Hunting

Wisconsin hunting carries deep traditions shaped by forests, fields, and changing seasons. Explore Wisconsin hunting stories, season updates, strategies, and conservation topics that reflect the heritage and responsibility of hunting in the state.

Hunting
Pack of wolves walking observed on a trail cam.
Wolf Tracks
As Hunter Nation-Wisconsin Chapter State Director Chris Vaughan continued his presentation November 14th at a Town Hall meeting in Green Bay focused on the critical need for sportsmen and women to protect the heritage of hunting by voting, a few photos were worth 1000 words. Wolf and whitetail deer management in Wisconsin were under scrutiny....
Dick Ellis
Hunting
Hunter wearing an orange safety vest holding a shotgun in tall grass.
Hunter Nation
Engaged hunters and anglers showed up in Green Bay to discuss the power the outdoor community has at the ballot box. We want hunters voting their values! We need to keep the pressure on our elected officials and NEVER miss an election. HUNT THE VOTE WISCONSIN ADVOCACY Contact: Chris Vaughan, Hunter Nation Wisconsin State Director,...
Chris Vaughan
Hunting
Black bear walking along a wooded trail.
The Bear Hunters Calendar
With Wisconsin bear tags being released soon, now is a great time to get your plans in order. If you are one of the lucky hunters to draw a tag, this simple timeline will help you prepare, stay consistent, and make the most of your season. February – March: Planning and Permission Winter is the...
Bob's Bear Bait
Hunting
Hunter kneeling beside a harvested white-tailed deer in a wooded area.
An 'Up Nort' Report: Man’s best friend
Anybody who has bow hunted for years knows that bowhunting has its highs and lows. The following is a perfect example. On November 17, I was sitting in a ladder stand on a ridge behind my cabin in Vilas County. As the sun was setting, I had a deer walk up the trail behind my...
Dan Moericke
Hunting
A person dressed in blaze-orange hunting gear kneels in a grassy field beside a harvested deer, holding a rifle upright and resting a hand on the deer’s head. Leafless trees and a bright blue sky are visible in the background.
Dad's Last Deer
For many Wisconsin families, the annual gun deer season is a tradition as sacrosanct as Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas Eve, Easter Sunday and a Fourth of July picnic. This season will be my 54th in the hills of southwestern Wisconsin. Our little hunting group started out as just my dad, my two older brothers, and me....
Tom Carpenter
Hunting
A person wearing camouflage hunting gear kneels in the woods at night behind a large buck with an impressive multi-point rack. Leaves, brush, and a tree trunk surround the scene, illuminated by a camera flash.
A Whitetail For The Ages
The air was cool and still that October afternoon in Jackson County when I made a last-minute decision to head for the woods. It was my first sit of the season—no expectations, just a quiet evening surrounded by the fall woods. But the woods had other plans. From the first trail cam picture, we knew...
Jaden Sacia
Hunting
Two hunters wearing blaze-orange vests walk through a frosty field at sunrise, each carrying a shotgun. A hunting dog runs ahead in the tall grass, with farm buildings and trees visible in the distance.
Marvelous Marshall Minnesota - Quality wild pheasant hunting, close to home
In the fall of 2022, when the On Wisconsin Outdoors crew last hunted Marshall, Minnesota targeting wild pheasants, the story concluded, “…we’ll be back.” Birds were more than plentiful and close (six hours) to our Wisconsin homes, competition light, and we had hit good December weather. As novices to the area, we had been helped...
Dick Ellis
Hunting
A hunting dog with a collar sits proudly in autumn foliage behind a harvested game bird lying on the ground next to a fallen, mossy log.
Autumn Flight - Timing the woodcock migration
Timberdoodles provide great shooting when their migration is on and the flight is “in.” The trick is predicting when the birds will arrive, then knowing where to find them. Timing and Temperatures You can find local birds in September, but woodcock traditionally migrate through Wisconsin in the first two weeks of October. That said, the...
Hunting
A black bear stands in a sunlit forest clearing, surrounded by green plants and foliage, looking toward the camera.
Bob's Bear Bait
It’s time! You’ve scouted, found the perfect site, baited diligently and now the season opener is right around the corner. You have bears coming in and have a spot on the wall picked out for your rug. However, when it comes down to the wire it’s not always that easy. Here’s our top five tips...
Bob Spierings
Hunting
A hunter dressed in camouflage kneels in a grassy field beside a large black bear, holding a crossbow and smiling under a clear blue sky.
A Hunt to Remember: Marathon County Crossbow Hunter Takes 495-Pound Black BearA Hunt to Remember
As every bear hunter knows, the hunt begins long before opening day. Baiting is a demanding, time-intensive task, and my efforts started in mid-August, 2024. On August 31 at 12:48 pm, I captured my first bear on camera – and it was huge. The Waiting Game From that day through September 12, I had consistent...
Mike Richie