Poll of Wisconsin gun owners shows more are getting guns for self-defense, three in five keep them locked

Growing up in suburban Connecticut, Jon Tulman had never owned a gun, never even touched one, until he moved to Stevens Point in 1979 to pursue a master’s degree in natural resources management.

That first semester in Point, Tulman was invited to go grouse hunting. He warmly recalls the day, even though they didn't see any grouse – until they closed the trunk of their car to go home.

Tulman, 72, who now lives south of Rhinelander, fell in love with the Wisconsin Northwoods that day. A shotgun was a part of the experience.

“I have an image of myself, or one I would like to be, that includes being outdoorsy. It fits a self-image of being a Wisconsinite where hunting is a tradition and I enjoy that,” said Tulman, who is retired from running municipal recycling operations in Eau Claire County.

Over the years, Tulman bought, inherited and has been given firearms. He has five – two rifles, a shotgun and two semiautomatic pistols. The handguns came to him when a dear friend died suddenly of a heart attack. Tulman carries one for defense – of his dog. There are wolves in the woods near the home he shares with his wife. 

Back at home, Tulman said he makes sure all of his guns are unloaded and secured.

“They are kept in the safe,” he said. “Locked and safe.”

Poll of Wisconsin gun owners shows culture is changing

Tulman is part of an expansive and revealing new picture of gun ownership in Wisconsin, one of 354 gun owners in the state to take a poll conducted by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel through Marquette University’s O’Brien Fellowship in Public Service Journalism and in collaboration with the Marquette Law School. The online poll was conducted by Dynata LLC, a survey company, in May of this year. 

It is the most extensive, in-depth survey of the views of Wisconsin gun owners to date.

The results indicate that the state’s long-standing gun culture dominated by hunting is changing as more people buy guns for self-protection. The poll also defies some stereotypes of how often people keep loaded guns easily accessible in their homes or use them to defend themselves.

Here are some takeaways from the poll:

• A majority of the gun owners polled said they keep guns secured in some kind of safe or locking device. Women are more likely to lock up their guns than men.
• Gun owners living in urban areas are more likely than those living in suburban and rural areas to keep their guns loaded. The same goes for those who have a concealed-carry permit, but those with permits are more likely to keep those loaded guns locked up.
• Some 46 of 354 gun owners polled reported they had used a firearm defensively. Seven people reported they fired a gun in such a situation. 
• Some 114 people said they bought guns during the pandemic; 31 of those were buying their first gun. Self-protection was the most common reason given for buying a gun during the pandemic and racial unrest.
• About one in five, or 65 of the 354 surveyed, said they knew a gun owner who had had suicidal thoughts.

The poll results come as part of a series by the Journal Sentinel that revealed a more complete picture of gun deaths across Wisconsin, a number that has nearly doubled since 2004. Some 71 of every 100 gun deaths in the state are suicides, with rural areas being affected the most. Last year, for the first time, more than 500 people died by suicide with a gun, according to preliminary figures. 

The Journal Sentinel poll echoes findings of other polls but also diverges in some key areas – for instance, on how often guns are used defensively and how guns are stored at home.

The defensive gun rate in the Journal Sentinel poll was higher than several studies that put the rate between 3% and 8%. But it was lower than other polls, which found that as many as one in three gun owners used a gun defensively.

Tom Worcester, of Caledonia in Racine County, has not used his gun to defend himself – but he said he is prepared to do that. 

Worcester, 81, spent nearly 30 years on the Racine County Sheriff’s Department and has been retired from the department for about as long. He was a school bus driver until about seven years ago when diabetes forced him to quit and retire for good.

He had no history with guns as a boy, but when he became a deputy in 1967, Worcester learned he had a knack for shooting. He excelled at firearms proficiency, making the department’s elite pistol team.

Worcester has four guns – two pistols, a 12-gauge shotgun, and an M1 Carbine rifle that he bought during unrest and riots in the late 1960s in Racine.

Worcester keeps a loaded gun ready and accessible in the event of a break-in at the home he shares with his wife of 55 years – though they have never had one during the more than two decades they have lived in Caledonia. 

“I keep one for home protection,” he said. “I don't have any kids in the house anymore so I don't have to worry about security as far as my firearms are concerned. And my wife is terrified of guns so she stays the hell away from them.” 

