Get a full-body harness The most important thing you can do is use a full-body harness, which keeps you in the stand if you slip or fall.

Eighty-two percent of hunters who fall from tree stands are not wearing full-body harnesses, according to the Tree Stand Manufacturers Association.

Find out which models meet revised national standards by checking out the TMA website.

Wear your full-body harness Hunters must wear their harnesses for them to work.

A 2003 survey of Wisconsin gun deer hunters showed that two-thirds of hunters who hunted from tree stands owned a harness but less than one-third of them reported actually using the harness. Another third did not own a full-body harness.

Take a free online tree stand safety course A 15-minute investment of your time in taking an online safety course could save your life. The Tree Stand Manufacturers Association provides a free, interactive course that you can finish in minutes. Find it on their website under safety.

Read, understand and follow all of the manufacturer’s recommended procedures.

Do not alter your equipment.

Have three points of contact while climbing into and out of the tree stand; either two hands and one foot or two feet and one hand at all times.

Use a haul line to raise and lower your unloaded firearm.

Use a short tether between you and the tree when seated in the tree stand.

Let people know where you’ll be hunting, where you’ll be parking your vehicle, and when you intend to return.

Carry a cell phone with you so you can call for help if you are injured after a fall. - submitted

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NOVEMBER 18, 2015 - HUNTING GUIDE - INTER-COUNTY LEADER/WASHBURN COUNTY REGISTER - PAGE 9

Classic North Woods live bait and tackle shop preserves a “sense of place” E. Royal Emerson | Staff writer TRADE LAKE – Seven miles west from Frederic on Hwy. 48, in a bottomland valley of gently sloped glacial hills, where the Trade River turns toward its confluence with Little Trade and Big Trade lakes, sits the Trade Lake Store, a classic North Woods bait and tackle shop.

In continuous operation since at least the early 1930s, when it was a one-pump gas station, the store has gone through numerous transformations, including add-ons and demolitions, but has always been a main stopping point given its picturesque setting and out-in-the-middle-of-nowhere location. The site has been a point of commerce going back to the 1850s, when it served as a sort of crossroads to a once thriving early immigrant Swedish community that is now the unincorporated Town of Trade Lake.

Today, for the many “city folk” families who own or visit the summer cottages that line the local lakes, reaching the Trade Lake Store means they are officially up north, and stopping at the store to pick up provisions is a ritual integral to their North Woods experience.

“The beautiful thing about running this store, and also the hardest, is that you grow close to the many people who stop in,” said Judy Milligan who, along with her husband, Dan, took over ownership and operation of the store in 2007.

“You see their families grow up and come to know their stories and struggles, and it becomes an emotional attachment, and then when they leave or pass away it is really hard, because you won’t see that person anymore and yet a part of them still lingers in the store.”

Judy, born and raised in Grantsburg, and Dan, from a hardscrabble neighborhood in St. Paul, share that oldworld work ethic where, as shop owners, putting in the hours is more than just a means to survive. The store is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days per week and, despite the long hours, whoever is working the register is always pleased to engage in conversation. It is a good place to catch up on the local doings, particularly what fish are biting where or the intricacies of this year’s particular hunt.

Within a tight radius of the store there are a number of decent-size lakes rich in fish with musky, northern, bass, crappies and sunfish in abundance. It is likely that the small motorboats that work the reeds or deep pools of the Trade Lakes or nearby Round, Spirit or Wood lakes, obtained their bait and other gear at the Trade Lake Store.

Known to the locals as Trade Lake Mall, the store is more than a bait and tackle shop. Well-supplied with canned goods, beer, milk, eggs, Cedar Crest ice cream, Square One Pizza out of Siren and locally butchered meat from Daeffler’s Meat Market in Frederic, locals are a main component to its overall success. But it also caters to lake families selling Trade Lake Store souvenir T-shirts, sweatshirts and windbreakers, fishing rods and reels, life jackets and children’s items such as coloring books, flip-flops, sand buckets and Nerf football-like “water bombs.” It also houses a free library, where lake folks can pick up a dime novel to while away a rainy

Just some of the wide variety of items offered at the store.

The Trade Lake Store, located seven miles west of Frederic on Hwy. 48, has been in continuous operation since at least the early 1930s, when it was a one-pump gas station. Operated since 2007 by Dan and Judy Milligan, the store is a good place to catch up on the local doings. - Photos by E. Royal Emerson afternoon. The Milligans seem to understand the store is more than just a retail business but also integral to the North woods tradition and experience.

