SHAWANO COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Deer Hunt 2022 begins Saturday, and an estimated 560,000 people are expected to take to the outdoors for the nine-day gun season.
Those at the Department of Natural Resources say they want everyone to be safe.
“We always preach treat every firearm as if it was loaded. Always keep your muzzle pointed in a safe direction. Be certain of your target and what’s beyond, and keep your finger outside of the trigger guard, until you’re ready to shoot,” said Marcus Medina, DNR Recreation Warden.
The DNR investigated six hunting incidents during the 2021 gun deer season, including one fatality. Wardens say hunter safety classes, which began in 1967, have had an impact.
“Buck fever is a real thing. So, take a deep breath, break up the tunnel vision and just be conscientious and aware of what you’re going to do,” Medina said.
Medina tells FOX 11 those using tree stands or hunting blinds need to secure them before opening morning.
“Check the post. Check the tree. Is it alive? Is it in nice condition? And look at the foliage around there. Are there any dead falls or limbs that can be potentially hazardous?”
Once a deer is harvested and recovered, hunters have until 5 p.m. the next day to register their deer.
“It’s easy to register your deer. That means it’s also easy to forget to register your deer because of the process. People with smart phones, they can get that taken care of literally in the field before they even get back to the vehicle,” said Jeff Pritzl, DNR State Deer Program Specialist.
Pritzl says about 10-15% of hunters don’t register their deer.
“We account for that in our total herd monitoring. But the bottom line is it’s easy to do. It’s the best thing you can do as a deer hunter for the future of your sport,” he said.
“We want everybody to have fun, be safe and be able to make memories and enjoy Wisconsin’s natural resources,” said Medina.
Hunting begins on Saturday morning, around 6:30 a.m.
The season runs through Nov. 27.
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