DANE COUNTY, Wis. — Saturday marked the beginning of the state’s gun deer hunting season.
The nine-day season runs through Dec. 1.
About a dozen hunters flocked to the Brooklyn Wildlife Area near Belleville on Saturday, beating the sunrise on the first day of gun deer season.
Jeffery Overlien is an avid bow hunter, and said he has a preferred spot there. On Saturday, he wasn’t alone.
“[Saturday was] the most cars I’ve ever seen,” Overlien said.
Many hunters took to the woods with friends and family. Oliver Pharo of Verona spent opening day with his girlfriend, Lauren.
They got up bright and early to land a prime location.
“Getting to see the world wake up in the morning is my favorite part,” Pharo said.
Pharo said the Brooklyn Wildlife Area is one of his regular hunting places, but he and a few other hunters said they didn’t have much luck there Saturday. They left by midmorning to test their luck elsewhere.
“No luck yet, but definitely in the future, I think it’s going to be a good year,” he said.
Just as many hunters will be out on public land over the next nine days; so will the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) conservation wardens.
Hunters can expect to see them checking in throughout the season.
“We’re getting out of the truck, we’re walking through the field, we’re making contacts with hunters, and we’re just trying to cover as much area as we can today to make sure everyone is having a safe opening weekend,” said Matthew Porter, a conservation warden with the DNR.
Porter said staying safe is key to having an enjoyable gun deer season.
“You want to make sure you have your high visibility clothing on, your blaze orange from torso on up,” he said. “If you’re wearing a hat, make sure it’s blaze orange as well. If you’re going to be up in a tree, make sure you have some sort of safety system to keep you tethered in.”
Despite a slow opening day for some, Pharo said he’s looking forward to the rest of the season.
He said spending time with friends and family makes it worth it.
“It’s getting the deer camp and seeing your buddies, hanging out with your buddies, family, friends,” Pharo said. “I think that’s what makes Wisconsin deer hunting as popular as it is.”