North Woods tradition Old North Woods calendars dating back to the 1940s showing sportsmen fly fishing along a river or boating and camping at a lake dock hang above the coolers. Four deer mounts hang on the far wall with 12-point racks, 19-inch spreads and 10-inch tines. Hanging on a cooler door, below a sign that says: Beer Belly Blvd. are poster board pictures of the various customers displaying large musky or northern or fresh-killed deer, bear or turkey to be registered. It is here where the local lore of “catching the big one” is proven. A photo of a woman smiling wide as she struggles to hold up a 53-inch musky preserves her legend for years to come, at least around these parts.

The store still retains that old-time North Woods roadside vibe where, instead of horse and buggies pulling in it is old beat-up pickup trucks, their scratched and dented beds filled with split wood and empty gas cans, the men in Carhartt clothes splattered with grime and smelling of wood smoke, pulling in after a hard day’s work in the woods to pick up some chewing tobacco, a good steak and a sixpack of beer. Come hunting season, a steady stream of trucks roll in with the droop-tongued carcasses of deer, antlers on display, to register the kill and have Dan or Judy snap a photo for the wall. Last year the store registered 223 deer, far below the record of over 600 deer in 2007 and 2008.

The Beer Belly Blvd. wall of fame is a preservation of local history with snapshot photos of local characters and lake families dating back dozens of years.

Hanging on the wall is a color photo of four young girls hamming it up inside the store. “Fishin’ In The Trade Lake Store” reads the caption. Judy went in back to retrieve a box of old photos. “This is Seth,” she said, pointing to a photo of a young boy dressed in orange sitting on the back fender on a Chevy pickup truck, holding up the antlers of his first deer kill.

“He’s graduated now,” she said, “went off to college.”

The location of the store is also integral to the history of Polk and Burnett counties as it is here where the first Swedish immigrants settled shortly after Wisconsin became a state.

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“Fishin’ In The Trade Lake Store” reads the caption of this photo.

with a homemade historic marker out front, a relic of the past the town graciously left standing, memories too powerful to tear down. Just south of the store is the old Trade Lake School, recently purchased by a younger couple and being fully restored.

An interesting history of the area is a book available at the store. “Historical Sketches,” is a translation of Louis J. Ahlstrom’s diary from 1869, when he first settled at Trade Lake and concluding in 1924. The book was translated and edited by local historian Carolyn Wedin and includes rare photographs from local historian Stanley Selin.

If you’re driving the old blue highway that connects Frederic to Grantsburg, be sure to stop in at the Trade Lake Store. Your purchase will not only support Dan and Judy in their endeavors but also help to preserve a sense of place.

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PAGE 10 • INTER-COUNTY LEADER/WASHBURN COUNTY REGISTER - HUNTING GUIDE - NOVEMBER 18, 2015

Warden Jesse Ashton tapped for highest honor for state conservation officer

MADISON – Wisconsin Conservation Warden Jesse Ashton, who has served in Polk County for the Department of Natural Resources since 2002, has been named the 2014 recipient of the Haskell Noyes Conservation Warden Efficiency Award – a gold watch.

“Jesse has excelled throughout his career in investigations, educational efforts, public relations and working cooperatively with other DNR programs,” Warden Supervisor Russell Fell said, citing some of the reasons why he nominated Ashton for the award. “Jesse continues to raise the bar with investigations and enforcement while managing an extremely high fish and game caseload.”

Ashton’s dedication to operating a wellbalanced, highly professional conservation law enforcement program balanced with education and community involvement is why he was named winner of the prestigious watch.

Known as the highest honor possible for a state conservation warden, the Haskell Noyes Award has been presented to one warden each year since 1930. It is named after a late prominent Milwaukee businessman, Haskell Noyes, who wanted to recognize exemplary public service and natural resource protection.

As part of the award criteria, the war-

Conservation warden Jesse Ashton was awarded Warden of the Year recently. He has served in Polk County for the Department of Natural Resources since 2002. – Photo submitted

den must lead a well-balanced quality law enforcement conservation law enforcement program which excels in a balance of enforcement, education and commu-

nity involvement.

The honor is also known as “the Watch” because the actual award is a gold pocket watch inscribed: “Thank You For Able and Faithful Service.” It also is known as

the Warden of the Year Award.

To a DNR conservation warden, winning the Watch represents the pinnacle of their career – it is the warden’s Super Bowl or the World Series. The warden service recognizes outstanding achievements or accomplishments of its officers each year by presenting them with various awards, but none of these awards have the same significance of magnitude of the Watch.

Ashton was hired as conservation warden in 1999 and started his career in Racine County before transferring to Luck in 2002.

Fell also praised Ashton’s commitment to his community and to the statewide mission of the warden service.

