(bright music) - Hi, I'm Dan Small.

Welcome to "Deer Hunt Wisconsin."

This is our 34th annual special to help you get ready for Wisconsin's gun deer season.

Coming up, we'll talk to successful hunters, update you on new rules, look at efforts to recruit new hunters, and provide a hunting forecast for each region of the state.

We'll also feature photos you sent us of your hunts.

All that and a couple of surprises coming up on "Deer Hunt Wisconsin 2024."

(bright music continues) It's no secret that hunter numbers are declining.

Wisconsin sold nearly 700,000 gun deer licenses just 25 years ago, and today, that number's closer to 500,000, and it's shrinking every year.

Many groups are working hard to recruit new hunters, Kids and Mentors Outdoors, or KAMO, holds a hunt in December every year for young hunters.

Dedicated to the late Joe Stecker-Kochanski, the KAMO Hunt is held at the MacKenzie Center, near Poynette.

- KAMO stands for Kids and Mentors Outdoors.

In the late eighties and all the nineties, I noticed there weren't a whole lot of kids in fishing boats and out hunting and trapping like they were when I was a kid in the sixties and seventies.

And so, I came up with an idea in 2006, and my idea was to start a multi-chapter organization that gets kids into the outdoors on both one-on-ones and group events where we take kids on outdoor experiences.

- My relationship with the group started by accident back in 2011 when I was going through the Meadow Valley State Wildlife Area, and I noticed a group had erected a temporary shelter to hunt out of.

I ended up getting a hold of members of the group and invited myself to some of their meetings and expressing my interest in forming a chapter in the La Crosse area, and it actually worked out.

- We had no idea what we were gonna do, didn't know anything about bylaws, insurance, anything whatsoever like that, but we had a lot of energy, and we figured this all out.

And then in the fall of 2008, we were a year and a half old, we held our first Joe.

That's this hunt that we're doing right now.

It's a great event.

Joe Stecker-Kochanski, he's a great, great man.

He was really one of my mentors for creating this.

He did not want to be an officer in KAMO, but he taught me a lot about just being levelheaded, not giving up, a very, very wise man.

Four years it was rocking and rolling, and then Joe had a heart attack and passed away, and that's when we named it after Joe.

- It's the same weekend in December every year.

And we can actually take up to 25 kids who need to be supported by 25 mentors.

And since we serve food, we stay two nights, rely on landowners outside the property of MacKenzie, it's a big deal.

- These private landowners are happy to welcome KAMO hunters on their land to help control the local crop-eating deer population and maybe even a bonus species.

- Last year, I did not get anything.

This year, I actually got something, but it wasn't a deer, it was a turkey.

(laughs) I got a turkey tag, and then the owner has so many that they let us shoot one or a couple.

- We operate this hunt as a Learn to Hunt, which is a program that the DNR runs and gives novices an opportunity to see what hunting is all about without having to have a hunting license, without having to hunt actually during a regular season when it would be real crowded.

Then at the end of the experience, they should be able to answer the question, "Is hunting for me or not?"

- We do the one-on-ones, and we do group events, large like this, but a lot of 'em is just two adults and four kids.

It's really varied.

Some of these kids are active outdoorsmen, and they just, it's a club for 'em.

Their parents are active with 'em or a uncle or a neighbor.

But a lot of our kids here are single parent.

They're generally just too busy, just earning a living and raising kids and doing what they gotta do.

And so, they reach out to KAMO, or we reach out to them.

- The word gets out how rewarding it is for both the adults and kids involved.

Here we are today, with 23 hunting pairs, and I believe the last number of deer I heard was 21.

- You know, an event like this is about $5,000 for us.

Just right up there, it's $100 a piece to get those deer butchered.

There's 22 of 'em on the pole, there's $2200 bucks.

- We actually take the trouble to distribute all that packaged meat so that each kid gets an equal amount no matter if they got a deer here or not, so that's priceless really.

- Learn to Hunt events like the KAMO Joe Hunt can be held at any time of year.

We'll look at other efforts to recruit new hunters later in the show.

Right now, let's look at season dates and other rules that apply to most hunters.

This year, the nine-day firearm season runs from November 23rd through December 1st.

After that, there's the muzzleloader season for 10 days, then the statewide four-day antlerless hunt, and then the nine-day Antlerless-Only Holiday Hunt in farmland-zone counties shown on this map, and on page 11 of the hunting regs.

The DNR Hunting webpage also has links to the regulations, shooting hours, public lands, game registration page, CWD sampling locations, Go Wild and more.

Here's what's new for this year.

