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Al Brown | Tracking the Seasons
Oh, deer
It has been said "Ignorance of the law is no excuse."
From the other side of the aisle, expecting all deer hunters to read, digest and retain all of the information set forth in the 2009 Wisconsin deer hunting regulations is, in itself, a crime of sorts.
Having already paid "deerly" for the license to hunt our state's number one big game animal, now we are expected to read, cover to cover, all 56 pages of the rules governing our sport.
To make the reading more interesting, the unit breakdown for the 2009 deer hunt is broken into three groupings, one for the 62 regular units, one for the 55 Herd Control Units and one for the 22 CWD Management Zone Units, each with its own season structures.
Considering how the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has all but begged hunters to reduce the number of deer in Wisconsin to stop the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD), you'd think it would want to make our job easier, not more restrictive.
Now, effective Sept. 1, hunters and motorists are reminded that the movement of whole deer carcasses of hunter harvested or vehicle killed deer from the chronic wasting disease-Management Zone (CWD-MZ) to elsewhere in the state is banned, according to Davin Lopez, DNR CWD Project leader.
However, hunters and motorists will be allowed to move whole, registered carcasses of deer shot or killed by a motor vehicle within the CWD-MZ into a deer management unit (DMU) adjoining the CWD-MZ.
If that isn't enough to make your eyes cross, also effective Sept. 1, Wisconsin began restricting the import of whole cervid carcasses (deer, elk and moose) into the state from areas within states or Canadian provinces that have CWD.
To date, the disease has been discovered in wild deer and elk herds in 11 states and two Canadian provinces.
All is not lost, however. There are a number of parts from legally possessed deer to which these restrictions don't apply that can be legally transported anywhere in Wisconsin.
These include: Meat that's cut and wrapped, either commercially or privately; quarters or other portions of meat to which no part of the spinal column is attached; deboned meat; hides with no head attached; finished taxidermy heads; antlers with no meat or brain tissue attached; skulls with attached antlers, but no meat or brain tissue attached; upper canine teeth.
Hunters returning from out of state with whole or restricted parts of cervids must possess and exhibit to wardens, upon request, documentation of what state or country and game management unit or county the carcass was harvested in.
There is more, but not enough space in this column for it all.
To be on the safe side, pick up a copy of the 2009 deer hunting regulations and read through it before you go hunting.
It's must-reading for every deer hunter.
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- Relay For Life of Lake Country Kickoff-Monday, February 13th
- Oconomowoc Newcomers & Neighbors Monthly Mingle Tues Feb. 14
- UW-Waukesha Continuing Education Classes Offered the week of February 12-18, 2012
- The Rock River Patriots Welcome G. Edward Griffin To Wisconsin
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- Sussex-Menomonee Falls-Pewaukee Relay For Life Kickoff Event Sunday, February 19th 3:00 PM
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- Anti-Bullying assembly
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