What is it with Wisconsin and being in a hurry to establish a hunting season for every animal or bird that populates this state? Yesterday, the state Natural Resources Board gave the DNR permission to start drafting rules for an elk hunt–even though the elk population hasn’t hit the goal for starting a hunting season.
When the state started buying elk from Kentucky to transplant in northwestern Wisconsin, they said that there would be no hunting until 300 elk were roaming the area. That was a protection for the species, as enough would be left after hunting season to re-populate. Right now, there are an estimated 240 elk in Wisconsin–or about twenty percent fewer than what the DNR said it was going to need to start hunting them. But now, the department can’t wait that long and they want to start selling hunting licenses.
This mirrors the DNR’s reaction to the removal–albeit temporary–of the gray wolf form the endangered species list. I think it took about two seconds from the Federal decision to be announced to the Department drafting rules to hunt wolves in Wisconsin. As someone who had the “endangered resources” wolf license plates on my Jeep for years, I was offended that the animals that my extra registration fee were going to protect, were now going to be fair game for every deer hunter harboring a grudge.
Are there not enough other hunting options in Wisconsin that as soon as there is one more animal than is necessary to guarantee the continuance of a species we need to have a new hunting season for it? We already have seasons for deer, bear, coyotes, rabbits, foxes, mink, weasles, beavers, muskrats, raccoons, opussum, skunks, ducks, geese, turkeys, morning doves, grouse and pheasants. There’s even a couple more species you can shoot with a special permit if they become a nuisance on your property. And yet, the DNR feels it needs to start hunting elk before their pre-determined goal is even met.
A few days ago I talked about possible replacements for “America’s Dairyland” on our license plates. I guess I forgot “If It’s Brown, It’s Down”.
