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“This is a truly wonderful photography book, beautifully documenting hunters and hunting- families, women, men- all of us!- in Wisconsin. The photos are glorious- you feel like you “know” these people- and that they are good people that you wish you really knew! As hunters ourselves, my husband and I know that hunting & fishing folks are THE best conservationists and “eco-friendly” people on the planet, and we are delighted to have a copy of this beautiful book, and to be able to share it with guests at our inn!” Elisse

“If you want to understand the place that deer hunting holds in the culture of rural Wisconsin–and America–studying “Blaze Orange” is the next best thing to spending a lot of time in the woods yourself. Travis Dewitz grew up deer hunting with his father, and Dewitz’s work combines his personal history with his broad perspective of a mature and seasoned photographer into a compelling and comprehensive visual record. Dewitz vividly portrays the hunt itself, from the anticipation, to the lonely hours in the woods, to the excitement of taking the shot, to the rewards of the kill. He then digs deeper, as only a photography intimately familiar with his subject can do. Dewitz shows the camps, the butchering and processing, the bars and supper clubs, the trophies in dens and living rooms, and most of all the dignity of the people to whom deer hunting means so much. His focus is exclusively his native Wisconsin, but the photographs will resonate with anyone familiar with hunting anywhere in the nation. Beautifully printed, the 8-in. by 9-in. hardbound book is elegantly designed and sized to encourage the sort of close inspection these photographs invite.” Scott

Young girls push deep into the hunting land; a piece of property only accessible off the muddiest and grittiest of back roads. Their rifles are loaded as they stalk what everyone in blaze orange is after- the story of the biggest and most allusive buck, the hero, and layers of ghosts that surround the tales of the hunt. The culture and ritual of deer camp is a setting of nostalgia, the ramshackle of a cabin is a sacred temple of woodcrafts, trust, sweat, and secrets. Images of blood soaked cement floors, dead deer lying motionless on the ground, in the bed of a pick-up or hanging from “buck poles” in the camp yard offer testimony to the bountiful landscape that generation to generation proudly pass down through topographical maps with hand drawn symbols and markings.

You can smell the stench of bleach that fills the room after the gutting of a deer, feel the fathers love as he hands over the reins to his children, and hear the heralding stories that fill in the local taverns as blaze orange envelopes the chairs and bar stools.

Author and Photographer, Travis Dewitz, is a true visual storyteller as he defines moments of distilled beauty through storied images in his stunning book, Blaze Orange. Through the eyes of his illustrative lens he depicts traditions that are rooted in memories as he feeds the imagination and allows deer hunting to be an integral part of your soul and feel alive. “Working on this project brought back all the feelings I remembered from my own hunting trips—smelling the pines as a sharp cool wind would push against my face. I tried to show these emotions through my photographs. I was on the hunt again that season, carrying a camera instead of a gun, searching for hunters instead of whitetail deer.”

Blaze Orange captures the heart of deer camp through our eyes as Dewitz depicts various aspects of the nine day gun season through photography; told in the most unique ways of storied images. An illustrator that brings fleeting memories to life; as if you can smell the stench of bleach that fills the room after the gutting of a deer, feel the fathers love as he hands over the reins to his children, and hear the heralding stories that fill in the local taverns as blaze orange envelopes the chairs and bar stools. Blaze orange is the face of Wisconsin’s hunting heritage that is steeped in a rich tradition connected to the whitetail gun hunting season. The Wisconsin whitetail gun season takes place in November around Thanksgiving. During the season, orange silhouettes can be seen in the early morning hours moving slowly across cut fields and into the trees of thick Wisconsin woods. Travis Dewitz leaves us with a sense of adventure that is ignited by the beautiful allure of the curious Wisconsin wilderness that is draped in blaze orange for what dreams are made of.

