Gun-deer season starting in Wisconsin, with hunters hoping to rebound from ’23

Deer hunters in Wisconsin are hoping for a better season than a year ago, when the harvest from the gun-deer hunt was down 17 per cent from 2022.

Most counties in the state saw a drop in the harvest during 2023. The DNR says La Crosse County had a 7 per cent drop in its harvest, from 2420 deer down to 2256. Crawford County hunters brought in just eight fewer deer than a year earlier. However, most area counties reported decreases of 10 per cent or more, with Jackson and Monroe County numbers down more than 20 per cent.

Trempealeau and Buffalo Counties were down more than 15 per cent from 2022. However, there was a 9 per cent increase in Rock County, in the Beloit area. Experts say a harsh winter may have reduced the deer population last year. The statewide total harvest for 2023 was 175,101. The gun-deer season lasts until December 1st, the Sunday after Thanksgiving.