Wisconsin

After 50 years, excitement still burns for start of Wisconsin gun deer season | Paul A. Smith

Published

5 months ago

November 20, 2025

Press Room

After 50 years, excitement still burns for start of Wisconsin gun deer season | Paul A. Smith

Even after 50 years of participating in the Wisconsin gun deer hunt, outdoors editor Paul A. Smith still looks forward to the season’s opening. This 2025 edition runs Nov. 22 to 30.

Wisconsin’s deer hunting landscape has changed significantly over the last 50 years.
The state’s deer population is at a record high, with more deer now in southern Wisconsin.
Hunting regulations, hunter tactics, and the number of hunters have all evolved over the decades.
Chronic wasting disease is a modern concern for hunters that did not exist 50 years ago.

This year will mark my 50th gun deer hunting season in Wisconsin.

And while five decades is a substantial chuck of time, it’s a relatively small fraction of the state’s regulated deer hunting, dating to 1851, according to the Department of Natural Resources.

And it’s infinitesimal when you acknowledge Native Americans have pursued deer for thousands of years in the area we now call Wisconsin.

But my personal experience and the much longer history of deer hunting in this region have one thing in common: change.

I clearly recall my first deer hunt near my boyhood home in Racine County. The area was “shotgun only” in those days.

Racine County didn’t have many deer in that era. But no matter the low odds of success, to me the chance to hunt deer was priceless. My father answered my pleas and obtained permission for us to hunt on a farm in Yorkville.

In the days before that season we went to R&W Supply in downtown Racine and bought paper slug cartridges to shoot out of our 12-gauge shotguns. The smoothbores were primarily used for ring-necked pheasant hunting.

I could barely sleep the night before that first season and I’m sure it was one of the rare days of my youth when I was up before the rest of my family.

We set out before dawn, wearing red stocking caps and carrying a knapsack with a couple sandwiches and a thermos of hot chocolate, and set up along a fenceline. To the east was a picked corn field, to the west an oak woodlot.

As the day brightened, I watched every leaf of corn flip in a light breeze. Could it be a deer?

But by noon no whitetail had been seen.

The highlight – and believe me it was exciting – was the finding of a deer track frozen in mud along the field edge.

I would end up hunting more than 10 deer seasons before I’d put a tag on a deer.

Over 50 seasons I’ve been privileged to hunt from suburban woodlots to coulees in the Driftless Area to pine forests in Jackson County to mixed farmland areas in Marquette and Waupaca counties to the big woods of northern Wisconsin.

So many things have changed over the decades, from the deer population to the hunting regulations to hunter tactics and preferences.

Not only is the deer population higher than at any point in my life, it has substantially shifted in abundance to the south.

The Department of Natural Resources estimated Wisconsin had a record-high 1.825 million deer after the 2024 hunting seasons.

That total included record highs in the central agricultural and southern agricultural zones, as well as increasing numbers in the central and northern forest zones.

That same Racine County farm I hunted 50 years ago is now a subdivision. But it features a plentiful deer population and offers no legal hunting.

Compared to the 1970s, hunters now can pursue deer many more days of the year, essentially from mid-September until early January. Most agricultural deer management units have a firearm deer hunt from Christmas to New Year’s and an extended bow season to the end of Janauary.

But more of us now hunt on private land than when I started, too.

And hunters are pickier about what they shoot. It used to be most hunters would shoot the first legal deer that presented itself. Now many wait for a mature buck.

There are now fewer hunters than just a couple decades ago, too.

Combined with action by politicians in 2011 to prohibit the two most effective tools the DNR had to increase antlerless deer kills (Earn-A-Buck and an October gun hunt), the deer population is swelling.

Another notable issue that came on the Wisconsin deer hunting scene in recent decades is chronic wasting disease. Since it was announced in 2002, the fatal prion disease has spread in distribution and increased in prevalence. While it has not been found to affect human health or livestock, experts advise hunters to test their deer and not eat meat from a CWD-positive animal.

There was no similar disease present when I started hunting.

Taken together, that’s a lot of change in 50 years.

