GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Compared to this time last year the number of Deer Hunting licenses sold throughout the state is down 3%, and it’s causing some concern for people in Wisconsin.
For many people, the deer gun hunting season is one of their favorite times of the year.
“I mean it’s a lot of fun. Sitting in the woods and being in nature and everything,” said local hunter Alexandria Berkhahn.
But a new report by the Wisconsin Policy Forum, a nonpartisan research group, says fewer people seem to be interested in the activity.
“We found that hunting licenses have fallen by nearly 6% between 1999 and 2017,” said Jason Stein from the Wisconsin Policy Forum. “Traditionally hunting has been a sport by rural white males and we live in a society that is urbanized. We also see fewer adults that can teach young people, and that makes it harder for people to get into the sport,” he explained.
The drop in licensing sales is not only raising concerns for some hunters, but it could have a long-term effect on the state’s revenue.
“There is something called the Fish and Wildlife account, and the money from the sales goes in that account. It’s used for a whole variety of things, like paying DNR Wardens and conducting research,” said Stein.
To address this issue, conservation groups around the state are now introducing ideas that could help generate more revenue.
One of those ideas is a possible increase in licensing fees for hunters.
