Wisconsin Concludes 168th Nine-Day Gun Deer Season

Opportunities for Antlerless Deer Hunting Continue Through January

Photo credit: DNR

Contact(s): Harvest Totals Contact: Kevin Wallenfang, Big Game Ecologist, 608-206-1107, Kevin.Wallenfang@wisconsin.gov
Hunter Engagement Contact: Keith Warnke, DNR Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation coordinator Coordinator, 608-576-5243, Keith.Warnke@wisconsin.gov
Hunting Incident Contact: Todd Schaller, Chief Conservation Warden, 608-381-8927, Todd.Schaller@wisconsin.gov
December 3, 2019 at 12:23:04 pm

MADISON, Wis. – As Wisconsin hunters put another gun deer season in the books, preliminary license sale, harvest registration and hunting incident numbers are now available.

Wisconsin’s hunting legacy runs deep, and hunters are encouraged to share their stories from this year’s deer hunt – the funny ones, the big buck stories and the stories of the ones that got away. Be sure to follow DNR on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to share your experience and for more updates, photos and stories.

Preliminary License Sales Totals

In 2019, 564,664 gun deer licenses were sold through the end of the nine-day gun deer season, compared to 576,277 in 2018. This is a 2.02% decrease.

In total, 792,548 gun, archery and crossbow licenses (not including upgrades) have been sold through the end of the nine-day gun deer season, compared to 803,772 in 2018, a 1.40% decrease. Of the licenses sold to date, 54% were sold in person through transactions at DNR license agents, including through DNR offices and agents. The remaining 46% of licenses were purchased online. Deer hunting license and harvest authorization sales will continue throughout the remaining deer hunting seasons.

Preliminary Registration Totals

Overall, preliminary figures show that 160,769 deer were registered during the nine-day gun deer hunt, compared to 213,972 in 2018. Of the deer harvested in the 2019 nine-day season, 75,236 were antlered compared to 105,315 in 2018. The nine-day hunt also provided successful hunters with 85,533 antlerless deer, a decrease from 108,657 in 2018.

Courtesy of DNR Wildlife Biologists Sara Kehrli and Nancy Christel. Sara Kehrli (pictured center) poses with her and Nancy’s children following harvest during 2019 Opening Weekend.

While opening weekend saw mild temperatures throughout the state with some snow in the north, hunting conditions deteriorated throughout the remainder of the season as heavy wind, snow and rain moved through the state. The largest declines in antlered harvest occurred in the northern forest zone, where blizzard-like conditions and significant snow accumulation hindered hunter access.

Reports from hunters around Wisconsin indicated low daytime deer activity throughout the gun deer season. Hunters afield within even a few miles of each other reported varying levels of deer sightings, confirming that deer are not evenly distributed on the landscape.

Standing corn proved to be an additional factor that likely influenced success in the field. At the conclusion of the nine-day, harvest was 66% complete, 22 days behind the 2018 harvest.

Wisconsin held the earliest possible deer season in 2018 followed this year by the latest possible season opener. When this occurred between the 2012-13 and 2007-07 seasons, there were similar declines in year-to-year registration totals.

Harvest numbers will climb as hunters enjoy additional hunting opportunities:

• Dec. 2-11 – statewide muzzleloader hunt;
• Dec. 12-15 – statewide four-day antlerless-only hunt;
• Dec. 24 to Jan. 1, 2020 – nine-day antlerless-only holiday hunt in select Farmland Zone counties;
• Now – Jan. 5, 2020 – remaining archery and crossbow seasons; and
• Jan. 5-31, 2020 – extended archery and crossbow seasons in select Farmland Zone counties.

Hunters may use any unfilled antlerless harvest authorization during any of these hunts, but they must be used in the zone, county and land type designated on the harvest authorization. For more information regarding hunts offered in each county, check out the interactive deer map at dnr.wi.gov, keyword “DMU.”

For the nine-day gun deer hunt, the 2019 regional harvest breakdown by Deer Management Zone (with percent change from 2018) included:

Hunters are required to register harvested deer before 5 p.m. the day after recovery at gamereg.wi.gov or by calling 1-844-426-3734. Any hunter who failed to follow mandatory registration rules should do so now, despite having missed the deadline.

