Regardless of season, whitetail bucks are easy to find in Wisconsin. Come late November, deer hunters are easy to find, too. And the blaze orange. And the smiles. And the signs that welcome the hunters who will remember those signs, regardless of season.
Wisconsin’s rifle hunt typically lasts only nine days. Not too long ago, some schools up Nort’ closed during part of the season. And why not? There’s winter’s meat to gather and only a few days to gather it. When the season opens, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, extended family and close friends head to the woods.
The intensity of the hunting is palpable; the chances of seeing other hunters in the woods is probable. Pick your company wisely — someone who lives for the hunt just as much as you do, appreciates the tradition of it all, and can tell good stories. They say time flies when you’re having fun; nine days of fun can pass quickly, and you don’t want to miss a minute of it.
Note: Travis Dewitz is the author of Blaze Orange: Whitetail Deer Hunting in Wisconsin, which chronicles the cultural phenomenon that is the largest sporting event by far in Wisconsin. More than 600,000 hunters take to the fields and woods of the state each year. Blaze Orange is a Midwest Independent Publishing Association Book Award finalist.
Visit www.blazeorangebook.com.