Hunting is very popular in Wisconsin, with more than 700,000 people buying hunting licenses annually in recent years.
From whitetail deer to pheasant to otters, animals for hunting are plentiful, and to start the
Department of Natural Resources has incentives to encourage people to try hunting if they’ve never done it before.
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Hunting takes planning and preparation. Hunters need gear, a good knowledge of firearms, safety, and proper etiquette, and need to choose what they will hunt and where before they can buy their license. Luckily, the state's DNR website provides lots of help in these planning stages.
Here are 10 things an adult needs to know before buying a hunting license in Wisconsin:
1. Hunting and fishing licenses are good from April 1 of the current year until March 31 of the next. New licenses go on sale March 4.
2. Licenses can be bought from DNR service centers or field offices, license vendors, or online at the DNR website.
3. Combination licenses are available that allow you to hunt more than one species for the same fee. Sports combo licenses can be used for deer gun hunting, small game, and fishing. A Conservation Patron combo license covers almost all kinds of hunting, fishing and trapping.
4. Some big and small game and birds require special stamps and/or permits, in addition to a license. Some of these are chosen by lottery or special drawing, which have application deadlines. These include ducks, geese and all other migratory game birds, bear, bobcat, and wild turkey. See the DNR website for a very clear chart on Required Documents for Hunting and Trapping.
5. All hunters born on or before Jan. 1, 1973, are required to take hunter education classes before applying for a license. These classes are available through the state Department of Natural Resources. These classes extensively cover firearm use and safety, general hunter safety and ethics, and wildlife management.
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6. The state encourages first-time hunters with lower license fees and a Mentoring Program License that allows them to hunt without taking education classes. This license lets them hunt while under close supervision of a licensed adult hunter.
7. The first time a person applies for a hunting license, he or she must supply his or her Social Security number. This is a federal requirement. At this point, DNR will issue the person a customer number, which can be used thereafter when applying for licenses.
8. To get residents’ rates when buying a hunting license, produce a valid Wisconsin driver license, Department of Transportation ID number or DNR customer number.
9. High school and college students in Wisconsin who are non-residents can still hunt and fish in the state. So can active-duty members of the Armed Forces who are stationed in state. They should contact their nearest DNR service center regarding the licenses they may use legally.
10. Nonresidents can buy the same licenses as residents, just at a higher price.
This article is for information only. Please check current regulations before hunting.
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