Important, licensing, registration reminders for deer hunters

With several changes to licensing and tagging requirements in recent years for Wisconsin’s deer hunters, there is never a bad time to review those requirements.

Here are some of those key reminders to keep in mind, taken from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ Frequently Asked Questions.

_ Deer tags are now referred to as “harvest authorizations.” Antlerless deer harvest authorizations were available in every deer management unit this year. There are no buck-only units this year.

_ Hunters are no longer required to:

• attach a carcass tag to a deer once harvested.

• retain a deer harvest authorization with meat once the deer is registered.

_ Hunters must carry proof of their license and harvest authorization(s) while hunting. Carry with you one or more of the following:

• A paper copy.

• A DNR-approved PDF displayed on a mobile device

• An authenticated Wisconsin driver’s license.

• A Go Wild Conservation Card.

_ The unique deer harvest authorization number is required to register your harvest. You may access the unique harvest authorization number from the paper copy of your harvest authorization, a Go Wild PDF image of your harvest authorization saved to an electronic device or the My GameReg section of your Go Wild account.

Register your deer either online at gamereg. wi.gov (available 24 hours), by phone 1-844-426-3734 (1-844-GAMEREG) (also available 24 hours) or in person at a registration station that offers a phone or computer for registration. To find one, search “registration stations” at dnr.wi.gov.

_ Deer must be registered by 5 p.m. the day after recovery of the animal. Proper registration is imperative to provide accurate harvest data for DNR wildlife managers and County Deer Advisory Councils.

_ There is no minimum age to buy a deer hunting license. Junior deer hunters under the age of 18 will receive one buck deer harvest authorization valid statewide and one junior antlerless deer harvest authorization statewide. Youth hunters under age 18 will not need to specify a deer management unit or zone, but will need to specify land type on the antlerless deer harvest authorization.

_ n Know where you are hunting. The state is split between forest zones (Zone 1) and farmland zones (Zone 2). You will need to determine if you are hunting public and private land to obtain and use antlerless harvest authorizations. Most counties are their own deer management unit, but there are several exceptions. Clark and Chippewa counties have forest and farmland splits, making it even more imperative to know where you are hunting and what authorizations are needed.

_ Deer baiting and feeding are prohibited in more than half of Wisconsin’s counties, including Marathon and Chippewa counties. For more information on where baiting and feeding are allowed, search “baiting and feeding” at dnr. wi.gov.

_ A person may not possess another hunter’s deer while afield, even if the deer is registered, without the harvest authorization holder being present. However, anyone can possess and transport another person’s registered deer on a public highway for purposes of transportation to, and possession at, a dwelling or a business without the harvest authorization holder being present. A dwelling includes both permanent and temporary residences, and would include hunting cabins and camp sites. This allows a person to leave their registered deer at a hunting camp, meat processor or someone else’s residence when they are not present.

_ Your registered deer can be left at any cabin or campsite and be possessed, in your absence, by someone who is not hunting. This person can also transport the deer on public highways to another residence, meat processor, etc.