Mentored Hunting Program
For those who did not see Sen. Jon Erpenbach's article in the Monday edition of the Monroe Times, the governor signed into law recently the Mentored Hunting Program, allowing 10- and11-year-olds to hunt. Here are the basics of the new law.
Rules that apply to the hunter:
- Must be at least 10 years old.
- Must have the appropriate valid hunting license, permits and tags.
- May only hunt while within arms reach of a mentor.
- Must follow all other hunting laws, seasons and bag limits.
- Hunters aged 10-11 may only hunt under these mentorship rules, even if they have already completed hunter education.
Rules that apply to the Mentor:
- Must be at least 18 years old.
- Must be a hunter education course graduate if born after Jan. 1, 1973.
- Must be a hunter's parent or guardian or have permission of the parent or guardian.
- Must have a current year's hunting license.
- Only serve as a mentor for one hunter at a time.
Note: Only one firearm, bow or crossbow (if eligible) can be possessed between the hunter and the mentor.
Gov. Jim Doyle signed Wis. Act 38 recently, which will allow the possession of so-called green skins (whole pelts) of lawfully harvested fur-bearing animals at any time of the year.
In the past, the law required that the animals be skinned, fleshed and dried by the sixth day after the season closed. Not all trappers, however, had the time, desire or skill to skin, flesh, stretch and dry their own fur. As a result, they were unable to hold onto their furs until the prices improved or they had the time to "put them up."
The irregular fur markets of the recent past have put trappers in a bind, according to veteran trapper Wayne Smith of Darlington. "With the way the prices are now you might have to hold onto them for a while to find a buyer," he suggests.
"The whole market is locked up," he adds. "Some of the fur buyers still haven't moved all of last year's furs."
A lot of it has to do with the market in Russia because that is where many of the furs harvested in Wisconsin are sold, he claims. As a result, Smith anticipates the prices of such species as mink and raccoon will be low again this fall.
The new law will also allow the sale of carcasses of certain game animals at any time of year and the sale of certain parts which were also not legal to sell during the closed season. It also provides for the sale of wild rabbits taken under the landowner authority and under the wildlife damage and nuisance control authority.
As in the past, rabbits taken by hunters during the open season must also be immediately killed and included in the daily bag limit, but the carcass or the meat may now be sold at any time of year if lawfully taken or possessed. It is still illegal to possess live wild rabbits unless the person has an appropriate captive wildlife license.
Another important provision of the new law requires that trap tags carry the name and address of the operator of the trap. Previously, the name and address of the owner of the trap was required. If two individuals trap together and take turns checking the trap line, the trap tag or tags must have both their names and addresses.
Those trappers who would prefer their names not be listed on the trap may use instead their DNR customer identification number. This still allows DNR staff to determine the identity of the person doing the trapping.
The general prohibition on the sale of deer, bear, game birds, game fish and protected and endangered species has not changed. As in the past, there are exceptions such as the hide, head, claws, teeth, antlers or tail which can be sold upon removal from a lawfully killed and registered carcass.
- Lee Fahrney is the Monroe Times outdoors writer. He can be reached at (608) 967-2208 or at fiveoaks@mhtc.net.
