# Hunters Fighting Against Earn-a-Buck Hunting Areas



## R y a n (Apr 4, 2005)

> *Hunters Fighting Against Earn-a-Buck Hunting Areas*
> AP-Wisconsin Rapids, WI
> 
> The petition is circling and now thousands of Wisconsin hunters are saying, abolish the Earn-a-Buck system or we won't hunt.
> ...


http://www.wsaw.com/home/headlines/15888492.html

Geeezzzz just because they first need to shoot a doe? They give up hunting entirely?

Am I missing something?


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## sandcritter (Jan 24, 2008)

Can understand some feeling like throwing in the towel in disgust. Nobody wants to feel dictated to, not being able to shoot the buck in front of you and not knowing if you'll ever get such a chance again. Could see a very small percentage "giving up", but a larger chunk only sitting out a season or two before they give in and rejoin. Deer hunting in Wisconsin is second perhaps only to Packer fan-dom. We're born into it. You might turn the television off in disgust (back in the day), but you are still excited about the team by next training season. So, no matter the frustration with deer regs, it's near impossible to stay away and be happy about it - the only cure is to go back out hunting. :beer:


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## Kelly Hannan (Jan 9, 2007)

the worst part, in the areas where you have to earn a buck, there is a no hunting sign posted every 10 feet. land owners won't let anyone in and you can't hunt. from what I remember hunting there a few years ago, I grew up there and hunted for years, most hunters ride around in thier trucks drinking beer and shooting from the road.

The State of Wisconsin needs to work with the farmers to allow people to hunt, then offer cheap antlerless tags, and no earn a buck. The areas where this earn a buck is, are some prime hunting areas, and alot of it is set up where you rent a spot to sit. I won't pay to hunt unless I get the whole farm. I was told once several years ago, and this came from the farmers hired help, that it cost $600 per day, per hunter, and you got a little stack of straw bales to make a blind. Don't move, because you might spoil the next guys chances.

NO THANKS


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## hunter121390 (Nov 7, 2006)

> the worst part, in the areas where you have to earn a buck, there is a no hunting sign posted every 10 feet. land owners won't let anyone in and you can't hunt. from what I remember hunting there a few years ago, I grew up there and hunted for years, most hunters ride around in thier trucks drinking beer and shooting from the road.


.

i agree with the first part, but not the second part. a lot of landowners won't let people hunt, but there are not that many people that drive around and shoot out of their trucks. i've grown up around hunting, and i can only remember 2 times that i have seen people shooting out of trucks, in 17 years, down here in souther wisconsin and in northern wisconsin. most people hunt ethically around here.

i say get rid of earn-a-buck, keep antlerless tags cheap, and offer some kind of incentive for people to shoot does. a lot of people won't shoot does, because either their trophy hunters, they don't want the meat, or they just don't believe in shooting does. trophy hunters need to try and change their approach, and shoot does. if you just want the rack, then donate the meat. there are millions of people around the U.S. that need food. people who don't want the meat because they have too much or don't want to deal with it can also donate it. what's wrong with shooting does? i see no problem with it. for me since i started hunting it's been if it's brown or down, i don't care if it's a buck or doe. i hunt for meat, and so do most of the people i know. i guess thats my :2cents: .

sorry for the book


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## Lil Sand Bay (Feb 2, 2005)

Here in Bayfield County the DNR has tried the Earn a Buck, as well as the "T" season (4day pre reg. season doe only). The T season, from my observation, got lukewarm participation, and like the previous posters, the Earn a Buck received some heated contempt. Still the problem of a growing herd remains. I thought that the heavy snow cover and low temps this season might really knock the herd down, but I live way out in the brush and in traveling around daily it doesn't look like that will happen. Access isn't an issue, as between the County, State, Fed., and Forest Crop Management Prog. we've got in excess of 1 1/4 million acres of public land to hunt here in this county alone. The Earn a Buck season even had a four day T season included so the "pass the trophy on opening day" issue was not in play. Last season the DNR offered a free doe tag with the license and cheap extra tags plus a four day late doe...and the herd grows! 
Its a hunter reeducation problem, and all that unrealistic, sell 'ya something, cable TV hunting crap isn't helping much. As for me; deer is venison.


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## Kelly Hannan (Jan 9, 2007)

Hunter, I don't know what part of the state you hunt in, but where I grew up and hunted for 20+ years road hunting is a very serious problem. It isn't safe to be in the woods. It got so bad, the DNR set up remote control decoys to catch people shooting from the road. Maybe not out of the vehicle, but from the road. Read the police reports in the local papers, it full of names around hunting season. Also I could give a list of hunters about 5 pages long that I have known or seen do it. All you have to do is get close to the upper and lower Wyoming Valleys by Spring Green and watch out. Watch a little closer next season, you'll see!


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