With various zones, seasons, and tagging options, Wisconsin's rules for
deer hunting can be somewhat difficult to interpret. With the archery
deer season opening on Sept. 18, Conservation Warden Mark Little said
it's important to be clear about the Earn-A-Buck (EAB) Unit rules. "All
hunters who plan to hunt in an EAB Unit, such as DMU 72, must shoot an
antlerless deer in an EAB Unit before shooting an antlered buck in an
EAB Unit," said Little, who works out of the Tomah Ranger office. "But
the antlerless deer and the antlered buck do not have to be killed in
the same EAB Unit."
A hunter might. for example, harvest a doe in EAB Unit 72 during the
archery season, then harvest the earned antlered buck during the
November gun deer season in EAB Unit 59D. As noted, the Buck
Authorization sticker is not weapon-specific.
Hunters should tag their antlerless deer just like they always have,
using one of the antlerless tags received with each hunting license.
There is no special EAB tag. When a hunter registers an antlerless deer
in the EAB Unit of kill, or any adjacent Deer Management Unit, they
will receive the Buck Authorization sticker. Hunters should make sure
they are at a registration station issuing stickers. The sticker will
have the hunter's Customer Identification Number written on it. That
sticker should be attached to the hunter's regular gun or archery
carcass tag when the buck is harvested.
Each hunter must earn his or her own Buck Authorization, and only that hunter
can use the Buck Authorization sticker. Little pointed out that,
"Under the gun deer group hunting laws, a
hunter may shoot an
antlerless deer and have another nearby hunting party member tag the
deer. When the deer is registered, the hunter that tagged the deer will
be issued the sticker. Likewise, a person can group hunt for antlered
bucks during a firearm deer season to fill other hunter's buck
approvals, but only if all the group hunting laws are followed."
Hunters must harvest an antlerless deer in an EAB Unit prior to
harvesting an antlered buck in an EAB Unit. However, a hunter does not
need to have the antlerless deer registered before shooting the
antlered buck.
"A hunter may continue hunting after killing and tagging the doe,"
Thiede said, "If a buck is harvested, both deer must be together in the
field and during transportation until they are registered." A hunter
will not be issued a Buck Authorization sticker if they register a buck
and an antlerless deer together.
It is illegal to
use vehicle-killed deer or antlerless deer that have already been
registered to obtain a Buck Authorization sticker. "Young hunters are
watching for behavior that erodes their outdoor heritage," Little said.
"Hunters must model and support outdoor traditions that they can be
proud of." Violations can be reported to the DNR HOTLINE at
1-800-847-9367.
--Tomah Journal
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