Wisconsin's Deer Camp Tradition

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What we're bleating about this week:

• The rut and deer hunting traditions 🦌 

• Mississippi river getting salty? 🧂 

• Crayfish crooks caught 🦞 

Deer Camp Traditions

We've been celebrating a lot of seasons lately in Wisconsin. Football season. Fall Colors season. Not-sure-if-I-need-my-lawn-mower-or-snow-blower-this-week, season.

But none quite captures the hearts, livers, and souls of 'Sconnie's statewide like deer hunting season. With over 800,000 deer hunters taking to the woods each fall in hopes of filling their tags, deer hunting has a stronger hold on Wisconsin than Uncle Joe on his Miller Lite.

But we don't do it purely for the tasty venison in the freezer, the trophy buck mounted on the wall, or the deer-hide underwear (what, it gets chilly down there!).

We do it for Deer Camp.

As we don our camo hats and blaze orange this fall, many of us do so looking forward to the friends, family and traditions of Deer Camp; alas, the reasons we take the woods year after year after year.

Wisconsin's Gun Whitetail Deer Season

• Wisconsin's most popular deer season, the 9-day gun season takes place Nov. 19th-27th

• License/Tags can be bought at sporting goods stores, gas stations, and online

• Over 800,000 deer hunters will take to the woods, harvesting some 200,000 deer

What is Deer Camp?

If you've never been to Deer Camp, this is absolutely a valid question. What is it? Where is it? Who goes there? Why are we capitalizing it like it's Lambeau Field or some other holy land?

Just like when someone asks how many drinks you had last night, Deer Camp can be interpreted in many different ways.

It could be a cabin up nort'. A camper in a field. Your friends all crashing in your living room (much to Mom's chagrin); Since you can hunt deer in every corner of the state, Deer Camp is wherever you and your hunting party decide to hunt.

Though the structure doesn't matter, or even where it's located, it's the tradition born out of days spent performing one of our most primal instincts together - hunting - that matter most.

Deer Camp

With official roots dating back as far as 1851, Wisconsin's deer hunting season has fast become one of our most hallowed past times, tying generation to generation through the ancient art of hunting.

Somewhat poetic, deer hunting transcends all backgrounds, ages, and affiliations. When you're deer hunting, you and your fellow hunters all share the same goal: have fun, be safe, and (hopefully) fill your tag with a trophy deer.

In Deer Camp: A Northwoods Tradition Lee Hash talks about the diversity of hunters in his group, aging anywhere from 28 to 83.

"Everyone comes together to share in the moments and spend time hunting and eating together in the woods."

Ron Weber and Karl Christenson love how "life is reduced to its simplest terms" in Deer Camp - planning the following day's hunt or checking the weather become the only concern.

But hunter Bret Hasheider is there for family: "Some of the best hugs you ever get from your kids is when they get their first deer."

The tradition lives on through each and everyone's unique experience, but at their core, they always orbit the same values: friends, family, and the Great Outdoors.

Keeping the tradition alive

Now that your interest is piqued, you're wondering - hey, what if I want to go freeze my buttocks off in a tree, too?

You're in luck folks. Unlike turkey or elk hunting, the 9-day whitetail deer season doesn't require an application ahead of time. As long as you have your hunter safety (or born before 1973), you can buy your tag over the counter or online.

If you're absolutely brand-spankin'-new to hunting, check out the DNR's resources and pro tip: find someone who's done it!

To flip that coin, if you're an experienced hunter, consider bringing a newbie to Deer Camp this year.

Since 2000, we've seen an 18% decrease in deer hunters (from 694,000 to 569,000). Nationwide, we've seen a 32% plunge overall in the hunting population (17 million in 1982 compared to 11.5 million in 2016).

As hunter Sam Ubl says best in his blog on Deer Camp: A tree only grows if you water it. So keep the tradition alive and if you're headed out next week, stay safe, have fun, and bring a friend with you!

Now get out 'der!

NEW: Wiscampsin Weekly Poll

Last weeks: A whoppin' 77% of you call 'em Pudgie Pie Makers. Ate so many of those things growin' up, I put the 'pudge' in pudgie pie...

Nuts and Seeds 🌰 

🦞 Caught red-clawed?: A crayfish company in Louisiana just got caught shipping thousands of the invasive red crayfish to grocery stores in Wisconsin. The crayfish is known be "prolific and resilient," and will outcompete local WI species. After a cease letter from the DNR, the company continued to ship the critters, resulting in a criminal charge and a $34,000 fine.

🧂 Pass the salt: As the Mississippi River approached record-lows a few weeks ago, conservationists discovered something else - the salty Gulf of Mexico is pushing it's way upriver. The point at which the river reaches the ocean is actually sweeping upstream, threatening municipal drinking water. To mitigate it, engineers will be developing a levee that freshwater can flow over, while the saltwater will sink to the bottom.

🦌 Deer on da rise: If anyone went huntin' last year in Southern Wisconsin, odds are you didn't see a whole lot (except those pesky squirrels making a ruckus!). Thankfully, some officials are predicting a bump in deer numbers in the southern part of the state this year. Clear out the freezer!

Meme of the Week 😂 

A review from the Trail... Uh oh, sounds like trouble Cousin Terri! Alert the State Troopers