Saturday marked the start of the fall bow hunting season across the State of Wisconsin. Locally, enthusiasts were greeted with cold, rainy conditions that stressed the need for proper safety. Conservation Warden Chris Kratcha reminds hunters about the dangers they face when entering and exiting their tree stand. Hands should be free of a weapon to allow for three points of contact when utilizing a ladder at all times. Proper planning during set up is important, says Kratcha.

While in the stand, the Department of Natural Resources recommends a harness be worn at all times. There are no significant rule changes for this season compared to recent years. Hunters are not required to physically tag deers, but kills must be registered. Kratcha says most do it online, but phone is an option as well. According to Kratcha, a majority of hunters find calling in a deer to be more difficult than registering via the internet. All registrations must be completed by 5 PM the day after the deer has been killed.

Kratcha expects the mentor program to be a popular option because it has been difficult to enroll in hunter education courses since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March. Door County has held only one class, and it filled to capacity quickly at 30 students. Kratcha says in the coming months, Brown County will have several internet field day events, and local hunters can get their certification elsewhere even if they intend to only participate in the area. 

Photo provided by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.