Your Guide To The 2023 Gun Deer Season
Good luck in the upcoming 2023 gun deer season.
It’s almost here! Whether this is your first gun deer season or 50th, we hope you’re excited to head out and hunt white-tailed deer in Wisconsin. This guide has useful resources and reminders to help you with any last-minute preparations.
Purchasing Your License
You need proof of your license with you while you’re hunting. If you haven’t purchased a license yet, head over to your Go Wild account and get one before hunting.
Remember Regulations
Before you head into the field this year, be sure you’re familiar with this year’s shooting hours, season dates and other hunting regulations.
| Registration Is Required
Deer registration is due by 5 p.m. the day after recovery. There are three ways to register your deer:
- Use GameReg! It’s quick and easy.
- Call 1-844-426-3734.
- In-person at a deer registration station.
Photo Credit: iStock.com/ricardoreitmeyer |
| Plan Ahead To Slow The Spread
Testing your deer for CWD is free and available to any hunter in the state. These tests inform you about the status of your deer and provide valuable data to monitor the presence of CWD in Wisconsin.
We offer four convenient ways to test your deer for CWD this fall:
- At a 24/7 self-service kiosk.
- In-person drop-off at one of our sampling partners.
- At-home lymph node extraction (we have the instructions).
- By appointment with your local DNR staff.
Visit our CWD Sampling webpage to find the option that works best for you.
Don’t forget to use the online CWD reporting form to save time.
Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR |
Properly Dispose Of Your Deer Waste
Once you finish processing your deer, safely dispose of the deer carcass and waste in a deer carcass dumpster provided in partnership with individuals and organizations around the state. Proper carcass disposal helps slow the spread of CWD by removing potentially infected deer waste from the landscape.
| Make Safety Your Top Target
Remember the four basic rules of firearm safety: TAB-K:
T =Treat every firearm as if it is loaded.
A = Always point the muzzle in a safe direction.
B = Be certain of your target; what’s before and what’s beyond it.
K = Keep your finger outside the trigger guard until ready to shoot.
Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR |
| Find Your Hunting Spot
Our Public Access Lands Mapping Application (PALS) can be your best friend when searching for that perfect hunting spot. PALS combines data from multiple sources all together in one easy-to-use mapping application. |
| Fill The Freezer
Bonus antlerless authorizations remain available in many counties and are a great way to stock up on venison. These authorizations are first-come, first-served and cost $12 each for residents, $20 each for nonresidents and $5 each for youth hunters under age 12.
Photo Credit: iStock.com/arlutz73 |
| Take Someone Hunting This Year
If you know someone who wants to hunt but wasn’t able to get into a Hunter Safety class, the Mentored Hunting Law allows them to participate through the purchase of a mentored-only hunting license.
With a mentored-only license, someone who isn’t safety-certified can still harvest a deer as long as they stay within arm’s reach of an adult licensed hunter at all times.
Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR |
| Consider Making A Difference With Your Deer
You have a chance to give back during the hunting season by donating your deer to help stock food pantries across Wisconsin through our Deer Donation Program. |
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| Community Science Opportunity
Tell us what you see while you’re out hunting this season by participating in the Deer Hunter Wildlife Survey. It’s a great way to contribute to wildlife management in Wisconsin.
Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR |
Find more helpful tips and information on our Hunter Resources webpage. |
