Since the year 1942, Wisconsin has required all deer hunters to wear a back tag. 74 years later, technology has taken over this tradition and the conventional back tag has become history.

“On February 29th, 2016, Governor Walker signed the amended Senate Bill 289 which officially eliminated the requirement to wear a DNR (Department of Natural Resources) issued back tag while hunting deer,” AJ Gall wrote on March 3rd, 2016, “Also, as part of the Go Wild initiative you will no longer be required to carry a paper license when you are out hunting.”

Deer hunters no longer have to stand in line at their local convenience or sporting goods store and receive a single physical copy of their back tag and carcass tags. This tradition is replaced by a new program from the Wisconsin DNR, called Go Wild, a convenient way for people to purchase licenses and enjoy the outdoors via an online system. This system stores your personal information, license and registration history so you can print off as many copies as needed or show your proof of license on your mobile device. However, hunters are still required to print off and carry paper copies of their carcass tags but only have to tag the carcass if they leave it unattended.

As hunters adjust to this change, especially as bow season approaches, there are mixed responses and obvious pros and cons to the new regulations.

Pros:

1. Convenience

Hunters can print their license and carcass tags from their own printer and can print extras if the first copy is lost. Hunters can show a proof of licensing on their mobile device. Hunters also no longer have to remember to pin a back tag on their outer most layer of clothing, or move their tag when changing shirts/jackets.

2. Wisconsin is no longer behind the times

According to Dave Greschner, only three other states in the in the US required back tags in 2016. Now Wisconsin is up-to-par with the online system.

3. They were mostly a nuisance

The argument that back tags are used to identify licensed hunters and spot trespassers was only valid when back tags were first distributed during the 1940s. Hunters can be wearing a back tag that isn’t their own and most law enforcement officers use vehicle license plates and physical descriptions of violators. Back tags aren’t always visible when hunters are in trees and back tags can also fall off.

Cons:

1. Paper carcass tags aren’t durable

The waterproof, plastic-like paper that tags used to be printed on could withstand the weather, woods and the typically messy business that is hunting. Paper tags can rip easily and the ink can smear from any liquid that comes in contact with it.

2. Back tags have been a tradition for generations

For as long as hunters can remember, back tags have been a custom. For generations, deer and bear hunters have worn a back tag and receiving one is like a formal induction into the world of deer and bear hunting. Hunters who have worn a back tag for years will not have the experience of pinning a back tag on their son or daughter when they reach hunting age.

3. Inconvenience

Hunters must have access to the internet and a printer in order to receive their license and print their carcass tags as well as proof of license if they don't have a mobile device.

Curious about what other hunters in Wisconsin thought about this new change, I've asked people on Facebook who were hunters or had hunted deer before to anonymously answer a poll. 31% of the voters agreed that they didn't care about the change, as long as they could hunt legally. 20% said they were going to miss the traditional back tag or they were simply used to wearing one and 16% said they just didn't want to deal with a flimsy paper carcass tag. Only 8% of the voters sided against back tags, saying they didn't like waiting in line to receive one and thought back tags were annoying.

A few voters gave their personal input:

"I think not having a back tag is only going to invite trouble, and I think trying to attach a piece of paper to a deer is going to prove challenging."

"How do you get your tags with NO computer or printer?"

"People will go out hunting without a license to save money, which will diminish the deer population more."
"I really enjoyed 'initiating' my daughter into deer hunting by pinning a back tag on her the first time she carried a high-powered rifle. The back tag also distinguishes the deer hunters from small game hunters."

Although a long-standing tradition is no longer a part of deer hunting in Wisconsin, we can all be thankful for the opportunity to get outdoors and enjoy the hunt.