“Jesse acts as a field training officer, background investigator, warden academy instructor and internship supervisor,” Fell said. “These are extra duties and present increased workload, but are critically important to the future success of the warden service.”

Haskell Noyes presented the first award to Warden Ernie Swift, and a member of the Noyes family has presented this award every year since then. Ashton received his award at a ceremony at Big Rock Creek Farm on June 6. – from the DNR

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NOVEMBER 18, 2015 - HUNTING GUIDE - INTER-COUNTY LEADER/WASHBURN COUNTY REGISTER - PAGE 11

Watch your clocks!

STATEWIDE – Before heading out, hunters should make themselves aware of legal restrictions on hunting activities related to time of day.

• Times listed are one-half hour before sunrise to 20 minutes after sunset.

• Firearm hunting prohibited on Nov. 20.

• Calculating hunting hours: Determine your location in either the Northern or Southern Area and add the minutes shown in the zone in which you are hunting to the opening and closing times listed in the Northern Area Hunting Hours table.

• Night hunting: Coyote, fox, rac-

coon or unprotected species may be hunted without hunting hour restrictions except: 1. During the bow deer season when hunting hours listed in the the regulation book apply to bow hunting all species.

2. During the regular gun deer season from Nov. 21 - Nov. 29 in nonmetro units when normal hunting hours apply to hunting all species.

• Caution: Consult your migratory bird regulations pamphlet for migratory bird hunting hours including woodcock, crows, doves, snipe and rails.

- from the Wisconsin DNR website

Find us on the Web at:

leadernewsroom.com or wcregisteronline.com Chef outlines six factors that contribute to quality of wild meat

2015 Deer, Bear, Small Game and Fall Turkey hunting hours listed from 30 minutes before sunrise to 20 minutes after sunset for Zone A in the Northern Area. If hunting in a zone other than Zone A, add the appropriate minutes to the opening and closing times. See the appropriate regulations for hunting season dates.

Cheyenne Lentz | WPR News NORTHWEST WISCONSIN - With hunting season in full swing, wild game might soon be showing up on the dinner table.

To get the best flavor out of your meat this year, Chef Joel Olson, a nationally recognized culinary instructor for children, youth and adults, shared six factors that affect meat quality.

They are: Age: The older the animal, the tougher the meat is going to be, Olson said.

Sex: Sex also has a major influence on meat quality. If one thinks about the aggressive male as opposed to the more docile female, there is going to be a difference in fatness and conformation of the animal.

Diet: The phrase, “you are what you eat” is especially true when it comes to wild game. For instance, pine squirrels and deer found in Colorado that feed off pine trees do in fact taste like pine trees, Olson said.

Type of kill: If the animal tried to run, it’s likely that adrenaline was running through the body.

“If it was stressed, that’s going to affect the meat.

And aging can counteract some of that by letting it hang for a while,” Olson said.

How it’s processed: Olson offered some questions to think about when meat is sent in to be processed. Did they do a good job cutting it up? Was it cold when they did cut it? Or was it a hot and balmy day? Did it sit out long while it was being processed?

How it’s packed: Airtight packaging is a great way to preserve meat for a long period of time, Olson said.

“I had a chunk of venison in my freezer once for three years, no freezer burn whatsoever because I’d wrapped it tight,” Olson said.

To get even more flavor out of your meat this season, when it comes to cooking, Olson recommended cutting the meat into small pieces. That way, the bite-size pieces will pick up a lot more flavor and people won’t have to chew big chunks of wild game.“It’s going to penetrate and become a part of the dish,” Olson said.

Lead in venison The following measures can reduce your potential exposure to lead in venison: • Consider alternative nonlead expanding ammunition such as copper or other highweight-retention lead bullets, such as bonded bullets.

• Practice marksmanship and outdoor skills to get closer to your target, making cleaner, lethal shots away from major muscle areas. Aim for the vitals behind the shoulder or the neck.

Don’t shoot at running deer.

• Avoid consuming internal organs as they can contain extra lead from heart-lung shots.

• Process small batches so you can frequently check the grinder and remove lead fragments.

• Remind your meat processor to not use

deer meat with excessive shot damage.

• Trim a generous distance away from the wound channel and discard any meat that is bruised, discolored or contains hair, dirt, bone fragments or grass.

For additional information: • on the lead-in-venison issue: dnr.wi.gov, keyword: lead.

• on lead poisoning: dhfs.wisconsin.gov.

• on deer processing: datcp.wi.gov/uploads/Food/pdf/CommonSense.pdf.

