Another safe and successful gun deer hunting season is in the books, and the Wisconsin DNR is out with their data.
Let’s take a look…
Preliminary License Sales Data
This should be considered great news.
Preliminary data shows a slight uptick in the number of deer hunters in Wisconsin compared to 2023. By 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, December 1, the total sales of deer hunting licenses (encompassing gun, archery, crossbow, conservation patron, and sports licenses) hit 791,023, an increase from 788,697 from the previous year at the same time. Specifically, gun privilege licenses accounted for 553,652, slightly up from 553,479 in 2023.
The sale of deer hunting licenses and harvest authorizations will persist through the remaining hunting seasons. The Wisconsin DNR will release final sales figures in January, followed by a comprehensive analysis by their staff.
Preliminary Harvest Totals
According to preliminary data, during the 2024 gun deer season in Wisconsin, hunters registered a total of 189,622 deer, with 89,787 being antlered and 99,835 antlerless. This represents a 5.2% increase in the overall harvest from 2023, with antlered deer up by 3.6% and antlerless deer up by 6.6%.
From the start of the bow and crossbow seasons, the cumulative deer registration stands at 289,361, marking an 8.7% increase when compared to the same period in the previous year.
In terms of regional performance, Adams County in the Central Farmland Zone had the highest density of harvested deer with 12.4 per square mile. Vernon County was the leader in the Southern Farmland Zone with 7 deer per square mile. Also in the Central Forest Zone, Adams County topped the list with 4.2 deer per square mile, while in the Northern Forest Zone, Florence County led with 2.9 deer per square mile.
With condolences to those of us who hunt in the Northern Forest Zone, the regional harvest breakdown by deer management zone compared to the five-year average was as follows:
A Safe Hunt
The DNR reports only one nonfatal firearm-related hunting incident during the 2024 gun deer season.
Vernon County, Wheatland Township: On Nov. 29, 2024, at approximately 4 p.m., a 14-year-old male was sitting in an enclosed tower stand with his father, hunting on private property. The victim’s father heard what sounded like a gunshot in the distance. Shortly after, the victim felt pain in his feet and found that he was shot through both the left and right foot. The victim was transported privately to the hospital and received medical treatment for his injuries. The shooter has been identified, and an investigation is pending.
