RHINELANDER, WI (WSAU-WXPR) – The archery and crossbow deer season in Wisconsin starts Saturday at sunrise.
Matt Esser is the DNR West Central District Deer Biologist and a hunter himself. He says he enjoys going out this time of year while it’s still warm because he can take his kids with him without getting too cold.
Esser says having a successful hunt this time of year is about learning deer habits. “If you can focus in on those key food sources and then find out where the deer are bedding then you can hunt in between. Deer are very predictable this time of year heading from feed to bed.”
Hunting and fishing license sales saw a boom in 2020 along with a general rise in interest in outdoor activities. DNR Deer Program Specialist Jeff Pritzl says last year was quite as good but there wasn’t a huge drop-off. “It wasn’t just a one-year bump. We gained about 27,000 archery and crossbow hunters in 2020. Last year total license sales dropped about 2,000. We’re still on an increasing trend overall. It will be interesting to see where things play out this year, but in general, it’s still increasing.”
The archery season starts September 17th and runs through January 8th.
