staff report by WDNR

Hunters registered a preliminary total of 343,644 deer during Wisconsin’s regular nine-day gun deer season. There was nearly a 6 percent increase in the harvest of antlerless deer over 2006, and a 3.5 percent decline in the buck harvest, which wildlife officials attributed to the Earn-a-Buck rules in place in many deer management units. In those units, which have been well over population goals for a number of years, hunters were required to shoot an antlerless deer before being allowed to shoot a buck, unless they had prequalified for a buck harvest sticker by shooting an antlerless deer from one of the units last year. There were a total of 641,432 gun deer licenses purchased by resident and nonresident hunters.

Deer hunting continues in Wisconsin with a muzzleloader season going on through Dec. 5 and a statewide antlerless gun deer hunt Dec. 6 through 9. The archery season reopened on Nov. 26 and runs through Jan 6. Archers and small game hunters are reminded that while gun deer seasons are open through Dec. 9, all hunters except waterfowl hunters are required to wear blaze orange clothing, and safety specialists recommend that all people recreating or working in the woods and fields also wear blaze orange or other brightly colored clothing. There were six firearm related incidents during the season, three of which were fatal.