Regular phone call will no longer work to purchase a license or permit from WDNR starting March 2016
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is changing the way hunters and all outdoor users buy their permits and licenses. The first test of this new system Go Wild will debut for the 2016 spring turkey licenses. Beware this includes the purchase of leftover over the counter tags which go on sale March 21, 2016 on a first come first serve basis. Starting spring 2016 The leftover spring turkey tags and turkey license can only be purchased online or at license vendors. Telephone sales are no longer available except via the phone app which provides online access for smart phones. All permits, licenses and tags must be purchased at the new gowild.wi.gov starting in March 2016. The site is not active yet there is just a coming soon landing page.
The Go Wild system replaces the current Automated License Issuance System (ALIS) that has served Wisconsin’s outdoor enthusiasts since 1999. As most longtime avid turkey hunters remember the ALIS system has not been perfect. In its early days it crashed system wide during the over the counter turkey permits sale period. The current system needs updating but it has been working well during spring turkey OTC sales. So it would be nice, I think, to have waited until after the spring turkey permit sale. Just call me paranoid.
There could be one advantage to the new Go Wild system for those who are very dedicated turkey hunters paying attention to any and all new developments. A certain number of hunters will not be made aware of this change until they are on their computers scrambling to purchase a leftover permit. Those precious seconds they spend trying find the new deal will give those in know a critical advantage to land one of the more hard to get permits. However, because there is a phone app available there could a lot more folks able to join the buying rush. So who knows?
That assumes of course that this new Go Wild system works as advertised. Sure hope it does. I will be testing it as soon as it opens on March 2. I always purchase a Conservation Patron license and apply for my fall turkey license and spring 2017 license early March each year. That prevents me from becoming busy thus forgetting to submit application. Once an application is submitted it can be edited up until the deadline has passed.