Smith: Wisconsin's annual nine-day gun deer season is coming. What should hunters expect?

Wisconsin has had some form of regulated deer hunting since 1851, just three years after statehood.

In 1897 the first deer hunting license was required; it cost $1 for residents. The licenses were sold only in "counties frequented by deer," according to the Department of Natural Resources.

In that era, deer were found predominantly in the north.

In 1907 36 southern counties were closed to deer hunting to protect the limited population.

In 1910, deer populations dropped to record low numbers due to poaching and market shooting, according to the DNR.

TImes sure have changed.

Market hunting is no longer allowed. And the deer population is now highest in southern Wisconsin.

In fact it's so high hunters aren't shooting enough deer to keep the population in check.

In recent years the annual antlerless (or female) deer kill by hunters – the primary means of deer management – has fallen woefully short of goals set by County Deer Advisory Councils and the DNR.

In 2022, for example, the CDACs set an antlerless harvest goal of 274,170 statewide, but hunters registered only 157,454, or 57%, according to DNR figures.

Deer hunting in 2023 is a new world in so many respects.

I never had the pleasure of speaking with deer hunters in the early 1900s, but I'm going to wager one thing has remained constant over the last century: the excitement felt by all hunters at the dawn of a new deer season.

For contemporary deer hunters, the 2023 season runs Saturday through Nov. 26.

More:An aging, declining population of hunters spells trouble for Wisconsin deer management

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Forecast for the 2023 Wisconsin gun deer hunting season

Coming off a mild winter in all but a portion of northern Wisconsin, hunters can look forward to plenty of harvest opportunities around the state, according to the DNR.

The agency estimates deer populations have increased over the last year and could be the highest in state history, said Jeff Pritzl, DNR deer program specialist.

However, unseasonably warm weather for the coming week will reduce the odds of snow on opening weekend. Snow cover is welcomed by deer hunters, as it helps them spot deer moving across the landscape as well as track animals. Last year most of the state was covered with white on opening weekend of the gun deer season.

Another slight negative for hunters is crop harvests are running slightly behind average.

Add it all up, and the statewide deer kill is likely to be lower this year compared to last year, Pritzl said.

"We had really great conditions in 2022," Pritzl said. "And although the tendency is to kind of compare what we do this year to last year and then rate it as better or worse, I'd be surprised if we match last year's harvest numbers."

Historically the deer harvest correlated well with the deer population, according to DNR wildlife biologists. In more recent times the deer kill is more closely linked with hunting conditions, hunter behavior and hunting effort.

The conditions on opening weekend, when the majority of hunting typically occurs, are especially important.

"I think it's safe to kind of couch expectations this year that harvest numbers are going to be similar in some parts of the state and possibly running a little bit behind last year (in the north)," Pritzl said. "But that's really going to be contingent on weather conditions."

As of Nov. 7, 70,027 deer (41,337 bucks and 28,690 antlerless) had been registered by hunters in the 2023 seasons to date (mostly in the bow and youth hunts), about 5% less than the five-year average at this date, according to preliminary DNR data.

Most of the state is running close to last year but the northern forest region is about 30% lower in deer harvest compared to last year, Pritzl said. Severe conditions in a portion of northern Wisconsin likely resulted in increased winter deer mortality in that region last year.

However, deer are abundant once again in the state's farmland units.

What to know about Wisconsin gun deer hunting licenses, including cost

A resident gun deer hunting license is $24;  $20 for those aged 12-17; and $7 for those under 12.

A non-resident gun deer hunting license is $200.

To buy a license, visit gowild.wi.gov or go to a sporting goods store or other  sales outlet. The DNR has an interactive map of license sales locations on its website.

Rules and regulations for Wisconsin gun deer hunt mostly unchanged for 2023

The regulations for the 2023 season have only a few changes from previous seasons.

Of note, one county (Iron) this year is "buck only," up from zero in 2022. This means at least some antlerless deer tags were available to hunters in all but one unit this year.

The antlerless tags are specific to either public or private land in each management unit (a county or portion of a county).

In many counties one or more antlerless tags are provided free with the purchase of the deer hunting license.

To check on availability of antlerless tags, visit dnr.wi.gov and search "bonus availability."

