Luke Olejniczak left the Banker’s private island with something worth far more than the measly dollar that ended up being in his “Deal or No Deal” case.

While brief, the private chef’s stint as a contestant on “Deal or No Deal Island” Season 2 served up “rich experiences,” including getting to do what he loves — fishing, cooking and running — in a tropical paradise.

And, it reaffirmed that Wisconsin is where he belongs, leaving him with a deeper love for his home state and its people.

“It was a blessing to be on the show. I was lucky to be a part of a star-studded cast,” he told the Journal Sentinel over the phone Thursday. “I will be remembered for the worst deal in ‘Deal or No Deal (Island)’ history. That’s worth something, right? You just roll up the carpet and move on with life.”

From his childhood home, Olejniczak tuned into the premiere Tuesday night with his parents (ICYMI: A recap of the episode can be found here).

What was it like seeing himself on TV? “It definitely built some perspective, right? It always seems like it could be someone else. It’ll never be you. But, it was kind of neat to see.”

We chatted with Olejniczak about his best — and worst — moments on the show, if there’s anything he would’ve done differently, and which contestants he’s rooting for now that he’s been eliminated.

Plus, the million-dollar question: Would Olejniczak ever do TV again?

What was Luke Olejniczak most proud of from his time on ‘Deal or No Deal Island’?

“I was most proud of how I conducted myself,” Olejniczak said. “I wasn’t any different on the show than I would be in real life. I just kept my Wisconsin values.”

While his debut was a “dumpster fire” — his words, not ours — at least no one could call him a “snake” or “manipulative,” he said.

“That’s not who I am and I wasn’t going to be that on the show,” he said.

What was most unexpected or surprising to Luke Olejniczak when he watched the premiere episode?

It was when David Genat said that he told teammates Olejniczak and New Yorker Seychelle Cordero to wait before going down the zipline during the season’s first excursion, Olejniczak said.

For context …

In a game, called the Banker’s Pyramid Scheme, there was a pyramid comprised of nearly $5 million worth of briefcases.

The three sides of the pyramid each represented a different strategy. While side one had the highest-value cases, to get to it, contestants would have to navigate a slippery and rocky path over water. To reach side two, with the medium-value cases, players would have to go through a longer-but-safer jungle path. Side three contained three red, unmarked cases: A steal, a swap and the lowest value in the game. Contestants would have to take a zipline to get to those.

The path each contestant selected not only determined the cases they could choose from, but also their team. Olejniczak teamed up with Genat and Cordero to take on side 3.

With a bird’s-eye view of the pyramid from the zipline’s tower, Genat seemed to think it best for him and his team to hold off on going down the zipline until they saw who snagged the $1 million case.

But, it looked like Olejniczak couldn’t wait, shouting, “Here we go, babyyy!,” on his descent. And, soon after, Cordero followed suit.

Olejniczak told the Journal Sentinel that, when he and Cordero got up on the tower to take the zipline, he didn’t hear Genat tell them to wait, noting that Genat “sure speaks quietly.”

“I didn’t hear that ever,” Olejniczak said.

On the show, Genat sarcastically remarked: “Strategic geniuses over here.”

“This is crazy,” Genat said in a cutaway. “Neither of them has seen anything. They’re just straight up the ladder, on the zipline and gone.”

Olejniczak was first to lock in his case.

Genat — who said he felt like he was partnered with “The Three Stooges” — mocked Olejniczak from the zipline tower, saying: “I’m the fastest out here. I don’t know what’s in my case, but I won.”

When watching the premiere, Olejniczak said that “Stooges” remark from Genat caught him off-guard.

After the game, it was time to unveil what each contestant had in their case. Olejniczak’s? He had the “steal.”

Genat revealed that his team’s “predetermined plan” — which didn’t air — was to take the highest-value case from the lowest-value grouping.

So, instead of stealing one of the not-yet-opened cases — which contained the highest values in the game — Olejniczak opted for the largest visible case value at that particular point. That decision, in part, landed his team in last place.

“At the end of the day, there’s no excuses,” Olejniczak said. “I should have been quicker on my thinking and I should have been smarter to go ahead and steal a case from the other group. And, I paid for it, as I should have.”

But, that’s the one thing he would’ve done differently on the show.

“I would’ve stole a case from the other group,” he said. “To be completely honest, I didn’t understand the case values. I didn’t realize what I was really doing at the time. I thought our plan was foolproof. That’s why I went with it. But, like I said, I should’ve put a little more thought into it and picked from the other group of cases.”

Did Luke Olejniczak know that David Genat and Parvati Shallow were ‘Survivor’ legends?

“Not a clue,” Olejniczak laughed. “I don’t watch a lot of TV. I don’t make time for that.”

When he did find out their credentials, he said he “really wasn’t that surprised.”

“I kind of just shrugged my shoulders and moved on,” he said.

Why Seychelle Cordero seemed so ‘venomous’ towards Luke Olejniczak

“Some of the things that happened on the island — which were huge to the story — never made it on film,” Olejniczak said. “For instance, Seychelle looked absolutely venomous towards me. There’s a reason for that.”

