Most hunters will have an easier time registering deer and bear they harvest this year.
The DNR says after a successful pilot program, hunters will be able to electronically register their game online instead of having to haul the animal to a registration station.
Big game ecologist David MacFarland in Rhinelander says convenience and cost led to the change...
"....to improve convenience for the hunting public. Rather than driving to a registration station, people will now be able to pick up their phone and jump on a computer and register right from where they were hunting or their homes...."
MacFarland says the state will also cut costs by reducing workload in maintaining all the registration stations. He also says this will help the DNR gather data on the hunts much quicker. But officials say businesses can keep the tradition alive by having a computer or phone available for public use during hunting seasons where successful hunters can register their animals.
Last year, more than 14,000 deer were electronically registered.