• on where to find copper bullets and nontoxic ammunition for hunting: dnr.wi.gov. – from the Wisconsin DNR website

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Although lead in venison does not rival lead paint in older homes as a health risk for the public, the risk is not low enough to ignore.

Children under 6 and pregnant women are at the greatest risk from lead exposure.

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PAGE 12 • INTER-COUNTY LEADER/WASHBURN COUNTY REGISTER - HUNTING GUIDE - NOVEMBER 18, 2015

Chippewa Tribal night hunting FAQs Why is tribal night hunting now allowed?

Recent litigation between several Chippewa Indian Tribes and the state of Wisconsin produced a court order permitting the tribes to implement a night hunting season. The issue of night hunting was the subject of similar litigation in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but the court’s decision at that time, resulting in a night deer hunting prohibition, has now been reversed.

What is the framework for Chippewa Tribal night hunting?

Chippewa Tribal members wishing to hunt deer at night must have an

fishing and gathering by tribal members, the Chippewa Indian Tribes formed the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission. Since the 1980s court rulings, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and GLIFWC have worked cooperatively, with respect to regulations, for Chippewa Indians to harvest deer off-reservation, on lands open to public hunting, within the ceded territory.

The topic of tribal deer night hunting is not new – after a weeklong trial held in 1989, the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin ruled that tribal members exercising of offreservation treaty harvesting rights were prohibited from hunting deer at night using lights due to safety concerns.

However, during a biennial stipulation meeting in 2012 between the state of Wisconsin and the Chippewa Indian Tribes (the process used to set hunting, fishing and gathering regulations), the Chippewa Tribes asked the DNR to agree that their members should be permitted to harvest white-tailed deer at night. The premise of the tribes’ request was that hunting deer at night would allow their members to safely and efficiently harvest game for sustenance purposes.

In response, the DNR identified significant safety issues associated with tribal night hunting of white-tailed deer, for all citizens, and declined to agree that night hunting should be permitted. The Chippewa Indian tribes subsequently petitioned a federal court to hear the matter, resulting in a weeklong trial. The trial court originally agreed with the state, and maintained the deer night hunting prohibition. However, upon appeal by the Chippewa Indian Tribes, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling in favor of the Chippewa Indian Tribes, directing the original trial court to authorize tribal night hunting of white-tailed deer following a review of the adequacy of the Chippewa Indian Tribes’ regulations to protect public safety.

The final practical outcome of the court litigation was a determination that night hunting for deer, when properly regulated, could be done safely.

To respectfully execute the court’s ruling and protect public safety to the greatest extent possible, DNR conservation wardens will work cooperatively with GLIFWC wardens to ensure compliance with the deer night hunting regulations, in addition to educating the public at large about the issue.

Below are a series of questions and answers regarding the rules Chippewa Tribal members must follow while harvesting deer at night, in accordance with the regulations approved by the court.

What is tribal night hunting?

Tribal night hunting is the pursuit and harvest of white-tailed deer by members of the Chippewa Indian Tribes on lands within the ceded territory which are open to public hunting from one hour after sunset until one hour before sunrise.

approved tribal shooting plan, possess a night hunting permit issued by the tribes, complete tribal night hunting training, which includes a marksmanship component, and adhere to the special tribal regulations applicable to night hunting.

Is Chippewa Tribal night hunting safe?

Safety was one of the primary reasons the DNR declined to agree that night hunting should be permitted, resulting in the federal litigation. While the Chippewa Indian Tribes’ proposed regulations attempt to mitigate the risks of hunting white-tailed deer at night, the DNR continues to have safety concerns about the practice, and will work alongside GLIFWC wardens to ensure regulation compliance in accordance with the court’s ruling.

Who will be engaging in Chippewa Tribal night hunting?

Only members of the Chippewa Indian Tribes are eligible to hunt deer at night on lands open to public hunting in the ceded territory. Tribal membership is required, and membership is established through ancestral ties to the historical tribe. Each tribe may have independent membership requirements.

When will Chippewa Tribal night hunting be taking place?

Chippewa Tribal members with approved shooting plans and permits can hunt deer at night beginning Nov. 1, 2015, until midnight on Jan. 4, 2016, except for the night before, the night after and nights during the state’s nine-day gun deer season. Night hunting hours begin one hour after sunset and end one hour before sunrise.

Where can Chippewa Tribal night hunting occur?

Night hunting by Chippewa Tribal members can only occur within the exterior boundary of the ceded territory, on lands open to public hunting. Chippewa Tribal hunters must complete a shooting plan which details the location where they will be hunting, and are limited to hunting only at locations identified on their shooting plan. The location may be on any land where public hunting is permitted, including private Managed Forest Law or Forest Crop Law lands open to the public.

