Autumn opportunities are ample for all gatherers.

The fall 2025 hunting and trapping forecasts have been posted on the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ web pages including sections addressing white-tailed deer, upland game birds, migratory birds, bears, and furbearers and trapping.

Other sources will supply hikers, birders, sightseers, photographers, and travelers enjoyment possibilities. Gathering and viewing include mushrooms, fruits and seeds, and harvesting or simply admiring and caring for wild ginseng. Bird migrations draw a sizeable population of users often multi-tasking between hunting and observing.

What would autumn be without enjoying weather, scents, and sites of changing vegetation? Devote some time to smelling the decomposing leaves, sounds of falling hickory nuts, beauty of colorful amanita mushrooms, red berries on wild ginseng, and the taste of giant puffball mushrooms.

While each of these endeavors is often enjoyed exclusively, some autumn outdoors participants watch Canada geese migrating while waiting in a tree stand for wild turkeys to pass below.

The deer season portion of the DNR forecast, 10 pages, was edited by Jeff Pritzl, DNR deer program specialist and addresses some minor changes in deer management zones and includes maps of the zones and units.

The four district forecasts, written by district DNR wildlife biologists point out the unique features and population trends across the state.

A theme throughout the text and illustrations encourages hunters to enjoy the beauty of the woods and world class deer hunting. After all, hunters come to Wisconsin from all states and several countries to join in because they consider Wisconsin a destination location offering a variety of hunting styles.

The numerous deer seasons, mechanics of hunting, registering, and processing venison and deer diseases are addressed.

Upland game birds section includes ruffed and sharp-tailed grouse (24 permits just mailed), wild turkeys, quail, pheasants, Hungarian partridge, and crows.

Fall turkey hunting is quite different, and still exciting, during the September 13 through January 4, 2026 season in zones 1-5.

Back-to-back prime nesting conditions in 2023 and 2024 resulted in a 57 percent increase in statewide ruffed grouse drumming activity in 2024. Hunting this bird continues to be the best in the northern third of Wisconsin. Hunters are likely to see others from many states enjoying the autumn scenery with their cameras, pointers and flushing companions.

Duck hunters can expect a great season with the increase in breeding duck population and abundant precipitation during spring and summer.

Wisconsin hosts one of the largest black bear populations in the country. The highly regulated seasons requires advanced planning and applications but does offer some opportunities for non-hunters to enjoy and learn about future bear hunting.

While a handful of applicants will have an elk permit, many more can view and hear bull elk bugle in September in several northern Wisconsin counties.

Aside from those activities, a warm and wet spring and summer, at times is beginning to bring a flush of fall fungi. The safest to consume include sulphur fungi, commonly called chicken-of-the-woods, along with hen-of-the-woods, oyster fungi, and giant puffballs.

Include these mushroom finds on fall tours throughout the state from Bayfield to Green counties.

Fall color seekers are short changing themselves in many habitats by having a blind eye to colorful and interestingly shaped mushrooms while touring or hiking to a deer stand.

Hunters and edible food seekers should expect a great crop of walnuts and bur oak acorns. Hickory nuts and red oak acorns are still in question.

Wild ginseng, while highly regulated in where and when to harvest, have an open season on pointing and clicking a camera at this green, then gold state herb symbol. The red fruits, botanically drupes, will catch a fast-paced hiker. Farmers may decide to “farm” the plant by putting the seeds back in the soil close to the parent plant and at some point cutting the stem to trick even the boldest of trespassers.

Birds of a feather become more obvious as leaves fall and sights and sounds cover greater distances. Birds can be a deer hunter’s favorite friend sometimes alerting the entire woods a deer is coming through.

Hunters have also enslaved crows, blue jays, and vultures to find animal carcasses.

Wisconsin has something during autumn for everyone and but don’t put too firm a barrier between enjoying several activities simultaneously.

Don’t be surprised if a birder and turkey hunter are in the same store aisle buying face masks and camouflage shirts or binoculars and bird calls.

The Fall 2025 Wisconsin Hunting Regulations pamphlet, soon to be available, will be an excellent companion to the DNR online Fall Forecast pages.

Happy Gathering Wisconsin.

— Jerry Davis is a freelance writer who lives in Barneveld. He can be reached at sivadjam@mhtc.net or at 608-924-1112.