Bowhunting Wisconsin

Mornin' to anyone looking to live out their Shire dreams in this Hobbit home for sale in River Falls, WI. This is the Wiscampsin Weekly - the email that gets you in the know on the Wisconsin outdoors in 5 minutes or less. New reader? Subscribe here.

*Psst. The new Wiscampsin gear is hotter than Bradford Beach in July, give it a gander here.

What we're shooting for this week:

• Bowhunting for whitetail deer 🏹 

• Ice Age Trail challenge 🥾 

• 39th Annual Colorama Bike Ride 🚴 

Bowhunting and Wisconsin's "Green" Protein

Nearly everyone knows a 'Scon who, when asked what their favorite grocery store is, says the woods.

Teeming with game big and small, Wisconsin's forests and fields draw in thousands of hunters and provide many a-families fresh meat throughout the year. What's wrong, sweetie? You've hardly touched your deer spleen...

And with fall in full effect, the bowhunters of Wisconsin are coming in to the woodwork to harvest the state's most popular game - Whitetail Deer.

Whether you're in it for the trophy bucks, the thrill of the hunt, or the sustainability in harvesting wild venison, there's something for everyone bowhunting Wisconsin's woods.

Wisconsin's bowhunting deer season

• Runs from September 17th to January 8th (better pack some handwarmers).

• An estimated 250,000 bowhunters take to the woods every year in pursuit of deer

• Excellent source of ethically raised, sustainable "green" protein

Conservation

As we detailed in last year's Weekly on the brief history of whitetail deer hunting, the US has become somewhat of a global envy when it comes to our conservation model.

To protect the wild game that neared complete annihilation from land development and overhunting in the 1800's, conservationists and sportsmen put their boots down and created a model for sustainable hunting practices (bag limits, off seasons, license draws, etc).

A model that today has helped species of all sizes flourish, none so famous as the Whitetail Deer.

And as if deer hunting wasn't tough enough, out of the roughly 600,000 hunters that pursue whitetail deer throughout our state, about 43% do so with a bow and arrow.

The Fathers of Bowhunting

In the age of technology, it may seem strange to forgo high-powered rifles for a bow (after all, Uncle Joe needs all the help he can get!). But there's a certain allure to bowhunting that fully immerses you into the hunt, an homage to the way our ancestors use to do it.

Known as the "Fathers of Bowhunting," Dr Saxton Pope and Arthur Young learned how to bow hunt from Ishi, the last survivor of the Yana tribe in California. He showed the men how he made his equipment and stalked wild game.

Awestruck by the grace and skill required for such a feat, the two men learned all they could, eventually becoming bowhunting masters themselves.

In 1923, they published a book titled Hunting With The Bow and Arrow, which sparked the interest in bowhunting in America.

Green protein

Besides the thrill that comes from hunting via bow and arrow, there's another reason why bowhunting is becoming more popular in our state: People want to eat better.

Reaching for the lettuce wraps instead of the Big Macs, more and more folks these days seek out organic, antibiotic-free, sustainably raised, grass-fed... you name it.

And while it seems to be the new "craze," the funny thing is, it's been running around in our woods for centuries.

Indeed, you'd be hard pressed to find a cleaner meat at the butcher than deer venison. Feeding off acorns, nuts, grasses, and other vegetation, these creatures are the definition of good, clean livin,' and which earned them the nickname green protein.

For just a few hundred dollars of gear and a license, you can fill your freezer with fresh meat year after year in a low-impact, environmentally sustainable way. And it's a heck of a lot more fun than going to the supermarket.

How to get out 'der

'Opefully you have a neighbor, friend, or relative willing to show you the ropes. If not, the internet can help get you started:

• Season dates and application deadlines

• DNR Hunting For Food webinar

• Find public land to hunt via DNR mapping tool

• Bowhunting gear checklist

• Wisconsin archery shops (local shops can get you outfitted with gear + tips and tricks)

Once you have a familiarity with the sport, you'll definitely want to swing through your local archery shop. They'll size you up for a bow and let you shoot it a few times to make sure the fit is just right.

With enough practice under your belt, you too can join the thousands of other bowhunters connecting with nature and putting fresh venison on the dinner table.

Now get out 'der!

NEW: Wiscampsin Weekly Poll

Let's see how much you've been paying attention this year...

The "Holy Cripes" Moment of the Week❗️

As if you needed 'em, here are ten reasons you should scoot your boots out to Door County this autumn season. Spoiler alert: The colors put your 64 box of Crayola's to shame.

Nuts and Seeds 🌰 

🥾 Mammoth Challenge 2022: Calling all fans of nature, fall colors, and bragging rights - consider tackling the 2022 Mammoth Challenge, which gives you the entire month of October to hike 42 miles of the Ice Age Trail and visit 3 Trail Communities. Victors will receive a certificate of completion and a limited edition patch. Sign us up!

🚴 Colorama Bike Tour: Experience Merrill in a whole new way at the 39th annual Colorama bike tour, which comes in a 10, 30, or even 50-mile ride along the Wisconsin River. Even comes with a t-shirt. No better way to earn your beers!

🎣 Set the hook!: The DNR announced a goal to up Chinook stocking to 1 million specimen a year in Lake Michigan, a 54% increase from current measures. If you've never fished for these trophies, you gotta (a favorite past time of Opa, before he wrecked his boat on the break wall!).

A review from the Trail... Next we'll teach you about cheese curds, Florida girl 😉