Join us for deer season information, fun, and storytelling. Here’s how!
Seasoned deer hunters, new hunters, and those interested in learning more about hunting in Wisconsin, we invite you to take part in online chats, a new wildlife-focused blog, a Facebook contest, and a “tweet-along” with DNR conservation wardens. Our aim is to help you prepare for the hunt, share traditions, ask experts questions and share stories of your deer season.
Want to ask a DNR biologist about habitat conditions in your area? Join us tomorrow for an online chat to help you get ready for the hunt. Have a great photo to share? Submit it into our new Facebook photo contest. See details on these opportunities and more below!
“Ask the Experts” series of live online chats
DNR will host a series of daily online deer hunt chats this week leading up to the Saturday season opener. Experts will answer your questions and provide tips on topic areas ranging from regulations and safety, to finding a place to hunt.
To participate, visit the DNR home page, dnr.wi.gov, and look for the advertisement or search the phrase “ask the experts.” Below is the schedule for the remaining series of chats. If you missed a chat, you can revisit the link above to see all of the questions and answers that were shared.
Nov 14, 11:30 a.m., Get ready for the hunt: Join Kevin Wallenfang, DNR Big Game Ecologist; Scott Loomans, DNR Wildlife Regulations Specialist; and Tom Van Haren, DNR conservation warden, to discuss pre-season preparation questions such as regulation changes, deer season forecast, and safety.
Nov 15, 11:30 a.m., Need a place to hunt?: Join representatives from the DNR’s Managed Forest Law, Voluntary Public Access and Public Lands programs to learn about the thousands upon thousands of private and public acres of prime habitat open for public hunting.
Nov 16, 11:30 a.m., Safe and legal, the keys to a successful hunt: Join DNR conservation wardens Tom Van Haren and Todd Schaller, along with DNR wildlife regulations specialist, Scott Loomans, to ask last-minute safety and deer regulations questions before heading to the field.
New WDNR wildlife blog – “Hunting for the Health of it”
This week, DNR launched the first-ever wildlife blog for the 2012 deer hunt with a “Hunting for the Health of it” theme. Readers can follow the blog as Jeff Pritzl, DNR Northeast Region Wildlife Supervisor, explores seven health-related aspects of hunting. Topics include social, physical, emotional, career, intellectual, environmental and spiritual aspects of the hunt that lead to increased health for the participant, communities and our natural resources. Follow the DNR wildlife blog at wdnr.blogs.govdelivery.com.
Facebook - Share the stories and join the contest!
DNR will daily post photos, videos and stories related to the deer hunt. This year we will also be launching a new Facebook photo contest centering around Wisconsin’s rich hunting tradition. Beginning Nov. 17 and running through Nov. 28, hunters, families, and non-hunters energized by the deer season are encouraged to submit photos that represent what the traditions of the deer hunt mean to them. These can be historical photos, photos of the hunt, or even landscape shots from a morning in a tree stand. The public will vote for their favorite picture, and the winner will receive a free three-year subscription to Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine. Anyone interested in the traditions of the hunt should “like” us on Facebook to follow the stories of the deer season and participate in our 2012 “Traditions of the Hunt” photo contest. Visit www.facebook.com/WIDNR.
Deer Hunt 2012 with Dan Small
Once again DNR has partnered with Dan Small to produce “Deer Hunt 2012,” an informative and entertaining one-hour television show aimed at helping hunters brush up on safety, know the science, and get ready for the fun, family and traditions of the hunt. This year’s show captures important research on buck mortality, fawn recruitment, and the social side of deer management; the importance of passing along the hunting tradition to the next generation and recruiting new hunters; hunter safety and the new ATV/UTV laws; a ride-along with a conservation warden; the link between forest management and deer management; the season forecast; and hunting tips. There are recipes and a campfire conversation with DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp and others as they share their first-deer stories and encourage seasoned hunters to share their traditions and the thrill of the harvest with new hunters. The show aired on television through Nov. 11. If you missed the show, it can also be viewed at dnr.wi.gov, search keyword “Deer Show.”
Twitter - Tweet-a-long with DNR conservation wardens
Get the latest news and information by following DNR on Twitter. Be sure to follow us Nov. 17, 18, 22, 23, and 25 as we live-feed tweets and images from a ride-along with a DNR conservation warden out working deer season. Warden ride-alongs often reveal interesting events and insights into the deer hunt that many of us never see. The tweet-along will focus on the social, safety, and community-building aspects of the nine-day deer season. Follow us at twitter.com/WDNR.