(WISCONSIN) Wisconsin hunters saw a modest increase in deer harvests during the opening weekend of the state’s nine-day gun deer season — and with snow in the forecast, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says conditions could get even better.
Preliminary DNR data shows hunters registered more than 90,600 deer statewide over the weekend, a 3.9% increase from last year’s opening weekend and just a bit below the five-year average. That includes about 48,700 bucks and 41,900 antlerless deer.
The number of hunters stayed about the same as last year, with 777,843 total deer licenses sold, including 538,865 gun licenses.
DNR Deer Program Specialist Jeff Pritzl said this coming weekend’s weather could make a difference.
“If we get snow cover, it can really change things — it affects deer movement, hunter movement, and how visible deer are,” Pritzl said.
Opening weekend brought mostly mild weather, which kept conditions comfortable but made deer slightly harder to spot in parts of the state due to the lack of snow. Snow and colder temperatures are expected in northern Wisconsin this weekend, which could improve visibility and encourage more hunter activity.
The DNR also reported two firearm-involved hunting incidents over opening weekend — one injury in Grant County and one fatality in Fond du Lac County. Officials are reminding hunters to follow the four core rules of firearm safety: treat every gun as if it’s loaded, always point the muzzle in a safe direction, be certain of your target and what’s beyond it, and keep your finger outside the trigger guard until you’re ready to shoot.
The nine-day gun deer season runs through Nov. 30.
