DNR Suggests Earn-a-Buck Stoppage

[Ben Sobieck]

Source: Stevens Point Journal

WAUSAU, Wis. - The state Department of Natural Resources is recommending a one-year moratorium on an unpopular rule that requires deer hunters to shoot an antlerless deer before they kill a buck.

DNR Secretary Matt Frank said Thursday the earn-a-buck moratorium would be in effect throughout Wisconsin next season except in the chronic wasting disease zone in the southern part of the state.

"We know that earn-a-buck has never been popular, but we really heard a lot about it this past year," Frank said. "We felt having a one-year moratorium was a reasonable action. We are not giving up our long-term efforts to reach our deer population goals. Those are important for many reasons."

The recommendation now goes to the Natural Resources Board.

Continue reading here

[gunther89]

If they are going to cut EAB then cut it for the whole state.  I hunt in the CWD zone and there aren't that many deer where I hunt but yet I will still have to shoot a doe first.  If there gonna get rid of it then get rid of it for the whole state!

[Woody]

 Ben you dont mess around just saw this on local news at 4:00 came on to post this and you were as usual a step ahead.
I have never really been a big fan of the eab. Im guessing (hoping)this would eliminate the t zone as well? That early tzone in october was just a bad deal for the bow hunters out there.
One thing about the eab program is that IMO I think it helped with producing more qaulity bucks. Not sure and dont have any numbers to back this up but just seems that way in the area I hunt.
I guess we will see what happens when it goes to the DNR board.
I will now see what everyone else has to say.....

[Fish]

[8|]

[Bigfoot]

nope it's says in the dnr press release that those eab units would be herd control units which means 4 days of rifle hunting in mid-October and 2 dollar anterless bonus tags with big numbers available

ORIGINAL: Woody

 Ben you dont mess around just saw this on local news at 4:00 came on to post this and you were as usual a step ahead.
I have never really been a big fan of the eab. Im guessing (hoping)this would eliminate the t zone as well? That early tzone in october was just a bad deal for the bow hunters out there.
One thing about the eab program is that IMO I think it helped with producing more qaulity bucks. Not sure and dont have any numbers to back this up but just seems that way in the area I hunt.
I guess we will see what happens when it goes to the DNR board.
I will now see what everyone else has to say.....

[gunther89]

Woody I will agree with you that the only good I have seen out of EAB is more quality bucks.  We have seen alot more 2.5 and 3.5 year old bucks in our area which makes hunters happy.

[Woody]

Thanks Bigfoot must of missed this first time I read it. Not really what I wanted to see. Thats probably why I missed it the first time...Thanks

[wack]

Aww, Darn, what am I going to do with my EAB sticker I worked so hard for? [:)]

Before I start celebrating I noticed the word "recommend". Meaning, not carved in stone.  I also read," We are not giving up our long-term efforts to reach our deer population goals. Those are important for many reasons." Meaning the goals haven't changed, just the method, and the method change is temporary. 1 year.

The timing is interesting, just in time to try to defuse the meeting in Madison next week. We still need to show up because either the goals are too low or the estimate is too high and getting rid of EAB wont stop over harvest if they're handing out tags by the millions.

I saw Gov. Doyle on the news saying it's hard enough to count people, even harder to count deer who ever counts them uses a scientific formula. He doesn't have a clue, he didn't even know who counts the deer. He's kissing behinds because someone told him angry hunters were coming to the capital. That airplane highjack must have scared him. lol This is A PR stunt to defuse the hunters rally at the capital and we need to show up anyways, just dropping EAB for a year isn't going to cut it and they need to know that we are serious. Prove the numbers or raise the goals.We're not against EAB,EAB is a tool that needs to be used responsibly, it's the goal that's irresponsible. I've got several un used tags for 07 and 08 and think a tag party is still needed. We need accurate numbers on deer, bears and wolves, and we need our elk with an appropriate plan for each.

[wack]

I just heard a chanel 5 news promo saying, "Hunters are happy, about the DNR EAB proposal." I don't think they got that quite right. Are we happy? Did we get the job done? I for one don't think so.

[Centralwisconsinland]

See you all in Madison April 15, 2009.