Former Mondovi resident captures Wisconsin’s hunting tradition in new book

by Beth Kraft

Travis Dewitz has long held an interest in preserving key, fleeting moments in the world around him with his camera. From senior portraits to images showcasing corporate business clients, the former local resident and self-taught photographer has operated a professional studio for the past decade and recently landed a book deal.

Dewitz, who attended the Mondovi Schools for grades 4-6 before moving to the Eau Claire area, released his image-oriented book, “Blaze Orange: Whitetail Deer Hunting in Wisconsin,” in late September and has since conducted numerous book signings and talks throughout the greater Eau Claire area.

Citing a love of Wisconsin’s deer hunting culture and his many fond childhood memories associated with the sport, Dewitz set out two years ago to tell the story of the state’s rich hunting traditions by snapping photographs from around the region.

“I grew up in a hunting family and hunted until my early 20s,” explained Dewitz, noting he had to take a break from the deer hunting scene for about eight years because his schedule got too busy for him to find the time to head into the woods.

Yet he missed being a part of the sport and decided to find a way to combine his interest in all things deer hunting with his day job.

“I just had this nostalgia for what hunting is and I wanted to capture that and how important it is to all the businesses and communities that support it,” Dewitz said.

It took Dewitz just 15 days to snap the full-color photos that fill his 144-page book, which features gun deer hunting season scenes from the Mondovi, Gilmanton, Eleva, Strum, Independence, and Osseo areas, to name a few, and snapshots from local taxidermy studios.

“I wanted to take all the photos in a way that would feel timeless,” he explained.

Allowing people to relive their own hunting memories through his photographs years down the road without the images looking dated was important to Dewitz.

“I want people to have a connection with the images and see themselves in the photos,” he said.

Dewitz originally intended to work on content for the book over multiple deer seasons, but his publisher of choice, Wisconsin Historical Society Press, was very interested in his idea. By the time the 2013 hunting season rolled around, much of the content for “Blaze Orange” had already been set.

“Everything happened so quickly,” said Dewitz of the publishing process. “It went very well—quicker than I ever expected.”

Dewitz says the best part about working on the book project was how it brought back some of his favorite memories of his own hunting experiences.

“Finding your way to your deer stand in the dark and experiencing that sunrise—just watching that darkness break into blues and then oranges and yellows...that feeling of watching the sun rise in the woods is pretty amazing,” Dewitz said.

He hopes his work will become somewhat of a “coffee table book” for hunting enthusiasts, noting he feels the photos in “Blaze Orange” are a “great window” into what hunting is, the many traditions involved in the sport, and the skills it takes to be a successful hunter.

“If you’re not a hunter or have never been hunting, I think there’s a warped perspective of what hunters are,” commented Dewitz. “I hope these pictures tell the real story.”

Copies of Dewitz’s book, “Blaze Orange: Whitetail Deer Hunting in Wisconsin,” can be purchased at Books-A-Million (BAM) and VolumeOne in Eau Claire, at independent booksellers throughout the area, and via amazon.com. Dewitz is also offering signed copies of the book ordered through his website, www.blazeorangebook.com.