Spring Hearings

Hi guys For you guys that attend the spring hearings I'm asking for your support to question #68 to eliminate the 50% concealment rule when hunting from a boat. In Licoln County last spring I submitted a Resolution for this and it passed. It is now up for a statewide vote this year. This will open up alot more shoreline and still allow hunting in or near emergent vegitation without the 50% rule. Another one is the expanding open water hunting on 10 lakes that will be up for a vote this year also. Thanks!

And which side of the fence do you feel Kent has fallen?

If the teal would have been on the this ballot, the public would have a chance to speak. Now the only chance they get will be the 4 low attended waterfowl meetings in late summer though I personally feel Kent already has his mind made up.

Seen the results and the majority spoke. There has been lots of rumors floating about on this early Teal season. M.H. says it's wrong if the Public isn't given the chance to vote on it. Would be nice if the Public is given a chance to speak on it!

Results from last night are now posted on the DNR website. Tim

If I had my way, swans would be open on the bay and river. Why just here? That's where the most are and it also is the best way to reduce conflicts with tundras. I also submitted a resolution to change the zones. We can only do it every 5 years but I would like to see a north, central and south zone. The river would be with the central and the lake would be with the south. It would be a good compromise all around without having to use a zone for just the lake or just the river. PM me if you want details.

but yet according to you as you have pointed out in previous comments the majority of the species ok to hunt (tundra) are on the river mainly...and if I'm not mistaken I thought you even said its possible they might do just the Mississippi river for the hunt or am I wrong in that? I know I commented before I can't support that type of hunt unless its open statewide as I see tons on the bay and lake Michigan. I sat in on the zone discussion group Kent put together before giving the third zone to the Mississippi. I never felt more railroaded and underrepresented in my life...out of like 18 guys there (9 or more from the river) I was the only one included to represent Lake Michigan and Green Bay. Those bodies of water have way more shoreline and water area the all of the Mississippi...what's even more sad is they really don't do anything different then the southern zone...what a waste!!!!! Lake Michigan could be hunted so much later into the year and actually have ducks on it.

You could not be more wrong on the swan season being for the river guys. I am the one who started it all.

What do you expect Kent gives the Mississippi "guys" everything they want. Their own zone....possible teal and swan hunt....both will go through as long as Kent believes the Mississippi "guys" want it. He believes the majority of WI waterfowl hunters hunt the mighty Miss....he couldn't be more wrong. It might be a travel destination for a trophy or two...or an annual trip for a group of guys but there are so many more places to hunt that are way more heavily hunted. He doesn't believe any reports of the amount of pressure on Lake Michigan...heck he doesn't believe the amount of pressure or number of people that hunt the bay of Green Bay.

These are really good questions for Kent Van Horn Email--- [email protected] He is very good about responding in depth and fairly promptly

How many were sent out and how many were returned? Say they sent 1000 out and 500 came back, 2000 people had already said keep it the same. What makes those 500 more important?

I received the zone survey as did one other person I know.

The dove.season is already established. Kent spoke even less about this at the migratory meeting than teal. Think back to 2011 when 3 options for duck zones were voted on and the state asked for everything to stay the same based on the results. Suddenly during the summer, Kent presents new options that were never voted on and here we are now with 3 zones that have not improved anything. Did anyone get that survey? In the past 18 years I have never received any sort of waterfowl survey in Wisconsin.

Looks like the Feds are going to allow more days for dove hunting and allow a split. Should Van Horn have put that on the spring ballot for public input? Haven't heard much about it. Feels like its getting snuck in the back door.

My apologies as saying kent is pushing it. That's the wrong terminology. It should be presented on a much larger scale than it is. Also the feels like it's being snuck in the backdoor.

He could have very easily asked for it to be a spring ballot question for statewide opinion but decided to send out a "survey" to very few. Yes the feds are offering it but Kent is not doing much to actually spread the word.