Michael Ryan Kottke, 24, of Lomira, Wisconsin, died on November 22, 2025, while hunting near Oakfield in Fond du Lac County. A Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office dispatch received a 911 call about 8:28 p.m. reporting a hunter found unresponsive near a tree stand at Stumpf Road and Wild Goose Road. Deputies, EMS and the Oakfield Fire Department located Kottke and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officials have stated preliminary findings indicate the fatal wound was caused by an unintended discharge of Kottke’s own firearm and have characterized the incident as a likely hunting accident rather than an assault. The sheriff’s office and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources opened an investigation; investigators say evidence at the scene supports an accidental, self-inflicted discharge and there is no indication of another shooter. No arrests or suspects have been announced.

Kottke was born in Fond du Lac in January 2001, graduated from Oakfield High School in 2019, worked as an electrician for Pieper Electric and married Alexia Lynn Flury in September 2021. Obituaries described him as a devoted husband and father who enjoyed hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities. Did anyone in the area know Michael or have information about that opening day in Oakfield?