The "Sin" in Wisconsin

It is sometimes hard to tell the difference between people from Minnesota and those from Wisconsin. For those who often confuse the two tribes, Lefthanded & Colorblind is here to help.

The primary characteristic difference between Minnesota and Wisconsin is that the Wisconsinites have the word “sin” in their stately name. Take for instance, the following Minnesota statistic:

“The number of deer harvested during the 2006 firearms season will likely exceed 250,000, below the 2003 record harvest of 290,000, but still among the top five harvests in Minnesota, according to preliminary estimates from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

With the firearms deer season still open in the metro area and southeastern Minnesota, the current 2006 harvest is estimated at 200,000, according to Lou Cornicelli, DNR big game program coordinator.

Sales of firearms deer licenses through Monday totaled 422,028, which is slightly above last year's total of 418,264 at the same time. License sales for the season have totaled 449,000 for the past two years.”

Now aside from the side issue that in Minnesota “the firearms deer season is still open in the metro area” (metropolitan deer hunting in Minnesota?), an important and differentiating point is that those in Minnesota hunt deer. There was not a single, reported incident of bestiality during this years’ Minnesota hunting season.

And then there is Wisconsin. Although Minnesota issued more than 400,000 deer hunting licenses, not one of those hunters was charged with the pursuit of “deer love”. In contrast, Wisconsin has B.J. Hathaway:

“NOVEMBER 16--Meet Bryan James Hathaway, alleged venison lover. The Wisconsin man, 20, is facing charges that he had sex last month with a dead deer. Hathaway, who previously has served time for killing a horse he intended to sexually assault, allegedly found the deer in a ditch alongside a roadway. Now Hathaway's lawyer has filed a court motion arguing that since the animal was already dead, Hathaway should not face a misdemeanor rap of sexual gratification with an animal. "The statute does not prohibit one from having sex with a carcass," lawyer Fredric Anderson wrote in the motion filed in Douglas County Circuit Court.”