Wisconsin had a fairly successful harvest during the recent gun/deer season. Ben Jarboe gets the details from DNR deer program specialist, Jeff Pritzl. He says weather was an overriding factor to hunters' success again this year. He also notes that it appears hunters donated more deer this year, helping local food pantries with increased demand. He says high beef prices might have also encouraged more hunters to share.
The warmest temperatures we'll feel today may be early this morning. Stu Muck says there's a chance for a few more flurries in the forecast and cold temps prevail.
Farm machinery is holding its value according to Ashley Huhn with the Steffes Group. He tells Pam Jahnke that some items may have retreated as far as prices, but things like tractors are still selling strong. Paid for by Steffes Group.
Not all honey producers were thrilled with their 2025 harvest. Chris Hansen of Hansen Honey Farm in Rhinelander is one of them. He tells Stephanie Hoff that weather had a big impact on his bee performance. He said the winter of 2024 going into 2025 was devastating with widespread colony loss. Beekeepers had to take aggressive action to try and rebuild their hives quickly. That practice generally means production will take a hit. Hanson estimates his harvest was down drastically. He estimates he harvested about 5 pounds per hive when he'd normally expect 45-50 pounds on average. He said he plans to work on diversifying his operation and focus on good fall management.