Wisconsin

Smith: Hunters tallying high marks in Wisconsin’s 2025 deer seasons

Published

3 weeks ago

February 8, 2026

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Smith: Hunters tallying high marks in Wisconsin’s 2025 deer seasons

Deer hunters in Wisconsin had one of their best seasons in years, according to Department of Natural Resources data.

As of Jan. 27, hunters registered 338,685 white-tailed deer in the 2025-26 Wisconsin hunting seasons.

The preliminary total included 165,614 antlered deer, or bucks, and 173,071 antlerless deer, mostly adult females and fawns.

The total does not include deer taken on agricultural damage tags, the tribal harvest, in the Deer Management Assistance Program, vehicle-killed deer or at Ft. McCoy.

The Jan. 27 data also do not reflect the entire deer hunting year, which in some management units featured late bow seasons through Jan. 31.

Final data will be available in the coming weeks and likely add about 6,000 deer, mostly antlerless taken through the ag damage program, to the total.

But even with some numbers outstanding, the Badger State’s 2025-26 deer seasons are notable in several respects.

The total harvest is on track to be about 4% higher than the previous year and the highest since 2012, when 368,313 deer were registered, according to DNR data.

And remember the 2025-26 deer seasons included a lackluster nine-day gun hunt (the largest portion of the annual deer harvest). The Nov. 22-30, 2025 gun season resulted in 183,094 deer registered, a drop of 4% from the previous year.

A heavy snowstorm hit much of the state late in the nine-day season and likely reduced hunter effort.

But other portions of the 2025-26 Wisconsin deer hunting seasons more than took up the slack.

It started in October when 8,480 deer were registered in the youth hunt (a year-over-year increase of 15%) and picked up again in December with the muzzleloader season with 11,910 deer (48% higher than 2024), four-day December antlerless season with 10,590 deer (28% higher) and holiday antlerless deer hunt with 11,277 deer (47% higher).

Continuing a trend since 2014, the crossbow deer kill of 70,047 (43,006 bucks and 27,041 antlerless) is up 10% from last year.

And the archery (vertical bow) deer harvest actually reversed a long-term trend and increased this season. As of Jan. 27 the total was 41,459 (25,701 bucks and 15,758 antlerless), a 7% year-over-year increase.

“We know it’s not true everywhere, but for good chunks of the state, it’s the good old days (for deer hunters),” said Ryan Haffele, DNR acting deer specialist. “It’s a positive trend, and this year tells us about the depth and breadth of our seasons.”

One of the biggest points in the statewide pile of data is this: the 2025-26 buck kill of 165,614 is 14th highest on record and the most since 2007.

That’s saying something especially since the number of deer hunters has dropped by 116,640 (or 16%) in the last 25 years, according to the DNR.

It’s a continuation of last year, when 13 Wisconsin counties set buck kill records. The DNR will be able to make comparisons of those data from the 2025-26 deer seasons in the coming weeks.

It also bears mentioning this year’s buck harvest occurred in an era when deer hunters are more selective and more apt to pass up a shot at an antlered deer than ever.

Even with those caveats, many still consider buck kill a loose correlate for the deer population.

That association held up for the 2025-26 deer seasons.

The DNR estimated the state herd at 1.82 million deer following the 2024-25 hunting seasons, a slight year-over-year increase and highest on record. The herd has especially swelled in the agricultural zones since 2011 when the Legislature prohibited the Earn-A-Buck regulation and the early antlerless gun season.

Both the southern and central farmland zones had record high deer populations prior to the 2025 season, according to the DNR. And those estimates come at a time when chronic wasting disease is increasing in prevalence and likely causing localized declines in deer numbers in some southern counties, according to the DNR.

The contemporary “tool box” of Wisconsin hunting regulations lacks a device even remotely capable of reaching the antlerless harvest goals in the agricultural zones. The DNR and County Deer Advisory Councils can set the number but the deer kill consistently falls short.

The statewide deer population also got a bump from two consecutive mild winters, which primarily benefitted deer in the northern forest and central forest zones.

