Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers vetoes a prohibition on antlerless deer hunting in the north and a wolf population goal statewide

Gov. Tony Evers wielded his veto pen Friday on four bills related to Wisconsin conservation programs and policies.

The issues included white-tailed deer hunting, gray wolf management, protection of nesting birds and other wildlife in the spring and baiting and feeding bans caused by detections of chronic wasting disease and bovine tuberculosis.

All bills had been introduced by Republicans and advanced on party line votes in the Republican-controlled Legislature.

Evers vetoes supported the Department of Natural Resources and science-based positions the agency established on the issues. Several also carried a message to legislators to stop attempting to meddle in game management.

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AB 1030 would have banned antlerless deer hunt in northern Wisconsin for four years

Arguably the proposal generating the most debate among legislators and hunters was Assembly Bill 1030, a plan to prohibit hunting of antlerless deer in northern Wisconsin for the next four years. The measure was intended to help increase deer numbers in the northern forest region and was introduced following the state's 2023 gun deer hunting season when, in the wake of a severe winter in many northern counties, the year-over-year deer kill declined 30% in the north.

However the bill had many opponents, including those who noted the wide range of deer densities across the north as well as supporters of the state's County Deer Advisory Council process, bodies established a decade ago to help set local harvest goals and antlerless permit levels.

"Banning all doe harvest for four years in all northern forest counties is like using a sledge hammer on a finishing nail," wrote Craig Lakatos, who hunts on 80 acres he owns in southern Langlade County. "A decent system for finer adjustments is already in place."

In his veto message, Evers said he objected to the bill circumventing the CDACs, which "have successfully implemented bucks-only hunts in recent years due to concerns over low deer population estimates."

He said he was also vetoing the bill because he objected to "limiting the ability of the Department of Natural Resources and other public and private landowners to respond to local deer population levels. Deer distribution varies across the northern forest zone and effective management requires a variety of solutions to address locally overabundant deer populations. This bill would limit flexibility for landowners to address issues on their properties that may be influenced by unique habitat factors.

"Balancing the goal of providing hunters with successful hunting experiences and ensuring healthy forest habitats in northern Wisconsin requires both collaboration and the flexibility to address challenges as they arise. The one-size-fits-all solution proposed in this bill does not strike this balance, as it limits property owners from making decisions to best manage their land and disregards public input provided via County Deer Advisory Councils." 

SB 139 would have established a specific wolf population goal

The governor also vetoed Senate Bill 139, which sought to require the DNR to establish a statewide wolf population goal.

The measure didn't specify a number but its authors and supporters harkened to the state's 1999 and 2007 wolf management plans; both included a population goal of 350 wolves. The bill was supported by the Wisconsin Cattlemen's Association and the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation. It was opposed by the Wisconsin chapter of the Sierra Club and Wisconsin's Green Fire.

When it updated the state's wolf plan last year the DNR deliberately did not include a numerical goal, opting instead for "adaptive management" objectives. As described, mechanisms in the plan would keep the wolf population between about 800 and 1,200 animals. In 2023 Wisconsin had 1,007 wolves, according to the DNR estimate.

The DNR's 2023 wolf plan is similar in most concepts to the state's widely supported black bear management plan. The bear plan also does not set a statewide population goal.

Evers said requiring the DNR to establish a numeric population goal for wolves would fail to "consider the social, scientific, biological and legal complexities of a recovered wolf population."

He also said he objected to limiting the department’s flexibility to address regional or local issues through adaptive management strategies to achieve a healthy wolf population.

"This bill ignores the best available wildlife and social science in favor of a rigid, unscientific approach to wolf management," Evers wrote. "Finally, modifications proposed to the state's wolf management plan should be considered as part of the established process of review and recommendation by the Department of Natural Resources and the Natural Resources Board. This process is intended to ensure that modifications reflect the expertise and agreement of scientists, the Tribal Nations of Wisconsin, hunters, farmers, environmental organizations and the general public. This bill disregards years of extensive input and discourse that went into developing the recently revised wolf management plan."

AB 512 would have allowed hunting with dogs in May and June, a threat to nesting wildlife

Evers also vetoed AB 512 which would have allowed a person to hunt or pursue a "free-roaming wild animal" with the aid of a dog from May 1 to June 30 in northern Wisconsin. It would have also allowed dog trialing and dog training on free-roaming wild animals over that same time period and in the same region of the state.

The practices have been prohibited for decades in part to protect ground nesting birds and other wildlife.

The bill was supported by the Wisconsin Bear Hunter's Association and Wisconsin Wildlife Federation but opposed by the Wisconsin Sharp-tailed Grouse Society and the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology.

Gov. Evers said he vetoed the bill "because I object to increasing the risk of harassment against ground-nesting birds, deer fawns, elk calves, bear cubs and other wildlife in ecologically sensitive areas. Ample opportunities exist for individuals to hunt and train using dogs within this region outside of the May 1 to June 30 timeframe. The administrative code provisions protect wildlife during the important spring breeding and migration season."

AB 34 would have changed baiting and feeding bans related to CWD

Finally, Evers vetoed AB 34 which would have altered state law on baiting and feeding bans related to positive detections in deer of chronic wasting disease or bovine tuberculosis. Currently a county ban can be triggered from CWD or bovine TB findings in wild or captive animals.

Assembly Bill 34 would have allowed bans only due to positive detections on wild, free-roaming animals. The practical effect of it would have been to allow deer hunters to hunt over bait in more counties.

Piles of bait, typically corn, attract multiple animals to a specific site and increase the possibility of disease transmission. Most wildlife agencies discourage or prohibit the practice in an effort to reduce the spread of diseases such as CWD.

Evers veto keeps in place a law passed under former Gov. Scott Walker.

"I am vetoing this bill in its entirety because I object to limiting the ability of the department to reduce the spread of chronic wasting disease and bovine tuberculosis in Wisconsin," Evers wrote. "This bill disregards scientific research that suggests that chronic wasting disease can be transmitted between captive and free-roaming deer. Given that baiting and feeding are known risk factors in the transmission of chronic wasting disease, this bill would limit the department's ability to effectively respond to new positive cases in captive deer."