Seems as if every time darkhouse spearing is mentioned on the numerous fishing forums I peruse there is support by a few but vehement opposition by a majority. I would like to see a season for northern pike spearing here in Wisconsin but I have no confidence that it will ever be allowed. Best chance would be to travel to North Dakota and hire a guide and experience spearing there.

Chris

Question 32 was approved by about 2900 yes votes and 1200 no votes and won in 67 of the 72 counties. Counties voting no were Lafayette, Juneau, Bayfield, Portage and Taylor.
I was surprised to see how well the no vote did on the crossbow season and how strongly the group hunting was voted in favor for.
Bryce

I was most surprised by the attendance. Statewide, 7000 people showed up to the meeting whereas last year was only 5k.

I was surprised people want to open trout season in early April. DNR would not have time to finish stocking by then. And some ponds may have ice. It would be too cold for a lot of young kids.

Where can I find the results of the unique citizen resolution questions voted on for my county?

Maybe they should open it up on 3-5 bodies of water were they want additional harvest mortality. If biologists want more mortality they should help push a spearing season locally.

The Indians spear muskies during the winter.

Hodag, you don't need to travel so far. We can spear in MN.

If I'm not mistaken the original dark house question came from one of our local wardens here. He wasn't in uniform but got up at the meeting spoke in favor of the spearing. I talked with him for a minute when he was leaving. He don't understand why people don't like it? There was though a guy who got up and talked about lowering northern bag limit. Seemed to think ice fisherman were killing to many big fish with tip ups.. I have heard that same complaint about tip ups with bass fisherman for years.
I'd love to try spearing northerns and would for sure be out there.

Mac

Likely be a little while before those go up. Takes some time for them to scan them all in.

IMO the congress is broke. In Madison (the hub for all things political and the dnr)we have or will be losing our numbers and representation. The congress was created to listen to and serve the sportsman. Like our border security and illegal immigration, the policy not to offend anyone while being political correct has allowed antis to now control the agenda and vote. Sitting congress delegates are advocating on-line voting in order to collect more of the populace from Dane Co. which is all liberal, progressive anti trapping. Look at the first questions in these spring hearings to serve fishing tournaments. Don't know about your county but Dane Co is a joke and these people have the most political power. And no I'm not going to nominate myself. I just wish the congress would go back to serving the average joe but I'm afraid that's not progress.

TrapHuntFish-

Trust that not all delegates are in favor of the online voting. In fact, many of us are fighting it tooth and nail. I am very afraid it will be the end of the Spring Hearings and the Conservation Congress. Call me Chicken Little, but the online voting is the sky that could potentially fall on consumptive users of Wisconsin's resources. It is a battle that has just begun.

Moosetrot

Online Conservation Congress voting would be terrible. I hope that isn't seriously being considered. I don't ever recall hearing any chatter about it at any of our county's annual meetings.

Online is an issue or concern but not much worse than what we are experiencing at the present. Attendance at the hearings is a huge issue. We have 1 million fisher persons and 600-750K of deer hunters with bow and gun along with trappers etc. and we are tickled to see that we have 7,000 attend 72 hearings! We are losing that battle as we speak and the other issue is by having antis being elected and serving on committees what will the questions be in the future? Online will make it easier to vote, not showing up will make it easier for antis to control the questions for the future.

I think we should be fortunate that in many cases the antis don't fully realize how quickly they could change the landscape of the WCC.

Bryce

Good points Bryce.

7k attendees is pretty pathetic really. I try getting others to attend, but most act like they don't care. But then they better not complain. It's ~2 hours a year. I just don't get it.

AJE, if you call your chair of your county, he can get you the results of a specific resolution that was introduced in your county.

I will play the devil. Bring on online voting. Can't come soon enough.

WIMarshRat-I have been a delegate on the Congress for 25 years now, and have seen a lot of things. During the year of the feral cat question folks were being bussed in from other states to vote against the ability of a trapper to legally deal with feral cats. I raised a stink about those folks being allowed to vote on Wisconsin game laws. What I was told by one of the legal folks for the Congress was that the enabling legislation that formed the Conservation Congress as an advisory body to the NRB states that "citizens" are allowed to vote...which includes people from other states. In essence and reality, folks from other states had to be allowed to vote on Wisconsin fish and game, as well as other conservation issues. They will also need to be allowed to vote, and certainly will, in the much easier online platform. That will be the end of a lot of things.

Since the advent of ballots instead of a show of hands at the Spring Hearings, informed votes have become largely a thing of the past. People come in, fill out their ballots, turn them in and leave without hearing any discussion on any topic. Here in La
Crosse County I saw 14 of them turned in prior to the first 5 minutes of the Hearings being completed.

I have been attending the Spring Hearings since the early 80's and have witnessed a lot of great ideas being discussed, voted upon, and even placed into effect after going through the grand process of the Conservation Congress Spring Hearings. I have also heard a lot of folks, like you, calling for online voting for a variety of reasons. Your online voting will spell the end of the essence of the Spring Hearings, the Conservation Congress, and potentially the end of ways of life most of us on Trapperman enjoy.
Call me Chicken Little if you want, but I am going to be fighting against online voting with every means possible.

Moosetrot

In Fond du Lac County they check your drivers license to make sure you’re a resident.

That is for the voting for the delegates, not on the questions.

Moosetrot

True. I did notice a guide advertising darkhouse spearing in Minnesota just west of Superior, WI.

Chris

Moosetrot, thanks for playing along. I am a new delegate. Probably known more for the person that I replaced than anything else.

I was asked if I wanted to join the committee to look at online voting. Really wasn't sold one way or the other, but didn't have the time to commit to in person meetings. I wish I did.

That said, I won't fight something just because it is different or new. I fight something when I know it is bad to the core, not just a few blemishes on the surface.

So what is your #1 concern? Anti's will get a louder voice or people will vote without the info?