Courtesy of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

WISCONSIN – The Natural Resources Board last Wednesday approved the final 2020 deer season structure and antlerless harvest authorization levels.

Deer hunting licenses are currently on sale for the 2020 deer seasons. One or more Farmland (Zone 2) antlerless deer harvest authorizations are included with the purchase of each deer hunting license and are available for selection through GoWild (www.gowild.wi.gov), the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ license system.

Review the list of units with bonus antlerless harvest authorizations available for purchase at www.dnr.wisconsin.gov/permits/bonusavailability.html or visit www.dnr.wi.gov and search “bonus availability.” These and all other deer hunting licenses and harvest authorizations are available online through the Go Wild website or at many authorized license sales locations (www.dnr.wi.gov/permits/csrsp/licenseagents.aspx). DNR customer service centers, including counter sales, remain closed.

Bonus antlerless harvest authorizations are available for purchase starting Monday, Aug. 17 at 10 a.m. through GoWild. The first three days of bonus sales are management zone-specific and will be available as follows:

• Aug. 17, 10 a.m. – Northern and Central Forest (Zone 1);
• Aug. 18, 10 a.m. – Central Farmland (Zone 2);
• Aug. 19, 10 a.m. – Southern Farmland (Zone 2); and
• Aug. 20, 10 a.m. – Remaining bonus harvest authorizations (all zones).

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency, state office buildings are closed to the public until further notice. As a result, counter service at all DNR service centers is unavailable. We strongly encourage you to purchase harvest authorizations online. DNR Customer Service Representatives are also available to assist you 7 a.m. – 10 p.m. daily by calling 1-888-936-7463.

Deer populations throughout Wisconsin are regulated based on a variable antlerless harvest quota. In its simplest form, this means that as deer numbers increase, more antlerless harvest authorizations are issued to help manage herd growth. In contrast, where populations are lower, fewer antlerless deer need to be harvested to maintain or grow the population.

Bonus antlerless harvest authorizations are available for purchase in all but three deer management units for the 2020 season. The three DMUs without bonus harvest authorizations available are Forest County and the Forest Management Zone portions of Marinette and Oconto counties.

Bonus authorizations are sold at a rate of one per person per day until sold out or until the 2020 deer hunting season ends. The cost is $12 each for Wisconsin residents, $20 each for non-residents and $5 each for youth ages 11 and under.

To prepare for the sale, each day at 9:45 a.m., an online queuing system will be put in place to manage volume in the GoWild system. At 10 a.m. all online users that are on the site will be randomly assigned a number and staged into a virtual queue. There is no advantage for customers who enter the site before 9:45 a.m. Please note that customers who enter the site after the randomization that occurs at 10:00 a.m. will be added to the end of the virtual queue in the order in which they arrive. All visitors to the site during this time period will be entered into the queuing system.

When you access GoWild, follow the prompts until you reach your personalized dashboard. To purchase a bonus antlerless harvest authorization, click the “Buy Licenses” button from the dashboard to open the sales catalog. From there, you will find Bonus Antlerless Harvest Authorization at the very top of the list. If you haven’t had the chance to get your license in advance, GoWild can help you purchase one after you select the Bonus Antlerless Harvest Authorization.

Hunters will need to know the deer management zone and unit in which they intend to hunt. They will also need to determine whether they will hunt on public or private land in order to make their purchase.

As a reminder, Farmland (Zone 2) antlerless harvest authorizations are now available for distribution. A Farmland (Zone 2) antlerless harvest authorization is included with the purchase of each deer hunting license in units that offer them. Some units will offer more than one antlerless deer harvest authorization with each deer license.

Learn more about deer hunting in Wisconsin at www.dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/hunt/deer.html, or visit dnr.wi.gov and search “deer.”