The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says this year’s gun deer season opened with harvest totals slightly ahead of last year, and very similar trends in both hunter effort and license sales. Wisconsin DNR Deer Program Specialist Jeff Pritzl…

The DNR says more than 90,000 deer were taken during opening weekend, bringing the statewide total to more than 212,000 when counting earlier archery harvests. Pritzl says favorable weather helped hunters, and more snow coming to northern Wisconsin could boost the second weekend.

The DNR also reminded hunters to keep submitting deer for CWD testing. The agency says those samples help track where the disease is spreading — especially in priority areas. Erin Larson, Wisconsin DNR, Deer Herd Health Specialist

DNR officials say they’ll continue monitoring harvest totals, weather conditions, and hunter safety as the remaining days of the Wisconsin gun deer season play out.

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