(DODGE COUNTY) With Wisconsin’s nine-day gun deer season just weeks away, state conservation wardens are reminding hunters to make safety their first priority — especially when it comes to handling loaded firearms in vehicles.
Ryan Mannes, Dodge County conservation warden based at Horicon Marsh, said hunters have done a better job in recent years preventing injuries during the popular season — and he wants that positive trend to continue.
“We’ve actually been pretty good in the last few years about hunting accidents during the nine-day gun deer season,” Mannes said. “We want to keep that trend positive for this coming year.”
Mannes said one of the most common safety issues involves hunters transporting loaded guns in vehicles, including trucks, ATVs and UTVs.
“Anytime a firearm enters a vehicle — and that includes ATVs and UTVs — it has to be unloaded,” Mannes said. “That also includes all rounds ejected from the magazine, which some people get confused about. If there’s any live ammunition in that gun at all, it is considered a loaded firearm.”
He added that both shotguns and rifles must be completely unloaded before being placed in or on any vehicle — a step that can prevent serious accidents.
Hunters are also encouraged to review safety courses, check their equipment and communicate clearly with partners before heading into the field.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will release its full list of hunting season reminders and regulations ahead of opening day, which begins Nov. 22.
