Oconomowoc approves bowhunting in parts of the city to manage the deer population

Drew Dawson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
·3 min read
City of Oconomowoc Police Chief James Pfister discusses the ordinance to allow bow hunting in certain parts of the city to manage the deer herd size in the municipality.
City of Oconomowoc Police Chief James Pfister discusses the ordinance to allow bow hunting in certain parts of the city to manage the deer herd size in the municipality.

To control the deer population, bowhunting is now permitted in certain parts of the city of Oconomowoc, including two designated public parcels.

The common council voted unanimously Oct. 5 to change the existing ordinance for discharging weapons to include the ability for residents to bow hunt at least 50 yards from a habitable building and in two designated zones in the city.

While the city does not require any specific registration, potential hunters are still required to have proper licenses from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

More: Oconomowoc considers allowing bowhunting on city land to manage deer population

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The effort to allow for bow and arrows and crossbows was spearheaded by Aldermen Lou Kowieski and Charles Schellpeper in conjunction with the city of Oconomowoc Police Department. It mimics efforts by other Lake Country municipalities like Nashotah and the city of Delafield which have allowed for bowhunting to manage the local deer population.

"I think this is going to be a great addition to our community," Oconomowoc Police Chief James Pfister said. "I think it's going to help prevent the car-deer accidents we have and help thin out the herd here in Oconomowoc. Working with attorney Stan Riffle, I think we have some great language in here that protects citizens of Oconomowoc and keeps everybody safe at the same time."

Private landowners with enough space from a habitable dwelling are still able to hunt on that land, as are people with written permission to hunt on the private land from the owner, in accordance with DNR laws and local ordinances.

The city also set aside two zones specifically for bow hunting.

A map showing the first zone for bowhunting in the city of Oconomowoc.
A map showing the first zone for bowhunting in the city of Oconomowoc.

The first zone includes about 34 acres bordered by the wastewater treatment plant to the north, interurban trail to the east, Oconomowoc River to the west and the conservatory to the south.

The second zone includes 27 acres by the Oconomowoc Industrial Park and River Bluff subdivision. Pfister said that signage will be posted in the near future to notify hunters and passersby.

A map showing the second zone for bowhunting in the city of Oconomowoc.
A map showing the second zone for bowhunting in the city of Oconomowoc.

One issue brought forward by Ald. Jennifer Aultman-Kloth was the first zone being split by the Lake Country Trail and the possible danger of hunters shooting across the trail, which is illegal.

"The deer population in this area is so terrible that something needs to be done and I am 100% in favor of hunting," Aultman-Kloth said. "Where I get tripped up is I’ve just seen so many irresponsible hunters since Nashotah opened up their hunting. On one hand, the Lake Country Trail is closed this year and this would be good for the first year because technically you shouldn’t be on the trail. On the flip side, maybe the hunters will get used to having no traffic on the trail and then I’m afraid they won’t be as safe."

This sparked a discussion about items to keep in mind during the pilot season that could bring forward changes in 2023. Changes discussed included implementing wearing blaze orange in the designated zones and increasing or decreasing land or distances based on the pilot season.

The pilot season will operate within DNR bow hunting laws. The 2022-23 bow hunting deer season opened Sept. 17 and runs to Jan. 8.

Without deer tags or an official system to track hunters and zone usage, the city did not list standards that need to be met. However, they will revisit the matter again in 2023.

"I am going to go ahead and trust you just with the understanding that next year we can switch things up whether that’s space off of the trail or blaze orange," Aultman-Kloth said.

In related action, the council also changed the ordinance to allow shotgun and muzzle loaders to be discharged legally within 100 yards of a habitable dwelling. The previous distance had been 200 yards.

Drew Dawson can be reached at ddawson@jrn.com or 262-289-1324.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: To control the deer population, Oconomowoc OKs bowhunting ordinance