Can Chippewa Tribal members hunt at night within state parks and state forests?

Yes, Chippewa Tribal members may hunt deer at night within state park and state forest properties in areas open to hunting. Chippewa Tribal members may hunt deer in state parks consistent with state park hunting hours, one hour prior to sunrise until 11p.m.

What weapons will be used by Chippewa Tribal night hunters?

Permitted weapon types include bow and arrow, crossbow and firearms – shotguns, handguns or rifles.

What are some of the other items Chippewa Tribal night hunters can use?

Chippewa Tribal members hunting at night must use a light to locate and identify a target, and may use infrared or thermal imaging equipment to locate deer (but not for sighting purposes), manual or

electronic calls, and bait.

Can Chippewa Tribal night hunters shine deer?

Yes, Chippewa Tribal members hunting deer at night must use a light to locate and identify a target, but only within the area identified on the approved shooting plan.

Can Chippewa Tribal members shoot from their vehicles while night hunting?

Disabled hunters in possession of a valid disabled hunter’s permit may discharge a firearm, bow or crossbow from a stationary vehicle, in accordance with their permit, which may include shooting from a roadway. Chippewa Tribal members that are night hunting without a disabled hunter’s permit may discharge a firearm, bow or crossbow from a stationary vehicle which is parked off a highway and more than 50 feet from the center of the roadway, in accordance with an approved shooting plan.

Are Chippewa Tribal night hunters required to provide advance notice of night hunting activities?

A tribal shooting plan is required to be provided to and approved by GLIFWC prior to or during the Chippewa Tribal night deer hunting season for each location that the tribal night hunter will utilize during that season prior to the tribal night hunter being able to shoot at each location.

Beyond that, there is no requirement for the Chippewa Tribal night hunter to notify anyone prior to nightly utilization of those locations.

Are Chippewa Tribal night hunters required to report the number of deer harvested during tribal night hunting activities?

There is no separate requirement for daily reporting of deer harvested during tribal night hunting activities, but deer harvested by Chippewa hunters overall are included in their annual threshold calculations and must be reported to GLIFWC as harvests. That information is also shared with the DNR. What does a Chippewa Tribal night hunting shooting plan contain?

Chippewa Tribal night hunters must complete a shooting plan prior to hunting that contains a diagram of the site where the hunting will take place. The site diagram must specify the stationary position where the hunter will shoot from, the direction of the shot, the safe zone of fire and the adequate backstop, as defined in the regulations.

Additionally, the plan must include any of the following within a quarter-mile of the shooting position: school grounds, roads, residences, buildings, dwellings, designated public campgrounds, public beaches, public picnic areas, lakes/water bodies, designated recreational trails, ATV, snowmobile, cross-country ski, etc., open areas, private property, areas closed to public hunting, and other tribal shooting plan areas.

Are Chippewa Tribal night hunting shooting plans reviewed by anyone?

Locations identified on shooting plans that are designated for nonelevated stationary hunting (from the ground) are required to be inspected by GLIFWC wardens. Shooting plans designated for hunting from an elevated position (tree

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NORTHERN WISCONSIN – In the early 1980s, federal courts examined treaties signed between the United States government and Lake Superior Chippewa Indian Tribes in 1837 and 1842. The outcome was a series of court rulings affirming and clarifying the rights of Chippewa Tribal members to hunt, fish, and gather within the ceded territory of Wisconsin.

Geographically, the ceded territory covers roughly the northern third of Wisconsin, but extends toward the center of the state near Stevens Point.

To assist in the regulation of hunting,

stands, for example, with a minimum height of 10 feet and backstop) do not require inspection by tribal staff, as long as the Chippewa Tribal members are not shooting beyond 50 yards.

What are some of the special regulations that apply to Chippewa tribal night hunters?

Permitted tribal night hunters are required to hunt in accordance with an approved shooting plan. Hunters must only shoot from the designated stationary position and in the designated direction within the safe zone of fire. Also, hunters must shine from their stationary position, use a light to identify their target, and shoot it only up to a maximum distance of 100 yards.

What does the required training for Chippewa Tribal night hunters involve?

Before engaging in any night hunting, Chippewa Tribal members are required to complete an approved night hunting training course. This course includes a review of the night hunting regulations, suggested best practices to maximize safety, and a marksmanship proficiency exam. Completion of the marksman firearms exam requires the student to shoot a minimum score of 80 percent or better, 10 shots, within the 6-1/4-inch inner circle of an NRA certified target, at a distance of 100 yards, during a nighttime range exercise. The bow/crossbow marksman exam has the same requirements, but with a target distance of 30 yards.

