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Safety Tips and Other Information for the Start of Wisconsin's Archery Season

Tuesday, August 15th, 2023 -- 10:01 AM

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(Paul Smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) Wisconsin’s bow hunting season is right around the corner.

According to Paul Smith with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, falls from treestands are the leading cause of deaths and injuries to bow hunters. Remember to practice these safety tips:

  • Plan your hunt and hunt your plan. Hunters should tell someone where they'll be hunting and when they plan to be done and back home;
  • Follow safe practices when using a tree stand, including a full-body harness and maintaining three points of contact (two hands and one foot, for example) when climbing or descending;
  • If erecting a tree stand or using a climber stand, state forestry officials advise hunters to avoid ash trees. Many thousands of ash trees in Wisconsin are dead or dying from emerald ash borer infestation and may unexpectedly snap or drop large branches.

Bonus antlerless harvest authorizations, commonly called tags, for the 2023 Wisconsin deer seasons will be available for purchase starting Monday. The authorizations will be available for purchase online through the Go Wild license portal and at license sales locations around the state.

Bonus authorizations are sold at a rate of one per person per day until sold out or until the 2023 deer hunting season ends. The costs is $12 each for Wisconsin residents, $20 each for non-residents and $5 each for youth ages 11 and under.

The first three days of bonus sales are zone-specific and the fourth day is open to all zones. Sales open at 10 a.m. each day. The schedule by zone is:

  • Aug. 14 Northern and Central Forest Zones;
  • Aug. 15 Central Farmland Zone;
  • Aug. 16 Southern Farmland Zone;
  • Aug. 17 all zones will be open for sale.

The number of antlerless harvest opportunities varies by deer management unit in accordance with local deer population levels. Bonus antlerless harvest authorizations are available for purchase for the 2023 season in all deer management units except Iron County.

A listing of bonus antlerless harvest authorizations available for purchase in each management unit can be found on the DNR’s Antlerless Deer Harvest Authorization webpage. A minimum of one Farmland Zone antlerless harvest authorization is included with each deer hunting license purchase in all Farmland Zone units.

Most units will offer more than one antlerless deer harvest authorization with each deer license. The annual Wisconsin hunting calendar contains several gun deer hunting seasons and while bowhunting is authorized during these times all deer hunters, including those accustomed to wearing camouflage head-to-toe, must comply with blaze orange clothing requirements.

In 2023, bowhunters should be aware they need to wear blaze orange during the youth deer hunt (Oct. 7 and 8), nine-day gun deer season (Nov. 18 to 26), muzzleloader season (Nov. 27 to Dec. 6) and, in the farmland regions, the four-day antlerless hunt (Dec. 7 to 10) and in many counties the Holiday Hunt (Dec. 24 to Jan. 1).

Once again, the DNR will offer free chronic wasting disease testing for hunter-killed deer. Hunters are encouraged to get their deer tested for CWD to help provide data on prevalence of the disease as well as information to families concerned with eating CWD-positive venison.

Although no human illness has been linked to CWD, the Centers for Disease Control and other health experts recommend not consuming meat from a CWD-positive animal. A list of CWD sampling locations and options as well as carcass disposal sites is posted on the DNR's website.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.