Archery and crossbow deer hunting season begins Saturday

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is reminding hunters that Saturday is their first opportunity to hunt this fall for the 2021 archery and crossbow deer season openers.

The seasons run concurrently statewide from Sept 18. to Jan. 9, 2022, according to the DNR.

“We saw another mild winter last year, so Wisconsin deer hunters can look forward to increased harvest opportunities this season,” Jeff Pritzl, DNR Deer Program Specialist said.

Archery and crossbow hunters harvested more then 110,000 deer in 2020, including more than 64,000 bucks.

“Whether you’re hunting public or private land, I encourage hunters to get out and become familiar with seasonal food sources as this will influence deer movement in their local area,” Pritzl said.

The DNR offers the following safety tips:

Hunter Safety

Treat every bow/crossbow as if it were loaded.
Always point the bow/crossbow in a safe direction.
Be certain of your target; what is before and beyond it.
Keep your finger outside the trigger guard until ready to shoot.

Archery-Specific Safety

Crossbows have a safety. Immediately after cocking, always check to make sure that your bow is on safe.
Always use bolts/arrows recommended by the manufacturer and handle carefully.
Protect yourself and the arrow points with a covered arrow quiver.
The safest way to carry, transport and raise or lower a crossbow from a stand is always to have the crossbow un-cocked.
The safest way to un-cock a crossbow is to fire a bolt into the ground or target.
Make sure that the limb tips are free of obstructions and your fingers, hand or arm are not in the string path at any time while the crossbow is cocked.
Know your range for accuracy.

All harvested deer must be registered electronically by 5 p.m. the day after the deer is recovered, the DNR said. Hunters have three options to register their deer: online at Game.Reg.WI.Gov, by phone at 1-844-426-3734 or electronically at a participating in-person registration station.

For more information regarding registration, visit the DNR webpage.