Hunting in Wisconsin: 4 Animals To Hunt in the Winter

Winter isn't just reserved for skiing, snowboarding, and ice skating. Hunting in Wisconsin during the winter months offers a chance to track and bag game that isn't available to hunt during other times of the year.

The winter months are a good time to go after small game and furbearers. Even some larger game have seasons extending into the start of winter. It's important to dress in warm clothing and carry a compass and map with you at all times. Being ill prepared can increase the risk of hypothermia or frostbite.

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Here's a look at four animals Wisconsin hunters are permitted to hunt during the winter months.

1. White-Tailed Deer
Deer is a crossover animal between fall and winter. Starting in 2015, bow and crossbow hunting run concurrently, starting in mid-September and ending in the first week in January.

Rifle hunting takes place for a week around Thanksgiving each year. Muzzleloader hunting typically starts on the first week of December and a four-day antlerless hunt is held in mid-December.

2. Bobcats
Another seasonal crossover animal is the bobcat. The first hunting period for bobcats begins in the fall, going from mid-October to Christmas Day. The second hunting period starts on December 26th and lasts through the end of January.

Caution should be taken to not confuse a bobcat with its feline cousin the Canada Lynx. It is illegal to shoot a lynx, even accidentally, since it is protected as an endangered species.

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3. Cottontail Rabbits
Rabbit hunting actually begins in mid-September in the northern part of Wisconsin. Cottontail season there extends through the end of February. It gets a later start in the southern part of Wisconsin.

Rabbit hunting there starts in mid-October and also extends through the end of February. Rabbit hunting requires the purchase of a small game license.

4. Squirrels
Wisconsin allows hunters to hunt both gray squirrels and fox squirrels from mid-September through the end of January. These dates are applicable to squirrel hunting statewide. As with cottontail rabbits, squirrel hunting requires the purchase of a small game license.

This article is for information only. Please check current regulations before hunting.

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