Come Monday, April 13, citizens across Wisconsin will have an opportunity to voice their opinions on proposed changes relating to hunting, fishing and trapping when the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Wisconsin Conservation Congress hosts the annual fish and wildlife hearings in all 72 Wisconsin counties.

This year's event marks the 75th anniversary of a tradition started by Aldo Leopold and other noted Wisconsin conservationists. The Conservation Congress is now a legislatively created advisory body to the Department of Natural Resources and Natural Resources Board. All meetings will begin at 7 p.m. at the locations listed below.

Proposals are presented in a series of questions on which participants vote, thus delivering their thoughts to decision-makers within the natural resources community and the legislature.

The questions relate to rule change proposals from the DNR or proposals submitted by the Conservation Congress or the Natural Resources Board. While this year's questionnaire contains 91 questions, many of them deal with regional or local issues pertaining to other areas of the state, thereby taking little or no time to process.

Citizens may also present resolutions at the hearings and have them introduced for possible consideration at next year's event. Information on how to format the proposal is available on the DNR website or you may contact a Conservation Congress delegate from your county.

Most questions generate minimal discussion. However, Question 57, pertaining to an alternative to Earn-a-Buck restrictions, emerges as perhaps the most controversial issue participants will discuss during the hearings, based on recent internet banter and informal conversation.

The introduction to the question includes this passage: "The use of the Earn-a-Buck deer season in Wisconsin has been controversial, unpopular and seemingly unfair to many hunters since its inception."

Unfairness as described in the introduction relates to "one hunter being able to hunt bucks for 100 days (bow hunters) while another hunter (gun hunter) may never have even one day's chance."

The question met with much debate at a meeting of the Conservation Congress Executive Council meeting in La Crosse, Jan. 9, but survived a motion to reject.

The discussion revealed that both DNR and Conservation Congress delegates have received numerous complaints about EAB, which has prompted attempts to come up with an alternative.

The question reads:

"In areas or DMUs (Deer Management Units) of high over-goal deer populations, and in an effort to provide equal buck-hunting opportunity to all hunters in those units, would you prefer the concept of shortening buck hunting opportunity by limiting the buck harvest equally for all hunters on a seasonal basis instead of limiting individual opportunity through the use of EAB?"

Proposals related to turkey hunting would extend the fall season to include most of December and allow for the registration of turkeys through a call in system.

Participants will weigh in on a proposal to extend the bobcat season structure and whether magnifying scopes should be allowed on muzzleloaders.

Other proposals would attempt to improve waterfowl hunting, allow for the harvest of stocked hen pheasants and modify deer hunting opportunities.

Fisheries proposals include eliminating the requirement for barbless hooks during the early catch-and-release trout season and clarify rules related to the use of remote controlled devices for fishing.

Citizens will also elect local delegates to the Wisconsin Conservation Congress during the Congress portion of the meeting.

-Lee Fahrney is the outdoors writer for the Monroe Times and can be reached at (608) 967-2208 or fiveoaks@mhtc.net.