Ending up with the highest-value case in the excursion, Californian Sydnee Peck got to pick which contestant from the bottom team — Olejniczak, Ganet or Cordero — would face the Banker in the season’s first game of “Deal or No Deal”.

If that contestant would make a good deal with the Banker, they’d get to send one of their other two teammates home. If they made a bad deal, they would be eliminated.

Olejniczak made it abundantly clear on the show that he wanted to be the one to play.

Olejniczak told the Journal Sentinel that ahead of time, Peck informed him that she would be putting him up on the chopping block, as he wished.

After that, Olejniczak said he gave Genat a “gentleman’s handshake” and told him: “If I win in temple, I will not send you home.”

Olejniczak said he then had a face-to-face conversation with Cordero, giving her the heads-up that “if I win, you are going home.”

“She’s a New Yorker. She’s got spunk,” Olejniczak said. “But, she’s not a horrible person. She had reason to be upset. But, I was a little disappointed that the handshake between David and I never hit the footage because that was a big part of it. And, I would’ve stood by that handshake.”

Why did Olejniczak want to keep Genat around over Cordero? During their “very limited” interactions, Olejniczak thought Genat seemed more trustworthy.

“If I was going to create an alliance, I’d rather tie my kite string to David’s than Seychelle,” he said. “I think Seychelle would be loyal. But, I mean, I think David is going to pull you further if you had to rely on somebody.”

What was Luke Olejniczak’s favorite moment that aired?

Olejniczak’s case dedication to his father.

When it came time for Olejniczak to select his own case for his game of “Deal or No Deal,” he went with No. 7.

He said it represented the seven national titles won by former football coach Nick Saban. Six of those were won during his tenure with Alabama Crimson Tide, a team Olejniczak’s dad is a huge fan of.

“Roll Tide, baby!” Olejniczak said on the show. “Woo!”

Is there anything Luke Olejniczak would have done differently in his game of ‘Deal or No Deal’?

Nope!

While it was “apparent” that the Banker’s $218,000 offer was a good one — and if it was, Olejniczak would’ve gotten to stay and send Cordero home — part of Olejniczak would’ve felt guilty, he said.

“She really didn’t do anything wrong,” he said. “And, I kind of felt that it’s probably more right that I go home.”

If it was “destiny” for him to continue in the competition, he said, the No. 7 case he had chosen would have pulled him through.

“It didn’t. I went home. That’s the way it should’ve been. And, Seychelle got to play on,” he concluded.

Now that Luke Olejniczak has been eliminated, who is he rooting for?

While Olejniczak doesn’t have “ill will” toward any of his fellow contestants, he said, there are a couple he holds in “high regard.”

His No. 1 would be Rock, who he talks to weekly. That’s who he wants to see win the whole darn thing.

“He could have came from Wisconsin,” Olejniczak said. “He calls it like it is. He’s trustworthy. He has dignity. I would trust that guy with the keys to my house and the credit cards in my wallet.”

But, he wouldn’t mind seeing Genat “do some damage” as well. Olejniczak has kept in touch with him, too, to an extent, as well as La Shell Wooten.

What else Luke Olejniczak got to do while on the Banker’s island

The contestants were instructed to bring things to keep themselves entertained during down time, Olejniczak said. While most brought books, word puzzles and Sudoku, he said, he brought fishing poles and his walleye tackle.

While he didn’t catch any fish on the Banker’s island, he “pounded the heck” out of ’em later when he went out with a guide. He even got to cook his catches with a local chef.

“It was a beautiful time,” he said.

He also smoked fine cigars and ran his “ass off,” doing five to 10 miles a day.

“Come on, did I really lose?” he said.

What was it like going back to everyday life after ‘Deal or No Deal Island’?

“I was ready for it. I really was,” Olejniczak said. “Beyond the rich experiences I got from just the overall time there, I got perspective in the fact that I really am where I belong.”

While people fantasize about living in a tropical destination, he said, “I love it here in Wisconsin.”

“I absolutely love Eagle River. I love the people of Wisconsin. I love everything about this area.”

His first stop when he got back? Kwik Trip, naturally.

It was “phenomenal” to see his folks and friends again, he said, and his dogs, who ran to him when they saw him.

“I’m very much excited to get back to something that I’m good at that’s called cooking,” Olejniczak said.

In addition to putting on his private dinners, he’s looking forward to getting back onto the icy lake for walleye fishing, as well as tracking with his two scent hounds.

Would Luke Olejniczak ever do TV again?

“I think we should stick to what we’re good at,” Olejniczak said. “I’m gonna stick to the cooking and working with my dogs. I’m not saying no, but it’s very unlikely I will ever be on reality television again.”

And, why’s that?

“Let’s face it, I’m not very good,” he said. “And, furthermore, it takes me away from the place that I love and the people that I love.”

Chronic wasting disease continued to spread and increase in prevalence in 2024, according to DNR data.