Am I still as excited as I was when I was 14? You betcha.

Over the years I’ve made an effort to share stories with you from deer camps throughout the state.

This year I’m privileged to be hunting with a multi-generational deer camp in Waupaca County. I bought a Stormy Kromer to fit in with their camp photo tradition.

Given the camp’s location in a deer-rich region, I expect to see more than a deer track.

What hasn’t changed over the decades are three things I cherish: the camaraderie of fellow hunters; the chance to harvest wild, nutritious, sustainable food; and the opportunity to add another chapter of experience in the great Wisconsin outdoors.

The forecast for opening weekend is good but with little to no snow on the landscape statewide.

For Tomahawk, for example, Saturday should be partly cloudy with zero chance of precipitation and a high of 42 degrees Fahrenheit.

It would be optimal for hunters to have a cover of white to help see and track deer. But the temperatures will make it relatively comfortable to spend hours in the field, if not all day, and shouldn’t pose meat spoilage problems.

I’ve killed one antlerless deer so far this year, with my bow on private land in Waukesha County. I hope to take several more before the season is over.

We’ll see what opening weekend in Waupaca County holds for me and my group.

If you are participating in the 2025 Wisconsin gun deer hunt, I wish you a safe and successful season.

If you care to share your experience, please email me at psmith@jrn.com.

Source link

Click to comment

Wisconsin

Wisconsin authorities put total arrests from clashes at beagle breeding facility at about 25

Published

2 hours ago

April 19, 2026

Press Room

Wisconsin authorities put total arrests from clashes at beagle breeding facility at about 25

MADISON (AP) — Around 25 protesters were arrested as around 1,000 animal welfare activists tried to gain entry to a beagle breeding and research facility in Wisconsin and were met by officers firing pepper spray and rubber bullets, authorities said Sunday.

Saturday’s protest was the second attempt in as many months by demonstrators to take beagles from Ridglan Farms in Blue Mounds, about 25 miles (about 40 kilometers) southwest of the capital, Madison. They were turned back by officers who arrested the group’s leader.

Owen Ziliak/Wisconsin State Journal via AP

Activists attempt to gain entry into Ridglan Farms beagle breeding and research facility on Saturday, April 18, 2026, in Blue Mounds, Wis.

The Dane County Sheriff’s Office said the situation was “significantly calmer and more peaceful” on Sunday, when around 200 people assembled outside the farm. They dispersed after around two hours, it said.

“We’re pleased with the group’s cooperation today, and their willingness to remain peaceful, while still sending their message of concern for the dogs at Ridglan Farms,” Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said in a statement. “We are happy to support anyone who wants to exercise the right to protest, as long as they do so lawfully.”

A Wisconsin State Patrol officer points a can of mace at activists as officers make way for a van to leave the grounds of Ridglan Farms beagle breeding and research facility on Saturday, April 18, 2026, in Blue Mounds, Wis.

The sheriff had said in a video statement Saturday that 300 to 400 protesters were “violently trying to break into the property.” They tried to overcome barricades that included a manure-filled trench, hay bales and a barbed-wire fence.

Activists help an elderly woman after she had been tear gassed during an attempt to gain entry into Ridglan Farms beagle breeding and research facility on Saturday, April 18, 2026, in Blue Mounds, Wis.

Some got through the fence but were unable to enter the facility, where an estimated 2,000 beagles are kept, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.

Animal rights activists react to tear gas while attempting to gain entry into Ridglan Farms beagle breeding and research facility on Saturday, April 18, 2026, in Blue Mounds, Wis.

Those arrested included the leader of the Coalition to Save the Ridglan Dogs, Wayne Hsiung, 44, of New York, who was being held on a tentative felony charge of conspiracy to commit burglary. But most arrestees were just booked and released, the sheriff’s office said Sunday.

“No one should be assaulted for giving aid to a dog, even if damage to property is part of that rescue effort,” Hsuing said in a statement from jail Sunday that also accused authorities of using excessive force. “The animals of this Earth are not “things.” They’re sentient beings. And we have the right to rescue them from abuse,” he concluded.

