Pending final DNR approval, and the city council signs off, the 2018 Rhinelander city deer hunt will resume September 15.
After the public complained about a large city deer herd, the city council approved a bow-and-arrow only hunt in 2006.
City Clerk Val Foley says the hunt this year was approved at committee level and will go to the full council next week. She outlines what a prospective hunter needs to do..
"...They need to get approval, they need to get a background check done by the police department. They also need a parcel of land that meets qualifications. The police chief and possibly the mayor will go out and inspect the property. If they've been used in the past they have to review them. The land has to be approved, the hunter has to be approved, they have to have the necessary DNR hunting tag..."
The hunt coincides with Wisconsin's archery deer season. Bow hunters must have a valid bow license and must bring their carcass tag upon applying for the program.There are several other things to note before hunting may begin.
Hunters harvested 157 deer during the city hunt from 2006 through 2009. By 2009, that number had dropped to 18, prompting a decision not to hold the hunt in 2010. In 2011 and 2012 there were shortened hunts. In the 2015 citywide deer hunt, 16 deer were reported killed by the 42 hunters. Only three deer were harvested in the city during 2016 when 27 hunters registered.