Twenty-three years after the first detections were reported, chronic wasting disease continues to spread geographically and increase in prevalence in Wisconsin’s white-tailed deer herd, according to data from the Department of Natural Resources.

In the last three weeks the DNR announced CWD findings in wild deer in two new counties, Chippewa and Menominee. The agency now classifies 64 of the state’s 72 counties as “CWD-affected.”

And 10.4% of the 16,321 deer tested in 2024 were CWD-positive, the highest statewide rate since surveillance for the fatal deer disease began in 1999.

Although the CWD testing is conducted on deer submitted voluntarily by hunters and not part of a controlled study, wildlife health experts say such an increasing prevalence rate is to be expected with the disease.

When assessed by county, the highest rate in 2024 was in Richland County, where 33% of 1,301 samples were CWD-positive, followed by Sauk (32% in 815 samples), Iowa (26% in 664) and Dane (18% in 851).

Chronic wasting disease is a prion disease that affects white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, moose and reindeer, according to the Centers for Disease Control. It has been found in the United States, Canada, Norway, Finland and Sweden. Imported cases have also been reported in South Korea.

First recognized in a Colorado animal research facility in the late 1960s, CWD has now been identified in 32 states, according to the CDC.

The disease has not been documented to cause illness in humans or livestock. However health experts including at the CDC recommend meat from CWD-positive deer not be consumed by humans.

Wisconsin was the first state east of the Mississippi River to have CWD-positive deer. The first CWD detections in Wisconsin were reported in 2002 both in wild deer near Mt. Horeb and in farmed deer at a facility in Portage County.

After a period of aggressive tactics such as the use of sharp-shooters in an effort to eradicate the disease in wild deer, the DNR adopted a strategy of testing and monitoring.

Hunters in Wisconsin can submit deer for CWD testing by the state; the process is voluntary and no fee is charged.

Over the last 25 years the DNR has documented a continued geographical spread of the disease, underscored by the announcements in the last month of CWD-positive wild deer in two additional counties.

The disease can spread through infected saliva, feces, blood or in contaminated soil and other substrates, according to the CDC. There is no known treatment or vaccine.

It may take more than a year before an infected animal develops symptoms, which can include drastic weight loss (wasting), stumbling, listlessness and other neurologic symptoms, according to the CDC.

It’s expected the disease will eventually be found in all 72 Wisconsin counties.

The disease has been linked to population level declines in mule deer in a Wyoming herd. It’s not yet known whether it will lead to a reduction in the deer population in Wisconsin whitetails. A DNR study on deer, CWD and predators in southern Wisconsin is expected to release results this year.

The 10.4% CWD-positive deer tested statewide in 2024 compares to: In 2023, 17,343 deer tested and 1,587 (9.2%) CWD-positive; 2022, 17,207 and 1,492 (8.7%); 2021, 17,149 and 1,327 (7.7%); 2020, 18,917 and 1,578 (8.3%); 2019, 19,368 and 1,338 (6.9%); and 2018, 17,216 and 1,064 (6.2%).

For additional perspective, the percent positive CWD detections were 5.3% in 2013. 1.5% in 2008, 0.8% in 2003 and 0.1% in samples pooled from 1999 through 2002, the first years of CWD testing.

The CWD-positive deer in Menominee County was a 2-year-old buck taken by a hunter. The finding won’t change regulations in Menominee County, which were under a baiting and feeding ban put in place by Menominee Indian Reservation.

It also won’t affect the three-year baiting and feeding bans already in place due to CWD-positive deer reported in adjacent Oconto and Shawano counties.

The CWD-positive deer in Chippewa County was a hunter-harvested, 1-year-old buck. The finding will renew a three-year baiting and feeding ban in Chippewa County and a two-year ban in Barron County.

The DNR and the Chippewa County Deer Advisory Council are hosting a public meeting at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 6 to provide information about CWD in Wisconsin and local testing efforts in the county.

State law requires the DNR enact a three-year baiting and feeding ban in counties where CWD has been detected, as well as a two-year ban in adjoining counties within 10 miles of a CWD detection. If additional CWD cases are found during the lifetime of a baiting and feeding ban, the ban will renew for an additional two or three years.

Baiting or feeding deer encourages them to congregate unnaturally around a shared food source where infected deer can spread CWD through direct contact with healthy deer or indirectly by leaving behind infectious prions in their saliva, blood, feces and urine. More information regarding baiting and feeding regulations is available on the DNR’s Baiting and Feeding webpage.

More general information about CWD can be found on the DNR’s CWD webpage.

Officials with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection did not supply information last week after repeated requests for 2024 CWD data on deer farms and shooting preserves in the state.

In data last updated Sept. 25, 2023, DATCP’s webpage shows 46 deer farms with a CWD-positive animal since 2001. The agency says 24 of those facilities have been depopulated.

Preview: Wisconsin Looks For Eighth-Straight Win Over Minnesota

Series Notes

Wisconsin Notes

Minnesota Notes

Prediction