Does anyone know the what the regs are for hunting whitetale deer in Wisconsin with a handgun? Is it legal and what caliber.

check the Wisconsin DNR website.

The last I knew was .22 caliber centerfire or higher, but this may have changed. Check the local DNR website.

i did check there, but i can't find the regs on this topic.

If you buy a license, or go to a place that sells licenses, they should have a regulation book there for you.

2004 regulations book says:

To be legal for deer,centerfire handguns must use cartridges of .22 caliber or larger and have a 5 1/2 inch minimum barrel,measured from the firing pin to the muzzle with the action closed.

You must be 18 years old to hunt with or possess a handgun.

You may not possess a concealed handgun.

Are you s*&%%&#g me. 22 caliber? Being native to Wisconsin I have been in denial for so long but 22 Caliber? How nuts is that?

The main reason that they allow a .22 is to put an animal down, if you injure it, without destroying the possibility of a mount. Any ethical hunter would not use a .22, a .38, a 9mm, ect for their inital shot, hugher power 'mag' calibers are the only things ethically that should be used in my opinion, and even those should only be used (again in my opinion) at a range of less than 75 yards, even with a scope.

I beleive the regs state that it has to be .22 caliber or large CENTER FIRE cartrige. I assume from your reaction you thought they were reffering to the .22 rimfire cartrige.

It doesn't specify in the handgun paragraph, but in the rifle paragraph it says you can't use a 22 rimfire for deer.

Going back to the 2002 book it says specifically in the handgun section that it is to be 22 "centerfire" or larger.

I'm sure thats what they mean in the '04 manual, but they should print it that way.