Are Chippewa tribal night hunters required to wear blaze orange or any reflective clothing?

No. Will Chippewa tribal night hunters be harvesting antlered or antlerless deer?

Chippewa tribal members hunting at night will be limited to the sex identified on their tribal permit.

How many Chippewa Tribal night hunters will there be?

While it is not conclusively known at this time, approximately 75 Chippewa Tribal members expressed interest and completed a GLIFWC night hunting training session at the time of the 2012 December court hearing on this matter.

Will Chippewa Tribal night hunters be permitted to group hunt?

No. Although nonhunting spotters may be assisting at the site, a shooting plan may only include one night hunter that is authorized to harvest the deer.

What effect will night hunting have on the state seasons antlerless quotas?

State hunters in the ceded territory are unlikely to see a decrease in the number of available antlerless tags as a result of tribal night hunting. Chippewa Tribal night harvest is not anticipated to have a detrimental effect on the herd.

Can nontribal citizens night hunt for deer now?

No, the court ruling only affects members of the Chippewa Tribes, and recognizes the traditional hunting practices exercised by the Chippewa at the time the 1837 and 1842 treaties were signed. It remains illegal for non-tribal hunters to hunt deer at night.

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Chippewa Tribal night hunting FAQs continued Can nontribal citizens assist Chippewa Tribal night hunters?

Generally not; as the court ruling only affects members of the Chippewa Tribes, state citizens are still required to follow all state laws. As an example, a nontribal citizen that helps the night hunter by shining for deer during a restricted shining period would be engaging in illegal shining and subject to applicable penalties.

I’m a landowner adjacent to land open to Chippewa Tribal night hunting; what should I know?

Chippewa Tribal members may be engaging in night hunting on lands open to public hunting (which may include areas of state parks, state and county forestlands, Managed Forest Land properties, and Forest Crop Law properties, if such lands are open to public hunting) adjacent to your property, though their approved shooting plans must indicate your property or dwelling if within onequarter mile of their safe zone of fire. Since there is no minimum distance requirement for shooting sites in relation to private property, it is possible that a Chippewa Tribal night hunter’s stationary shooting position may be on public land directly adjacent to your property.

How close can a Chippewa Tribal night hunter be to my dwelling when discharging their firearm?

State law requires all firearm handling and discharge to occur in a manner that does not endanger another’s safety.

Absent explicit permission from a building owner or occupant, no one may discharge a firearm within 100 yards of a building devoted to human occupancy while on the lands of another.

Can a Chippewa Tribal member track a wounded deer on my private land?

While hunters are required to make a reasonable effort to retrieve downed game, they are not authorized to enter private land without permission. DNR conservation wardens do not have authority to enforce trespass violations, so landowners suspecting trespass activity should contact their local law enforcement agency, sheriff’s department, etc.

I have my private land enrolled within the MFLopen or FCL programs that permit hunting by the public; can a Chippewa Tribal member hunt at night on my land?

Yes, land that is MFL-open or FCL, in the ceded territory, is considered open to public hunting and Chippewa Tribal members may legally hunt deer at night on this property. If you have questions about what this means for your land, please contact your local forester.

I’m a state land user that will be in the woods at night; what should I know about Chippewa Tribal night hunting?

You may encounter Chippewa Tribal members legally night hunting for deer on lands open to public hunting, in accordance with the night hunting

regulations and their approved shooting plans. Chippewa Tribal members with night hunting permits may be hunting any night during their open season, and are not required to specify certain dates on their plan, nor provide notice to land users or property owners in the area before engaging in their night hunt.

Will there be a publicly accessible map of locations where Chippewa Tribal night hunting will occur?

The Chippewa Indian Tribes do not currently anticipate public dissemination of approved shooting locations. For more information, contact GLIFWC (information below).

Will law enforcement be advised of Chippewa Tribal night hunting locations?

While the Chippewa Tribal regulations require notification of the appropriate federal, state and local officials, it is unclear which specific officials will be notified, when they will be notified, and what information they will be given.

DNR wardens are working with GLIFWC wardens to create a law enforcement notification system that includes each approved shooting plan location, throughout the ceded territory. However, this information will not include the specific date or time when Chippewa Tribal night hunters will actually be at the sites.

Can citizens protest night hunting activities at hunting sites?

Everyone is entitled to their opinion and certain speech is protected by the First Amendment; however, it is also illegal to interfere with individuals engaged in lawful hunting or trapping.

