Antlerless deer harvest authorizations on sale Monday, Aug. 16
Bonus antlerless harvest authorizations for the 2021 deer hunting seasons in Wisconsin will go on sale starting Monday, Aug. 16.
Available bonus authorizations, may be purchased in all deer management units this year by using the DNR’s Online Licensing Center, GoWild or by visiting a license sales location.
Hunters may review the list of units with bonus antlerless harvest authorizations available for purchase by visiting dnr.wi.gov and searching “bonus availability.” In Taylor County, 10,000 antlerless authorizations will be available for private lands, while there will be 1,200 public-land permits up for sale.
The first three days of bonus sales are management zone-specific and will be available as follows:
_ Aug. 16 at 10 a.m. for the Northern and Central Forest (Zone 1), which includes Taylor County.
_ Aug. 17 at 10 a.m. for the Central Farmland (Zone 2).
_ Aug. 18 at 10 a.m. for the Southern Farmland (Zone 2).
_ Aug. 19 at 10 a.m. for remaining bonus harvest authorizations in all zones.
Deer populations throughout Wisconsin are regulated based on a variable antlerless harvest quota. In its simplest form, this means that as deer numbers in- crease, more antlerless harvest authorizations are issued to help manage herd growth. In contrast, where populations are lower, fewer antlerless deer need to be harvested to maintain or grow the population.
Bonus authorizations are sold at a rate of one per person per day until sold out or until the 2021 deer hunting season ends. The cost is $12 each for Wisconsin residents, $20 each for non-residents and $5 each for youth ages 11 and under.
To prepare for the sale, each day at 9:45 a.m., an online queuing system will be put in place to manage volume in the GoWild system. At 10 a.m. all online users that are on the site will be randomly assigned a number and staged into a virtual queue. There is no advantage for customers who enter the site before 9:45 a.m. Please note that customers who enter the site after the randomization that occurs at 10 a.m. will be added to the end of the virtual queue in the order in which they arrive. All visitors to the site during this time period will be entered into the queuing system.
When you access GoWild, follow the prompts until you reach your personalized dashboard. To purchase a bonus antlerless harvest authorization, click the “buy licenses” button from the dashboard to open the sales catalog. From there, you will find “bonus antlerless harvest authorization” at the very top of the list. If you haven’t had the chance to get your license in advance, GoWild can help you buy one after you select the bonus antlerless harvest authorization.
Hunters will need to know the deer management zone and unit in which they intend to hunt. They will also need to determine whether they will hunt on public or private land in order to make their purchase.
Farmland (Zone 2) antlerless harvest authorizations are now available for distribution. A Farmland (Zone 2) antlerless harvest authorization is included with the purchase of each deer hunting license in units that offer them. Some units will offer more than one antlerless deer harvest authorization with each deer license.
