DNR: Statewide firearm deer harvest down nearly 18% from 2022

For the Tomahawk Leader

WISCONSIN – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), on Tuesday, Nov. 28, released preliminary license sales data, as well as harvest registration and hunting incident numbers, from the state’s recent nine-day gun deer hunting season.

Preliminary license sales

As of 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 26, sales for gun, bow, crossbow, sports and conservation patron licenses reached 788,697. Of that total, 434,817 were for gun privileges only.

Year-to-date sales for all deer licenses are down 0.8% compared to last year.

This year, hunters from all 50 states and 27 countries purchased a Wisconsin hunting license.

Of the licenses sold to date, 66% were purchased online. The remaining 34% were sold in person through transactions at DNR license sale locations.

Deer hunting license and harvest authorization sales will continue through the remaining deer hunting seasons.

Preliminary harvest totals

Preliminary figures show hunters registered 173,942 deer during the 2023 gun deer season, including 85,390 antlered and 88,552 antlerless deer.

Compared to 2022, the total firearm deer harvest was down 17.6% statewide, with the antlered harvest down 14.7% and the antlerless harvest down 20.3%.

Since the opening of the bow and crossbow seasons, hunters have registered 266,132 deer statewide so far this year.

Adams County in the Central Farmland Zone led the state with 9.7 deer registered per square mile. Adams County also led the Central Forest Zone with 3.5 deer per square mile.

Vernon County led the Southern Farmland Zone with 6.7 deer registered per square mile.

Taylor County registered the most deer per square mile, 2.7, in the Northern Forest Zone.

The DNR's Wisconsin Deer Harvest Summary webpage (www.tinyurl.com/3699phaz) has more information regarding preliminary harvest registration totals, including county-level numbers.

2023 gun deer season hunting incidents

DNR reported three firearm-involved hunting incidents during the 2023 gun deer season:

• Forest County, Argonne Township: On Nov. 18, in the morning hours, a 53-year-old male suffered a self-inflicted gunshot to the foot. The victim was walking to his tree stand on public property and adjusted his rifle sling when he accidentally pulled the trigger. The victim was transported to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
• Adams County, Big Flatts Township: On Nov. 19, in the morning hours, a 62-year-old male shot once at a dog, which he believed was an antlerless deer, on private property. A 47-year-old female victim was walking that dog and was shot in her thigh. The victim was taken to the hospital via MedFlight for her injuries.
• Taylor County, Rib Lake Township: On Nov. 24, near midday, a 30-year-old male was the victim of a gunshot to his upper thigh. During the end of a deer drive, a 35-year-old male shooter shot at a deer, striking the victim. The victim received medical treatment at a hospital.

Comparatively, during the 2022 gun deer season, the DNR reported eight firearm-involved hunting incidents. Of those incidents, four were self-inflicted gunshots.

The average hunting incidents per year for the last 10 gun deer seasons (2014-2023) is 5.9. In addition, there were no fatalities in six of those 10 years.