Hunters take 100,000 deer on opening weekend
MADISON (AP) — State wildlife officials say hunters killed dramatically fewer deer during the opening weekend of Wisconsin’s traditional gun deer season than last year.
The Department of Natural Resources says hunters took about 100,000 deer, down about 33 percent from 133,800 last year. They killed about 49,500 bucks, down about 3,000, and 50,400 antlerless deer, down 31,000 from last year.
DNR officials caution the numbers are preliminary. But they say they anticipated a smaller harvest this year.
They say the deer population has decreased in some areas. They also point to the suspension of the earn-a-buck program, which required hunters to take an antlerless deer before a buck as a means of controlling a burgeoning deer herd.
They also noted opening day this year was foggy until midday, making hunting difficult.
Nov 24, 2009 at 12:19 p.m.
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opening morning sounded like a soundtrack clip from one of the Rambo movies for about 30 seconds, then nothing the rest of the day. I don't even see as many tracks as I used to see in my part of the CWD zone.
Nov 24, 2009 at 8:29 a.m.
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Judging by the number of deer killed along the roads each day and the number of deer/car accidents reading 2-4 everyday in the news, I'm surprised there are any deer left. Face it, the deer population is WAY down as compared to hunting in the 80's, for example, where you would see herds of 15-20 very common unlike maybe 2-4 deer total per entire hunting season now.
Nov 24, 2009 at 8:24 a.m.
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It was one of the worst lotteries I've ever played.
Nov 23, 2009 at 11:25 p.m.
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Lol, DiGriz. Truth, you say there was an "absorbanent" amount of hunters? That sounds kind of damp and beucoup at the same time.
Nov 23, 2009 at 6:43 p.m.
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I saw atleast ten and harvested three!
Nov 23, 2009 at 6:04 p.m.
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Well said "Truth"!
Nov 23, 2009 at 5:33 p.m.
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The DNR also expects that there was no corrilation in the fact that there were an absorbanent amount of hunters that DIDN'T SEE DOODLIE SQ#$T!
Which is an issue caused by DNR figures that over estimated the herd. They didn't factor in the herd loss, due to a(n) harsh winter, because there is no one that has seen a winter like that at the DNR. So we can ascertain that the DNR DIDN'T KNOW DOODLIE SQ#$T!
The DNR believes that hunters do not know any better, and will never understand that we are PAYING FOR DOODLIE SQ#$T!
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