Due to the continued spread of chronic wasting disease in Wisconsin, baiting and feeding deer is prohibited by law this fall in 58 of the state's 72 counties. The DNR recently confirmed wild deer tested positive for CWD in Polk and Trempealeau counties.

The Trempealeau discovery will renew bans on baiting and feeding in Trempealeau and Jackson counties.

For Polk County, a baiting and feeding ban will go into effect after the gun deer season on Dec. 1; it was the county’s first detection of CWD in wild deer.

All harvested deer must be registered by 5 p.m. the day after the animal is recovered. Hunters can register deer online at GameReg.WI.Gov or by phone at (844) 426-3734.

As a reminder of changes instituted over the last decade, hunters no longer are required to wear back tags and no longer must take deer to physical registration stations. But hunters still must possess a valid license and register the animal.

In all cases regarding questions on regulations, consult the DNR handbook.

Later crop harvest could hinder Wisconsin deer hunters

The status of Wisconsin agricultural harvests is of interest to many as the annual gun deer season rolls around since the animals take cover and feed in fields and are generally less visible to hunters in standing crops.

This year is shaping up slightly unfavorably for hunters.

As of Nov. 6, the harvest of corn for grain in Wisconsin was 50% complete, one day behind last year and two days behind the five-year average, according to the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service.

Soybean harvest was 83% complete, 8% behind last year and 1% behind the five-year average.

And fall tillage was 45% complete, 11 days behind last year and two days behind the five-year average.

The 2023 Wisconsin gun deer season starts Nov. 18, almost as early as it can

Given the Wisconsin nine-day gun deer season begins on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, the start date ranges from as early as Nov. 17 to as late as Nov. 23.

Seasons with earlier start dates typically feature more daytime deer movement related to the rut, or deer mating period, which peaks in early November. All other things being equal, experience in Wisconsin has shown deer harvests are typically higher in years when the gun deer season starts earlier versus later.

In 2019 the season began on the latest possible date and the deer harvest was the lowest in many years. Last year it was the third-earliest date possible and the deer harvest was 14% higher year-over-year and 8% higher than the five-year average, according to the DNR.

This year it falls on the second-earliest date possible.

While hunter effort, weather, local deer populations and other factors are at play each season, this year's Nov. 18 start date should provide a moderate amount of rut-related deer movement, favoring hunters.

What to know about chronic wasting disease testing for the 2023 Wisconsin deer hunt

Hunters statewide have access to free testing of their deer for chronic wasting disease, a fatal deer disease first detected in Wisconsin in three deer killed in the 2001 hunting season in Dane County.

Options to submit samples include depositing the deer head and neck at a self-service kiosk or at participating taxidermists and meat processors, extracting lymph nodes and submitting the samples or taking the head to a DNR service center.

The DNR projects it will collect 19,500 samples this year for CWD testing. 

As part of a multi-year geographic rotation, the DNR will conduct expanded CWD surveillance in southern Wisconsin this year.

Test results are typically available 10 to 14 days after the deer is brought to a sampling station, according to the DNR.

Suggestions for safety during 2023 Wisconsin gun deer hunt

There has been a long-term trend toward fewer shooting incidents in Wisconsin gun deer hunting seasons, especially since hunter safety education and blaze orange clothing was required decades ago.

Additionally, trends toward the increased use of tree stands and reduced use of deer drives has proven safer to hunters. 

Eight shooting incidents, including one fatality, occurred during the 2022 gun deer season.

To help prevent shooting accidents and injuries, hunter safety experts recommend the following:

• Follow the cardinal rules (TAB-K) of firearm safety: Treat every firearm as if it is loaded; always point the muzzle in a safe direction; be certain of your target and what's beyond it; keep your finger out of the trigger guard until ready to shoot.
• Plan your hunt and hunt your plan. Hunters have to know where they are going and when they'll be back. Tell someone where you'll be hunting and when you plan to be done.
• Follow safe practices when using a tree stand, including a full-body harness and maintaining three points of contact (two hands and one foot, for example) when climbing or descending. 
• If erecting a tree stand or using a climber stand, state forestry officials advise hunters to avoid ash trees. Many thousands of ash trees in Wisconsin are dead or dying from emerald ash borer infestation and may unexpectedly snap or drop large branches.