Keith McCaffery, 86, of Rhinelander, who spent his 37-year DNR career working on deer and is arguably the most respected deer biologist alive in the Upper Midwest, told me before the 2025 seasons that Wisconsin “hunters this fall could be taking to the field with more deer than anytime in recorded history.”

In addition to being a lifelong Wisconsin deer hunter, McCaffery has been involved in deer population monitoring and management for most of his life, including through the period of highest deer kills. The 2025-26 registration data has only supported his claim about the possible number of deer available to hunters this year.

Of course deer population estimates have margins of error. Biologists stress looking at the trend as opposed to an absolute number. The leading indicators point to a higher deer population in Wisconsin this year.

One can only guess how much higher the deer kill would have been this year if the same number of hunters had gone afield with the same effort, attitudes, access and regulations as they did in 2000 when the record Wisconsin harvest of 615,293 deer was set.

But that’s a good debate topic for the local watering hole or deer camp.

The realities of the 2025-26 seasons are getting entered in the books.

What else made this year stand out? Hunters in the later seasons, especially the muzzleloader, December antlerless and holiday hunts, enjoyed snow on the landscape statewide, said Jeff Pritzl, recently retired DNR deer specialist.

“That hasn’t been true many years,” Pritzl said. “And it also showed hunters were still willing to get out there and work on filling tags late in the year.”

Pritzl pointed to the antlerless deer harvest of 173,071, a 5% year-over-year increase, as another bright spot from this year’s preliminary numbers. And as referenced earlier, the antlerless kill will be slightly higher in the final tally but will still fall short of harvest goals.

My own hunting seasons once again exceeded the expectations of a kid who grew up in southeastern Wisconsin with very few deer.

I saw lots of deer on each outing this year, primarily in Waukesha and Waupaca counties. I registered three, all adult does, and all in keeping with my and the landowners’ goals. I kept two for family consumption and donated one.

I let eight antlered deer pass while waiting for a doe on opening day of the nine-day gun season in Waupaca County.

Most important, my season included making new friends and having new experiences in the field while helping, at least in a modest way, to address extremely high deer numbers in a couple locations.

The final 2025-26 Wisconsin deer hunting statistics will be released in the coming weeks and months. Haffele, the DNR’s acting deer specialist, is planning to give a presentation on the deer harvest data at the Feb. 25 Natural Resources Board meeting in Madison.

If you hunted deer this year, I hope your season was safe and successful. If you care to share your stories or photos with me and potentially other readers in future articles, please email me at psmith@jrn.com.

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Wisconsin

NE Wisconsin community, politicians react to US airstrikes in Iran

Published

6 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

NE Wisconsin community, politicians react to US airstrikes in Iran

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) – The United States launched airstrikes in Iran on Wednesday, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and prompting fast reactions from across northeast Wisconsin.

In Appleton, over a dozen of protesters came together at Houdini Plaza, protesting the strikes and calling for peace, and in Green Bay, protesters lined the streets with signs condemning the strikes.

One protester we spoke with said the strikes were not about the nuclear protest, but for a regime change.

“All I could think of is WMDs that got us the last war in the Middle East, and it was just a lot of bunk, and the other thing is he said is he’s trying to overthrow the current regime,” said John Cuff of Appleton.

Area lawmakers are also reacting to the attacks in Iran.

Senator Tammy Baldwin released a statement following President Trump’s announcement of the strikes, saying: “My whole career, I have been steadfast in the belief that doing the hard work of diplomacy is the answer, not war. I believed that when I voted against a war in Iraq and I believe it today. Iran poses a real threat and one we need to take head on, but getting into another endless war is not the answer.

“President Trump illegally bombed Iran, totally disregarding the Constitution, putting American troops in harm’s way, and starting another war in the Middle East with no end in sight. The Constitution is clear: if the President wants to start a war, Congress – elected by the people – needs to sign off on it. The Senate needs to come back immediately to vote on this President’s senseless and illegal bombings– I know where I stand.

