I was searching on the World Wide Web when I came across something that took me down a seriously deep rabbit hole that I’m still trying to get out of. My internet dive went so deep that I can’t even remember what the original search was about. The topic that caught my eye and attention for way too long was Wisconsin Deer Registration Stations. Remember those? Those places were awesome. Often it was a tavern or a small-time gas station that became the center of town during the nine-day deer gun season. From 1952 until 2015, the registration stations were where you went to brag about your deer as opposed to today’s Facebook and Instagram.

Somewhere along the way I came across a post about this topic that had accumulated over 7.5k views, 2,000 comments, and was shared 326 times. Well, another hour later I was still scrolling and here is a small sampling of the responses.  These comments reflect the vast majority of responses on whether or not the state should bring back the registration stations.

Rosey: Yes. It was more than just registering a deer... it was updates on the woods, if the deer were moving and hearing all the fun stories from other hunters. That camaraderie built relationships amongst many.

Derek: Going to the registration station to register your deer was some of the best part of tradition of deer season. Going to the registration station as a youth and being congratulated by someone walking up to check out your deer, buck or doe, was part of what keeps many in the sport.

Renee: Yes! The young hunters would never get to experience bringing their deer in to register it. It's sad we lost that connection with neighbors & friends. Please bring that back! It's important for our kids & grandkids to keep that tradition!

Megan: Definitely! It was a right of passage as a young hunter to go tell your story at the local gas station.

There were also a few comments with differing views. 

James: No when it’s 80 deg out I prefer to cut it up not slow cook it at the bar.

Tom: Deer numbers would be more accurate.

Brian: I remember those days fondly. But like the convenience of online registration. Drag deer to shed. Skin and butcher it. Driving 20 miles to registration station can be inconvenient. I usually hunt alone, so loading a deer into a vehicle is difficult by myself.

Where I grew up the center of the deer hunting universe was Huntington’s Bait/Tackle/Boats/Motors/Repair/Car Dealership/Snacks/Ice and Gas Station. It was the typical small-town superstore of that era. You could even buy a new baseball or a new wooden baseball bat which was important for a young pup in case he/she broke a bat or lost a ball in Johnson’s Creek.

Going to register deer at Huntington’s was such a treat and even if my dad’s truck only had one deer in the back there were still four of us riding in the cab. We all wanted to see who bagged what and who had the biggest buck. If my dad was the one registering something it meant we would probably end up with a candy bar and a soda.  

I’d be more than okay bringing back registration stations, but maybe a better solution lies somewhere in the middle where the best of both worlds could be utilized.  

Lastly, here is a comment that was repeated several times. It’s also timely because it’s a hint to what next week’s topic will be.

Steve: Yes, along with the back tag and metal field tag!!

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