By Blake Jackson
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has concluded the 2024 nine-day gun deer season, marking the start of the holiday season with opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, gather food, and create lasting memories. Preliminary data on license sales, deer harvests, and hunting incidents have been released.
License Sales Overview
Preliminary figures show a slight increase in the number of deer hunters compared to 2023. As of 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 1, 791,023 deer hunting licenses had been sold, up from 788,697 the previous year. Of these, 553,652 were specific to gun hunting, a marginal rise from 2023’s total of 553,479.
Hunting licenses and harvest authorizations will remain available for the remaining deer hunting seasons, with final sales data expected in January following further analysis.
Preliminary Harvest Totals
Hunters registered 189,622 deer during the 2024 gun season, including 89,787 antlered and 99,835 antlerless deer, representing a 5.2% overall increase from 2023. Antlered deer harvests rose by 3.6%, while antlerless harvests increased by 6.6%.
Since the start of the bow and crossbow seasons, hunters have registered a total of 289,361 deer, an 8.7% increase compared to the same period last year.
Regional Highlights
Adams County in the Central Farmland Zone led with 12.4 deer registered per square mile. Vernon County recorded 7 deer per square mile in the Southern Farmland Zone. Florence County topped the Northern Forest Zone with 2.9 deer per square mile.
2024 Hunting Incidents
Only one nonfatal firearm-related hunting incident was reported during the season. On Nov. 29, a 14-year-old in Vernon County suffered injuries to both feet while hunting in an enclosed stand. An investigation is ongoing.
Upcoming Hunts
The regular gun deer season, which ran from Nov. 23 to Dec. 1, is followed by the statewide muzzleloader season (Dec. 2-11), an antlerless-only hunt (Dec. 12-15), and the antlerless-only holiday hunt in select counties (Dec. 24-Jan. 1, 2025).
The DNR reminds hunters to always follow firearm safety rules: Treat every firearm as loaded, point the muzzle in a safe direction, be aware of your target and its surroundings, and keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
For complete information visit https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/newsroom/release/101101
Photo Credit: pexels-jim-fawns
Categories: Wisconsin, General