Protesters took 30 dogs when they broke into the facility in March, when authorities arrested 27 people.

Ridglan denies mistreating animals but agreed in October to give up its state breeding license as of July 1 in a deal to avoid prosecution on animal mistreatment charges.

On its website, the company says “no credible evidence of animal abuse, cruelty, mistreatment or neglect at Ridglan Farms has ever been presented or substantiated.”

Let’s talk:

Hey there! At TMJ4 News, we’re all about listening to our audience and tackling the stuff that really matters to you. Got a story idea, tip, or just want to chat about this piece? Hit us up using the form below. For more ways to get in touch, head over to tmj4.com/tips.

It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.

Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.

Report a typo or error

Source link

Wisconsin

US animal rights activists clash with police over Wisconsin dog breeder

Published

14 hours ago

April 19, 2026

Press Room

US animal rights activists clash with police over Wisconsin dog breeder

About 1,000 animal welfare activists who tried to gain entry on Saturday to a beagle breeding and research facility in Wisconsin were turned back by police who fired rubber bullets and pepper spray into the crowd and arrested the group’s leader.

It was the second attempt in as many months by protesters to take beagles from the Ridglan Farms facility in Blue Mounds, a small town about 25 miles (about 40 kilometres) southwest of Wisconsin’s capital, Madison.

Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said in a video statement that 300 to 400 protesters were “violently trying to break into the property” and assault officers. He said protesters have ignored designated areas for peaceful protest and blocked roads to prevent emergency vehicles from entering.

“This is not a peaceful protest,” Barrett said.

The sheriff’s department said a “significant” number of people were arrested out of about 1,000 protesters at the site but did not give an exact total as they were still being processed as of the afternoon.

Protesters tried to overcome barricades that included a manure-filled trench, hay bales and a barbed-wire fence. Some protesters did get through the fence but were unable to enter the facility, where an estimated 2,000 beagles are kept, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.

Animal rights activists attempt to break into Ridglan Farms beagle breeding and research facility in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, on Saturday. Photo: AP

Source link

Wisconsin

Wisconsin basketball signs Miami transfer Eian Elmer, who gives ‘scoring punch’

Published

1 day ago

April 18, 2026

Press Room

Wisconsin basketball signs Miami transfer Eian Elmer, who gives ‘scoring punch’

The Wisconsin men’s basketball team has signed Miami (OH) transfer Eian Elmer.
Elmer, a 6-foot-7 wing, averaged 12.7 points and 5.9 rebounds last season while shooting efficiently from 3-point range.
He is the third transfer portal addition for the Badgers this offseason.

Wisconsin men’s basketball has added a sharpshooting wing via the transfer portal.

Miami (Ohio) transfer Eian Elmer has signed with the Badgers, the team announced April 18. The 6-foot-7 wing will join UW with one year of eligibility remaining.

Elmer averaged a career-high 12.7 points and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 49.8% from the field and 42.9% from 3-point range in 2025-26. His production helped the RedHawks go 32-2 and earn an at-large NCAA Tournament bid.

“We are really excited to add another excellent addition to our spring signees,” UW coach Greg Gard said in a release. “Eian brings a wealth of experience and scoring punch as a 6-7 wing. … A terrific shooter, his skillset and production fit excellently into our plan as we build out next year’s team. Throughout our evaluation process, our staff loved his size, power and skill and truly believe he will thrive in our system.”

Elmer is Wisconsin’s third transfer portal addition since the end of the 2025-26 season, joining former George Washington guard Trey Autry and former Hofstra forward Victory Onuetu. UW also added Australian guard Owen Foxwell.

The additions of Autry, Onuetu and now Elmer leave Gard’s staff with three more roster spots to fill ahead of the 2026-27 season.

The Badgers are looking to replace much of their production from a 2025-26 team that went 24-11. Nolan Winter is expected to be the team’s only returning starter after John Blackwell and Aleksas Bieliauskas entered the transfer portal and Nick Boyd and Andrew Rohde exhausted their eligibility.

Source link