“Have we learned nothing from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? Doubling down with another open-ended war without realistic goals or a strategy to win is not only foolish, but also recklessly puts Wisconsin’s sons and daughters at risk.

“President Trump pledged to the American people that he would not get involved in another foreign war, and this is yet another broken promise from this President. The President needs to listen to the people he represents: Americans want fewer foreign wars and more focus on them and their everyday struggles.”

Representative Tom Tiffany also released a statement on X, formerly Twitter, saying: “My thoughts are with the brave U.S. forces carrying out these precision strikes and with the safety of American personnel in the region.”

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Wisconsin lawmakers react to US and Israel attack on Iran

Published

18 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Wisconsin lawmakers react to US and Israel attack on Iran

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) -Wisconsin’s congressional delegation is responding to the United States and Israel’s attack on Iran, with members divided sharply along party lines.

Republicans back military action

Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI), a member of the House Armed Services Committee and a retired U.S. Navy SEAL with multiple combat deployments across the Middle East, released a statement supporting the action.

The current Iranian regime has been sowing the seeds of terror around the world for decades.
They are directly responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans and it is time they are held accountable.
May God bless our Troops and give them: Strength, Wisdom, and Courage. pic.twitter.com/j1f05DF4Wk
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— Derrick Van Orden (@derrickvanorden) February 28, 2026

“For decades, the Iranian regime has fueled terror and violence across the world. This regime has operated with impunity for far too long, spreading chaos while threatening the security of the United States and our partners. Their hands are stained with the blood of thousands of Americans,” Van Orden said.

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) also posted support for the military operation on social media, writing: “May God bless and protect our troops as they attempt to liberate the long suffering people of Iran.”

Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI) also expressed support for the military operation.

“My thoughts are with the brave U.S. forces carrying out these precision strikes and with the safety of American personnel in the region,” Tiffany said.

My thoughts are with the brave U.S. forces carrying out these precision strikes and with the safety of American personnel in the region. https://t.co/LnaMs91Z7z
— Rep. Tom Tiffany (@RepTiffany) February 28, 2026

Democrats condemn strikes as unconstitutional

Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) criticized the military action on social media, suggesting the strikes were intended to distract from domestic issues.

“Eliminating a nuclear program (that Trump already said was eliminated) & Regime Change. Don’t look at your wallets & what you are paying more for due to Trump’s tariffs OR care about the Epstein files. Trump wants to divert your attention & is willing to kill people to do it,” Pocan said.

Last night, Donald Trump put American troops in harms way without Congressional authority. He is liable for every drop of blood spilled. Congress must immediately vote on a War Powers Resolution to end this illegal war before Trump destabilizes the entire region.
— Rep. Mark Pocan (@RepMarkPocan) February 28, 2026

Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) called the strikes illegal and demanded the Senate return to vote on the matter.

“President Trump illegally bombed Iran, totally disregarding the Constitution, putting American troops in harm’s way, and starting another war in the Middle East with no end in sight,” Baldwin said. “The Constitution is clear: if the President wants to start a war, Congress – elected by the people – needs to sign off on it.”

Baldwin also drew comparisons to previous military engagements.

Baldwin noted that Trump had pledged to avoid foreign wars. “President Trump pledged to the American people that he would not get involved in another foreign war, and this is yet another broken promise from this President,” she said.

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for Feb. 27, 2026

Published

1 day ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Wisconsin Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for Feb. 27, 2026

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

Here’s a look at Feb. 27, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from Feb. 27 drawing

11-18-39-43-67, Mega Ball: 23

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Feb. 27 drawing

Midday: 6-6-3

Evening: 9-7-8

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Feb. 27 drawing

Midday: 6-4-5-0

Evening: 1-9-8-8

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning All or Nothing numbers from Feb. 27 drawing

Midday: 01-02-03-09-11-12-13-15-16-17-19

Evening: 03-05-06-07-08-12-14-15-16-17-22

Check All or Nothing payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Badger 5 numbers from Feb. 27 drawing

08-10-11-21-25

Check Badger 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning SuperCash numbers from Feb. 27 drawing

06-21-22-26-27-30, 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.

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