When Does Bow Hunting Start In Wisconsin - T-Tees - Your Answers Await, Life's Questions Unraveled

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Jim Marsh, left, a member of the Delafield Deer Management Committee, talks with Dylan Baxter, a bowhunter participating in the city

It’s only mid-August but already the signs of autumn are popping up in Wisconsin. The Green Bay Packers have played their first preseason game and splashes of red are showing on sumac trees across the state.

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And less conspicuous but just as telling, bowhunters are on ranges practicing with archery and crossbow equipment.

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The Wisconsin bowhunting seasons for white-tailed deer open Sept. 16 across the state.

Among the dozens of Wisconsin hunting seasons managed by the Department of Natural Resources, the annual bowhunting opportunities are second only to gun deer hunting in number of participants.

Of the approximately 600,000 deer hunters in Wisconsin, about 42% are archery or crossbow hunters, according to Jeff Pritzl, DNR state deer program specialist.

With a large deer herd and liberal bowhunting opportunities, Wisconsin is among the national leaders in number of bowhunters.

Here’s a run-down of bowhunting in Wisconsin prior to the 2023 archery and crossbow seasons:

When is the Wisconsin bowhunting deer season?

The 2023 Wisconsin archery and crossbow seasons open Sept. 16 statewide and run through at least Jan. 7.

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In 31 counties, the bow hunts are extended to Jan. 31.

A map shows the 2023 Wisconsin deer management units and season structures.

Wisconsin deer season forecast

Coming off a winter rated as moderate by the DNR’s annual Winter Severity Index, the statewide deer herd is predicted to be larger this fall, according to the DNR.

The DNR estimated Wisconsin had 1.51 to 1.84 million deer statewide after the 2022 hunting seasons, a number that likely increased to more than 2 million after fawn births this year.

The ample state of the deer herd is underscored by recommendations by County Deer Advisory Councils to offer antlerless deer permits for sale this season in 71 of 72 counties. Only Iron County will be buck-only this year.

In response to the herd growth, the statewide antlerless deer quota was increased 3.4% for the 2023 hunting seasons, according to the DNR.

Deer numbers are especially high in the central and southern farmland regions.

What is the state record buck?

The 2021 Wisconsin hunting seasons produced a record whitetail in the crossbow category when Kevin Christorf killed a 13-pointer that scored 192 ⅝ inches, according to the Wisconsin Buck and Bear Club. The buck was taken in Trempealeau County.

Some cities and park districts offer bowhunting opportunities

Several cities or other local municipalities sponsor bowhunting programs to provide hunting opportunities and help reduce deer numbers.

In Delafield, for example, bowhunters can apply to hunt on stands erected on city properties.

And Dane County Parks has offered bowhunting since 2001.

Check with local officials for bowhunting opportunities in your area.

Here’s how to buy a Wisconsin deer license

Licenses are available at hundreds of sales outlets such as sporting goods stores as well as at the DNR’s online site at gowild.wi.gov.

How much does a Wisconsin bowhunting license cost?

For Wisconsin residents, both an archer (vertical bow) and crossbow deer hunting license costs $24. A junior archer (12 to 17 years old) license is $20.

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The non-resident cost for an archer or crossbow license is $165.

White-tailed deer pause while foraging in a field in southeastern Wisconsin. The bucks antlers are covered in velvet and still developing.

Bowhunting safety tips

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 authorization sales start Monday

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.

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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.

A map shows 2023 Wisconsin antlerless deer permits available per license.

Blaze orange is required when bow and gun deer seasons overlap

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).

CWD testing is available

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.

Some counties have baiting and feeding bans

Additional counties are under a deer baiting and feeding ban this year, including Barron, Burnett, Polk and Washburn counties.

The four northwestern Wisconsin counties were placed under the ban Sept. 1 after the finding of chronic wasting disease in a bull elk at Smoking Gun Elk, an elk breeding farm northwest of Shell Lake.

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