Wisconsin

Hunting safety experts note improving trend but urge vigilance

Published

1 year ago

November 4, 2024

Press Room

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.

Source link

Click to comment

Wisconsin

Wisconsin Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for March 19, 2026

Published

11 hours ago

March 20, 2026

Press Room

Wisconsin Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for March 19, 2026

The Wisconsin Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 19, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 19 drawing

Midday: 5-7-6

Evening: 7-9-6

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 19 drawing

Midday: 0-7-4-3

Evening: 1-5-7-1

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning All or Nothing numbers from March 19 drawing

Midday: 01-05-06-08-10-13-15-17-18-19-21

Evening: 02-04-09-11-13-14-16-17-18-20-22

Check All or Nothing payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Badger 5 numbers from March 19 drawing

07-14-22-27-30

Check Badger 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning SuperCash numbers from March 19 drawing

05-20-24-31-33-38, Doubler: N

Check SuperCash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Prizes up to $599: Can be claimed at any Wisconsin Lottery retailer.
Prizes from $600 to $199,999: Can be claimed in person at a Lottery Office. By mail, send the signed ticket and a completed claim form available on the Wisconsin Lottery claim page to: Prizes, PO Box 777 Madison, WI 53774.
Prizes of $200,000 or more: Must be claimed in person at the Madison Lottery office. Call the Lottery office prior to your visit: 608-261-4916.

Can Wisconsin lottery winners remain anonymous?

No, according to the Wisconsin Lottery. Due to the state’s open records laws, the lottery must, upon request, release the name and city of the winner. Other information about the winner is released only with the winner’s consent.

When are the Wisconsin Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
Super Cash: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 3 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 3 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 4 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 4 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
All or Nothing (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
All or Nothing (Evening): 9 p.m. CT daily.
Megabucks: 9:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
Badger 5: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.

That lucky feeling: Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

Feeling lucky? WI man wins $768 million Powerball jackpot **

WI Lottery history: Top 10 Powerball and Mega Million jackpots

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Wisconsin editor. You can send feedback using this form.

Source link

Wisconsin

High Point vs. Wisconsin – First round NCAA tournament extended highlights

Published

23 hours ago

March 19, 2026

Press Room

High Point vs. Wisconsin – First round NCAA tournament extended highlights

Men’s Basketball

March 19, 2026

High Point vs. Wisconsin – First round NCAA tournament extended highlights

March 19, 2026

Watch the highlights from No. 12 High Point and No. 5 Wisconsin’s matchup in the first round of the 2026 men’s NCAA tournament.

Source link

Wisconsin

Wisconsin lawmakers look to join the ranks of states allowing online sports betting

Published

1 day ago

March 19, 2026

Press Room

Wisconsin lawmakers look to join the ranks of states allowing online sports betting

MADISON (AP) — As sports fans wager billions of dollars on the NCAA basketball tournaments, Wisconsin lawmakers are taking a shot at an expanded sports betting plan that could bank big bucks for the state in the future.

A measure given final approval Tuesday would let the state’s tribal gambling sites start offering online sports betting to people anywhere in Wisconsin. But the bill is contingent on the signature of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, which is no sure bet. And it wouldn’t take effect until after the state negotiates new deals with American Indian tribes who would run the sports betting — long after the current basketball tournaments wrap up.

Here’s how Wisconsin and other states are approaching sports betting:

Sports betting is booming in states

Legal sports betting has spread from one state — Nevada — to 39 states and Washington, D.C., since the U.S. Supreme Court opened the door in 2018. If Evers signs off on the expansion, Wisconsin would become the 32nd state to allow online sports wagering, which is how most people place bets.

Across the U.S., state-regulated sportsbooks handled nearly $167 billion of bets last year, generating revenues of nearly $17 billion after winnings were paid out to customers, according to the American Gaming Association. That marked an almost 23% increase over the previous year.

