Wisconsin Question

[Cedarsavage]

For you Wisconsin guys...I'm looking at hunting Northern Zone. It seems like that area used to be buck only. Is that still the case, not seeing it in the regs?

 

[DunnCoHunter]

I could be wrong, but pretty sure when you buy your license you only get the statewide buck tag for the northern zone. But doe tags are sold by county. So you might be able to pick up a doe tag separately. What county are you looking at hunting?


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[WiscoHoundsman]

I believe DunnCoHunter is right. The buck tags are state wide and antlerless tags depend on the county and are also private or public depending on your choice.

 

[OMB]

I believe DunnCoHunter is right. The buck tags are state wide and antlerless tags depend on the county and are also private or public depending on your choice.

Correct, it's also dependent on the CDAC commission by county to set numbers, and just quick looking at Douglas County, they had their meeting a week ago, not sure when they decide on those things. I grouse hunt a lot in most of that area so I get to see a lot of great deer sign/opportunities that the average weekend bowhunter would miss deep in public, but I also am grateful that my parents live on a spread in the SW part of the state. A guy in Douglas or Bayfield counties could probably sit a great rub line for a week in late October and see nothing, see a nice buck, or see me come through with a shotgun and my setter.

I've promised myself that some day I will rifle hunt opening weekend in the northern zone because I know a lot of the country so well, but it won't be for as long as I get to hunt with my dad on the home farm.

 

[journeyman713]

For you Wisconsin guys...I'm looking at hunting Northern Zone. It seems like that area used to be buck only. Is that still the case, not seeing it in the regs?

Deer? We ain't go no Deer here.
UP has all the deer.

 

[Cedarsavage]

I could be wrong, but pretty sure when you buy your license you only get the statewide buck tag for the northern zone. But doe tags are sold by county. So you might be able to pick up a doe tag separately. What county are you looking at hunting?


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Any of the counties that border the UP. My thought was if I tag out early again, chase snow in rifle season as close as I can get to the UP. I'd bet you probably get more snow on the Superior shore like we do here?

 

[Cedarsavage]

Correct, it's also dependent on the CDAC commission by county to set numbers, and just quick looking at Douglas County, they had their meeting a week ago, not sure when they decide on those things. I grouse hunt a lot in most of that area so I get to see a lot of great deer sign/opportunities that the average weekend bowhunter would miss deep in public, but I also am grateful that my parents live on a spread in the SW part of the state. A guy in Douglas or Bayfield counties could probably sit a great rub line for a week in late October and see nothing, see a nice buck, or see me come through with a shotgun and my setter.

I've promised myself that some day I will rifle hunt opening weekend in the northern zone because I know a lot of the country so well, but it won't be for as long as I get to hunt with my dad on the home farm.

Sounds alot like the UP. I was kinda leaning more towards rifle/mz season if I tag out early.

 

[Cedarsavage]

Deer? We ain't go no Deer here.
UP has all the deer.

All the big ones at least lol

 

[hh76]

As has been said, county dependant. I try most years to get a doe tag in the county I hunt, and have only gotten one in the last few years. Last year, none were even available. Other years, I lost out in the "lottery" when a few were available.

Even with that, it is still the best deer hunting in the state. Odds aren't great, but hunting shouldn't be easy. Big bucks are out there. Tons of public woods to wander and explore. When you do have success, it really feels like a triumph.

 

[JAM7]

As mentioned above, doe tags are sold by county, and are further disaggregated by public/private. The exact quota for each county is set by county deer advisory councils. Most county councils met recently to finalize their recommendations for the number of doe tags. You can find the meeting minutes for your county on the WI DNR CDAC website here: https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/hunt/CDACFind.aspx

Doe tags will go on sale in August, I don’t think I’ve seen an exact date yet. In my county tags sell out every year in the first hour or so every year. The state uses a metered access queue to the license website on the day of the sale, with order of the queue being randomized. I would suggest being online ready to go whenever tags go on sale to have a shot.

Unfortunately in my county, managing the deer herd at the the county level is too high level. The deer population varies a lot across the county due to a mix of tourist/heavily developed areas, and areas where wolf predation is high. Don’t get me started on Wisconsin’s current inability to manage its own wolf population…

Good luck!

 

[Kyle K]

Where we hunt in the northern zone there are always plenty of doe tags, but I know ot varies from county to county. Where are you looking at hunting?