Hunters embrace winter weather conditions on day one of gun deer season

CROSS PLAINS, Wis. (WMTV) - Winter weather conditions are not stopping Wisconsinites from heading out for gun deer season this weekend.

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources conservation warden Jake Donar said the snow is actually a pleasant surprise for those on the hunt.

“Usually, it generally is a little more successful when we have some snow on the ground because the deer are a little bit more visible in the woods; they blend in very good when everything is kind of brown, when we got a white backdrop, they’re a little bit more visible, which usually means the harvest is going to be up a little bit, so we’ll see,” Donar said.

Donar warns the low temperatures can be cause for some concern.

“There are some places that don’t have really good cell phone reception, so make sure you dress warm and you do have a plan that way, so that way you can spend an extended time out in this cold weather,” Donar said. “Because it is cold, and it can turn dangerous in a hurry, especially if you end up getting wet or lost or something like that.”

Nineteen-year-old Aiden Meinzholz is heading out for his first gun deer season.

“It’s probably one of the most relaxing things that you can do,” Meinzholz said. “I haven’t seen a deer or anything. I’m sure when that happens, you are a lot more tense. For the most part, you are sitting in the woods alone or with somebody and it’s relaxing.”

Meinholz hasn’t gotten anything yet but remains optimistic.

“The purpose of this is to get outside more, and that is always a good thing. I’m feeling great and can’t wait to see if I see anything,” Meinzholz said.

The DNR said they expect exact numbers on how many hunters participated in day one of the hunt in the next few days.

Click here to download the NBC15 News app or our NBC15 First Alert weather app.

Copyright 2022 WMTV. All rights reserved.