Gun Hunting Begins Tomorrow

The Wisconsin 9-day Gun Deer Hunting season begins tomorrow, Saturday, November 20th. When combined with other deer hunts (December 4-Day Antlerless Hunt, Antlerless-Only Holiday Hunt), gun hunting will essentially continue through the end of the year.

Hunting is allowed in a large portion of Devil’s Lake State Park. That said, the majority of park users don’t hunt. In fact, many folks visit the park this time of year to avoid summer crowds which can create a bit of a clash since folks who don’t hunt rarely know the hunting seasons. (And it’s not always posted that well if at all at the various trailheads.) So with that in mind, where can folks hike and avoid hunters? Well, some folks would say that you can hike anywhere.

Hunt Anywhere?

Let me get this out of the way right now. There are a lot of folks who will tell you with bravado, “Anywhere!” “Just wear blaze orange and you’ll be fine.” is the standard response. Mostly, they’ll be right. Hunting accidents are rare. As far as I know, no person or pet has been injured by a hunter at Devil’s Lake State Park. In addition, most hunters worth their salt, don’t hunt during mid-day. Still, many people don’t want to take the risk with themselves, their kids, or their pets and that’s reasonable too.

As you look at the park’s hunting and trapping map, it’s important to realize that hunters are required to stay 100 yards away from the trails marked in gray or 50 feet from the center of a roadway. On trails not shaded, we assume you can hunt directly from the trail if you like. So if you don’t want to be close to hunting, Steink Basin is pretty much a no-go area. Of the popular trails, the West Bluff Trail and East Bluff Woods trail may have hunters 100 yards off-trail. Again, some won’t want to hike on these trails. So let’s look at some “safe” places.

Where Can I Hike?

The East Bluff Trail is well out of the hunting zone. If you want to get up on the bluffs, this is the trail I’d choose. As long as you stay out where you can look out over the cliffs, you’re in the safe zone. This would include the Balanced Rock Trail, Potholes Trail, The CCC Trail, and Devil’s Doorway. If you want a flat trail, I’d recommend the Tumbled Rocks trail along the lake and the Grottos Trail at the foot of the East Bluff. You can also make a day of it by staying right around the lake. Of course “officially” you can’t hike on the railroad tracks.

Parfrey’s Glen State Natural Area is also closed to hunting.

Have fun and stay safe out there!