The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has released its preliminary harvest estimates from the recent nine-day gun-deer season, which wrapped up on Sunday. A survey of deer registration stations and online submissions from across the state show that 203,295 deer were bagged during the annual hunt. That's up from the 175,667 killed last year.
The DNR says 98,397 hunters were successful in their pursuit of a buck, which was up by 14 percent from last year. The agency will release its final harvest numbers later in the winter.
While opening weekend saw cold temperatures throughout the state with some snow, DNR staff across the state reported good hunting conditions and weather throughout the season.
This year, 795,072 gun deer licenses were sold online or through retail outlets, compared to 564,440 last year.
Wildlife officials say there are still other opportunities to hunt deer this year. The muzzleloader hunt is already underway for hunters holding unused gun buck and antlerless deer tags. There is also a statewide antlerless deer hunt December 8-11.
Categories: Wisconsin, Rural Lifestyle