🦌 Shoot, der it is!

Shoot, der it is!

Wisconsin's 170th whitetail season approaches as conservationists, outdoorsmen hopeful for high turnout

Picture this: It's a cold, November morning. You scan the darkness from your tree stand, looking for movement. You think 'Holy schnikes, it's cold. My wiener is practically frozen! This hot dog is a terrible hunting snack, anyway. Oh look, another squirrel...' And just as you think about heading home, a deer steps out in the clearing, and you take aim...

For the thousands who participate in Wisconsin's annual deer season, the above has become something of a religious ceremony in the Dairyland State.

Each November, 'Scons pursue Whitetail Deer with bow, shotgun, rifle, and muzzleloader, (heck, some even hit 'em with the car) all in the hopes of filling their freezers with fresh venison.

And with Wisconsin ranking 8th in the nation for % of residents with a hunting license, it's no secret that we have a deep history with whitetails in the state.

Hunting = heritage

Before we discovered just how tasty Butterburgers were, we relied heavily on wild game to feed our families.

But with things like market hunting, invasive critters running amok, and the westward expansion in the 1800's, many of our wild game populations were on the rocks (just like the Minnesota Vikings' season).

It wasn't until outdoor legends like Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir stepped in that the conservationist movement was created, which believed in protecting our wildlife for present and future Americans.

User-play, user-pay is born

To fund the protection and management of our wildlife, the US established a system of license sales for those lookin' to try their hand at hunting and fishing.

Essentially, your cousin Susie pays for a yearly hunting license to shoot a buck or doe (male or female deer), and the money funds Fish and Game Wardens, DNR biologists, and other conservation projects.

This system, which is now emulated around the world, was extremely effective at funding the restoration of our wild game, and thus our deer hunting obsession lived on.

Conservationists say 'Oh Deer'

This harmony between hunting and conservation worked fairly well for many decades. But like that tray of cheese curds from Lakefront Brewery, all good things must come to an end.

As America became more and more urbanized, and other outdoor activities like hiking, skiing, biking, and bird-watching rose in popularity, America's interest in hunting waned, and the money started to disappear.

COVID's silver lining

Up until 2019, the decline in hunting license sales plagued conservation efforts as less funding entered the system.

But as COVID-19 shut down urban appeals, Wisconites turned to the outdoors as an outlet, and the interest in hunting and fishing saw a renewed interest.

From 2019 to 2020, Wisconsin's deer hunting numbers look pretty appealing:

• Overall increase of 3.5% in hunting licenses

• Female participation rose 12% to nearly 93,000 (Remind us men never to get on your bad side, ladies)

• Deer harvest numbers rose nearly 15%

How to fill your freezer

There's still plenty of time to get in on the fun for this season, which runs Nov. 20th - Nov. 29th. Well, not a ton of time but keep readin'.

Resources exist for first-time hunters, and entities like the Nature Conservancy provide places for hunters to, well, hunt.

And with almost 11% of 'Scon's owning a hunting license, likely you know two or 'tree folks who go out deer hunting you can pester.

Not only does your license buy you a 'shot' at a trophy buck, it also gives back to the wild places we all love to enjoy. Plus, that venison is pretty darn tasty (and healthier, too).