Aurora, Wis. resident Brad Richtig made a successful start to the Wisconsin gun season by shooting a 10-point buck in Florence County. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources reported that overall, deer registration was down by 1.8% compared to the previous year, with the northern forest zone showing the biggest drop at 14.1%. Despite varied reports from hunters on deer activity, some breeding activity was still observed. The DNR anticipates better deer visibility and tracking snow in the second half of the season due to forecasted snow and dropping temperatures.
During the opening weekend, a total of 89,203 deer were registered statewide, 4.7% below the five-year average. The antlered harvest was down by 4.3%, while the antlerless harvest was up by 1.5% compared to the previous year. In Flores County, 596 deer were taken, which was a 10% decrease from the previous year. Forest County was an exception with a 1.7% increase in the total harvest. Preliminary figures indicate a slight increase in the number of deer hunters in Wisconsin compared to 2023.
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