FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT ANIMALS CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE AT THE DEER PARK?
- White Tail Deer
- American Elk (Wapiti)
- American Bison
- European Fallow Deer
- Japanese Sika Deer
- Game Birds
- Llamas
- Horses
- Emus
- Lemurs
WHEN IS THE DEER PARK OPEN?
The park typically opens for the season in mid-April and remains open through late October. If you are planning to visit very early or very late in the season, please give us a call first to ensure we are open for business. You can reach us at 608-253-2041!
Mid-April through Memorial Day, we are open daily, 10:00am – 4:00pm (off-season hours)
Memorial Day through Labor Day, we are open daily, 9:00am – 7:00pm
Labor Day – late October, we are open daily, 10:00am – 4:00pm (off-season hours)
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO VISIT THE DEER PARK?
Kids 2 & Under: Free!
Kids 3 to 11 years: $12.00
Ages 12 & Up: $16.00
DO WE NEED TO WORRY ABOUT TICKS WHEN VISITING?
No, we do not have problems with ticks at the Wisconsin Deer Park because we keep our grass extremely short. Ticks need tall grasses (more than 2 feet tall) to travel between bodies.
WHY CAN’T WE FEED THE DEER OUR OWN FOOD?
It is dangerous for the animals to eat regular human food! The deer in our park are fed a specialized deer food based on their prime dietary/nutritional needs. Deer are not able to absorb the iodine that is present in “human” salt (and most foods), so this food has non-iodized salt and no seasonings in the recipe. If they were to have too much iodine, their stomachs could fill with fluid therefore resulting in death. Please, do not feed our animals any food that you bring with you. Guests may purchase deer-safe food to feed our animals at our gift shop or at feeding stations along the trail.
WHAT IF MY CHILD EATS THE DEER FOOD PROVIDED BY THE DEER PARK?
While the corn and pellet mixture we feed the animals will not harm your child if they ingest it, it may be difficult for them to digest. We do not recommend that anyone consume the deer food.
DO THE DEER BITE?
Great question! No, they do not bite. Deer only have back molars for grinding food and small baby teeth along their bottom gums for scraping leaves and bark from the trees. A guest would have to physically place their hand all the way into the animal’s mouth for them to be bitten. Any animal in our park that can or will bite will have signage that clearly identifies them.
MY CHILD IS HAVING A REACTION TO THE ANIMALS, WHAT DO I DO?
There is an urgent care facility located in the Dells, but typically the affected child needs an antihistamine medication, like Benadryl. If anyone in your group is showing symptoms of an allergic reaction, we recommend everyone changes clothes, as dander from the Deer will be on all who visited Deer Park. Taking a bath or showering to remove the dander is also recommended. Thankfully, symptoms should clear up within a few hours.
WHERE DO THE ANIMALS GO TO LIVE IN THE WINTER?
Each winter, the animals happily head to the back of the park to be kept in the winter feeding grounds. This provides them with a quiet break and a change of scenery while our staff preps the park for the following spring. Temperature-sensitive animals, such as our Lemurs, have their own happy enclosures over the winter season.
WHERE DO ALL THE TAXIDERMY ANIMALS IN THE STORE COME FROM?
All the animals and antlers adorning the walls of our store come from inside our park. There are instances when we may have an animal die of old age or be put to sleep by our registered vet. In the wild, a deer may live 5-7 years, but in our park, they can live to 15+ years! This results in some common diseases like tumors, bone disease, etc. If a deer becomes ill, we do everything we can to care for them and nurse them back to health. We are a team of animal lovers and will do what we can to ease our animal’s suffering.
WHY MIGHT THE ANIMALS LOOK SO SKINNY?
Depending on what time of year you visit with us, the animals can look skinny or sick as they change coats between the seasons. As they lose their winter coat or gain it back, their fur can look patchy or splotchy. Rest assured that, while their fur may look disheveled, it is a completely safe and natural occurrence in their lifecycle.
ARE SERVICE ANIMALS ALLOWED IN THE PARK?
Unfortunately, no they are not. Many areas of our park allow for our animals and guests to share the same space to maximize interaction. While our animals are comfortable with human interaction, we cannot predict how they will react to each service animal. For your safety, and for the safety of our other guests and animals, we do not permit service animals inside the park.
When you visit, the entire Wisconsin Deer Park staff will be happy to answer any questions you might have about our unique, educational treasure. We’d love to provide you with information about the park’s rich history and our ongoing operations. We look forward to seeing you soon