The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says the opening weekend for the gun deer hunting season was a positive one.
In total, both antlered and antlerless harvests on Saturday (November 22nd) and Sunday (November 23rd) are up 3.9 % from last year.
Hunters registered 48,748 antlered deer on opening weekend, a 1.4% increase from 2024, while the 41,923 antlerless deer harvested was good for a 7% uptick.
Despite this rise in harvests this past weekend, the total of deer registered is still down 1.1% from the current five-year average.
The DNR also reported favorable conditions for hunters on opening weekend, in large part due to cool and quiet mornings and blustery winds in the afternoons.
However, one downside for hunters was visibility, as the lack of snow cover made it a bit more difficult to spot deer roaming in the woods.
A less positive side of the start of gun deer season in Wisconsin was two firearm-related injuries reported, one of which was fatal.
Compared to the nine-day gun hunting season last year, the DNR reported just one firearm-related hunting incident in 2024.
With snow, low temperatures, and even greater winds forecast in the coming days, hunters could be set up for an even more positive close to the season this weekend.
The nine-day gun deer hunting season will close across the state on Sunday (November 30th).
