Deer hunters in northern Wisconsin, given the decline in deer harvested this season compared to 2022 (down 26.6%) and the five-year average (down 14.3%), were expecting some kind of decline in three to five counties that had a tough winter. Unfortunately, they are lacking answers in the rest of the northern forest belt.
They are not alone. Deer harvests are down in every management zone, but by low-single-digit percentages—nothing compared with what was seen in the Northern Forest Zone. In fact, deer hunter disillusionment has reached the point that lawmakers in two parts of the state have called for listening sessions.
Wisconsin lawmakers plan public listening sessions after deer decline in northern forest zone
