Fort McCoy 2026 youth, disability deer hunts yield 14 deer despite warm October weather

Hunters participating in Fort McCoy’s 2026 youth gun-deer hunt and gun-deer hunt for hunters with disabilities harvested 14 deer during the two-day seasons Oct. 10–11, continuing the installation’s longstanding efforts to provide hunting opportunities for people of different ages and abilities.

Despite unusually warm weather during the weekend, hunters with disabilities harvested nine deer, while youth hunters harvested five, said Kevin Luepke, wildlife biologist with the Fort McCoy Directorate of Public Works Environmental Division Natural Resources Branch.

“Very warm!!! We ended up with 14 deer harvested, nine by disabled hunters, five by youth hunters. So given the weather, not too shabby,” Luepke said. The combined harvest was comparable to the previous year, when 16 deer were harvested during the hunts.

Fort McCoy issued 32 permits for the hunt for hunters with disabilities, with 27 permits sold. For the youth hunt, 42 permits were issued, with 27 sold. Across both hunts, 74 permits were issued and 54 were sold.

The harvest breakdown for hunters with disabilities included three fork-horned bucks, one spike buck, four adult antlerless deer and one buck fawn. Youth hunters harvested one fork-horned buck, three adult antlerless deer and one doe fawn.

Although the number of deer harvested is one measure of success, Luepke said the combined hunts offer benefits that extend beyond the harvest. The weekend provides an opportunity for youth hunters and hunters with disabilities to share the outdoors, interact with one another, and develop a greater appreciation for different members of the hunting community.

“The weekend is a great opportunity for both the disabled and youth hunters to intermingle,” Luepke said.

Holding the disability hunt early in the fall allows hunters to spend more time outdoors in warmer temperatures, which can be beneficial for participants who may face additional challenges during a hunt. The camaraderie between hunters with disabilities and their assistants is also an important part of the experience, Luepke said.

“The camaraderie between the hunters with disabilities and the assistants is great to see, and probably one of the top reasons the hunters participate in this hunt,” he said.

Hunting assistants can help participants access hunting areas and provide support throughout the experience. Fort McCoy’s previous reporting has highlighted the importance of volunteers, family members and friends in helping hunters with disabilities participate in the annual event.

The youth hunt provides a different but equally important opportunity. Conducting it before Wisconsin’s nine-day gun-deer season allows younger hunters to learn from a parent, relative or family friend before more hunters enter the woods during the statewide season.

“As for the youth hunters, it allows some time for them to be mentored by a family member or friend of the family before the woods are filled with other hunters during the nine-day gun-deer season,” Luepke said.

Pairing the two hunts also gives participants an opportunity to recognize the common interests they share, regardless of age or physical ability.

“Being able to pair the hunts together, I believe allows the hunters to gain respect for a different part of the hunting community,” Luepke said.

He added that the experience shows young hunters that people with different abilities can share the same goals, whether they are hunting to provide meat for their families or hoping to harvest a trophy deer.

“It definitely shows the youth hunters that even though they may be very different, both hunters with disabilities and youth hunters are out there with a common goal,” he said.

Fort McCoy has conducted its special gun-deer hunt for hunters with disabilities since 2002. The installation added the youth hunt, and the two events have been held together since 2020, according to previous Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office reporting.

The installation’s hunting program also contributes to wildlife-management efforts. Fort McCoy natural resources personnel use information collected from harvested deer to help monitor the installation’s deer herd. Previous hunts have included biological data collection and opportunities for Chronic Wasting Disease sampling.

The installation’s hunting program is managed through Fort McCoy’s natural resources staff in coordination with its hunting permit operations. Participants must meet applicable eligibility requirements and follow installation-specific hunting and harvest-reporting rules.

For more information about hunting opportunities, permits and regulations at Fort McCoy, visit the installation’s iSportsman website at https://ftmccoy.isportsman.net.

Fort McCoy’s motto beginning in 2026 is “Training the Total Force and Shaping the Future since 1909.” The installation’s mission: “Fort McCoy strengthens Total Force Readiness by serving as a training center, Mobilization Force Generation Installation, and Strategic Support Area enabling warfighter lethality to deploy, fight, and win our nation’s wars.”

And Fort McCoy’s vision is, “To be the premier training center supporting the most capable, combat-ready, and lethal armed forces.”

Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin. The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984.

Learn more about Fort McCoy online athttps://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/fortmccoywi, and on DVIDS by visiting https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/FMPAO on DVIDS. Also try downloading the My Army Post app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base. Fort McCoy is also part of Army’s Installation Management Command where “We Are The Army’s Home.”

(The Fort McCoy Directorate of Public Works Environmental Division Natural Resources Branch contributed to this article.)

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