Hunters kill 196,000 deer during Wisconsin gun season

MADISON — Hunters killed nearly 197,000 deer during Wisconsin's traditional nine-day gun season this month, down 6 percent from last year's harvest.

The Department of Natural Resources released preliminary figures on Tuesday that show hunters killed 196,785 deer statewide during, down from 198,057 last year. They did kill more antlered deer this year than last, taking 97,892 animals compared with 92,610 in 2015.

The northern forest zone was the only region where hunters killed more deer in total than last, taking 32,400 deer compared with 25,444.

The DNR reports that it has sold 598,867 gun deer licenses through the end of the nine-day season on Sunday. That's down about 13,510 licenses from the same point last year.