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Deer Season Eve: Wisconsin Gun-Deer Hunt Opens Saturday Published on 11/17/2023 under News

In less than 24 hours, hundreds of thousands hunters will head to their stands in hopes of bagging a buck.

The year long wait is finally over as the Wisconsin gun deer season opens on Saturday morning. Most signs point towards an optimistic outlook. Last year, hunters registered more than 204,000 deer statewide during the nine day season. That was up significantly. Here in the northern zone, harvest rates were up 19% on average across the counties.

In his Northern Zone season outlook published earlier this fall, DNR Biologist Curt Rollman noted that while there was a late and deep snow pack in the area last winter, it receded fairly quickly. He says, observations from this spring and early summer show the deer herd made it through the winter in good shape.

Another factor in the deer harvest is the number of hunters in the fields. Recent DNR data shows that has been on a slow, but steady decline in recent years. Last year's tag sales were down around 1.6%.

Always falling on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, opening day is a bit earlier than recent years which should help. While there isn't any tracking snow on the ground, there may be more hunters staying in their stands for longer periods of time with relatively mild temperatures in the forecast for opening weekend.

The 9-day gun deer season opens Saturday morning and will run through the following Sunday.

In Other News

Hatchet Hockey Team Loses at Superior

Published on 01/12/2026 under Sports Tomahawk's hockey squad would lose their third out of their last four games Saturday afternoon, losing to Superior, 7-1. The Hatchets were shut out until the 4:17 mark of the third period, suffering their worst loss of the season. Tomahawk's lone goal came on a power play from Jake Albert in the third. The Hatchets were outshot 30-18, including allowing 19 shots in the second period alone. Three of Superior's seven goals came on the power play. The loss drops Tomahawk to 9-3 on the season. The Hatchets begin a four-game week Monday night at SARA Park against Antigo. Puck drop is at 7:00.

Published on 01/12/2026 under Sports Tomahawk's boys' swim squad traveled to Ashwaubenon for the Jaguar Invite Saturday and finished 12th as a team. Despite the low finish, the Hatchets made tremendous improvement in the meet, setting 15 personal records. The highlight of the meet was Bruce Peetz, who finished fifth in the 500 yard freestyle with a time of 5:14.11. Peetz's time was just one second off of the school record. The Hatchets finished ahead of Notre Dame, Neenah, and Oshkosh North. Tomahawk is back in the pool Tuesday night against Lakeland. Events begin at 5:30.

Published on 01/12/2026 under News January is Radon Awareness Month, and local health departments are encouraging residents check their home levels every few years. Radon is a colorless and odorless gas found naturally in soil and rock. It can enter homes through cracks in the foundation or gaps around pipes. The Lincoln County Health Department says radon is actually the second leading cause of lung cancer behind smoking. It occurs in as many as 1 in 10 Wisconsin homes. There are areas of the state that are more susceptible including a pocket in North Central Wisconsin. Lincoln County environmental health specialist Michael Mandli noted "Winter is the ideal time to test your home for radon." He notes, "Homes are sealed tight during winter, allowing radon to accumulate more easily." This allows for more accurate testing. A basic test can be purchased for around $15 at most home improvement stores. Both the state and local health departments have additional information including further testing and mitigation solutions if the readings come back elevated.

Published on 01/12/2026 under News Students from around North Central Wisconsin competed in chess while also supporting a good cause. Edgar hosted an annual chess tournament dubbed 'Checkmate to Homelessness.' In addition to the games on the chess board, the students raised awareness and support for homelessness in the community. The competitors even collected monetary donations and items of need that will be donated to local shelters. Sara Sternberg, Marathon Chess Coach, said, "The turnout was fantastic, and it's exciting to see middle and high school students connecting and cheering each other on." She added, "Students from different schools are meeting, building camaraderie, and demonstrating great sportsmanship." The tournament was held in collaboration with the Wisconsin Scholastic Chess Federation and featured students from ten schools around Northern Wisconsin and the Fox Valley.

Published on 01/12/2026 under Sports Tomahawk's girls basketball squad's winning streak would stop at five Friday night as they would lose at home to Great Northern Conference foe Lakeland, 55-45. After going into halftime tied at 18, the Hatchets would allow a 16-0 run to begin the second half. Tomahawk also struggled defensively after Freya Alberg fouled out with eight minutes remaining. Lizzy Arnott led the way in scoring for the Hatchets, putting in a career-high 15 points. The loss drops Tomahawk to 7-3 on the season and 3-2 in Great Northern Conference play. The Hatchets are back in action Monday night for a non-conference showdown against Northland Lutheran.

Published on 01/12/2026 under Sports Tomahawk's boys basketball squad would start 2026 with a sour defeat at the hands of Lakeland in Minocqua, losing 65-18. The loss drops Tomahawk to 2-8 on the season and 0-4 in Great Northern Conference play. The Hatchets are back on the court Tuesday for another Great Northern Conference showdown at home against Mosinee.

Published on 01/12/2026 under News The Lincoln County Veterans Service Office announced the continuation of an outreach program in Tomahawk. While their office is located in Merrill, this service provides a convenient location for veterans in the Northern half of the county to meet with the veteran's service officer to receive assistance with benefits and services such as compensation, education and training, healthcare, and housing assistance. According to LCVSO Matthew Pultz, the decision to continue these visits was made in response to overwhelmingly positive feedback from veterans in the community. He says they recognize the importance of making services easily accessible to all veterans. This outreach program is just one way they are working to achieve that goal. The service is hosted at Tomahawk City Hall every other Thursday. The next opportunity is January 22. While they will accommodate walk-ins if time allows, vets are encouraged to call the Veteran's Service Office to schedule an appointment.

Published on 01/12/2026 under Sports The Hatchet girls' wrestling squad would go 2-2 in their Duals at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Friday night. Tomahawk finished 13th out of 16 teams in the meet. The Hatchets would lose their first two matches of the day to Holmen, 42-21, and Bonduel, 48-24. Tomahawk would bounce back and defeat Kickapoo/La Farge, 54-12. The Hatchets would then end the day with a 42-30 victory over Eau Claire North. Tomahawk's dual record now stands at 4-3 on the season. The Hatchets' next time on the mats is Tuesday in St. Croix Falls.

Published on 01/12/2026 under News MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A Wisconsin teen who killed a prison guard during a fistfight has pleaded guilty to reckless homicide but is claiming he's not responsible for his actions because he was mentally ill. Court records indicate 17-year-old Javarius Hurd entered the plea Friday. He also pleaded guilty to one count of battery by a prisoner. Prosecutors dropped a second battery count in exchange for the pleas. The next step for Hurd is a February jury trial to determine whether he's legally responsible. According to court documents Hurd was an inmate at the state's youth prison when he attacked two counselors in June 2024. One of the counselors fell during the fight and later died.

Published on 01/12/2026 under News Marshfield Clinic has announced some temporary visitation restrictions at their birthing facilities. According to the Friday announcement, this will impact outpatient and inpatient obstetrics, all newborn nurseries across Marshfield Clinic region, and the NICU at Marshfield Children's Hospital. They said, "These measures help protect our most vulnerable patients, infants under 6 months, who face the highest risk-No visitors under age 18 (including siblings) -Labor and Delivery: Up to two support people allowed -Hospitalization: Only two support people (including grandparents) allowedThe Wisconsin Department of Health currently lists both COVID and flu activity high and rising in Northern Wisconsin.

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