Tribal members following all GLIFWC regulations are lawfully hunting and are therefore protected by the state’s hunter harassment laws. Concerned citizens are encouraged to avoid physical confrontation and, instead, utilize other means to productively communicate their thoughts on the issue. GLIFWC contact information is provided below.

information below.

I still have questions or concerns about Chippewa Tribal night hunting; who should I contact?

The Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission is the Chippewa Tribal conservation department responsible for administering the night hunting regulations. You can contact their office with questions at 715-682-6619, or online at glifwc.org .

If you would like to contact the DNR about tribal night hunting, you can e-mail dnrnighthuntingquestions@wisconsin. gov and DNR staff will respond to your question.

This document is intended solely as guidance and does not contain any mandatory requirements except where requirements found in statute, administrative rule and off-reservation model code are referenced. This

guidance does not establish or affect legal rights or obligations, and is not finally determinative of any of the issues addressed. This guidance does not create any rights enforceable by any party in litigation with the state of Wisconsin or the Department of Natural Resources.

Any regulatory decisions made by the Department of Natural Resources in any matter addressed by this guidance will be made by applying the governing statutes, administrative rules and off-reservation model code to the relevant facts. The content of this document, including its component terms, has been created for general public consumption and utilizes summaries, generalizations and common terms that do not necessarily reflect particular legal nuances or definitions appropriate for judicial venues. - submitted

I live in the ceded territory and just heard someone shooting at night; how do I know if this is poaching or Chippewa Tribal night hunting?

There is no way to definitively know.

Anytime a citizen suspects a potential wildlife violation, they should contact their local conservation warden, local law enforcement or the DNR Hotline, dnr. wi.gov/contact/hotline.html, 1-800-8479367].

Is this FAQ the only source of information about Chippewa Tribal night hunting?

No, this FAQ presents a general summary of Chippewa Tribal night hunting regulations in the context of the most common questions. For more information and the specific requirements of night hunting, contact GLIFWC

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SERVING LUNCH & DINNER SPECIALS ALL OF 638106 3a,d 3dh HUNTING SEASON JOIN US FOR

BLACKSMITH SHOP BAR & GRILL

Cocktail Hour: 5:30 p.m. • Paint Party starts at 6:30 p.m.

THANKSGIVING DINNER WITH TURKEY & ALL THE FIXINGS! Starting At 2 p.m.

Mon. & Tues. Open at 4 p.m. • Wed. - Sun. Open at 11 a.m.

1879 West Bone Lake Drive • Balsam Lake, Wis.

715-857-5679

All-you-can-eat Chicken Wings & Legs

Friday, Nov. 20 & 21................DJ DIGGER

27625 Gables Rd. • Webster, WI

DAILY MEAT RAFFLES

MONDAY & THURSDAY NIGHT

Tacos.......................................All Day

DEER OPENER WEEKEND!

BUMP’S LAKESIDE BAR

Siren, Wis.

715-349-5755

638021 3a 3DH

638076 3a, 3DH

KRIS’ PHEASANT INN & SPORTS BAR Hwy. 35 & Main Street,

Party starts at 3 p.m.

NOW BOOKING HOLIDAY PARTIES

CLIP & SAVE

637602 3a,d 3DH

Nonethanol Gas Available For Your Recreational Vehicles

10th Hole at On County Rd. U 1 mile West Of Hwy. 35 between Danbury & Webster

NOW SERVING FOOD DAILY! HAPPY HOUR MON. - FRI. 3 - 6 P.M.

Webster

$

- 2-lbs. wings, 1-lb. fries

9.25 6.25 5.00 $ 2.25 $ 8.75 $ 13.75

Wonderland Meat Raffle Homemade Chili And Soups Afternoon Happy Hour:

Matchbox Races Hex Bug Races

638105 3ap 3DHp

Serving Breakfast Every Day During Hunting Season

637982 3a 3DH

Wednesday Chef’s Special

Music by TRIPLE PLAY HAPPY HOUR PRICES, 4-7 p.m.

Friday, November 20 Music By: SOUP BONES Sunday, November 22 WATCH GREEN BAY VS. MINNESOTA DJ KEVVY AFTER THE GAME BUCKET SPECIALS DURING ALL WILD GAMES

$

715-866-4354

Sunday, Nov. 22

WATCH GREEN BAY VS. MINNESOTA Saturday, Nov. 28

WATCH MINN. VS. WISC. COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Webster, Wis.