The list of counties closed to deer baiting and feeding changes, depending on where new cases of chronic wasting disease are found.

Check the DNR website for updates.

41 counties will offer the Antlerless-Only Holiday Hunt and the archery and crossbow seasons have been extended to January 31st in 35 counties.

Ashland and Iron Counties are the only units where hunters may shoot only bucks this year.

Junior antlerless tags are still valid in those two counties though.

Many units are offering more antlerless tags this year, and air guns are now legal for hunting all game in Wisconsin.

Throughout the show we'll feature some photos that you sent us from your hunts.

Here's the first of them.

(bright music) (bright music continues) (bright music continues) The Bill Cook Chapter of the Isaac Walton League of America recruits new hunters with an annual Learn to Hunt event near Stevens Point.

- What makes this Learn to Hunt program special is the partnership we have with Portage County Parks.

It's not only a white tail Learn to Hunt program, but it's also a population control program.

Because of the multi-use of the property with the bikers, the hikers, the cross country runners, this population deer is not huntable 363 days a year.

This is one of the biggest, safest areas that we could hunt in the county and still have it as public access.

- The Standing Rocks Park is located here in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.

If you look through the grounds, you don't see a lot of underbrush, you don't see a lot of small trees, most of it's mature trees.

We've had an overpopulation of deer.

Our program is open for anybody who has not had a deer license before.

We've got people that are in their forties.

- I always wanted go hunting, but on the West Coast between workups, deployments, never had a chance.

And then once I got out, we moved back to Wisconsin and then he took an interest in shooting, took him through Hunter Safety.

We heard a gunshot go off this morning.

And then I'm asking Pete, who's my mentor for the hunt, I said, "Did you hear anything yet?

Did you hear anything?"

And I see I have a text from my son that says, "I killed my first deer."

And at that moment, my first initial thought was, that's awesome, I'm so proud of him, and my second thought was, well, he outdid me.

He got his first deer before me, so, but yeah, it was an awesome feeling.

- Well, I see the does first, and I know they're running from something, so I'm just waiting, I'm preparing, and then I see the big buck come out, and I just go for that instead, 'cause well, why not, right?

It's a bigger deer, might as well.

We went out there at 7:10.

By 7:30, I shot and killed my first deer, and it was pretty exciting, I mean.

- We're doing good for the park, reducing some of the herd population, and yet, we get to enjoy their enthusiasm when they harvest their first deer.

- I would definitely encourage the mentor experience, because you have that person there that knows a lot about it instead of just maybe even trying to do it yourself and learning yourself.

And if you do shoot a deer, it's a really good feeling too.

- I feel it's very important to get future generations involved, the hunting, the fishing, the hiking, the birding, you name it, it's all there, and we have to teach that.

- An organized event like that is one way to introduce someone to hunting.

But a licensed hunter over the age of 18 can actually mentor a new hunter of any age.

For details, visit the DNR website, keywords "mentored hunting".

Here are some stories from several youngsters who started hunting with the help of a parent.

- Once I saw this buck coming in, I was pretty excited, 'cause I knew it was a buck, and I knew it was bigger than the first one I shot.

- It's always exciting to see your kid shoot something and enjoy the outdoors and hunting a beautiful animal like the white tail.

- Yeah, it was just a pretty exciting moment for me.

- So it's been like a pattern.

I went and killed my first buck, Dad second, Mom third, Dad fourth, Mom, and my fourth is my biggest.

- Well, I didn't hunt probably until I was later in my twenties, thirties, and my dad hunted all the time, and I didn't really care for gutting the deer, stuff like that.

It doesn't have to be guys taking kids hunting, that moms can do it too, so I take 'em out and we get deer too.

- Isabella Wink is another youngster whose parents helped her start hunting.

Her dad gave her a pretty special gift for her 16th birthday.

- We, as a family, have always applied for the Wisconsin elk tags.

In 2023, I was selected as one of the four recipients for the tags.

As part of that, I had elected to transfer the tag to my daughter here and give her the opportunity to harvest an elk in the state of Wisconsin.

And she wasn't aware of it until her 16th birthday, and that was her birthday present from us.

It was to give her that tag.

- While we were scouting, we did end up seeing one spike and a couple other smaller bulls too along the process.

- We had positioned ourselves in some different areas to try and expand our visibility, knowing that the days were coming short.

So she was by herself at the time that it happened, and she saw the opportunity.

she saw the elk starting to feed out of the timber.

- I started cow calling at the herd, and then I noticed a lot of the cows picked up their heads, and I realized, I'm like, "Oh, I'm busted."

