Marinette County hunters, especially in the southern part of the county had a good season according to preliminary numbers for the 9 day gun deer season released by the Wisconsin DNR.

In the southern part of the county in the Central Farmland Zone, the number of bucks taken exceeded last year’s harvest by 27 percent and the five year average by 31.3 percent. The antlerless harvest was nearly equal to last year, and 5 percent above the 5 year average.

In the Northern part of the county in the Northern Forest Zone, the buck harvest was up 42 percent and the antlerless harvest up 160 percent compared to a very poor 2020, but bucks were down 12 percent, and antlerless down 33 percent compared to the five year average.

Preliminary statewide figures show that hunters registered 175,667 deer, including 84,952 antlered and 90,715 antlerless deer. Since archery seasons opened Sept. 18, hunters have registered 270,046 deer statewide, showing the growing influence of earlier seasons on cumulative harvest.

Compared to 2020, the total firearm deer harvest was down 7.9% statewide, with buck harvest down 1.3% and antlerless harvest down 13.2%.