Gambling in Wisconsin goes through tribes

Gambling is legal in Wisconsin only on tribal lands under exclusive contracts between tribes and the state. Sports bets currently can be placed only at certain tribal casinos, and online sports betting is illegal.

Under the Wisconsin tribal compacts, a percentage of the money tribes earn through that gambling is returned to the state. In 2024, the tribes paid the state just over $66 million from revenue generated at casinos.

Wisconsin proposes to follow the Florida model

Under the Wisconsin legislation, online sports betting would be allowed only if the infrastructure to manage the bets, such as computer servers, is located on tribal lands in the state. That approach, known as the “hub-and-spoke” model, already is used in Florida.

Supporters of the measure include several Wisconsin tribes and the Milwaukee Brewers. They contend people currently are placing bets using offshore sportsbooks or prediction markets or crossing into other states where it’s legal, including neighboring Illinois.

Republican Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said he opposes online gambling, but people are already doing it and “I would rather make sure that Wisconsinites have some sort of control over that.”

The legislation has drawn opposition from the Sports Betting Alliance, which represents FanDuel, DraftKings, bet365, BetMGM and Fanatics. They argue it wouldn’t make financial sense for them to partner with Wisconsin tribes, because federal law requires 60% of gambling revenues must go back to the tribes. They would prefer a state constitutional amendment opening sports betting to all operators.

“It is simply not economically feasible for a commercial operator to hand over 60% or more of its revenue to an in-state gaming entity, just for the right to operate in the state,” Sports Betting Alliance representative Damon Stewart said in submitted testimony opposing the bill.

Governor’s support is unclear

Wisconsin’s measure has divided Republicans since it was introduced last year. It took 12 Democrats joining with nine Republicans to pass the bill in the Senate. The Assembly, also controlled by Republicans, passed it on a voice vote without debate last month.

It now heads to Evers, who initially said he would sign it as long as it was passed in consultation with — and the support of — the state’s tribes. Evers has since raised concerns, noting last month that not all of the state’s 11 tribes are registered as in support. Evers’ spokesperson Britt Cudaback did not return a message seeking comment Tuesday.

Revenues from sports bets can take a while to start flowing

If Evers signs the legislation, Wisconsin residents may still have to wait to place bets through smartphones and computers. It often takes months to launch new sports betting programs.

North Carolina’s governor signed legislation in June 2023 to expand sports betting from three tribal casinos to online platforms. But online betting did not begin until March 2024.

Missouri voters narrowly approved sports wagering in November 2024. But it didn’t launch until last December. And the state has yet to reap a big windfall. Through the first two months, Missouri sportsbooks handled $928 million of bets, but that resulted in just $659,000 in state taxes.

Some states look to squeeze more out of sports bets

Since adopting sports betting, some states already have revamped their laws to try to take a bigger share of the money. Taxes have been raised or restructured in Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee and Washington, D.C. And Colorado and Virginia have pared back the tax deductions they originally allowed.

Illinois has taken multiple bites, most recently adding fees of 25-50 cents on every sports bet that gets placed. And Chicago began charging an additional 10.25% tax on sports betting revenues on Jan. 1.

Louisiana raised is sports betting taxes last year to help fund college athletics. The new law directs one-quarter of the tax revenue from online sports wagering to be split among public universities with Division I football programs and be used “for the benefit of student athletes.”

Collegiate prop bets face push back

Sports betting often involves more than just guessing which team will win. Some of the most popular bets focus on player performance, like how many points a particular athlete will score. Those proposition bets also have been at the center of recent scandals, with players alleged to have rigged their performance.

The NCAA in 2023 began encouraging states to adopt restrictions on bets involving college athletes. Since then, Louisiana, Maryland, Ohio and Vermont have joined the ranks of states banning individual prop bets on college athletes.

More than a dozen states place no limits on collegiate prop bets while nearly an equal number prohibit all such bets. Other states fall somewhere in between, including some that allow prop bets on collegiate athletes only for games that don’t involve their home-state schools.

___

Lieb reported from Jefferson City, Missouri.

Source link