More than 6,800 people answered this year’s DNR spring hearing questionnaire, and the conservation money questions did well. Wisconsin residents backed renewing the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program and a small sales tax for conservation by wide margins.

Reauthorizing Knowles-Nelson for at least 10 years, with up to $1 billion in funding (Question 37), passed 4,455 to 487 among Wisconsin residents. A one-eighth-cent sales tax for conservation (Question 19) passed 4,045 to 1,076.

The Department of Natural Resources and the Wisconsin Conservation Congress released the results Tuesday. People could answer in person April 13 or online April 13-15. The questionnaire had 44 questions.

“This year, we saw a variety of ideas presented as citizen resolutions from members of the public as well as considerable participation and feedback on the advisory questions presented both in-person and online,” said Rob Bohmann, chair of the Conservation Congress.

Paying for the DNR

A lot of this year’s questions were about money. Here’s how Wisconsin residents voted on some of them, according to the statewide results:

  • Raise hunting, fishing and trapping license fees 25% (Question 13): 3,706 yes, 1,357 no.
  • Raise them 50% (Question 14): 2,489 yes, 2,520 no.
  • Raise them 75% (Question 15): 1,781 yes, 3,159 no.
  • Raise the inland trout stamp from $10 to $16, unchanged since 2006 (Question 17): 3,971 yes, 1,027 no.
  • Raise the turkey stamp to $10 (Question 27): 3,909 yes, 1,169 no.
  • Require canoes, kayaks and paddleboards to be registered, with the fees going to conservation (Question 22): 1,981 yes, 3,063 no.
  • Charge everyone who uses public lands, including fishery, wildlife and state natural areas, an access fee like a state park sticker (Question 21): 2,549 yes, 2,441 no. More counties voted it down than voted for it, 37 to 32.

The Conservation Congress asked its own sales tax question (Question 23), a 0.125% tax dedicated to the DNR. It passed 4,188 to 1,106.

Wolves, rabbits and bobcats

A Conservation Congress question asking whether handlers with trained hounds should be allowed to track or harry problem wolves for permitted agencies (Question 38) passed 3,215 to 1,556.

A statewide cottontail rabbit season opening the Saturday nearest Sept. 15 (Question 4) passed 3,699 to 800. Night hunting for bobcats using calls (Question 6) failed, 2,099 to 2,870.

Removing the law that limits hunters to one antlerless elk license in a lifetime (Question 1) split almost down the middle among residents, 2,353 yes and 2,375 no, though 41 counties voted for it.

Deer hunters and anglers

Extending the deer registration deadline from 5 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. the day after recovery (Question 42) passed 3,804 to 822. Letting hunters leave stands and ground blinds overnight on all state-owned property from September through January (Question 41) failed, 1,957 to 2,666.

On the water, cutting the panfish bag limit on Fox Lake from 25 to 10 (Question 29) passed 3,406 to 363. A catch-and-release lake sturgeon season Oct. 1-15 on Yellow Lake, Little Yellow Lake and the Danbury Flowage in Burnett County (Question 11) passed 1,981 to 1,231.

What happens next

The votes are advisory. The Conservation Congress takes up the results at its convention in May, and they go to the DNR and the Natural Resources Board in June.

Every funding idea on the ballot would take an act of the Legislature, according to the questionnaire. It also notes that Knowles-Nelson will expire in 2026 unless it is reauthorized.

The DNR posted the full statewide results and results by county on its spring hearing page.