I'm like, "I just messed this up."

And then this wonderful bull started running right towards me, and that's when I knew, I'm like, "This is my chance, and I have to take it."

So then, I took my shots quickly and ethically, and that's how I harvested my bull.

- I'm so proud of you.

(bright music) - Last winter was one of the mildest on record in the Northern District with no snow cover to speak of until late in the season.

Good winter survival and strong fawn recruitment should put more deer in the woods this fall.

The north offers a wide diversity of habitat types on both public and private land, from mixed hardwoods, aspen, and conifers, to grasslands, wetlands, and shrub lands, and all of that provides food and cover for deer.

This year's acorn crop was a bust in most areas, so deer will be seeking food elsewhere.

Look for them in edge habitats, thick brush lines between food and bedding areas, and small forest openings.

(bright music) The Northeast District offers a diverse mix of deer habitat types that range from hardwood forest in Marinette and Oconto Counties to the flatter agricultural and wetland areas of Winnebago, Fond du Lac, and Calumet Counties.

In the central counties, deer numbers are still above healthy levels in many areas.

Plenty of antlerless permits are available, and these counties will have the Holiday Hunt and the extended archery season.

In the Southern and Lake Michigan portions of the district, deer habitat is more fragmented, and there's a lot more hunting pressure, especially on opening weekend.

Lindsay Muench of Campbellsport is a young woman who didn't allow a physical disability to keep her from becoming not only a hunter, but also a hunter education instructor.

- [Lindsay] I am big into the outdoors.

I love hunting, fishing, being with my family.

- When Lindsay came on as a student, she initially was a little laid back and a little bit reluctant, but progressively as things went on, she adapted very, very well.

- I was born with a neuromuscular genetic disease called spinal muscular atrophy.

It essentially is a muscle weakness disease that affects every part of the body.

Therefore, I use a powered wheelchair to get around and do the day-to-day activities, in addition to any of the many hobbies that I do have.

- We take a lot of pride in teaching all individuals that have any kind of needs.

We have a lot of those that we teach from all over the area.

But Lindsay came on pretty special.

It was about her interaction with the other students and with the instructors.

- When I passed the Hunter Safety Class, starting at 12-years-old, I knew I definitely wanna be involved in the outdoors and specifically, deer hunting.

It's always a rush to see that deer in front of you.

And of course, I love shooting my rifles, that's a big thing.

My first buck that I harvested was up in Taylor, Wisconsin through a disabled hunt.

And that year, I saw so many trophy buck, it was incredible.

To this day, I can still see it in my brain, and it was amazing.

On the very last night of the hunt, out of the three-day hunt that I was on, we saw a seven pointer come out about 100 yards, I believe, in front of us.

I was able to get a shot on him, double lung, actually, I believe it was, great opportunity all around and really kind of starting the career in hunting for me.

An elk hunt was actually one of my dream hunts, if you wanna call it that, the bucket list checkoff.

It was a donated hunt by the Outdoor Adventure Foundation.

We were able to take my entire family up there for the trip, up in Ray, North Dakota, which is almost in Montana, and go on this elk hunt.

The elk hunt itself was quicker than most of my other harvest, (rifle fires) meaning that I got it on day one, lucky.

It wasn't easy whatsoever.

There was definitely a lot of rough terrain that we had to navigate through essentially to get to where we needed to be, but when we did, it came out about 294 yards away and was able to harvest that beauty of an elk and definitely a trip of a lifetime that I'll never forget.

A rifle is my favorite.

It is a 270.

It's my favorite thing out there, and I love the rifle.

It shoots very nicely, and on average, it can do 220 yards, plus.

I do use a gun mount.

I use a modified joystick that moves the gun up, down, left and right, and then two buttons, one for the safety, and one for the trigger.

I also have a scope that was modified actually by my father to bring it back to me so I can see it from sitting back in the wheelchair versus leaning forward on the gun.

After being a hunter for a number of years, I wanted to get the opportunity to instruct others to really show them how to be safe in the woods, how to know about and why wildlife management is important.

And I was taught by a great group of individuals, so giving back and being able to teach others what I love and what I'm passionate about, that's really why I decided to become a hunter safety instructor.

I really find hands-on learning to be a vital role in the hunter education.

And essentially, what I've seen, even with myself, is that there's nothing better than to have someone show you how to do something.

And that's really why I decided to give a testimony in front of the individuals at the state capitol, because it is that important to me.

To this day, I fully believe that if an adolescent doesn't experience hands-on training in the classroom and in the field, they will miss out on the visual learning and real-world experiences.

