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Wisconsin DNR: Deer harvest down locally for opening weekend of gun season, but up slightly statewide

Sixteen-year-old Evan Bruemmer of Niagara, Wis., and his father, Marc Bruemmer, each bagged eight-pointers hunting from their family camp on the opening weekend of the Wisconsin gun deer season.

Hunters killed slightly more deer during opening weekend of Wisconsin’s traditional nine-day gun season than last year, state wildlife officials said Tuesday.

However, the harvest was down substantially in Florence County and neighboring counties, possibly due to fewer hunters traveling during the pandemic.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources released data that shows hunters harvested 95,257 deer from Saturday morning through Sunday evening. That’s up about 2.3% from 93,155 during opening weekend in 2019.

Hunters also killed more bucks, taking 49,0025. That’s up about 1.6% from last year.

That wasn’t the case in Florence County, according to the DNR’s data. A total of 303 bucks were harvested on the opening weekend, down from 403 in 2019. The antlerless harvest was 97 deer, compared to 139 a year ago.

Harvest figures also dropped in Forest and Marinette counties. A total of 316 deer were taken in Forest County, including 289 bucks. That compares to the 2019 opening weekend kill of 402 deer, which included 334 bucks.

For the northern forest zone of Marinette County, the harvest total was 573 deer, including 527 bucks, down from 848 deer in 2019, which included 680 bucks.

The farmland zone in southern Marinette County also saw fewer deer taken. The opening weekend harvest was 1,576, including 918 bucks. That compares to 2019 figures of 1,764 deer, including 1,061 bucks.

Agency officials attributed the bump in kills elsewhere in the state to excellent hunting conditions, with cool temperatures, high visibility and light winds. Light snow is expected across much of the state this week, which could further improve conditions.

The DNR said it had sold 559,591 licenses that allow hunters to take a deer with a gun as of midnight Monday, down 1.1% from 565,866 licenses sold during the same time last year.

The DNR’s gun licenses are valid for any of the department’s multiple deer gun seasons. The department doesn’t sell licenses unique to the traditional nine-day season.

The agency did not include in its release how many gun licenses had been sold over the same period last year.

Three hunters were hurt and one was killed over the weekend in incidents involving firearms.

The Washington Island Police Department said it appears 65-year-old Steven Hoogester of West Bend shot himself in the chest on Sunday while exiting a ground blind. The DNR said he tripped.

He was pronounced dead at the scene. The Green Bay Press-Gazette reported that Hoogester is the West Bend Common Council president.

The DNR said two people were shot during deer drives by hunting partners. The third hunter shot himself in the hand while cleaning his pistol.

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