Data shows women gun owners growing in Wisconsin

Roughly half of Wisconsin’s 2.4 million homes have guns in them, according to surveys by pollster Charles Franklin from the Marquette Law School.

The percentage of gun ownership varies depending on location in the state. For instance, earlier polling by Franklin shows that 31% of Milwaukee County households had a gun while nearly 60% of Green Bay households had a gun.

The respondents in the Journal Sentinel poll tended to be older (about half 55 or above) and were overwhelmingly white (91%), attended at least some college (85%) and had no children at home (70%). The largest area of respondents was from the Milwaukee area. 

Nearly half of the respondents in the Journal Sentinel poll were women, which likely over-represents the number of gun owners in the state, which based on earlier polling by Franklin is estimated to be closer to 40%. 

That figure, however, has been climbing since the pandemic, according to several polls nationwide.

It also may be that female gun owners were just more willing to participate in the poll, according to gun trainer Jeff Pharris, who lives and teaches in Washington County.

He said three-quarters of his students these days are women, underlining the shift in ownership.

Pharris grew up with guns on a farm in Nebraska. As a retired engineer, the 59-year-old is fascinated by the mechanical workings of something that has zero electronics. Pharris is passionate about shooting as a sport – though he is well aware of how to use guns defensively and he teaches classes on concealed carry and protecting the home.

When Pharris asks new students their experience with guns, traditionally he has heard answers like hunting with a parent or scouting. These days, he has more students from Milwaukee, particularly Black and Latino women, and he is hearing answers like “my nephew was killed in a drive-by” or “my neighbor's house was broken into.”

“It’s a negative association,” Pharris said. “They don't feel safe. More people are buying guns because they are afraid.”

What types of guns — and how many — do people in Wisconsin own?

The most common answer to the question, "How many guns do you have" was two to five guns. That was reported by about half. Next most common was those with one gun. The lowest category was those with more than five guns. 

Looking at rough national estimates of guns, this makes some sense. Surveys indicate there are now an estimated 400 million guns in the U.S. owned by roughly one-third of the population, or about 100 million people.

The number of people with just one gun surprised some gun owners. They suspected those were people who had a gun for self-protection only, and do not hunt or do sport shooting. 

Handguns of various sorts were the most common gun respondents reported owning, followed by a traditional hunting rifle and shotgun. 

Fourteen percent of respondents, or 48 people, reported owning an AR-15 rifle or similar rifle. That percentage is close to the figure in a Georgetown poll of gun owners last year, which surveyed AR-15 ownership in every state. It found Wisconsin had among the lowest AR-15 ownership rates in the country.

Worcester said he was surprised at the comparatively low number of AR-15 owners, in a state where hunting remains popular. 

While some use the AR-15 to hunt, others take a dim view of using such rifles to hunt. Just bringing an AR-15 into a Wisconsin deer camp can open up the person to sharp derision, according to several hunters. 

Franklin said the percentage of people reporting owning such guns makes sense. 

“I think that's sensible and interesting with so much focus on assault-style weapons,” he said. “They're not uncommon, but they are far from being a dominant purchase in these homes.”

White men were most likely to own a traditional hunting rifle and a shotgun.

How many Wisconsin gun owners purchased their first firearm during the pandemic?

There was a jump in gun and ammunition purchases in Wisconsin and nationwide beginning in 2020, as indicated by a surge in background checks in Wisconsin, though the number does not represent a one-to-one gun sale ratio. The figure also includes background checks for such things as obtaining or renewing concealed-carry permits as well as other firearms-related checks.

In a 2022 poll of registered voters conducted by Franklin, hunting was the biggest reason people reported owning firearms.

The top reasons people stated for buying guns in the pandemic was self-defense followed by sports shooting. Hunting was third. 

“The image of Wisconsin as a state of just deer hunters is really not what modern gun ownership is about,” Franklin said. 

The first-time buyers tended to be younger, female and non-white. But the numbers are small enough that caution is warranted before making broad conclusions from the results. 

How do Wisconsin gun owners store their guns?

