Low Death Rates on Autumn’s Waters Doesn’t Mean Safe Hunting, Fishing

   Only two of Wisconsin’s nearly 19 boating-related deaths each year happen between October and December, but that doesn’t mean autumn is a safe time on the water for anglers and waterfowlers.

   Water temperatures steadily decline after Labor Day, which means hypothermia can quickly kill those falling from a boat or filling their chest waders far from safe ground. Plus, waterfowlers often navigate boats in darkness, increasing their risks of striking unseen logs, stumps or exposed rocks.

   It doesn’t help that many waterfowlers wear chest waders but no life-preserver in their duck boats, even though a quality “personal flotation device” keeps them on the surface with far less effort. In fact, full-size flotation jackets are available in camouflage patterns for $200 to $300, which seems a bargain compared to $8,280 for your average Wisconsin funeral, or $6,120 for cremation services.

   At risk of sounding morbid — maybe even cold-hearted — a PFD also helps searchers find your body more quickly should you die in the water. It’s bad enough when carelessness kills duck hunters, but their families suffer endlessly when lakes or marshes trap a body under ice until spring. Such tragedies can complicate insurance claims, and cause financial struggles for the victim’s family.

    Data compiled by the Department of Natural Resources from 2005 through September this year show nearly 400 people (391) died in boating accidents the past 21 years, most of them by drowning. Of those deaths, 38 (10.3%) occurred from Oct. 1 through the end of the year. No one died on the water in December those years, but 27 (71%) of the autumn deaths occurred in October and 11 (29%) died in November. Also, all but one were adult males. The lone late-season female drowning was a lone kayaker who fell overboard in November 2023 on the Black River.

   Roughly 10% of Wisconsin’s annual water-related fatalities occur after September, but autumn can be hazardous because of falling water temperatures and navigating in darkness. — Patrick Durkin photo

   The DNR didn’t track monthly boating fatalities in 2005, but during the 20 years since, it recorded no autumn boating-related deaths in 2009, 2014 and 2020. Only once in that time did water-related deaths hit double-digits. Ten people died in autumn 2023, eight in October and two in November. Two of that autumn’s eight deadly incidents involved double fatalities. Two men, ages 51 and 65, drowned after falling from a motorboat on the St. Croix River; and two men, ages 26 and 27, drowned after falling from their canoe on the Minong Flowage.    

   The DNR issues a press release each year in late September to remind waterfowlers of autumn’s risks. Besides offering standard gun-safety tips, the agency suggests hunters establish “safe-fire zones” for their blinds and boats, not only fore and aft, but vertically, too. Do not stand up to shoot if others shoot while seated. By standing unexpectedly, you could block a shotgun blast with your head, neck or chest.

   Whenever wearing chest waders, consider using an elastic wading belt around your brisket to slow water from reaching the waders’ legs. The more water reaching the legs and feet, the more likely it will create suction that makes it difficult to remove the waders.

   Further, use enough boat to carry all your gear evenly without overloading it, especially if you’re crossing a lake or large river where high winds can build dangerous waves. Also check weather forecasts before setting out, and watch the skies and your weather apps regularly so you’re not trapped if conditions deteriorate.

   No matter what time of year you’re on the water, consider buying and wearing a self-inflating flotation device, which lies so flat on your chest and shoulders that you’ll forget you’re wearing it. DNR data show that less than 17% (326) of the state’s drowning victims the past 21 years were wearing any type of PFD.

   As of Oct. 4, 13 people in Wisconsin have died in boating-related accidents this year, one fewer than in 2024. In contrast, water-related deaths reached 20 or more 12 of the past 21 years, including eight of nine years from 2015 through 2023, and a record 28 deaths in 2023, and 25 deaths in 2017 and 2021. The safest year was 2019, when nine people died on the water, the only time since 2005 that Wisconsin’s boating-related deaths stayed in single digits.

   Other notable data from the DNR’s annual reports include …

   -- Only one person has drowned in 2025 while rowing or paddling a canoe, kayak, rowboat or paddleboard. If that number holds, it will be the first time since 2006 that only one person drowned in a self-propelled watercraft. The deadliest years for “silent water sports” were 2008, 2011 and 2017, when eight drowned; and 2020 and 2023 when nine drowned.

   --    The DNR estimates that Wisconsin accommodates over 1.25 million watercraft on its nearly 15,000 lakes and waterways annually. For 2024, the DNR documented 603,712 resident-registered vessels, down 1.3% from 611,788 in 2023, and down 3.4% from 624,882 in 2017. Nonmotorized watercraft, as well as boats owned and operated by nonresidents, do not need to be registered.

   -- Wisconsin consistently protects its children on the water. During the past three years, for example, only five kids 13 or younger died on the water. Four drowned and one died in a collision with another boat. Three of those kids were wearing lifejackets, but two likely died of hypothermia, and the other from crash injuries.

   To learn more about boating safety in Wisconsin or to take an online boating-safety class, click on https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Boat.