Contact: Rep. Adam Jarchow
608-267-2365
Madison, Wisconsin – Today, two bills authored by Rep. Adam Jarchow (R-Balsam Lake) were signed into law by Governor Walker.
Assembly Bill (AB) 325 will allow children of any age to apply for bear preference points. Previously, a ten year old child could hunt bear on a mentored hunt, but the tag he/she used had to be transferred to them because under previous law, that ten year old was not able to apply for preference points until he/she turned ten years old. This law now allows that child to accumulate preference points earlier so that by the age of ten, he/she has a better chance of receiving a bear tag.
Senate Bill (SB) 68 will allow citizens to once again feed deer in counties where it had previously been banned indefinitely. This law removes the feeding ban in counties that are currently under a feeding ban and allows citizens to feed deer after no CWD has been found after three years, and after two years in the adjoining counties. This will lift the ban in both Polk County and Burnett County.
Rep. Jarchow commented, “I would like to thank Governor Walker for signing these two bills into law. Both bills are very important to northwest Wisconsin. Allowing children of any age to apply for bear preference points will ensure that Wisconsin’s rich heritage of hunting will continue on to the next generations. AB 325 will make bear tags accessible to children earlier, which hopefully will be enough to get them excited about bear hunting.”
He continued, “Ending the forever ban on feeding is just as important. SB 68 is a commonsense change to current law and will allow people across our part of the state to once again feed deer. I remember the first deer I ever saw, it put me in a trance. I’ve loved the outdoors ever since. I hope these bills help today’s youth develop the same love for the great outdoors that I have had for as long as I can remember.”
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