Serving Breakfast Saturdays & Sundays, 8 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

~ EVENING SPECIALS ~

Mon. All-You-Can-Eat Soft- or Hard-Shell Tacos.......$7.95 Tues. 12 Lg. Butterfly Shrimp w/fries & coleslaw, $ Incl. reg. beer or rail drink (served Noon till gone)..... 8.50 1/2 Rack BBQ Pork Ribs.......................................$9.50 Wed. All-You-Can-Eat Chicken.....................................$9.50 Thurs. Serving Starts At Noon All-you-can-eat Chicken Wings & Fries, $ Incl. reg. beer or rail drink.......................................... 8.50 $ Fri. All -You-Can-Eat North Atlantic Cod............. 10.95 Sat. & Sun. Serving Our Chicken Picnic Special $ Starts at 1 p.m.....................4 Pc. 8.50 8 Pc. $12.50

HAPPY HOUR: SUN. THRU FRI. 4 - 6 P.M.

1 OFF BEER & DRINKS • $1 TAPPERS

$

Kitchen Open Bar Open

27924 Yellow Lake Rd.

~ LUNCH SERVED DAILY ~

CLIP & SAVE

CLIP & SAVE

5 - 9 p.m.

DEER HUNTING DRAWINGS

DEER HUNTING OPENING WEEKEND

$ $

SATURDAY, NOV. 14

1-YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY

2.25

30¢

2.50

MEAT RAFFLE EVERY FRIDAY 6 P.M. WEBSTER HIGH SCHOOL FISHING TEAM FRIDAY, 11 P.M. - MIDNIGHT BEAT THE CLOCK 2 FOR 1s On Domestic Beer & Bar Rail SUNDAY FUNDAY $2 Select Can Beer

ow Yell ke La

OPEN DAILY AT 8 A.M.

THURSDAY NIGHT MEN’S POOL SPECIAL $

16-OZ. BUSCH LIGHT CANS

*

715-866-7107

MONDAY FUNDAY - MIXED POOL FUN - 7 P.M. TUESDAY: TITO’S TEAS & LEMONADE, 2 For 1 WEDNESDAY: WINDSORS, 2 For 1

THURSDAY: 2-FOR-1 SAILOR JERRY’S SPICED RUM

Golf Course Co. Rd. U

Hwy. 35

Danbury

Yellow Lakes & Rivers Association Meat Raffle Every Saturday, 3-5 p.m.

READY FOR FOOTBALL?

Join us for the Minnesota & Green Bay Games!

Free Food At Halftime Plus Happy Hour Prices During The Game.

638010 3a 3DH

5046 County Road A, Webster, WI • 715-866-4777 (8 miles east of Webster on CTH A)

CLIP & SAVE

PAGE 16 • INTER-COUNTY LEADER/WASHBURN COUNTY REGISTER - HUNTING GUIDE - NOVEMBER 18, 2015

Trying to be discreet Heavy brush and timber wasn’t quite enough to hide this Polk County buck as he was bedded down close to a doe Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 11. The rut, or white-tailed deer breeding season, is still going strong in some areas across the state of Wisconsin, and bucks like this one might still be on the move when the gun opener begins Saturday, Nov. 21. – Photo by Marty Seeger

Hunter mentorship program STATEWIDE – The hunter mentorship program allows a person to hunt without the need to first take hunter education, provided the hunter and the mentor comply with the following: Rules that apply to the hunter. The hunter must: • be at least 10 years old; • possess the appropriate hunting license, permits, stamps and tags; • hunt within arm’s reach of a mentor regardless of the age of the hunter; and • comply with all other hunting laws, seasons and bag limits.

Rules that apply to the mentor. The mentor must: • be at least 18 years old; • be a hunter education graduate unless they were born before Jan. 1, 1973, or have completed basic training with the armed forces; • be the hunter’s parent or guardian, or have the permission of the hunter’s parent/guardian before acting as a mentor for a person under 18; • possess a current year’s Wisconsin hunting license (type of hunting license does not matter unless the mentor will also be attempting to harvest game).

Note: Certain exemptions for the hunting license requirement apply if mentoring on a licensed bird or deer hunting preserve or on land the mentor owns or occupies. Contact DNR for details; and • only serve as a mentor for one hunter at a time if the hunter is either of the following: • age 10 or 11; or • born on or after Jan. 1, 1973, and has not yet completed hunter education.

Only one firearm, bow or crossbow can be possessed jointly between the hunter and the mentor while participating in the hunting mentorship program. A concealed weapon, legally possessed by a permit holder, is counted toward the one-weapon limit. Note: Ten- and 11-year-olds may only hunt under these mentorship rules, even if they have already completed hunter education. – from the Wisconsin DNR website

638189 3DH

Have a safe & successful hunting season Poachers hotline number: 800TIP-WDNR