Wisconsin Mixed Bag: Bonus antlerless deer ‘tags’ on sale Aug. 18

Madison — Bonus antlerless harvest authorizations for the 2025 gun deer season will go on sale online through the DNR’s Go Wild system and at license sales locations starting at 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 18.

Bonus “tags” are sold at a rate of one per person per day until sold out or until the season ends. Bonus “tags” are $12 for residents, $20 for nonresidents and $5 for kids ages 11 and under.

An online queuing system will be used to manage volume in Go Wild. All hunters entering the site between 9:45 a.m. and
10 a.m. will be randomly assigned a number and staged in a queue. Hunters will be arranged randomly regardless of the actual time they enter the system. There is no advantage for customers who enter the site before 9:45 a.m. Users who log on after 10 a.m. will be added to the end of the existing queue in the order of arrival.

Hunters will need to know the deer zone and unit in which they intend to hunt, determine whether they will hunt on public or private land and have a deer hunting license. Due to realignment of the Northern Forest and Central Forest zones, there have been changes made to some deer unit borders for 2025.

The first three days of bonus sales are management zone-specific, and the fourth day is open to all zones: Aug. 18, 10 a.m., forest zones (northern and central); Aug. 19, 10 a.m., Central Farmland Zone; Aug. 20, 10 a.m., Southern Farmland Zone; Aug. 21, 10 a.m., all zones available.

A listing of bonus “tags” available in each deer unit can be found on the DNR’s deer webpage.

A minimum of one Farmland Zone antlerless “tag” is included with each deer license in all Farmland Zone units. Some units will offer more than one antlerless “tag” with each deer license.

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Pheasants Forever/Gehrig Sporting Clays 23rd Annual Youth Day Sept. 6 in Janesville

Janesville, Wis. — Pheasants Forever and Gehrig Sporting Clays will present their free 23rd annual youth day Sept. 6 at Gehrig Sporting Clays, 5110 North Connor Road, Janesville.

The day consists of numerous stations where the participants learn different outdoor skills, including archery, trap and target shooting, wild game cleaning, pheasant hunting, fishing, habitat conservation, first-aid and more. A two-bird pheasant hunt will be offered to those who are at least 10 years old and have a hunter safety card. Parents are encouraged to attend. The event is well staffed if parents aren’t able to stay. Lunch will be provided.

Any questions may be emailed to rockvalleypf@yahoo.com or call Trent Janssen at (608) 290-3645. Register by Aug. 30.

Franklin Lake Walleye Spawning Reef Topic of Aug. 27 Public Meeting in Eagle River

Eagle River, Wis. — Anyone interested in learning more about a walleye spawning reef project planned for Franklin Lake in Vilas County may attend a DNR meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 27, from 6-8 p.m. at the VFW Post 8637 in Eagle River, 418 West Pine Street.

DNR staff will discuss the results of a 2025 DNR fisheries team comprehensive survey of Franklin Lake and the changes that have been documented in the fishery over the past 50 years. The majority of this meeting will focus on the walleye population, which was once strong, but has been below what is considered a “fishable” level more than 20 years.

Public input will be sought on a proposed walleye spawning reef that would be constructed along U.S. Forest Service property to help rehabilitate the walleye population.

Greg Matzke, DNR fish biologist, will lead the meeting.

DNR’s Waukesha Office Reopened Aug. 13

Madison — The DNR’s Waukesha office at 141 Northwest Barstow Street resumed normal business hours on Wednesday, Aug. 13. The office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

It was closed for one day on Tuesday, Aug. 12, due to flooding from recent extreme rains that raised the water levels on the Fox River. The streets surrounding the office were submerged.

Delta Waterfowl Hires Two Scientists, Marketing Vice President

Bismarck, N.D. — Delta Waterfowl has announced the addition of two waterfowl scientists. Dr. Todd Arnold has been named senior scientist, and Dr. Jay VonBank is Delta’s scientific director.

Arnold comes to Delta from the University of Minnesota, where he served as a distinguished teaching professor since 2002 in the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology. He also has worked as a senior scientist for Ducks Unlimited Canada, and as scientific director for Delta Waterfowl.

VonBank has served as a research ecologist since November 2020 for the U.S. Geological Survey at the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center in Jamestown, N.D. He has specialized in applied wildlife research that supports waterfowl ecology and management, habitat management, and sustainable hunting programs.

Delta also hired Mike Sidders as vice president of marketing and communications. He has worked with Fleet Farm and Gander Mountain. For more information, visit www.deltawaterfowl.org.

Public can Report Deer, Game Bird Sightings

Madison — Citizens can report animal sightings through the DNR’s Operation Deer Watch and the Game Bird Survey that measure reproductive status of deer and game birds.

Sightings can be submitted through the Survey123 app. Participation requires no registration, and observations can be recorded using a mobile device. Citizens can report location, age, sex and the number of deer seen from dawn to dusk through Sept. 30 to help determine fawn-to-doe ratios. Citizens also can collect information on the types and numbers of game bird broods they observe during the summer months. The deadline to submit observations is Aug. 31.