MADISON, Wis. (AP) - The Latest on a public hearing on a bill that would establish a woodchuck hunting season in Wisconsin (all times local):
10:20 a.m.
Trappers and outdoorsmen are urging the Assembly’s natural resources committee to approve a bill that would let people hunt and trap woodchucks.
The Republican-authored measure would remove woodchucks from Wisconsin’s protected species list and establish a season on them that would run from July through December with no bag limits.
Scott Zimmermann, president of the Wisconsin Trappers Association, told the committee during a public hearing Wednesday, said woodchucks are causing damage by burrowing around building foundations.
Wisconsin Conservation Congress Chairman Rob Bowman told the committee that all 72 Wisconsin counties approved the idea of removing the animal from the protected species list during the congress’ 2009 spring hearings.
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9:15 a.m.
The state Assembly’s natural resources committee is set to take comments on a bill that would establish a woodchuck hunting season.
The Republican-authored measure would remove woodchucks from Wisconsin’s protected species list and establish a hunting season for them that would run from the beginning of July through the end of December with no bag limits.
The bill’s authors, Rep. Andre Jacque and Sen. Tom Tiffany, say woodchucks are abundant. They say the creatures are ravaging gardens and flowerbeds and causing damage by burrowing along sidewalks, driveways and building foundations.
Jacque introduced an almost identical bill in 2013. It sparked fierce backlash from animal lovers and never got out of the natural resources committee.
The panel is set to hold a public hearing on the new bill Wednesday morning.
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This item has been updated to correct the day of the hearing to Wednesday.
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