IOWA COUNTY, Wis. — Gun deer season opened Saturday and brought hunters across Wisconsin outside in the early morning hours, hoping to bag their first buck of the year.

What You Need To Know

  • Gun deer season began Nov. 18

  • Interest in hunting is declining in Wisconsin

  • In 2022, the DNR sold more than 500,000 gun deer licenses, a decrease from 2021

  • Interest in hunting is increasing among women

Cars lined the roads around Governor Dodge State Park in Iowa County. Some were there since dawn.

Amanda Humphreys was one of them. She traveled to Iowa County from Brown Deer near Milwaukee. Her dad, brother, and sister-in-law joined her on the hunt.

“I love being outside,” she said. “I love the adrenaline rush of getting a deer. It’s nice and rewarding.”

Luckily, that adrenaline rush came early for Humphreys; she got her first buck early Saturday morning.

For Humphreys and thousands of other Wisconsinites, gun deer season is more than just a fall activity. It’s often a tradition that spans generations.

“It’s providing for family,” Humphreys said. “I mean, that’s why I do it. I like to provide. I think it also goes back to all of our grandparents, grandparents before them, who keep it going.”

Interest in hunting is declining in Wisconsin. In 2022, the Department of Natural Resources reported it sold more than 500,000 gun deer hunting licenses, a decrease from 2021.

However, one demographic is seeing an increased interest in the sport: women.

“Women are gaining traction in the sport,” Humphreys said. “They’re starting to have clothing lines that are out there for women. They’re becoming exposed to it more.”

The DNR is also encouraging hunters to stay safe.

“Making sure that when people are going back and forth between their hunting spots and utilizing a vehicle that they have unloaded firearms in the vehicle is really important,” said Michael Weber, a hunter education administrative warden with the DNR. “People not shooting from the roadway or across roadways is really important.”

As long as those tips are followed, hunters are encouraged to make the most of the nine-day season.

Humphreys said she enjoyed spending this time with her family.

“It’s the camaraderie,” she said. “It’s the stories that you tell now, Thanksgiving, Christmas, stories you tell your kids, grandkids.”

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