Coon Hunters offer free vaccinations
Free rabies vaccinations, sponsored by Pecatonica River Coon Hunters, will be available at the Argyle Rod & Gun Club, Saturday, Dec. 5 from 8 a.m. to noon.
The vaccinations are available for both one- and three-year cycles.
Ft. Dodge Laboratories is providing the vaccine and local veterinarians will administer the shots.
The free vaccination event coincides with the requirement to pay dog license fees at the same time property taxes come due, according to Pecatonica River Coon Hunters member Ken Risley.
While the group originally offered the service as a way of giving back to landowners allowing hunting on their property, the event is now open to any pet owner, especially those whose pets might not otherwise get the vaccination.
Contact Risley at (608) 558-4640 for more information.
With the Dec. 10 deadline for spring turkey permit applications approaching, Department of Natural Resources officials are encouraging hunters to make sure they submit accurate information on the application form.
One area of recurring concern regards landowners not having the required number of acres to take advantage of landowner preference permits. Violations of the 50-acre requirement can be costly.
According to DNR Chief Warden Randy Stark, fines could range as high as $544, plus up to three years revocation of all hunting, fishing and trapping privileges. The Wisconsin statute involved, Stark says, prohibits providing incorrect information in order to obtain an approval to which one is not otherwise entitled.
The law also includes residency fraud whereby non-residents claim to be Wisconsin citizens based on owning land in the state or by hunters who are legal residents of Wisconsin but who are discovered hunting in a different zone than the one listed on the application.
The problem was particularly acute during the spring 2009 season when the number of zones was reduced to seven. Much of the problem then had to do with hunters failing to follow carefully the instructions while filling out the application or being unsure of dividing lines between zones. In some cases, landowners own property that extends across the boundary between two different zones.
In the past, many of the residency-related citations issued under this law have been written to out-of-state residents, most of whom are Illinois citizens claiming Wisconsin residency.
Adams County Conservation Warden Wade Romberg issued citations to three family members from the Chicago area that paid more than $3,000 in fines because they had claimed Wisconsin residency over a six-year period. "It could have been more," he asserted.
Romberg also randomly crosschecks applications from landowners with a plat book and other county records to ensure they meet the 50-acre requirement. "I think it's important to uphold the integrity of the process and reduce the number of hunters that are denied a tag because someone else made a mistake or took advantage of the system."
The number of permits for the spring 2010 season will remain the same as 2009 for all zones except Zone 6 where available permits will increase from 4,200 to 4,500. A total of 225,729 permits are up for grabs.
Hunters harvested 52,581 turkeys during the spring 2009 season. The success rate statewide was just more than 24 percent.
Successful applicants will be notified by mail in early February. The application fee is $3 and forms are available at any DNR Service Center, licensing outlet or online. Any left over permits will go on sale at a date and time to be determined later.
Approximately two-thirds of the 2009 spring permits were issued through the preference drawing process with the rest sold over the counter. Over-the-counter permits cost $10 for residents and $15 for non-residents.
New for 2010 is the Mentored Hunting Program that allows persons age 10 and up to hunt without having completed the Hunter Safety Program. During the Spring Turkey Youth Hunt, youth 10-15 years of age are eligible to participate provided they hunt with an adult mentor.
The spring wild turkey season consists of six periods, each running for five days. Periods are: April 14-18; April 21-25; April 28-May 2; May 5-9; May 12-16; and, May 19-23.
Officials remind bear hunters that applications for permits or preference points are also due Dec. 10. Application fee is $3.
- Lee Fahrney is the Monroe Times outdoors writer. He can be reached at (608) 967-2208 or fiveoaks@mhtc.net.
One area of recurring concern regards landowners not having the required number of acres to take advantage of landowner preference permits. Violations of the 50-acre requirement can be costly.
According to DNR Chief Warden Randy Stark, fines could range as high as $544, plus up to three years revocation of all hunting, fishing and trapping privileges. The Wisconsin statute involved, Stark says, prohibits providing incorrect information in order to obtain an approval to which one is not otherwise entitled.
The law also includes residency fraud whereby non-residents claim to be Wisconsin citizens based on owning land in the state or by hunters who are legal residents of Wisconsin but who are discovered hunting in a different zone than the one listed on the application.
The problem was particularly acute during the spring 2009 season when the number of zones was reduced to seven. Much of the problem then had to do with hunters failing to follow carefully the instructions while filling out the application or being unsure of dividing lines between zones. In some cases, landowners own property that extends across the boundary between two different zones.
In the past, many of the residency-related citations issued under this law have been written to out-of-state residents, most of whom are Illinois citizens claiming Wisconsin residency.
Adams County Conservation Warden Wade Romberg issued citations to three family members from the Chicago area that paid more than $3,000 in fines because they had claimed Wisconsin residency over a six-year period. "It could have been more," he asserted.
Romberg also randomly crosschecks applications from landowners with a plat book and other county records to ensure they meet the 50-acre requirement. "I think it's important to uphold the integrity of the process and reduce the number of hunters that are denied a tag because someone else made a mistake or took advantage of the system."
The number of permits for the spring 2010 season will remain the same as 2009 for all zones except Zone 6 where available permits will increase from 4,200 to 4,500. A total of 225,729 permits are up for grabs.
Hunters harvested 52,581 turkeys during the spring 2009 season. The success rate statewide was just more than 24 percent.
Successful applicants will be notified by mail in early February. The application fee is $3 and forms are available at any DNR Service Center, licensing outlet or online. Any left over permits will go on sale at a date and time to be determined later.
Approximately two-thirds of the 2009 spring permits were issued through the preference drawing process with the rest sold over the counter. Over-the-counter permits cost $10 for residents and $15 for non-residents.
New for 2010 is the Mentored Hunting Program that allows persons age 10 and up to hunt without having completed the Hunter Safety Program. During the Spring Turkey Youth Hunt, youth 10-15 years of age are eligible to participate provided they hunt with an adult mentor.
The spring wild turkey season consists of six periods, each running for five days. Periods are: April 14-18; April 21-25; April 28-May 2; May 5-9; May 12-16; and, May 19-23.
Officials remind bear hunters that applications for permits or preference points are also due Dec. 10. Application fee is $3.
- Lee Fahrney is the Monroe Times outdoors writer. He can be reached at (608) 967-2208 or fiveoaks@mhtc.net.
