Wisconsin
Hunting safety experts note improving trend but urge vigilance
No fatal firearm hunting incident in 2023 or so far in 2024.
As deer hunting has evolved over generations in Wisconsin, several trends have become clear.
Participation is down. Options, including types of legal equipment, are up.
And arguably the most positive change in modern times: deer hunting in the Badger State is safer than it’s ever been.
Data collected by state officials show how deadly the activity used to be for hunters. For example in 1914, 24 hunters were killed and 26 injured in shooting incidents, and in 1970, 13 hunters were killed.
But in recent years it’s become rare to have a fatality during the gun deer hunting season, historically the period when most shooting incidents occurred.
In fact, six of the gun seasons in the last decade have passed without a shooting fatality.
With the 2024 Wisconsin gun deer season coming up Nov. 23 to Dec. 1, Department of Natural Resources staff held a media briefing Oct. 30 to present the latest information on the deer herd, season outlook and safety tips.
“Our hunting incidents are on a downward trend over the last five seasons,” said Renee Thok, DNR hunter safety administrator.
The improvement in Wisconsin deer hunting safety has its roots in a rule that required hunter education training for anyone born after Jan. 1, 1973, and a blaze orange clothing requirement that started in 1980.
Changes in hunter behavior have helped, too. More hunters now hunt from elevated stands, meaning their shots are directed downward and less likely to strike another hunter. Fewer hunters participate in deer drives, too.
Thok began a list of recommendations with the cardinal rules of hunting safety, also known as TAB-K: Treat every firearm as if it is loaded; always point the muzzle in a safe direction; be certain of your target and what’s beyond it; keep your finger out of the trigger guard until ready to shoot.
Noting the increased use of tree stands, Thok said it was critical to check on the status of buckles and straps on the hunting platforms and replace any that are worn or damaged. She also said hunters should used a full body safety harness to protect against falls and to use three points of contact (for example, two hands and one foot) when climbing or descending.
In addition, hunters should use a lifeline when going up or down a stand.
Thok also touched on the state’s regulation that requires deer hunters to have at least 50% of outer clothing above the waist in blaze orange or fluorescent pink. Hats or head coverings, if worn, must also be at least 50% blaze orange or fluorescent pink. Faded or stained clothing is unsafe and should be replaced, according to the DNR.
And it’s also smart for non-hunters and their pets to wear highly visible clothing when outdoors during the gun deer season.
If hunters are using an ATV or UTV, Thok issued a reminder to unload firearms before transporting them.
And she urged people to hunt sober.
“Be safe, responsible and sober when in the woods,” Thok said. “Impairment at any time either by drugs or alcohol can have tragic consequences.”
In 2023, 11 shooting incidents were recorded across all Wisconsin’s hunting seasons; none was fatal.
And just three of those incidents occurred during the 2023 nine-day gun deer season. They were: a self-inflicted foot injury Nov. 18 to a hunter in Forest County; a woman shot in the thigh Nov. 19 by a hunter who was hunting with permission on her property in Adams County; and a hunter shot in the leg Nov. 24 by another hunter while the two were participating in a deer drive in Taylor County.
The 10-year average is 5.9 shooting incidents during the state’s gun deer season, according to a 2023 DNR report.
So far in 2024 four non-fatal shooting incidents have been recorded in hunting situations, according to the DNR. One was during the spring turkey hunting season, two during waterfowl seasons this fall and one in which a man shot himself in the foot while attempting to kill a raccoon.
Though the trend toward fewer firearm-related incidents is encouraging, safety experts know their job is never done.
Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1973 must have a hunter education certification to purchase a hunting license unless hunting under the Mentored Hunting Law. Learn more about safe hunting in Wisconsin and register to take a hunter education course on the DNR’s Outdoor Skills webpage.
To learn more about hunting in Wisconsin, including information on hunter education courses, visit dnr.wi.gov.
(WLUK) — Applications for Wisconsin’s 2026 elk season open next week.
The DNR says the application period begins Sunday, Mar 1 and will close on Sunday, May 31.
Selected applicants will be notified in early June.
For the third year in a row, there will be increased opportunity to pursue elk within the Central Elk Management Zone (formerly Black River Elk Range), as additional bull elk and antlerless harvest authorizations will be available through the state licensing system. The 2026 elk quota for the Central Elk Management Zone is six bull elk and six antlerless elk, up from a quota of four bull and five antlerless in 2025.
The Northern Elk Management Zone (formerly Clam Lake Elk Range) quota will be eight bull elk, subject to a 50% declaration by Ojibwe tribes.
During the open application period, applicants will have the choice to submit one bull elk license application and/or one antlerless elk license application, separately. Applicants can apply to any unit grouping with an associated quota for that authorization type (bull or antlerless). The order of drawing will be bull licenses first, followed by antlerless licenses. As a reminder, only one resident elk hunting license can be issued or transferred to a person in their lifetime, regardless of authorization type.
In 2026, there will be one continuous hunting season, opening Saturday, Oct. 17, and continuing through Sunday, Dec. 13, eliminating the split-season structure that was in effect from 2018-2025. This offers elk hunters more opportunities and flexibility to pursue elk in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin residents can submit elk license applications online through the Go Wild license portal or in person at a license sales agent. The application fee is $10 for each of the bull elk and antlerless elk drawings and is limited to one application per person, per authorization type. The DNR recommends that all applicants check and update their contact information to ensure contact with successful applicants.
For each application fee, $7 goes directly to elk management, monitoring and research. These funds also enhance elk habitat, which benefits elk and many other wildlife. If selected in the drawing, an elk hunting license costs $49.
Before obtaining an elk hunting license, all selected hunters must participate in a Wisconsin elk hunter education course. The class covers Wisconsin elk history, hunting regulations, biology, behavior and scouting/hunting techniques.
(WLUK) — Snow remains deep across parts of the Northwoods and the Upper Peninsula, even though much of Northeast Wisconsin has seen notable snow-melting heading toward spring.
It’s connected to a shift in Pacific climate patterns.
As of Thursday, 75.1% of the Northern Great Lakes area was covered by snow. Snow depth across the Northwoods and the U.P. ranges from 20 to 30 inches, with areas along and north of Highway 8 in Wisconsin at about 20 inches.
But farther south, significant snowmelt has occurred over the last few weeks across Northeast Wisconsin and the southern half of the state.
Looking ahead, an ENSO-neutral spring is looking likely, meaning Pacific Ocean temperatures are not notably above or below average. Conditions tend to be more normal and seasonal, though that does not guarantee typical weather.
La Niña occurs when the Pacific Ocean has below-average temperatures across the central and east-central portions of the equatorial region. El Niño is the opposite, with warmer ocean temperatures in those regions. Those shifts influence weather across the United States and globally.
In Wisconsin, a La Niña spring is usually colder and wetter, while an El Niño spring brings warmer and drier conditions. During a neutral period, neither El Niño nor La Niña is in control and weather can swing either direction.
Despite the snowpack up north, the 2026 spring outlook from Green Bay’s National Weather Service leans toward a low flood risk, because ongoing drought in parts of the state is helping to absorb snowmelt.
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Dry conditions are also raising fire concerns in several parts of the country. Low snowfall in states out west is increasing wildfire concerns, and those areas are already experiencing drought. Wildfire activity can increase quickly if above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation continue into spring. About half of the lower 48 states are in drought this week — an increase of 16% since January.
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