MARINETTE COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) – The final days of Deer Hunt 2019 are approaching. The nine-day gun season wraps up tomorrow (Sunday).
At Meatski’s Butcher Shop, in Marinette County, hunters bring their harvested deer to get the venison meat processed. Steve Harkema dropped off a doe and a young buck taken Wednesday near Mountain in Oconto County.
“A couple of days were pretty slow. But a couple of days were pretty active. Didn’t see many bucks. I saw two, but they were kind of tied up in brush, so I couldn’t get those.”
“It’s fun. You get the rush.”
17-year-old Dane Kaster tells FOX 11 he shot his very first deer Wednesday while hunting with family near Laona in Forest County.
“Just lots of snow. It’s pretty cold. You could only see about 10-20 yards ahead of you.”
“I’ve been seeing quite a few antlerless deer, but the bucks were slow-moving. The season is a week later than normal, so the rut was pretty much over,” said Jay Kaster, Green Bay.
On Friday morning, some hunting shacks near Crivitz were empty. Corn was still standing in fields nearby, and other areas were soaked from recent rain and snow. But some hunters did find some success.
Derek Leisner harvested a young buck Thanksgiving morning while hunting in Oconto County.
“It’s only a four-pointer. Last year, I was fortunate enough to get something a little bigger, but this year, just a four. That’s okay with me. It puts more meat in the freezer.”
But overall, Deer Hunt 2019 is off to a slow start. The total deer harvest opening weekend was down 27 percent across the state. The buck harvest is down even more.
