MADISON, WI (WTAQ) – Wisconsin hunters shot more deer in the first eight days of this year’s gun season, than in all nine days a year ago.
The state DNR says more than 192,000 deer were registered statewide through Saturday. That’s about 775 more animals than in all of last season, which was the lowest total in 30 years.
The gun season ended Sunday. Hunters who were successful on the final day have until 5 p.m. Monday to register their deer online or by phone. We expect to get final totals Monday night or early Tuesday.
The DNR says almost 92,000 bucks were harvested through Saturday, along with 101,000 antlerless deer.
For the second year in a row, does were off limits in a number of northern Wisconsin counties in an effort to increase small herds in that region.
As of Thanksgiving, 610,000 Wisconsin deer licenses were sold — up two-tenths of one-percent from the year before.
The season had its first fatal shootings since 2012. Two were confirmed, and a possible third death is being investigated in Marathon County.
(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)