On top of that, they will never understand the ethical responsibilities they hold as hunters.

I feel that without that hands-on instruction, there's an opportunity to not only have me and you at risk in the woods, but the child won't really understand the full importance of what exactly hunting is and how to be safe while doing it, and overall, again, going back to the wildlife part of it, the wildlife management side of it too.

(bright music) - The West Central District offers some of the most productive deer habitat anywhere in the United States with fertile farmland, wooded ridges, and calcium-rich soils that contribute to healthy deer and fantastic antler development.

Last winter's mild weather had little or no impact on deer, and early greenup provided good nutrition.

There's a substantial elk herd now in Jackson County, so be sure you know the difference between a deer and an elk, and if you're not sure, don't shoot.

CWD has been detected now in most counties of the district, and hunters are advised to have their deer tested for the disease.

(bright music) Deer habitat in the Southern District ranges from the wooded ridges and cooleys of the southwest to the flat productive farmlands of the south central counties and the urbanized corridor along Lake Michigan.

Deer numbers are still high in most counties, despite ample antlerless permits, and this year, 15 counties will offer the Antlerless-Only Holiday Hunt, and 12 will host the extended archery crossbow season.

Last year, most of the nearly 1600 CWD-positive deer detected statewide came from the Southern District.

Testing your deer for CWD before consuming the meat is a good idea.

Getting a deer tested for chronic wasting disease is mandatory if you shoot it in a CWD-affected county and you plan to donate it to families in need through the DNR'S Deer Donation Program.

John Ozzy Oswald of Westby did just that with a deer he shot in Vernon County last year during the archery season.

Hunting a wooded hillside on a warm November morning, Ozzy made a perfect 30-yard shot on a doe that ran only a few yards before expiring.

After waiting a short time, Ozzy crossed a dry creek bed and walked up the hill to where the deer had stood.

He soon found the blood trail, followed it a short distance and recovered the deer.

He took the deer to Westby taxidermist, Matt Tainter, who took tissue samples for CWD testing, and then he took the carcass to Westby Locker and Meats, filled out some simple paperwork and left the deer to be processed into ground venison for local food pantries.

Since the Deer Donation Program began 25 years ago, Wisconsin hunters have donated nearly 100,000 deer, totaling 4 million pounds of venison to help families in need.

If you wanna help, the DNR's Dear Donation page has plenty of information, along with a list of participating deer processors.

Most of us would be happy to shoot a 10 pointer like this, right?

Well, last season, Georgia Vesperman, a member of the Lancaster High School trap shooting team, shot a dandy 10-point buck that turned out to be, well, something else.

- The history with this deer started about three years ago.

I had trail camera photos of it, and I had seen it from the tree stand that Georgia was sitting in.

The next year, it was same thing, a little bit bigger, a little wider.

And then this year, it showed back up in early November in full velvet.

And about two weeks later, I got a trail camera video of the deer walking away, and I noticed what looked that there was no testicles there.

So I started to wonder if there was something a little different about this deer.

And then in rifle season, it stepped out opening afternoon, and it squatted to urinate, and the urine came out the back end, so that about confirmed my suspicions.

I had seen the deer three nights in a row and decided it'd be best for a kid to shoot it.

They would get the most enjoyment, so I let Jerry's kid sit in the stand, and Georgia was the lucky hunter.

- Sunday night, closing night at about 4:00 PM, this doe came out.

My dad had saw it and then waited for it to come out a little bit more before telling me that that was the one.

And then he had me pull up my gun, and I shot it.

I'd say we got outta the stand just a little bit before dark.

That way we were able to go up and see that she was down.

I kind of talked to my dad, I was like, "Well, he's not the biggest buck."

But then we finally pulled her out, really looked at her and realized it was a doe, and it was just nice to experience it with my dad, and then having my cousin and uncle here too.

- The stand back there along the edge of the woods is where she took the shot from all the way over here to this field here, and we knew it was our only chance of getting a shot at this deer.

It was a great feeling and the smile on her face said it all.

(bright music) (bright music continues) (bright music continues) - Regardless of what you're shooting this year, before you head into the woods, be sure to sign in, and there are lots of private and public ranges around the state where you can do that.

Well, we hope you've enjoyed this episode of "Deer Hunt Wisconsin."

(bright music) You'll find links for more information on the "Deer Hunt Wisconsin" Facebook page, and the DNR website.

And all the segments from this year's show are posted on our "Deer Hunt Wisconsin" TV YouTube channel.

I'm Dan Small.

Thanks for joining us and have a safe and successful deer season.

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