Carter Krause, 12, took part in a mentored deer hunt this season. He was hunting near Dodgeville in Iowa County with family members — his dad, Alex Krause; his grandpa, Scott Krause; and his brother, Max Krause.

Nov. 26, while sitting with Grandpa Scott, a buck showed up. Nerves got the best of Carter on the first shot. However, he recovered and made the second shot count.

Carter was able to harvest his first buck, a nice four-pointer.

Scott tells me Carter “got ‘er done” between some well-deserved cat naps.

I was also told Carter likes hunting with Scott because grandpa always has a pocket full of candy and snacks!

Read last week’s column:A 15-point buck and more in the latest Manitowoc outdoors report

Wisconsin gun deer season at-a-glance

The number of deer hunters and the harvest totals in Wisconsin during the nine-day gun deer hunt this year rose slightly from 2023. Here’s a look at the season:

Deer license sales are up statewide: As of Dec. 1, preliminary data from Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources show sales for deer hunting privileges (which include gun, archery, crossbow, conservation patron and sports licenses) reached 791,023 — up from 788,697 for the same time period last year. Of those, 553,652 were for gun privileges only — up from 553,479 in 2023.

Deer hunting license and harvest authorization sales continue throughout the remaining deer hunting seasons. Final license sales figures will be available in January, when DNR staff will perform a thorough analysis and interpretation.

Harvest numbers are up statewide: Preliminary figures show hunters registered 189,622 deer during the 2024 gun deer season, including 89,787 antlered and 99,835 antlerless deer. Compared to 2023, the gun season harvest total is up 5.2% statewide, with the antlered harvest up 3.6% and the antlerless harvest up 6.6%.

Since the opening of the bow and crossbow seasons, Wisconsin hunters have registered 289,361 deer. This harvest is 8.7% ahead of the same time last year.

The DNR’s Wisconsin Deer Harvest Summary webpage contains more information regarding preliminary harvest registration totals, including county-level numbers.

Harvest numbers are up in Manitowoc County: In Manitowoc County, hunters harvested 2,417 deer, which was up more than 100 animals over the 2023 season.

Gun deer season is followed by other seasons: The regular gun deer season ran Nov. 23-Dec. 1 and was followed by the statewide muzzleloader season Dec. 2-11, the statewide antlerless-only four-day hunt Dec. 12-15 and the antlerless-only holiday hunt in select farmland zone counties Dec. 24-Jan. 1, 2025.

One nonfatal firearm-related hunting incident was reported: At time of publication, the DNR had reported only one nonfatal firearm-related hunting incident during the 2024 gun deer season. That occurred in Vernon County in Wheatland Township on Nov. 29 when, at approximately 4 p.m., a 14-year-old boy was sitting in an enclosed tower stand with his father, hunting on private property. The victim’s father heard what sounded like a gunshot in the distance. Shortly after, the victim felt pain in his feet and found he was shot through both the left and right feet. The victim was transported privately to the hospital and received medical treatment for his injuries. The shooter has been identified, and an investigation is pending.

New Wisconsin Buck & Bear Club record book available

The new Wisconsin Buck & Bear Club record book is now available, just in time for Christmas.

Hunters can purchase one online or pick one up from Stan Zirbel for $35.95 per copy. Contact Stan at 920-864-2646.

The book has county listings for gun and bow, with pictures and ranking by county and state.

Stan is also available to measure antlers and skulls. Remember the 60-day drying period that’s required for an official score.

Mishicot club elects officers

Mishicot Sportsmen’s Club recently held its election of officers.

President will be Joe Tulachka, vice president Andy Heyroth, secretary Luke Tulachka and treasurer Larry Kobes.

The one-year director is Greg Lambert, the two-year director is Dylan Cornils, the three-year director is Brad Musil and the four-year director is Tom Heyroth.

Fish & Game directors are Roger Vander Logt and Al Peters with Wyatt Schleis being the alternate director.

Thin ice:SUV breaks through Lake Puckaway ice in Green Lake County, a reminder no ice is safe

Woodland Dunes offers winter fun over holiday break

Woodland Dunes Nature Center and Preserve in Two Rivers invites you for some winter fun over the holiday break.

The trails at the Dunes are open dawn to dusk, and the Nature Center will be open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 23, 26 and 27.

Stop in and explore the family room, take a walk on a trail or participate in an “Animals in Winter Trail” activity.

In the “Animals in Winter Trail” activity, learn how animals survive winter on a self-guided walk along part of Willow Trail. Grab an info sheet in the box near the beginning of the trail (or inside the Nature Center), then use your “nature eyes” to look for five hidden animal silhouettes. Match the silhouette to the animal on the sheet to learn more. The trail will be set up Dec. 20 to Jan. 6 and is available from dawn until dusk.

That’s it for this week, so have fun in the great outdoors.