By the numbers
The number of deer harvested in Wisconsin each season has seen a steadily downward trend since its peak in 2000, data from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources show.
Wisconsin hunters harvested a record number of 618,374 deer in 2000. Since then, yearly harvests have fluctuated, but the trend has been downward.
The DNR modified its deer management structure a decade ago in preparation for the 2014 hunt. More than 305,000 deer were harvested that year. Since then, hunters notched a low of 291,023 in 2019 and a high of 340,282 in 2022. The harvest in 2023 was only 300,651.
The decline in harvests is due to a decrease in the number of hunters. PBS Wisconsin reported that license sales decreased 4% between 2018 and 2023. Sales for the upcoming season are lagging as well, according to DNR deer program specialist Jeff Pritzel, as reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
On the other hand, the estimated deer population has increased. In 2007, the DNR estimated there were more than 1,230,000 million deer after the hunting season was complete. By 2023, the post-hunt population was estimated at 1,628,500.
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