The majority of gun owners reported keeping firearms in safes or using locking devices. The largest category was guns that were unloaded and locked in a safe. That was 152 of 354 respondents, or 43%. Another 53 reported keeping guns loaded and locked in a safe. 

The next category was unloaded and unlocked, with 91 gun owners reporting keeping guns that way. The smallest category was guns that were kept loaded and unlocked, with 27 people reporting that. The balance reported storing their guns in some combination.

“The number of people that keep things locked up and unloaded is really quite high. I'm impressed with the level of concern about safety in this,” Franklin said. “They are practicing pretty good gun safety at home, but there is this element of wanting a gun close at hand for defensive purposes.”

Emily Schmuki, 25, of Waukesha, has two daughters, ages 1 and 5, at home and said she has both of her handguns stored in safes: One is next to her bed, bolted to the nightstand; the other is in another location.

Schmuki, who is divorced, said she talks to her 5-year-old daughter about gun safety. Her daughter has a plastic toy gun, but she is not allowed to have it unless an adult is around.

"Her toy gun goes in my safe with my gun," Schmuki said.

About half of the people keep a gun ready or “staged,” as gun owners sometimes say, for possible defensive use.

About 40% of white gun owners reported keeping a gun ready for defense. Non-white respondents were more likely to have a gun ready for defense. But again, it is important to note that a small number of respondents, 33 people or 9%, were not white.

How many Wisconsin gun owners have used their guns defensively?

The poll defined defensive gun use as someone announcing they have a gun, showing it, drawing it and firing it. Some 46 of 354 people, or 13%, reported doing at least one of those things.

“That is higher than I would have thought,” said Pharris, the Washington County gun teacher. “I know a lot of gun owners and not one I know has ever drawn their gun, much less shot it.”

The percentage of defensive uses went down as the actions got more serious. For instance, seven people said they had fired a gun in a defensive situation. And five of those seven people reported five or more defensive uses. 

About half of gun owners polled, or 146 people, reported having a Wisconsin concealed-carry permit. And about half of those reported carrying a gun, though the frequency varied from daily to once a month.

There are more than 460,000 concealed-carry permit holders in the state. 

Worcester, the retired Racine sheriff’s deputy, has a concealed-carry permit but said he rarely carries a gun and has never been in a situation where he used his gun – or felt a need to.

“I don’t go looking for trouble,” he said, adding he avoids areas in Racine where he knows he is more likely to encounter danger.

More than a decade ago, Pharris advocated for Wisconsin to pass a concealed-carry law and was one of the first 100 people in the state to get a permit, yet he very rarely has carried a gun concealed. He has friends that never carry and others that always carry.

“Some people just feel safer having a gun,” he said. “Other people, including myself, are just not quite accustomed yet to carrying a loaded firearm all the time.”

William Olivier, 45, of Milwaukee, has a concealed-carry permit and carries a gun often and regardless of where he is, as long as it is legally allowed. He said he carries it because it is his right and for protection. He said he may not patronize a business if it does not allow concealed carry.

“I carry because I want to be prepared in an absolute worst-case scenario,” he said. “I carry equally, whether I'm in the suburbs or whether I'm in a city. It's somewhat second nature for me. It doesn't matter where I am.”

How many Wisconsin gun owners have known another gun owner with suicidal thoughts?

The Marquette/Journal Sentinel poll asked people about mental health and suicidal thoughts. Suicide with a firearm has been climbing in Wisconsin and nationwide. 

Eighteen percent of respondents, or 65 people, said they knew of a gun owner who had suicidal thoughts. About the same percentage reported they had held guns temporarily for someone who was in crisis.

Mark Flower, 63, a veteran who works with other veterans at risk of suicide, said he would not hesitate to turn over his guns if he felt at risk.

“Oh, I would give it away,” Flower said. “I would give up my firearm until I get things back going in the right direction.”

This poll did not ask about so-called “red flag laws,” but Franklin’s earlier Marquette polls have shown strong support in Wisconsin for such a law which would allow police to temporarily take guns from a person who is found by a judge to be a danger to themselves or others. The measure has not advanced in the state Legislature, where Republican leaders are opposed.

Several gun owners interviewed for this article said they would support such a law.

“I think the red flag law is an excellent idea,” Worcester said. “It’s just another tool for law enforcement to use. Is it perfect? No. But at least it's a start.” 

