Wisconsin legislators should restore deer carcass tagging, for name’s sake
Without tagging of a deer taken into possession, it is nearly impossible for a Wisconsin DNR game warden to walk into a deer camp and make sense of antlers and baldies.
Who shot what? Even the hunters may not know which deer was shot by which hunter. Lost deer off a vehicle? Who shot it? And the ramifications of not identifying ownership are numerous.
Now, when writing, reading, or speaking about these new-fangled terms that legally are not carcass tags, an entirely new set of terms, such as bonus antlerless deer harvest authorizations replaces familiar hunting lingo like “tag.”
In addition, we don’t “harvest” deer. John Deere has not come up with a combine to will do that and has no plans, I suspect, to do so. Nor do we “take” deer. You do that off grocery store shelves. We shoot deer. Deer used to be tagged. They still are registered, shot, taken into possession, and processed.
During the 2019 spring hearings, participants voted 5,826 to 2,237 to restore deer carcass tagging. The question passed in 71 of 72 counties. In-person voters voted 2,219 to 719 to do same. This move would, among other things, require legislation.
It’s past time to get going on this.
You may also like
-
Field to Table: How to Butcher and Process a Deer Like a Chef: Tips for Perfect Venison Every Time
-
Your Guide To The 2024 Gun Deer Season, Good luck in the upcoming 2024 gun deer season.
-
Help Fight Food Insecurity In Wisconsin, Participate In The DNR’s Deer Donation Program
-
Find Your Adventure: Wisconsin’s Gun Deer Season Begins Saturday, Nov. 23
-
Registering Your Deer Harvest (video)