This season, a few hunters were left without a deer over opening weekend. I would make the statement that maybe even a few UWS students were in the same boat. In total, 92,050 were registered statewide during opening weekend according to a news release by the Wisconsin DNR. This is a 16% decrease from the 2022 deer season where 103,623 deer were registered on opening weekend.
There are a few different factors that contributed to this decrease. The 2023 season was much warmer than previous years, which made the deer slower, and less active. The lack of snow resulted in minimal deer movement. The mornings were cool but warmed up quite a bit as the day went on.
According to a new release by the Wisconsin DNR, on Nov. 17, made the prediction that a minimal number of deer would be seen or harvested because of the warmer weather. Last hunting season, we had more snow cover a lot earlier in the season, which pushed the deer to move.
In another news release by the Wisconsin DNR, on Nov. 28, the overall deer harvest was down 17.6% statewide for the whole 2023 season compared to the 2022 hunting season. The antlered harvest was down 14.7% and the antlerless harvest was down by over 20%. These statistics are for rifle season only, not including bow, crossbow, or muzzleloader.
For those lucky to get their own deer this season, Hursh Meat Processing in Superior, WI, or Stokee’s Meat Market in Duluth, MN, are two local shops willing to get the job done.
With the different hunting seasons coming up throughout December, make sure to follow rules and guidelines to allow all hunters a safe hunting season. Good luck!
