LAST UPDATED: May 8th, 2015
Bowhunting.com’s Wisconsin readers may just be interested in having their voices heard this April. The following story comes to us out of this state’s capital.
Madison, Wis. (AP) — A select group of sportsmen who advise state wildlife officials will ask outdoor lovers this spring whether earn-a-buck regulations should end.
The earn-a-buck program forces hunters to shoot antlerless deer before taking a buck. It’s designed as a population-control measure, but many hunters despise it because it forces them to pass up trophy kills.
Preliminary totals indicate hunters killed 19 percent fewer deer during November’s gun hunt, leading many to conclude the deer population has shrunk. State experts are still crunching the final figures.
The Wisconsin Conservation Congress plans to ask outdoor lovers at its April hearings whether they support ending the earn-a-buck program. A yes answer would only advise state officials, not end the program.
The staff at Bowhunting.com wants to hear the Wisconsin hunter’s thoughts on the earn-a-buck program. Do you feel as though deer numbers are down enough to do away with the program this next deer season? And why?
