MADISON, WI (WTAQ) – Deer hunters in Wisconsin bagged more bucks, but fewer deer overall during the recently completed nine-day gun season.
Preliminary registration numbers released Tuesday by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources show that 97,892 bucks were harvested, which is up 5.7 percent from 2015. Overall, figures show that 196,785 deer were taken over the course of the season, 1,272 fewer than last year.
“While many factors influence hunter success, the buck harvest is one of our best indicators of how the population is responding to harvest strategies in the Forest Zones,” said Wisconsin DNR big game ecologist Kevin Wallenfang. “The harvest is never uniform just as deer densities aren’t uniform, but overall it is encouraging to see the increase in the northern counties, and statewide harvest levels similar to last year.”
Early totals show the biggest change in the buck harvest took place in the Northern Forest Zone, where 30 percent more antlered deer were taken. Officials cite two consecutive mild winters and limited antlerless tags as reasons for the jump.
Here’s a breakdown of the regional harvest by region in 2016:
- Northern Forest Zone: 23,445 antlered (30% increase from 2015); 8,955 antlerless (21% increase)
- Central Forest Zone: 5,067 antlered (2% decrease); 2,943 antlerless (2% decrease)
- Central Farmland Zone: 48,872 antlered (1.4% increase); 62,612 antlerless (8.2% decrease)
- Southern Farmland Zone: 20,508 antlered (3.4% decrease); 24,383 antlerless (10% decrease)
- Total: 97,892 antlered (5.7% increase); 98,893 antlerless (6.2% decrease)
DNR officials anticipate those deer numbers to climb as hunters are still involved with the ongoing statewide muzzleloader hunt, the statewide four-day antlerless only hunt and the nine-day anterless only Holiday Hunt in select farmland counties.
“The gun deer hunt is one of our more anticipated outdoor traditions, and it’s very important to Wisconsin’s economy and conservation while providing millions of hours of enjoyment in the field,” Wisconsin DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp said in a statement. “White-tailed deer are one of our greatest natural resources, and it’s exciting to see the passion so many people have for hunting and conservation in our state.”
Fewer gun deer licenses were sold for the 2016 season. According to DNR figures, 598,867 licenses were sold through the end of the nine-day season, compared to 612,377 last year.
Overall, 834,092 gun, archery and crossbow licenses (not including upgrades) have been sold through the end of the nine-day season, which is 15,686 fewer than in 2015. Deer license and tag sales, however, will continue throughout the remaining hunting seasons.
