MADISON - The Natural Resources Board has approved a Department of Natural Resources request to hear public comment on proposed rules for next fall's deer hunt within the Chronic Wasting Disease Management Units. Eight public hearings have been scheduled.
The hearings will coincide with Deer Management Unit Information meetings already scheduled, according to Don Bates, CWD program supervisor at the Dodgeville service center. The information meetings will be conducted first between 5 and 7 p.m., followed by the CWD hearings at 7 p.m.
The meeting/hearing schedule is as follows:
DMUs 75A, 76 and 76M - Tuesday, March 18, Fitchburg Community Center, 5510 Lacy Road, Fitchburg.
DMUs 73A, 73B and 73D - Tuesday, March 18, Grant County Youth & Ag Building, 916 E. Elm St. Lancaster.
DMUs 76A and 77A - Wednesday, March 19, Black Hawk Technical College, 6004 S. County Road G, Janesville.
DMUs 70A, 70C, 70D, 73B, 73E, 75B, 75C, and 75D - March 20, Dodger Bowl, 318 King St., Dodgeville.
Citizens can stop in any time during the information meetings and ask questions of deer managers regarding such topics as aerial survey results, deer population numbers and estimates, past season harvest numbers and 2008 season structure proposals.
Those wishing to comment for the record on the CWD rules may do so at the hearings that begin at 7 p.m. Written comments can also be submitted to Alan Crossley, CWD Project Manager, 101 S. Webster St. P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707.
Here is a brief summary of the proposed rules for the CWD management areas of Wisconsin. Many of these proposals emerged from the proceedings of the CWD Stakeholder Advisory Group that recently forwarded its recommendations to DNR secretary Matt Frank.
• Combine the Disease Eradication Zone and the Herd Reduction Zone into one zone, called the Chronic Wasting Disease Management Zone (CWD-MZ).
Instead of a deer population goal of five deer per square mile within the DEZ and 10 deer per square mile with the HRZ, interim population goals would be established for each Deer Management Unit contained within the new CWD-MZ. The base line would be the goals set for the 2001 season, minus 20 percent.
• Authorize the use of rifles within the CWD-MZ with the exception of metro units.
• Restrict the movement of whole cervid carcasses into the state from areas known to have a prevalence of CWD.
• Restrict the movement of cervid carcasses out of the CWD-MZ to other parts of the state.
• Allow the harvest of white and albino deer in the entire CWD-MZ.
• Provide for an archery season from Sept. 13-Jan. 4.
• Offer an early firearm season from Oct. 16-19 in addition to a nine-day firearm season from Nov. 22-30.
A number of late season opportunities are also included in the mix including a muzzleloader season and a holiday firearm season.
The recommendations from the CWD Stakeholder omitted an early firearm season. A proposal to allow hunters to harvest one buck before reverting to an Earn-A-Buck format was denied.
A recent update to the 2007 CWD testing program reveals 131 deer have tested positive for the disease. Of the 8,214 samples collected statewide, all but 219 have been analyzed. Of the deer testing positive, 122 came from the Disease Eradication Zone with the remaining nine coming from the Herd Reduction Zone.
- Lee Fahrney can be reached at (608) 967-2208 or fiveoaks@mhtc.net.
The hearings will coincide with Deer Management Unit Information meetings already scheduled, according to Don Bates, CWD program supervisor at the Dodgeville service center. The information meetings will be conducted first between 5 and 7 p.m., followed by the CWD hearings at 7 p.m.
The meeting/hearing schedule is as follows:
DMUs 75A, 76 and 76M - Tuesday, March 18, Fitchburg Community Center, 5510 Lacy Road, Fitchburg.
DMUs 73A, 73B and 73D - Tuesday, March 18, Grant County Youth & Ag Building, 916 E. Elm St. Lancaster.
DMUs 76A and 77A - Wednesday, March 19, Black Hawk Technical College, 6004 S. County Road G, Janesville.
DMUs 70A, 70C, 70D, 73B, 73E, 75B, 75C, and 75D - March 20, Dodger Bowl, 318 King St., Dodgeville.
Citizens can stop in any time during the information meetings and ask questions of deer managers regarding such topics as aerial survey results, deer population numbers and estimates, past season harvest numbers and 2008 season structure proposals.
Those wishing to comment for the record on the CWD rules may do so at the hearings that begin at 7 p.m. Written comments can also be submitted to Alan Crossley, CWD Project Manager, 101 S. Webster St. P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707.
Here is a brief summary of the proposed rules for the CWD management areas of Wisconsin. Many of these proposals emerged from the proceedings of the CWD Stakeholder Advisory Group that recently forwarded its recommendations to DNR secretary Matt Frank.
• Combine the Disease Eradication Zone and the Herd Reduction Zone into one zone, called the Chronic Wasting Disease Management Zone (CWD-MZ).
Instead of a deer population goal of five deer per square mile within the DEZ and 10 deer per square mile with the HRZ, interim population goals would be established for each Deer Management Unit contained within the new CWD-MZ. The base line would be the goals set for the 2001 season, minus 20 percent.
• Authorize the use of rifles within the CWD-MZ with the exception of metro units.
• Restrict the movement of whole cervid carcasses into the state from areas known to have a prevalence of CWD.
• Restrict the movement of cervid carcasses out of the CWD-MZ to other parts of the state.
• Allow the harvest of white and albino deer in the entire CWD-MZ.
• Provide for an archery season from Sept. 13-Jan. 4.
• Offer an early firearm season from Oct. 16-19 in addition to a nine-day firearm season from Nov. 22-30.
A number of late season opportunities are also included in the mix including a muzzleloader season and a holiday firearm season.
The recommendations from the CWD Stakeholder omitted an early firearm season. A proposal to allow hunters to harvest one buck before reverting to an Earn-A-Buck format was denied.
A recent update to the 2007 CWD testing program reveals 131 deer have tested positive for the disease. Of the 8,214 samples collected statewide, all but 219 have been analyzed. Of the deer testing positive, 122 came from the Disease Eradication Zone with the remaining nine coming from the Herd Reduction Zone.
- Lee Fahrney can be reached at (608) 967-2208 or fiveoaks@mhtc.net.
