[horntagger]

The Wisconsin system - and its turkey population - is now the envy of hunters and biologists in most eastern and southern states where turkey numbers have declined substantially

Smith: Wild turkey restoration efforts in Wisconsin have been a model of success, and with the population deemed healthy, DNR nudges up spring tags

 

[swampchicken]

Are just the in state hunters happy with it? Non-residents are the furthest down the line to draw an early season tag. Land owners have a higher preference of drawing a tag than the general public. WI turkey numbers are on the decline. Thier population is not stable.

 

[20']

Residents should be taken care of first over NR.

 

[swampchicken]

Residents should be taken care of first over NR.

Should a land owner be put ahead of a person that doesn't own his own land in a drawing for a tag?

 

[20']

Should a land owner be put ahead of a person that doesn't own his own land in a drawing for a tag?

My order would be residents then NR (nr landowners same as NR hunters)

 

[swampchicken]

That's not quite how Wisconsin draws tags. Resident landowners are awarded tag before regular residents.

 

[20']

That's not quite how Wisconsin draws tags. Resident landowners are awarded tag before regular residents.

That is probably fair, assuming the tag is only good on their land.

 

[swampchicken]

No, it's good anywhere in that zone.

 

[20']

No, it's good anywhere in that zone.

that seems odd to me, honestly I would have zero issue with a resident landowner getting first dibs, but only for their land, otherwise if you want to hunt you land and POSSIBLY other land in the unit then you go into the next group???? Does that seem unfair or too difficult to have a draw system to accommodate that? If so, just have a draw for residents only, then the next include residents and NR. Not overly concerned with WI, we have enough to worry about with our well financed MDC!

 

[rat]

that seems odd to me, honestly I would have zero issue with a resident landowner getting first dibs, but only for their land, otherwise if you want to hunt you land and POSSIBLY other land in the unit then you go into the next group???? Does that seem unfair or too difficult to have a draw system to accommodate that? If so, just have a draw for residents only, then the next include residents and NR. Not overly concerned with WI, we have enough to worry about with our well financed MDC!

More defund the MDC talk I see.

 

[Sawdust and Fire]

There are thousands of spring tags leftover every year in WI. Landowners are all getting to hunt. I dont see what the big issue is about who gets preference.

 

[swat1018]

That is probably fair, assuming the tag is only good on their land.

Fair to who? I bet I pay more tax in MO than you do, while you draw more on MO for resources than I do. Everyone is at war with NR, like that is the problem.

 

[20']

Fair to who? I bet I pay more tax in MO than you do, while you draw more on MO for resources than I do. Everyone is at war with NR, like that is the problem.

I believe the conversation was in regards to WI resident landowners getting first dibs on draw pemits for turkeys? My thought was that seems fair if the permits are good on their land only, otherwise if they want permits to hunt other WI land they should be the same classification or draw odds as other residents? And, residents should take precedence over NR, JMO.....and don't care if you pay more taxes or not, it is based on residency requirements, not tax filings

 

[swampchicken]

There are thousands of spring tags leftover every year in WI. Landowners are all getting to hunt. I dont see what the big issue is about who gets preference.

Not all zones have tags left over.

 

[Sawdust and Fire]

Not all zones have tags left over.

Swampchicken,

That right, but the 2 zones that didn't have tags leftover don't have many turkeys and killed around 1200 total birds in 2022.

 

[swampchicken]

Zone 2 only has the 5th and 6th week left zone 5 is about the same also. Zones 6 and 7 have expanding turkey population unlike the southern zones. They would have killed more birds in Northern zones if there was more tags available.

 

[swampchicken]

Wisconsin's system is not the "envy of hunter's and biologist's" in my opinion.