Wisconsin
Airguns for big game hunting are among six outdoors-related bills signed into Wisconsin law
Increased aid for snowmobile trails and a change in state parks stamps among other measures signed by Gov. Tony Evers
Gov. Tony Evers on Thursday signed 15 bills into law, including six related to hunting, fishing or outdoor recreation.
Arguably the most notable was Senate Bill 586, now Wisconsin Act 115, which will allow hunters in the state to use airguns during any season open to firearms.
Since state rules for many years allowed airguns for hunting small game such as gray squirrels and cottontail rabbits, the major impact of Act 115 is to expand the use of airguns to include big game hunting in Wisconsin, including white-tailed deer, black bear and elk.
More: Outdoors calendar
The law defines an airgun as “a weapon originally manufactured to expel one or more metal projectiles by the expansion of compressed air.”
The legislation received lots of support and essentially no opposition. Wisconsin now is among at least 29 states that allow airguns for big game hunting, according to Mitch King, president of the Airgun Sporting Association, a trade group promoting expanded use of airguns across the nation.
Proponents tout the quiet, clean operation and lack of recoil of airguns. Most models are designed for hunting big game at ranges of less than 100 yards; centerfire rifles have much longer effective ranges.
In the Midwest, states that allow airguns for deer hunting include Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. Act 115 passed easily because it was restricted to use of airguns during Wisconsin’s firearm hunting seasons; versions of the proposal introduced in previous years would have allowed “airbows” to be used during archery seasons and were opposed by several groups, including the Wisconsin Bowhunters Association.
Among other bills signed by Evers, SB 34, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 109, establishes the full weekend prior to the third Monday in January as “free fishing weekend” so it lands just before Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a federal holiday.
The governor also signed SB 136 (Act 110) to increase the cap on county supplemental snowmobile trail maintenance aid from the current limit of no more than three times the per mile maximum to no more than five times the per mile maximum. It is expected to increase the supplemental aid limit from the current rate of $900 per mile to $1,500 per mile.
Evers also signed SB 411 (Act 112) which allows a person to transport a dressed or filleted game fish from inland or outlying waters if they provide a physical or digital photograph upon request that proves the time and date of the photograph and physical evidence of the fish’s length prior to the head and tail being removed.
In addition, the governor inked SB 415 (Act 113) to make DNR annual vehicle admission receipts such as state park stamps good for 12 months from the date of issue, rather than the calendar year. The change will go into effect Jan. 1, 2025.
And Evers signed SB 587 (Act 116) to statutorily define a muzzle-loading firearm as a firearm that shoots a projectile loaded exclusively from the muzzle.
For more details, visit legis.wisconsin.gov.
Leftover turkey tag sales begin this week
The DNR this week will begin selling bonus harvest authorizations for the 2024 spring turkey season. As in past years, the tags will be offered first with a designated sale date for each zone, then all remaining authorizations will be available for purchase.
Sale dates are Monday for Zone 1, Tuesday for Zone 2, Wednesday for Zone 3, Thursday for Zone 4 and Friday for Zone 5 and Zone 7. No permits are available for Zone 6. All remaining tags will go on sale Saturday.
Sales are offered through the Go Wild license portal and at all license sales agents. Sales begin at 10 a.m. and run through midnight each day. Bonus harvest authorizations are $10 for residents and $15 for non-residents.
Visit dnr.wi.gov for more information.
Wisconsin guard Andrew Rohde reflects on early March Madness exit
Wisconsin guard Andrew Rohde said the Badgers ‘thought we could do so many things’ in the NCAA Tournament before it ended abrupty with an upset loss.
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.
MILWAUKEE – Friday’s severe storms have passed. And with that, the threat of any severe weather has also passed for the immediate future as no storms or rain are expected for several days.
However, plenty of damage remains across southeastern Wisconsin as of Saturday morning, in addition to the ongoing flooding threat.
Several area rivers are at flood stage, and there are multiple river flood warnings in effect.
FOX6 Weekend WakeUp on Saturday begins at 6 a.m.
On the scene in the morning
What we know:
Farmstead damage in Franklin
FOX6’s Hayley Spitler is in Franklin on Saturday morning, April 18, getting a daylight look at the damage from last night’s storms.
Storm damage in Caledonia
Friday’s storms left quite the mark across southern and southeastern Wisconsin, including at L and L Farms and Greenhouse in Caledonia.
FOX6 Weather Extras
Local perspective:
Meanwhile, FOX6Now.com offers a variety of extremely useful weather tools to help you navigate the stormy season. They include the following:
FOX6 Storm Center app
FOX LOCAL Mobile app
FOX Weather app
Maps and radar
We have a host of maps and radars on the FOX6 Weather page that are updating regularly — to provide you the most accurate assessment of the weather. From a county-by-county view to the Midwest regional radar and a national view — it’s all there.
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School and business closings
When the weather gets a little dicey, schools and businesses may shut down. Monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations, and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.
FOX6 Weather Experts in social media
The Source: Information in this post was compiled by the FOX6 Weather Experts.
How Aleksas Bieliauskas has grown in first season with Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin coach Greg Gard has high praise for Aleksas Bieliauskas about a month into the Lithuania native’s freshman season.
MADISON – One of Wisconsin men’s basketball’s departing transfers is headed to an SEC program with some connections to the Badgers.
Ex-UW forward Aleksas Bieliauskas has committed to South Carolina, he announced on April 17.
Bieliauskas left the Badgers after appearing in all 35 games as a freshman and making 28 starts. He averaged 4.9 points and 4.4 points in 20.2 minutes, and highlights of his freshman year included his five 3-pointers in UW’s upset over eventual national champion Michigan.
He’ll join a program with plenty of Wisconsin ties. South Carolina head coach Lamont Paris was an assistant coach at Wisconsin from 2010-17 on Bo Ryan and Greg Gard’s staffs. South Carolina assistant coach Tanner Bronson and director of video services Roman DiPasquale also are UW alumni.
Bieliauskas is the second of UW’s four departing transfers to commit to a new school. Reserve forward Jack Robison committed to North Dakota State on April 15. Starting guard John Blackwell and reserve forward Riccardo Greppi have not announced their next schools yet.
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