Cancelled Out-Of-State Trips Translate Into Crowds but Not Enforcement Issues
An article from WWA’s Words From The Wardens.
This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s September, 2021 eNewsletter.
By Lt. Tyler Strelow/Supervisor of the DNR Mississippi River Warden Team
Due to the pandemic and the Canadian border being closed until early August, many hunters had to re-think their plans for waterfowl season. We are lucky we live in a state with plenty of waterfowl hunting areas.
I found a lot of hunters who stayed local the entire season. In other areas, I saw an influx of out-of-state hunters who usually would have traveled across the Canadian border but, due to COVID-related restrictions, had to scratch that waterfowl itch by trying some of our Wisconsin waterfowl hotspots.
The question of the day for me: Did this pressure of more hunters result in more enforcement issues?
When you consider the numbers, it was about the same as in past years. I can say hunters I ran into were not 100% positive with the increased number of other hunters in their space.
However, from a field-level enforcement perspective, some high-use waterfowl areas were more pressured than in past years. Still, most of the hunters in these high-use territories were sticking to enjoying our resources both safely and responsibly.
Our enforcement program is based on education, community outreach and enforcement. Tracking citations is a tool we use to help guide our future enforcement efforts and analyze how current regulations work.
Waterfowl Hunters Are Valued Partners, Safe And Ethical
The statewide numbers support the fact that most waterfowl hunters are ethical and responsible hunters.
We have nearly 75,000 licensed waterfowl hunters. Annually, the DNR wardens issue around 200 citations (give or take 50) a year for waterfowl-related violations.
- For the 2020-21 season, wardens issued 163 migratory bird-related citations.
- Our top five violations this season:
- Hunting with an unplugged firearm
- Hunting waterfowl during the closed season
- Hunting without license/stamp
- Hunting with a toxic shot
- Hunting from or transporting loaded firearms in a motorboat.
Responsible hunters continue to be our eyes and ears out on the landscape and actively used the DNR Violation Hotline – 1-800-TIP-WDNR or 1-800-847-9367. This past season, we received citizen tips on 183 migratory bird related-complaints of potentially suspicious activity.
The use of this confidential tip line greatly increases our effectiveness as enforcement officers. We continue to encourage the public to use this tip line to protect the resource and help hold people accountable. If you see something suspicious, say something – we need your help!
If you ever have any questions, concerns or comments, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your local warden. We appreciate your continued support and could not do our jobs without you. Hunt safe.