02/13/2020- 2019 was a disappointing year for many deer hunters across Wisconsin, including some right here in Marinette County. Hunters in the county bagged a total of 5500 deer during the 9-day gun hunt last year. While there’s no question the number of tags filled was down, David Halfmann with the Wisconsin DNR says whether hunters were in the county’s forest or farmland zone made a considerable difference in the success of their hunt.
There have been many reasons thrown around for the greater than 20% decline in the number of deer harvested in the state last year, including a drop in hunter participation and the prevalence of standing corn on many farm fields, but Halfmann says it was likely predominantly due to the timing of the season.
The Marinette County Deer Advisory Council is set to meet in April to recap the 2019 hunt, as well as consider the outlook of the local deer herd and set harvest quotas for 2020.