Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Whole State of Wisconsin to go Rifle

I am amazed at the progress being made in my old home state. Is the crossbow legality during bow season for sure, statewide this year? I use a compound, but a pard may make an October trip with me this year & a crossbow would be great for him if legal now.

Nice work Wisconsinites, Congratulations on beating back some of the nonsense!

I have conflicting thoughts on this issue,

Most any modern sluggun with rifled barrel and sabots can fulfill the vast majority of tags in this state, I know for a fact most of my shots are 100 yards of less.

The problem I have with centerfire is the range of some Doofus with a 7 or .300 mag, most of southern Wisconsin is too populated for centerfire calibers, It's only a matter of time before something bad happens.

Centerfire has been legal for Coyotes for years, and when I'm toting the .223, I'm damn careful about my calling setup, and still nervous the whole time..

I have hunters around my house during deer season, and knowing they might be carrying large cal centerfire makes me very nervous..

I'm not sure I care for this law..

Kenneth, shot level they are both so close to the same as to not matter, shot from treestands they go right into the ground. Like you said guys have been using centerfires for years for coyotes without an issue and most of them are driving the coyotes, not calling them. Most of these guys are using AR15's so if someone does shoot a house with one does that mean that we should not allow AR's?

The ballistics between a .30 cal @3000 fps and a 12.ga slug @ 1200 fps are worlds apart, after a couple hundred yards the slug is dropping like a lead brick.

I understand both projectiles are fired about 60 inches above grade. on perfectly level ground I can see the whole picture, but on deer drives,sloping hills and such, I get nervous just thinking about it..

I've lived here too long to not realize every single little woodlot holds one or two houses, Up north or even in Central Wisconsin I can believe in Centerfire, but not in Southern Wisconsin..

That slug today in 12 ga. is operating around 2000 ft per second. Kenneth, you make a good argument that hunting is too dangerous and should be banned......you know how the rest goes my friend.

No...The area that is/was "shotgun only" is heavy into QDM, so I'd be surprised if that is a game changer there. Having the season after the rut is what helps more.

Ha! I doubt it.

Everything I've heard says back tags stay and so does in-person registration for the gun season.

I havent shot a deer LESS than 100 yards in wisconsin in YEARS. Lately ive been hunting a CRP field of 80 acres, I like to shoot acrossed it with my earsgoschplittenloudenboomers Also find when im 500+ from a deer and shoot, I can usually kill 2 does before they figure out whats going on. Though last year i killed my 162" at 120 yards. But i was in the thick and nasties

I used to live in a "Special regulation" area in Pennsylvania. It was being pushed to expand it a lot more after a woman (Pregnant) was hit with a 7mm Mag bullet. The incident took place north of the shotgun area. Our Game Commission went through an independent research firm and the result was: The shotgun areas produced more accidents than the rifle areas. I remember when the initial areas were first being set up and there definitely were more shooting incidents the first couple of seasons involving shotguns. You can not regulate careless or fate. The area I lived in was special regs, but because of the County, a rifle was legal. I used a rifle on occasion, but was down in a steep valley. Most of the area is open farm and housing. You just have to think.

Chainsaw, Have you seen this anywhere in writing yet? I have heard conflicting reports about when this goes into effect. Not saying your wrong just don't believe a damn thing from the WDNR unless it is in writing from them.

I hope it is this year. I got my 350 mag ready to go. 180 grain TTSX at 3000 fps. I am not tracking a damn deer this year!!!! I have had less than stellar results with every slug I have tried. Been ages since I saw a deer drop at the shot or fall in sight.

I bow hunted Buffalo County for a few years and saw the best Deer of my life...a rifle would be all purpose on a lot of the farms we hunted...some were hundreds of yards long...sitting in a tree stand just off a cut corn or bean field was madening watching huge antlered bucks while armed with a bow...the slugs below killed bucks here in southern NH...in the next town. Both slugs are Barnes Expanders...12ga @ 92 yds...the other is a 20ga @ 122 yds...the longest shotgun kill I have made...both were quartering away both went down within 20 yds with blood everywhere...another I shot at 35 yds with the 20ga identical expansion and it ran 80 yds with only two drops of blood...go figure?

They already do here in the shotgun zone with muzzleloaders. A friend of mine has no problems shooting them at 200+ yards with a TC Triumph, which is what quite a few are now using in the shotgun zone because of that.

I wish they'd eliminate it here in the southern part of the state.