2017-18 season opens Sept. 16

STAR JOURNAL REPORT

The city of Rhinelander is renewing the bow hunt for deer within city limits for the 2017-18 season and has set a deadline of Sept. 15 at 4:30 p.m. for applications to be received at City Hall.

The bow season will open on Sept. 16 and run until Nov. 17. It will be closed during the regular gun season (Nov. 18-26) and muzzleloader season (Nov. 27-Dec. 6) and will reopen on Dec. 7 and run until Jan. 7, 2018. The hunt will be suspended on Halloween (Oct. 31). Mayor Dick Johns and police chief Lloyd Gauthier also have the ability to suspend the hunt in emergency situations, in which case hunters will be notified by phone.

Individuals interested in bow hunting deer within the city limits must register at the City Hall at 135 S. Stevens St., Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Application forms will be provided for both hunters as well as city landowners who wish to have their property hunted. All hunters must hunt from a stand elevated at least 6 feet off the ground.

Bow hunters must have a valid state of Wisconsin bow license and must bring their carcass tag upon applying for the program. Hunters and hunting properties that were authorized in past years are not automatically re-registered, and those interested in participating have to complete a new application for this year’s hunting season. Hunters must agree to a short waiting period after submitting an application to allow the Rhinelander Police Department to perform a criminal background check. Upon approval, hunters will be admitted to the program.

The state of Wisconsin has awarded the city of Rhinelander antlerless deer permits. Therefore, permits issued by the city are for antlerless deer only. Antlered deer may only be hunted and harvested if the hunter has his or her own Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources-issued buck tag.

The city will issue antlerless deer permits one at a time to hunters who have been admitted to the program. Hunters must notify the City Hall within 48 hours to inform the city of harvesting a deer by calling 715-365-8600 and speaking with Val Foley or Mary Stoll. This will allow the city to maintain up-to-date harvest counts. Hunters will need to register their deer online at gamereg.wi.gov, by phone 1-844-426-3734 or by calling the DNR at 1-888-936-7463.

Once hunters have filled the permits, they may be issued another permit to obtain another deer. A hunter cannot register someone else’s deer, nor can a hunter ask someone else to register the hunter’s deer.

Wild Instincts at 4621 Apperson Dr. will take any deer shot and not wanted. Their phone number is 715-490-2727.