IRON MOUNTAIN — Wisconsin’s nine-day gun season opens today and it’s also the first weekend of the 16-day Michigan firearm season that opened Monday.

The Crystal Falls and Norway offices of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources checked 16 bucks on opening day, compared with nine in 2020. The opener is typically a slow day at check stations and Michigan also has a new online self-registration system in place.

In Wisconsin, the mild 2020-21 winter and below-average harvests the past two years should lead to better fawn numbers and antler growth, the DNR said.

Archery hunting has been steady this month, said Fay Whisler at Whisler Outdoors in Florence, Wis. “Some nice-size bucks have been taken,” she said. “We’re seeing a lot of people for the gun season.”

As of Tuesday, the Wisconsin DNR reported 349 deer harvested this fall in Florence County. Of the 299 bucks taken, 206 have been with a crossbow.

There were 548 bucks harvested in Florence County during the 2020 gun season.

Successful hunters in Michigan and Wisconsin are encouraged to send photos and information to news@ironmountaindailynews.com.

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The Michigan DNR reported this Upper Peninsula fishing activity:

Little Bay de Noc: Walleye anglers continued to struggle. There were reports of some fish caught at Center Reef. Smallmouth anglers launching out of Kipling had some success.

Big Bay de Noc: Greatly reduced fishing pressure. The Fayette, Nahma, Garden and Fish Dam boat launches have been pulled for the season.