Hunters killed significantly fewer deer during Wisconsin's nine-day gun season this year than they did last year, according to preliminary data released Tuesday by the state Department of Natural Resources.
After kicking off with a slow opening weekend, hunters reported a total of 173,942 deer harvested from Nov. 18-26, a 17.6% decrease from the 2022 season and roughly 11% below the state's five-year average. Hunters in northern Wisconsin saw the steepest declines.