News, Notes And Observations From Opening Weekend Of Gun Deer Season

Preliminary harvest totals and license sales are now available for opening weekend of the 2023 gun deer season. / Photo Credit: Michele Woodford

The opening weekend of this year’s gun deer season was a success for many. Read on to check out preliminary deer harvest and license sale totals.

Preliminary License Sales Data

Preliminary figures indicate the number of deer hunters in Wisconsin slightly decreased compared to 2022.

As of midnight Sunday, Nov. 19, sales for gun, bow, crossbow, sports and conservation patron licenses reached 774,369. Of that total, 421,525 were for gun privileges only. The year-to-date sales for all deer licenses are down 0.61% from the same time last year.

The number of conservation patron licenses sold to date in 2023 is 1.5% higher than conservation patron licenses sold in 2022.

Of the total licenses sold, 65% were sold online, and 35% were sold in-person by DNR license agents and DNR service centers, which includes private businesses across the state.

Final license sales figures will be available in January, at which time DNR staff will perform a thorough analysis and interpretation.

Preliminary Registration Totals And Future Outlook

In total, hunters registered 92,050 deer statewide during the opening weekend of the 2023 gun deer hunt, compared to 103,623 registered for the same period in 2022. This is a 16% decrease from 2022 and 10% below the 5-year average. A majority of the decrease was due to a decline in antlerless deer harvest, but that usually picks up over the second half of the season.

A total of 51,870 bucks were registered on opening weekend, compared to 56,638 in 2022. This is a 13% decrease over 2022.

Conditions for opening weekend this year were mostly clear and dry. Mornings were cold, crisp and quiet. Temperatures increased quickly each day, which seemed to suppress both hunter and deer movement somewhat in the afternoons.

Reports of breeding behavior were still coming from across the state, however not as common as some may have hoped, given the early start to the season on the calendar. The comfortable conditions led to many hunters spending an enjoyable weekend in nature soaking in the sights, sounds and fresh air.

A forecasted drop in temperature and lack of precipitation during the second half of the gun season should mean good conditions for those that try to make the most out of the full nine days.

The Season Isn’t Over Yet!

For those that haven’t harvested a deer this season, there’s still time! Wisconsin’s gun deer season closes at the end of shooting hours on Sunday, Nov. 26.

Good luck this weekend!