Wisconsin’s Deer Hunting Season Opens with Incidents and Harvest Numbers
November 25, 2025 at 11:46 AM
During the opening weekend of Wisconsin’s deer-hunting season, which runs from November 22 to 30, the state experienced two gun-related incidents, including one fatality resulting from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The tragic incident occurred Saturday evening in Fond du Lac County, where a 24-year-old male was found in a saddle stand after accidentally shooting himself in the chest. This case is currently under investigation.
In a separate incident on Saturday afternoon, a 57-year-old male was shot in the buttock while walking toward a field to begin his hunt in Grant County.
This fatal shooting marks the first of its kind in Wisconsin during the hunting season since 2022.
Despite these incidents, hunters reported a successful opening weekend, with 48,748 antlered deer harvested, an increase from 48,063 the previous year. The number of antlerless deer taken also rose to 41,923, reflecting a 7% increase from last year.
The total number of hunters remained consistent, with 777,843 registrations sold across all hunting categories.
Experts from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources suggested that if snowfall occurs and persists into the second weekend of the season, the deer harvest could see a further increase.
Source: https://www.aol.com/articles/wisconsin-sees-first-gun-hunting-164600863.html
