Wisconsin
What to know about the Wisconsin gun deer hunting season: Dates, licenses, regulations
Tips to Avoid Deer While Driving, and What to Do If You Hit One
A brief explainer on best driving practices to avoid deer. And what to do if you hit one in Wisconsin.
Officials in Wisconsin have held a regulated hunting season for white-tailed deer since 1851, just three years after statehood.
It has varied greatly over the decades, including closed seasons, rules that prohibited archery equipment, times when deer numbers were highest in the northern part of the state and the current era when whitetails are much more numerous in the southern half.
And every four years the gun deer hunting season is held in the same month as a presidential election.
The Department of Natural Resources held a media briefing Wednesday to present information in advance of the 2024 Wisconsin gun hunt.
The agency normally holds the pre-hunt event later in the year, but given the Nov. 5 election for president and other offices did it earlier this year to “make sure this information is able to reach the public and doesn’t get lost,” said Zach Wood, DNR public information officer.
Yes, no two years are exactly alike.
Here’s another new piece for 2024, this one from the regulation book: Due to a change in state law, hunters in Wisconsin can now use air rifles to hunt deer and other big game.
In another rule change this year, the junior antlerless deer tag is good on either public or private land (in the past the hunter had to designate one land type).
Here are answers to some of the most common questions about the state’s annual gun deer hunt.
When is the 2024 gun deer hunting season in Wisconsin?
The Wisconsin gun deer hunting season traditionally begins on the Saturday before Thanksgiving and runs for nine days.
This year’s nine-day gun deer season runs from Nov. 23 to Dec. 1.
Do I need to buy a deer hunting license?
Yes, all deer hunters are required to buy a Wisconsin deer hunting license.
You can buy a license online at gowild.wi.gov or in person at a sporting goods store or other license sales outlet. The DNR has an interactive map of license sales locations on its website.
How much does a deer hunting license cost?
A resident gun deer hunting license is $24; $20 for those aged 12-17; and $7 for those under 12.
Where available, residents may purchase additional antlerless deer permits for $12 each.
A non-resident gun deer hunting license is $200.
What is the rut? And does it affect deer hunting?
The rut is the annual mating period for deer. In Wisconsin it peaks in early November and is associated with increased deer activity, including during daylight hours, as bucks pursue does.
This increased deer activity definitely favors hunters, and data show gun deer harvests are typically higher when the season starts earlier in November rather than later.
How do I learn about hunting regulations set by the Wisconsin DNR?
The DNR publishes a hunting regulation pamphlet that lists rules pertaining to the gun deer and other seasons. The document is available online at dnr.wi.gov and in print form at license sales outlets.
In general, each deer hunting license authorizes a hunter to kill one buck and at least one doe.
Antlerless deer tags are issued for public or private land. And counties serve as deer management units.
The number of antlerless deer tags in each county is determined through a process that starts with recommendations from the County Deer Advisory Council, followed by review and potential changes by the DNR and the Natural Resources Board.
If I shoot a deer, do I have to register it?
Yes, all harvested deer must be registered by 5 p.m. the day after the animal is recovered.
Hunters can register deer online at GameReg.WI.Gov or by phone at (844) 426-3734.
Can you bait deer in Wisconsin?
Baiting deer is prohibited in 61 of Wisconsin’s counties and legal in 11, according to the DNR. The prohibitions are due to a state law that bans baiting and feeding deer in areas where chronic wasting disease has been found.
The 11 counties where baiting is legal are Ashland, Bayfield, Burnett, Clark, Douglas, Iron and Price in northwestern Wisconsin, and Brown, Door, Kewaunee and Manitowoc in northeastern Wisconsin. In these counties, hunters are limited to two gallons of corn or other bait at a site. Check the DNR website for further details.
Wisconsin
Cult-classic filmed in central Wisconsin returns to big screen, with enhancements, this weekend
STEVENS POINT, Wis. (WSAW) – A giant spider isn’t actually invading central Wisconsin this weekend.
But an enhanced, big-screen version of the cult-classic 1975 film The Giant Spider Invasion is crawling back into local theaters — and it’s bringing some central Wisconsin nostalgia with it.
The movie was famously filmed in Merrill and Stevens Point, and the updated 2026 release adds enhancements designed for a modern theatrical experience.
What’s new in the 2026 enhanced version?
Executive Producer J.B. Thompson says the team took the original 1975 film and enhanced it for the big screen in 2026, giving audiences a refreshed way to experience a movie that’s long been a Wisconsin oddity — and a point of pride.
Actor and Producer Dan Davies is featured in newly filmed scenes created specifically for this updated release.
Stevens Point’s role in the original film
While much of the film is associated with Merrill, Stevens Point Mayor Mike Wiza says Point also played a major role in the production — another reason the film’s return matters to local history buffs and movie fans alike.
Why does this movie still capture attention 50 years later?
Whether it’s the over-the-top creature feature story, the uniquely Wisconsin filming locations, or the nostalgia of seeing familiar places on screen, the group says the film’s staying power is real — even five decades later.
Screenings this weekend
The enhanced version of The Giant Spider Invasion is set for local screenings this weekend in Central and North Central Wisconsin. To purchase tickets for showings in Stevens Point, Marshfield or Waupaca, click here.
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Copyright 2026 WSAW. All rights reserved.
A Wisconsin man has been arrested in Colorado in connection with a fatal north suburban hit-and-run earlier this year that left a 50-year-old woman killed.
According to the Winthrop Harbor Police Department, Travis Kern, 35, of Pleasant Prairie, turned himself into police in Lakewood Colorado on an arrest warrant. Kern was charged with two felonies, police said, and remains in custody in Colorado pending extradition proceedings.
About 11:10 p.m. on February 26, a pedestrian was struck in the 1400 block of Sheridan Road in Winthrop Harbor by a driver of a vehicle heading northbound. The vehicle then fled the scene, police said.
The pedestrian, later identified as Shanna White, 50, of Waukegan, was transported to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead.
According to court documents, Kern’s next scheduled court date is set for July 22.
WHITEWATER, Wis. (WMTV) – The Kids from Wisconsin troupe is kicking off its 56th annual tour this week.
Kids from Wisconsin is a traveling show with 22 singer-dancers and 14 band members. The troupe performs across Wisconsin, hosting workshops for kids and helping fundraise for youth arts programs.
This year’s theme is “America’s Soundtrack: The Pulse of a Nation.” The theme honors the 250th anniversary of America and features music by all-American composers, bands and performers.
Kids from Wisconsin bassist and student leader Alex Coller said that range is what makes this year’s tour stand out.
“The theme is really just celebrating American music. And I think it’s definitely one of the most cohesive and like diverse shows I have played with this organization,” Coller said. “Even though its just American music it’s really cool to see. Anyone no matter who you are, or what your musical background is, or whether you like music or not, there is something here for everyone to enjoy.”
Kids from Wisconsin’s artistic and choral director, Taras Nahirniak, said audiences won’t want to miss it.
“Find a show near you, you are not going to want to miss this show. It’s just spectacular, the kids are so talented,” Nahirniak said. “We are just finishing up our camp right now, and they are just working their tails off. To really go around the state and show the state what they have.”
The tour premieres Thursday night at Young Auditorium in Whitewater. For tickets, tour dates or to find a show, visit kidsfromwi.org.
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Copyright 2026 WMTV. All rights reserved.
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