The numbers are in for the 2019 Wisconsin Gun Deer season and the numbers are down significantly from 2018.

In Marinette County, hunters took 1340 deer during the 9 day hunt, a 43 percent drop from 2018 The antlerless number was 58 per cent lower than in 2018, the buck harvest was down only 35 percent.  Statewide the number of deer registered was down 25 per cent.

While opening weekend saw mild temperatures throughout the state with some snow in the north, hunting conditions deteriorated throughout the remainder of the season as heavy wind, snow and rain moved through the state. The largest declines in antlered harvest occurred in the northern forest zone, where blizzard-like conditions and significant snow accumulation hindered hunter access.

Wisconsin held the earliest possible deer season in 2018 followed this year by the latest possible season opener. When this occurred between the 2012-13 and 2007-08 seasons, there were similar declines in year-to-year registration totals.

Standing corn proved to be an additional factor that likely influenced success in the field. At the conclusion of the nine-day hunt, the harvest was 66% complete, 22 days behind the 2018 harvest.