Other gun owners take a different view. 

An online poll by Walk the Talk America, a national group that aims to bridge the gap between gun owners and mental health providers, found 88% in a poll of 366 people were opposed to red flag laws. In that survey, gun owners raised questions about due process in red flag laws and also were concerned such laws may deter gun owners from seeking mental health treatment.

One gun owner's nuanced perspective on firearms restrictions

As Tulman thinks about guns in his life, he has good memories of hunting and target shooting with his friend before a sudden heart attack ended his life.

But Tulman has other memories: His older brother recklessly shooting him in the foot with a high-powered BB gun when the two were boys. The time in college when police, guns drawn, burst into the apartment where Tulman was living with other guys, looking for a suspect who wasn’t there. Then there was the murder of a woman Tulman knew from high school. She and her husband were killed by an enraged co-worker.

Tulman said those stories and others lead him, as a gun owner, to think there should be more restrictions on guns.

“I think access to guns is too easy,” he said. “I know everybody's got stories where people carrying guns have saved lives. I think there are too many stories where more people lose their temper and have easy access and then somebody gets killed. That maybe wouldn't have happened if we had more restrictions.”

In his third and what he thinks is his final retirement from work, Tulman and his wife, a minister, have settled in a family house near Rhinelander. And for the first time in his life, Tulman has handguns. Tulman figures he would not have bought those guns but they are a special reminder of the days he and his friend went shooting. The guns are like tools that Tulman has that once belong to his brother, who also died.

“It’s a fun memory,” he said. “It’s great to be able to use them.”

Tulman doesn’t hunt as much as he once did and didn’t go this year. He is even having difficulty shooting some pesky squirrels that are severely damaging a tree near their house. Tulman’s wife would very much like them gone.

“Over time, I guess I am becoming more and more of a softy,” he said. “I have no desire to shoot them.”

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel data reporter Eva Wen contributed to this report.

About this project

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter John Diedrich examined the full extent of gun deaths in Wisconsin during a nine-month O’Brien Fellowship in Public Service Journalism at Marquette University.

The project reveals the full picture of gun deaths in the state and tells the stories of people affected by gun deaths and those trying to find solutions.

Diedrich was assisted in the project by Marquette student researchers Alex Rivera Grant and Ben Schultz.

Marquette University and administrators of the program played no role in the reporting, editing or presentation of this project.

How we did this poll

Conducting the largest poll of Wisconsin gun owners to date presented some challenges. Capturing accurate opinions of gun owners can be tricky, partly because they are a diverse group and because gun ownership is one of the questions, like income, that people are reluctant to disclose, according to Marquette Law School pollster Charles Franklin.

Also, there really isn’t a “gun community” per se, but a diverse group of people who own a particular item. For these reasons, attempts to poll gun owners can deliver results that sometimes contradict each other. For instance, several polls show that gun owners strongly support – by more than 80% – so-called "red flag laws" that let police take guns from a person a judge deems to be a risk to themselves or others. But another poll found gun owners strongly against such laws, again by 80%.

Further complicating polling, gun owners have said they feel at times like researchers and pollsters treat them as “specimens” or oddities. They also feel like the language of certain polls can indicate an anti-gun slant on the part of the poll’s creators. 

With that in mind, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel staff worked on this poll's language with Franklin and also consulted with several gun owners to create language that aims to avoid potentially alienating statements. For instance, gun owners suggested we use the term “staged” when describing a gun kept for home defense. The poll also was specific on defensive gun use, detailing different actions that could be considered “defensive gun use.”

The online poll was conducted by Dynata LLC, a survey company. Those who took it are people who regularly take surveys for a small amount of money from Dynata. The poll was conducted online for six weeks in April and May 2023. The poll was anonymous.

There are limits to what can be drawn from the poll. 

There are an estimated 1.2 million homes in Wisconsin with firearms. With 354 responses, the Marquette/Journal Sentinel poll cannot be used to generalize patterns for such a large group. And for that reason, the poll does not report margins of error. 

The poll was reviewed by the Marquette Institutional Review Board, or IRB, which oversees research to ensure people are not harmed. Such boards are a federal requirement. 

All 354 respondents answered every one of the 31 questions.