“Travis Dewitz’s  Blaze Orange  gives the reader a glimpse into a culture not often seen by those who do not hunt. He takes us from the grainy darkness of predawn on opening day, to the gritty meat lockers that fill up after the season has closed. The book is fascinating and begs the viewer to travel along on the journey of the hunt. One can almost imagine that if the hunters took off the blaze orange color, that is emanating like neon from every photo, they would easily be camouflaged by the Wisconsin countryside and slip off as swiftly as whitetail deer. Quickly we see that the hunting culture is not a solo endeavor; families, dogs, women, men, children, are all participating in some aspect of the hunt. We travel from small town gas stations, to hunting camps, to local taverns. We see the proud faces of those who have succeeded and the hopeful faces of those yet to have success. While it would have been easy to slip into stereotypes and generalizations  Blaze Orange does not make a mockery of any thing or any one, instead Dewitz treats all aspects of the hunt with reverence and respect. As the book closes with a snowy winter scene the reader ends their journey, hopefully, with a new found appreciation of the hunting culture, and certainly with an appreciation for the skill with which Dewitz has captured the hunt through images.” Sharon

“Blaze Orange by Travis Dewitz is the kind of book that you want to leave proudly sitting out on your coffee table for all of your guests and visitors to see and look through when they stop over, and one you will want to look through again and again. Not only does the book have an appealing cover, which immediately pulls you into the woods alongside the hunters, it also is full of 120+ pages full of beautifully captured photographs that will make you proud to live in the state of Wisconsin, or wish that you did live here!

The book showcases what whitetail deer hunting in Wisconsin truly is; a memory, a family tradition, and an experience, far beyond just shooting a gun. The time, care, and thought that Travis put into creating the Blaze Orange book shows greatly in every single photograph. As I read through the book and looked at the images, I felt myself being pulled into the story, I felt that I was a part of the book, or that the book came alive. I could feel the thoughts that the hunters may have been feeling after their first shot, I could smell the aroma of the venison sausage at the smoke house, and It left me wanting to head into the woods and go hunting with my dad and son. Blaze Orange is an incredible book, a book that will create emotion in you as you look at the photographs, a book that will draw you in again and again, and a book that perfectly captures the true heart of what Whitetail Deer hunting is like in Wisconsin.” Kelly

“The book Blaze Orange, is a staggering achievement of solicitous images that illustrate the deep culture of what real hunting in the Northwood’s entails. There is an unparalleled commitment by author, Travis Dewitz, to the pictures, to the form, and to hunters. Each photograph was taken and chosen with extraordinary care and passion. It truly feels like each page is a painted canvas of the heart, grit, and soul of this influential culture. Travis Dewitz leaves us yearning for more, with a hunger that is ignited by the beautiful allure of the Wisconsin woods during a season where it is covered in blaze orange.” Erika

“From the dust jacket to the blaze orange embossed linen hard cover book, to the emotionally driven beautiful images, this book is stunning from cover to close. It’s obvious to the viewer, that Travis spent copious amounts of time searching photographic opportunities, finding light, building relationships, and choosing the final images to grace the pages of this book. Each photograph tells a story of the Wisconsin deer hunt, if something has been missed, it’s hard to tell what. The craft of hand making knives, taxidermy, meat processing, socializing and everything in between, has been covered. Friends & families in their hunting parties in various stages of the hunt include the young, old, men, and women. In fact, the back cover is a young girl in the midst of her own hunt and this image alone tells the story you’ll become a part of throughout the entire book. Images are included that make you feel as though you yourself could be there. A lot of respect for the tradition of deer hunting is displayed in this book, many images beg you to look a little longer to find details you might have missed on previous viewings of the book. This is not a one view and done sort of book, you’ll pick it up to enjoy the imagery again and again and share with your friends and family. You’ll find yourself reminiscing about your own deer hunting adventures, whether it be childhood memories or just your past year’s hunt. This book was beautifully done, and I’m proud to own a copy. This is one photography book you will not regret owning and will undoubtedly remain in your collection for many years to come.” Bobbie Sue

“I’ve never deer hunted, and I always wish I would have. Now I know why. In high school, we shut down because of deer hunting. The entire place was buzzing before the week started. I see that excitement around me in my friends and neighbors yet today.
This book brings to life in beautiful photographs the essence of this experience. This book isn’t about killing deer as much as it is about the experience, the economic impact and especially the family and friends who share this time together. Every year they get together for deer camp. To visit, swap stories and be in the outdoors together. For anyone who has ever hunted, ever wanted to hunt, or has grown up in deer hunting country, you need to see these photographs and this book.” Susan