WISCONSIN – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) this week released preliminary license sales, harvest registration and hunting incident numbers for the 2025 nine-day gun deer hunting season.
Preliminary license sales data
According to the DNR, preliminary figures indicate the number of deer hunters in Wisconsin slightly decreased compared to 2024.
As of 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 30, sales for deer hunting privileges (which include gun, archery, crossbow, conservation patron and sports licenses) reached 790,044, down 0.12% from the same time last year. Of those, 550,611 were for gun privileges only (which include gun, conservation patron and sports licenses).
“Deer hunting license and harvest authorization sales will continue throughout the remaining deer hunting seasons,” the DNR said. “Final license sales figures will be available in January, when DNR staff will perform a thorough analysis and interpretation.”
Preliminary harvest totals
Preliminary figures show hunters registered 182,084 deer during the 2025 gun deer season, including 86,068 antlered and 96,016 antlerless deer. Compared to 2024, the gun season harvest total is down 0.8% statewide, with the antlered harvest down 2.6% and the antlerless harvest up 0.9%, the DNR said.
“Since the opening of the bow and crossbow seasons, Wisconsin hunters have registered 294,757 deer,” the DNR stated. “This harvest is 1.1% ahead of the same time last year.”
Marquette County in the Central Farmland Zone led the state with 7.9 deer registered per square mile. Vernon County led the Southern Farmland Zone with 6.5 deer registered per square mile. DMU 201 led the Central Forest Zone registering 3.8 deer per square mile. Finally, DMU 108 in western Wisconsin led the Northern Forest Zone with 2.7 deer registered per square mile, according to the DNR.
The DNR’s Wisconsin Deer Harvest Summary webpage contains more information regarding preliminary harvest registration totals, including county-level numbers.
2025 gun deer season hunting incidents
As of Tuesday, Dec. 2, the DNR reported the following firearm-involved hunting incidents from the 2025 nine-day gun deer season.
Grant County, North Lancaster Township: On Nov. 22, 2025, in the afternoon hours, a male, 57, was a victim of a gunshot to his buttock while walking to a field to go deer hunting. The victim was transported to the hospital and treated for injury. Investigation pending.
Fond du Lac County, Oakfield Township: On Nov. 22, 2025, in the evening hours, a male deer hunter, 24, was a victim of a self-inflicted gunshot to the chest. The victim was found deceased several hours after the close of hunting hours by family on private property. Preliminary investigation reflects the victim was in a tree, gun deer hunting from a saddle stand, when the unintentional discharge of their firearm occurred. Investigation pending.
Comparatively, during the 2024-gun deer season, the DNR reported one firearm-involved hunting incident resulting in injury.
“For the past 10 nine-day gun deer seasons (2016-2025), the incident trend reflects an average of five hunting incidents per year,” the DNR stated. “In addition, Wisconsin has had six fatality free seasons, and all 10 years reflect single digit incidents.”
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