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.

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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.

(WLUK) — Some school districts in Northeast Wisconsin are being recognized for exceptional academic performance.

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s recognition of eight schools across the state comes after the U.S. Department of Education ended the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program earlier this year.

These eight Wisconsin schools had already been nominated and completed the rigorous application process when the program was abruptly terminated.

“While I am deeply disappointed by the sudden end of the federal program, we’re proud to continue celebrating the hard work of Wisconsin’s students and educators,” State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly said. “These schools have shown remarkable results and a strong commitment to helping every child succeed.”

National Blue Ribbon Schools are honored in two categories: Exemplary High Performing Schools and Exemplary Gap Closing Schools.

Edgewood Elementary School (School District of Greenfield) – Gap Closing: A welcoming neighborhood school focused on both academics and emotional well-being, Edgewood builds strong family partnerships and provides all students with the support they need to thrive.

Prairie Lane Elementary School (Kenosha Unified School District) – High Performing: Known for its culture of kindness and collaboration, Prairie Lane helps students think critically and solve problems while proudly serving as the district’s elementary program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students.

Karcher Middle School (Burlington Area School District) – Gap Closing: Karcher empowers students to become confident, caring, and capable learners, while ensuring every staff member and family plays a role in student success.

Forest Lane Community School (Montello School District) – Gap Closing: Forest Lane fosters a lifelong love of learning through teamwork among staff, students, and families in a positive, inclusive environment.

Shiocton Elementary School (School District of Shiocton) — Gap Closing: In a small district “where excellence is expected,” Shiocton Elementary focuses on the whole child — academically, socially, and emotionally — to prepare learners for future success.

T.J. Walker Middle School (Sturgeon Bay Schools) — High Performing and Gap Closing: T.J. Walker Middle emphasizes strong teaching, community engagement, and continuous improvement to support every student, every day.

Crivitz High School (Crivitz School District) — Gap Closing: Offering challenging academics and rich extracurriculars, Crivitz High School combines community partnerships with a caring staff to prepare students for college, career, and life.

St. Croix Falls Elementary School (St. Croix Falls School District) — High Performing: St. Croix Elementary School provides a supportive, student-centered learning environment focused on academic excellence, character, and growth for every child.

The DPI plans to continue a state-level version of this recognition program in the future to ensure Wisconsin schools receive the acknowledgement they deserve.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Police are investigating stickers that appeared on campus encouraging violence against federal immigration agents.

Republicans are pointing to the imagery as another example of the hostile climate conservatives face on college campuses.

UW-Madison is removing the stickers and condemns violence of any kind, university spokesperson John Lucas said. He said he was aware of two or three stickers being removed.

One of the stickers showed a man wearing a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shirt and face mask, with red streaks that appear to be blood near his head. “The only good fascist is a dead one,” the text read.