MADISON, Wis. – Preliminary number released by the DNR show that the number of deer registered on the opening weekend the 9-day-gun deer hunt was down about 1.8 percent from last year and down almost five percent when compared to the five year average.
In total, hunters registered 89,203 deer statewide during the opening weekend of the 2024 gun deer hunt, compared to 90,831 registered for the same period in 2023. This is a 1.8% decrease from a year ago and 4.7% below the 5-year average.
Hunters registered a total of 49,038 antlered deer on opening weekend, compared to 51,261 in 2023, a 4.3% decrease. The antlerless harvest was 40,165, which is up 1.5% from last year.
Conditions for opening weekend this year were mostly cloudy and dry, with some light precipitation in places on Saturday morning. Mornings were cool and quiet. Temperatures rose to near or above 40 each day, which made for comfortable conditions for hunters.
Reports from the field varied widely from good deer activity to little or no daytime deer movement. Some reports of breeding activity were still coming in, but overall, deer sightings and harvest were down as expected, given the late opening date relative to the peak of the breeding season.
Snow fell across parts of the state on Monday and a forecasted drop in temperatures may provide a white backdrop during the second half of the gun season for many hunters. Better deer visibility and tracking snow could mean good conditions for those who try to make the most out of the full nine days.
Preliminary License Sales Data
Preliminary figures indicate the number of deer hunters in Wisconsin slightly increased compared to 2023. As of 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24, sales for deer hunting privileges (which include gun, archery, crossbow, conservation patron and sports licenses) reached 778,111, up 0.48% from the same time last year. Of those, 541,258 of those were for gun privileges only.
Final license sales figures will be available in January, at which time DNR staff will perform a thorough analysis and interpretation.
Opening Weekend Hunting Incidents
At the time of publication of this news release, the DNR has no firearm-involved hunting incidents to report during the opening weekend of the 2024 gun deer season. During the opening weekend of the 2023 season, the DNR reported two firearm-involved hunting incidents.
The DNR reminds hunters to always use the four rules of firearm safety, TAB-K, as a cornerstone for safe and successful hunting:
T – Treat every firearm as if it is loaded.
A – Always point the muzzle in a safe direction.
B – Be certain of your target, what’s before it and what’s beyond it.
K – Keep your finger outside your trigger guard until you are safe to shoot.
Learn more about safe hunting in Wisconsin and register to take a hunter education course on the DNR’s Hunting Safety webpage.
DNR VIOLATION HOTLINE: Anyone with information regarding natural resource violations may confidentially report by calling or texting: 1-800-TIP-WDNR or 1-800-847-9367. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Trained staff relay the information to conservation wardens. File a report online.
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