Photo credit: DNR

For more information regarding preliminary registration totals, including county-level numbers, visit dnr.wi.gov and search keywords “weekly totals.” A 2018-19 comparison of preliminary nine-day gun deer season registration totalS [pdf] is also available online.

Nine-day Season Hunting Incidents

At the time of this news release, the DNR Bureau of Law Enforcement reports four firearm-involved injuries and zero fatalities for the entire 2019 nine-day gun deer season.

Three of the four incidents occurred on Saturday, Nov. 23, in Oneida, Marathon and Fond du Lac counties:

• In Oneida County, a 38-year-old man suffered a self-inflicted firearm-related injury, striking his left foot.
• In Marathon County, a 29-year-old woman suffered a self-inflicted firearm-related injury, striking her left foot.
• In Fond du Lac County, a hunter shooting toward a running deer struck a 19-year-old woman who was a member of his same hunting group in the left hand.

The fourth weekend incident occurred in Washburn County on Sunday, Nov. 24:

• In Washburn County, a 31-year-old man was struck by a single bullet from a hunter in a different hunting group. The shooter has been identified. The investigation continues, and no additional details are being released at this time.

Wisconsin’s 10-year average for hunting incidents during the nine-day gun deer season is 6.8. The decline in incidents is the direct result of hunter safety education given by Wisconsin’s volunteer instructors and conservation wardens. As part of this push for safe hunting, wardens remind all hunters to use the four firearm safety rules as a cornerstone for safe and successful outings:

• T – Treat every Firearm as if it is loaded;
• A – Always Point the muzzle in a safe direction;
• B – Be certain of your target, what’s in front of it and what’s beyond it;
• K – Keep your finger outside your trigger guard until you are ready to shoot.

Hunting is a safe recreational activity, as seen in the downward trend in the number of firearm-related hunting incidents during the popular nine-day gun deer season.

“This is the fourth consecutive nine-day deer gun season without a fatality,” said DNR Chief Conservation Warden Todd Schaller. “Four incidents are tied with the lowest on record. This is certainly a tribute to our hunters and volunteer safety education instructors.”

To learn more about safe hunting in Wisconsin, search keywords “safety tips.”

Hunters Continue to Embrace GameReg

Reports from hunters indicate that going online is the fastest and easiest way to register deer. The GameReg internet registration system and call-in phone option worked well, while hunters continue to visit walk-in stations that offer these services. Positive feedback was received throughout the season as hunters enjoyed the convenience and flexibility of GameReg.

On Saturday, Nov. 23, an average of 31 registrations were processed per minute, with peak sales exceeding 90 transactions per minute. To date, 68% of harvest registrations were completed online, and 32% were completed via telephone for the 2019 deer hunting seasons.

The accuracy of deer harvest numbers is directly related to the level of hunter compliance. If a hunter forgot to register their deer, they still have time to use GameReg and help ensure each deer harvest is counted. For more information, visit dnr.wi.gov and search keyword “GameReg.”

Hunters Encouraged to Submit Deer for Chronic Wasting Disease Sampling

Hunters are reminded that CWD sampling opportunities are available throughout the remaining deer hunting seasons. To find a sampling location, visit dnr.wi.gov and search keywords “CWD sampling.”

Thanks to generous contributions from numerous partners, the Adopt-a-Kiosk and Adopt-a-Dumpster programs gave hunters additional options to submit their harvested deer for CWD sampling and safely dispose of carcasses.

The cooperation of hunters and private businesses has become increasingly vital to the success of our sampling process. DNR staff would like to thank all those who continue to assist with CWD surveillance.

Deer Hunter Wildlife Survey Remains Open Through Remaining Seasons

The Deer Hunter Wildlife Survey will remain active until all deer seasons have ended, and wildlife managers ask that hunters submit a report of what they observe during their time in the field. This information provides valuable data to improve population estimates for Wisconsin’s deer herd and other species. For additional information, search keywords “deer hunter wildlife.”

First Harvest and First Experience Certificates Will Help Hunters Remember Time in the Outdoors for Years to Come

Hunters of all ages who head out for their first hunt are encouraged to mark the occasion with a first harvest and first hunting experience certificate. To create a certificate, visit dnr.wi.gov and search keywords “first certificates.”