| When I moved to Wisconsin from North Carolina in | | | | With seasons coming and going the Wisconsin DNR |
| June of 2000. I was excited about the opportunity to | | | | made doe permits more readily available. They made |
| go deer hunting. My father in-law and brother in-law | | | | some deer management units T-Zone units. This |
| both had long traditions of going out the weekend | | | | meant there were special doe only hunts twice a |
| before thanksgiving with the intent of harvesting a | | | | year. At first I thought this was just a chance to |
| huge Wisconsin buck. | | | | spend more time in the woods. But a few years later |
| I did not own a rifle so I borrowed my father in-law's | | | | when T-Zone units turned into Herd Control Units |
| 308 and took to the woods. I shot a small 5-point | | | | more and more does were taken. |
| buck. I was hooked. In those days when you bought | | | | The measures the DNR took to control the herd |
| a deer license you got a buck tag. If you wanted a | | | | depleted one of Wisconsin's most desired resources. |
| chance to take a doe you needed to apply for a | | | | I was finally able to harvest a mature 10-point buck |
| choice permit. A few years went by and I wanted | | | | with my bow in 2007. But the last two years my |
| more chances to bag that big Wisconsin buck. So I | | | | deer sightings were way down. |
| started bow hunting. | | | | Deer hunting brings in a lot of money into Wisconsin. |
| I met a few local guys playing softball in a local beer | | | | Not only by selling licenses. Buying guns, ammo, gear, |
| league that owned a few acres of private land that | | | | lodging and food brings in millions to the local |
| was accessible for bow hunting. I harvested a small | | | | economy that struggles up north. I hope the DNR |
| buck every year. I never really had a chance to bag | | | | makes a change. If they don't everyone will suffer. |
| that huge Buck. | | | | |