MADISON -- Approximately 6,400 people attended the 2008 Spring Fisheries and Wildlife Rules Hearings and Wisconsin Conservation Congress county meetings held in every county April 14.

The hearings allow residents to comment and vote on proposed fish and wildlife rule changes, Conservation Congress and Natural Resources Board advisory questions, and to submit resolutions for rule changes they would like to see in the future.

DNR fish and wildlife managers will spend the next several weeks analyzing the vote tallies and developing recommendations to be presented to the Natural Resources Board at a meeting in Milwaukee May 28.

Voting results are available on the Department of Natural Resources Web site at www.dnr.wi.gov/org/nrboard/congress/spring_hearings/index.html.

Statewide and county by county results, along with attendance figures, are available.

The hearings are held in conjunction with the Wisconsin Conservation Congress county meetings. DNR related proposals are presented to attendees by DNR staff. Following DNR business, the meeting is reconvened as a Conservation Congress meeting and congress advisory questions are presented and county congress delegates elected. The congress is an advisory body to the Natural Resources Board. During the congress' portion of the hearing, citizens may introduce resolutions for consideration and vote by those attending the hearings.

* Some of the key wildlife rule changes proposed included: extending the raccoon trapping and hunting seasons by 15 days to coincide with the closing of the coyote trapping and fox hunting and trapping seasons (approved 5,030 to 496); establishing a new population goal for bobcats (approved 4,217 to 1,143); and prohibiting paintball activity on DNR managed lands except when approved by the department approved (4,543 to 1,077).

* Perhaps the most discussed proposal prior to Monday's hearings was a proposal by the Wisconsin Conservation Congress recommending that state officials begin drawing up plans for a gray wolf hunting season. The gray wolf was removed from the federal endangered species list in Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota in February 2007. Attendees voted 4,848 to 772 in favor of developing a future wolf hunting season structure.

Results of the vote must first be approved by the Conservation Congress at its annual meeting in May before being presented as an advisory to the Natural Resources Board. Legislative approval would be required before such a season could be implemented.

Another Conservation Congress proposal that would require future enrollments in the state's Managed Forest Law (MFL) to allow public access for hunting and other outdoor recreations was voted down 3,631 to 1,763. And voters approved by a 3,092 to 2,678 margin a Conservation Congress recommendation to the Wisconsin State Legislature to take action to ban deer baiting and feeding statewide.

Fisheries questions

* Hearing participants rejected questions relating to changes lawmakers made to fishing seasons in the 2007-2009 budget bill.

Voters were asked which of two options they preferred to implement a new law directing the DNR to create a catch and release musky season in May in northern Wisconsin. The DNR needs to write administrative rules to implement the season starting in 2009 and was looking for guidance from anglers on how to proceed.

Voters rejected 3,232 to 1,801 an option that would create a catch-and-release season for muskellunge in the northern zone (waters north of U.S. Highway 10) starting the first Saturday in May and restricting anglers to using only artificial lures with barbless hooks.

Voters rejected by an even greater margin -- 3,617 to 1,202 -- an option to move the opening day for the regular muskellunge season in the northern zone to the first Saturday in May, the same as the opening day for southern muskellunge waters. Harvest could occur and barbless hooks would not be required.

Despite the outcome of the public hearings, the Department is still required to proceed with one of the options.

Hearing participants also soundly rejected three options relating to a new law passed by lawmakers regarding catch-and-release bass seasons statewide. Lawmakers have passed a law requiring that artificial baits with barbless hooks be used when fishing for bass in the northern zone or during any other catch-and-release bass seasons that may exist now or that are created in the future throughout the state. The rule goes into effect this year.

* An advisory question asked by the NRB for judging public support for a two-year trial extension of  the fall wild turkey hunting season through December 31, except for the November nine-day gun deer hunt in turkey hunting zone 1-5, passed 4,016 to 1,595.