Hunters no longer need back tag

New law is cost-cutting measure

For some hunters in Wisconsin, the idea of going out to the field without a backtag pinned to their blaze orange or camoflage will feel foreign.

Maybe even Illegal. 

That, however, is not the case. Not anymore. 

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has signed into law this week a measure that dumps the traditional backtag license for hunting. 

It’s a cost-cutting measure to be sure, says Marc Schultz wit the La Crosse County Conservation Alliance, and so it will feel a little strange to head to the tree stand without a backtag. 

“It’s a pretty strong tradition for a long time,” Schutlz said. “And that’s what a lot of hunting, fishing, outdoor recreation is founded in tradition.”

The measure removes the need to issue back tag licenses for any kind of hunting in the state.