Area hunters prepare for gun deer hunt

BROWN COUNTY - For one special church service each year, Wayside Pastor Steve Klein can get away wearing his finest blaze orange.

It's for his "God's Deer Camp" service. For an eighth year, about 200 people gathered away from Zion Lutheran Church to pray for the upcoming deer hunt.

“Pray for the good weather, pray for a safe hunt, pray that everybody that goes out there has a good time, because that's really what it's all about,” said Steve Menden of Greenleaf.

While some hunters pray for the big buck, others are putting more stock in their preparation by hitting the range at De Pere Sportsmen’s Club.

“It's a little bit of both,” said Chandler Zent of Green Bay. “You need to be prepared, but then it's the luck of having the deer come in at the right time.”

This year's hunt is on pace to beat last year's total of 603,913 licensed hunters in Wisconsin.

According to the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife, more than $2.5 billion was spent in Wisconsin last year on hunting. Past numbers show deer hunting alone typically brings in more than a billion dollars to the state's economy.

“You get that adrenaline feeling so that's why I like it,” said Zent.

To get that feeling, these hunters are hoping a little prayer can help.

“I don't know if it’s helped the other guys,” said Kline. “It hasn't helped me a whole lot the past couple years.”

The nine-day gun hunt starts Saturday.