There’s not much to do in these rural areas, but people make do. They even create a competition out of who can catch the biggest buck.

This is the time of year these towns wait for. With grocery stores miles apart, a 150-pound white-tailed deer could last a three-member family a few months. People actually eat what they kill. You might even see a coyote lying in the back of a hunter’s pickup truck, but the deer are the main prize. It’s only two hours and 30 minutes out of the inner-city of Milwaukee, but you enter into a new dimension. As the animals are hiding, the hunters are preparing for their next meal. Hunters are everywhere: in garages, gas stations and in bars. Their cars line the highways and are tucked away along side roads.

By 11:12 a.m. on the opening day of deer season, Tim and Jacob Bray had already killed their first prey. With the dead whitetail on the side of the road, and a pocket full of bullets, the 44-year-old father and his 15-year-old son reflected on the new president-elect.

“Even though he’s bat sh-t crazy, hopefully he’ll fix the economy,” said Tim as he walked up to the western Wisconsin highway leaving his deer where he shot it.

Despite his concerns, Tim voted for Donald Trump after backing Barack Obama in 2012.  He’s part of a trend in this area of western Wisconsin, where white working class voters like Tim flipped in dramatic percentages from Obama to Trump.

“Hopefully [Trump] brings in jobs back to the United States.”

Hunters in general – at least those out here – favor Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton because they think he understands them more than she does. She doesn’t understand the importance of guns in their lives, they say; it’s not for violence, but for a means to survive.

Although Jacob couldn’t vote, just like his father he would have voted for Trump. They hope Trump brings economic relief, but Tim is scared Trump’s going to bring other things into the office.

“I worry about things getting worse, like the racism. All the cops, they’re shooting people. Hopefully a lot of it changes.”

Tim and Bray were found hunting in Marietta, Wisconsin next to an isolated road with their bolt-action rifles.

Hunting is a bonding experience that brings an entire town together. Everyone knows everyone and if their guns were taken away, they fear they would be losing a part of themselves.

And in the bars, you’ll often find hunters passing out venison sticks. The deer was likely hunted, killed, processed and eaten within 15 miles. People here stick closely together and they seemed to vote in a pack this time around too.

Tim just wants to hunt without having to worry about his safety, but he’s not sure if Trump can help with that even though he’s a white male, in a majority white county, who’s armed with a gun.

“The way people treat each other, it’s not as friendly as it should be. Anybody should be able to walk down the street and not have to worry about being harassed.”

Tim, Jacob and other hunters believe Trump will be the change they need economically. They were willingly to take a chance on a man with no background in politics.

If Trump disappoints him like Obama did, Tim says the voters will just throw him out too. Then he jokingly adds that Trump might be killed anyway.

In the meantime, they’ll keep hunting. Up here, even the houses are part of the dress code. From the camouflage shades to the rugs, it always clear when a hunter resides there. It’s safe to say, the rural areas of Wisconsin chose Trump in hopes he’ll bring the change Obama promised them in 2012.

-With contributions from Jordan Garcia

The post The Hunters appeared first on Election 2016: How the Mississippi River Valley Turned Red.

Buehler opened up his metal shed of a home to two complete strangers: a professor and her student. The white door pulled inward and a new world was exposed.

“I am one of the Forgotten Men,” he said. “These are calluses on these hands.”

Trump’s face was on the screen on FOX News straight ahead on the flat screen; Buehler was standing to the left and, on the right, was his $60,000 car, which he doesn’t use since has everything he needs in his garage.

At age 73, Buehler’s retired and living in his garage. With 10 Donald Trump signs in his possession, Buehler’s 4×8 foot bright neon sign of Trump outside his home tops them all. He’s located near the Mississippi River on a barren road. There are no street lights, but that’s okay, as you’ll still see his Trump sign or in this case, “rump.” Somehow the “T” went missing. Buehler’s sign contains its own lights, showcasing his support for the new president-elect. He even includes his phone number, although it’s unclear why.

He’s from Iowa, but lives in Wisconsin, and he flipped his vote from Barack Obama in 2008 to Mitt Romney and then Trump. He lives in Crawford County, Wisconsin, which has among the highest percentage of voters in the country who flipped from Obama to Trump.

His clothing fit the scenery of Western Wisconsin, worn out and dull. He had on a grey hoodie, blue jeans with grey strands of hair reaching for the ceiling of his garage.

“I wasn’t into this politics sh-t, until Trump.”

Buehler believes Trump’s businessman demeanor is the change America needs.

After the first four years, he felt Obama turned on everyone.

“He promised the moon and gave you the shaft.”

Back then he thought it was time for a black president; America needed change.

Buehler’s worked two-three jobs at once, his entire life.

“We haven’t got a social security raise for how many years?” Even if he was to receive a raise, he said it’s used to pay back Medicaid.

He’s been a farmer and owner of a grocery store. Buehler worked in a factory for 15 years and was even a part of the union. He used to make register vents for Sears Tower, until his job moved to Mexico. He believes Trump will bring jobs back to America; he’s a businessman not a politician, according to Buehler.

His family originally came from Norway to Iowa for labor (factory jobs). His dad was German and he had a family of farmers, so it’s not surprising he voted for Trump. Farmers seem to love Trump because he promises to get rid of farm restrictions.

In 1988, Buhler moved to Ferryville, Wisconsin, where he opened a store, that he now lives in. It doubles as a garage, cars and all, right next to the corner where he’s created his living room. He sold guns, ammunition, liquor, hardware, plus he tagged and registered deer. He sold out of his garage for 20-30 years, but now he spends his time watching FOX news. Buehler still has old cases of things he used to sell. He has everything he needs in his garage, even a bed to sleep in.

Buehler has a 72-year old wife, who still works. She lives inside in their home, while Buehler lives in his garage surrounded by cars, with a cross on the wall. They’ve been married for 52 years, and they’re a happily married couple, according to him.

When asked why he voted for Trump, Buehler made it clear he wasn’t prejudiced. He voted for Trump in hopes the President-elect will secure the borders and enforce the law. Obama didn’t do enough when it came to protecting the police, said Buehler. He doesn’t like disorder, and protesters bother him a lot. He didn’t like the anti-police protests in the cities, and he wasn’t happy about the Act 10 protests in Madison over Governor Scott Walker’s collective bargaining law.

Just like many other Trump voters in the area, Buehler also voted for Trump because he dislikes Hillary Clinton.

“She actually killed four people,” he said, referring to Benghazi and the people who died there. “Trump is only accused of cuddling women.”

Buehler wasn’t bothered by Trump’s comments about women.

“Locker room talk is locker room talk. If guys don’t talk like that, they aren’t guys.”

Buehler is a true Trump fan. He has a lot of faith in Trump and hopes he’s not disappointed in the next four years. Trump’s signature slogan, “Make America Great Again,” isn’t something Buehler agrees with, though.

“We’ve always been great. We’re paying everyone’s bill.”

Even though he doesn’t like Obama and is a fan of Trump, Buehler would’ve voted for Michelle Obama if she ran for president.

One thing Buehler wanted people to remember is, he is the person everyone pays no attention to. He wouldn’t stop talking to the strangers as they exited his shed home; he had lifetime of stories he wanted the world to finally hear and, until now, almost no one asking for them.

Buehler is a white man in America and feels he is forgotten. With Trump in office, Buehler is sure he will be noticed again.

The post The Forgotten Man appeared first on Election 2016: How the Mississippi River Valley Turned Red.