Gun deer hunting season kicks off Saturday, Nov. 23rd

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Gun deer hunting season kicks off on Saturday, November 23rd -- and the DNR has launched a hunting app that will hopefully help hunters out looking for that prize buck.

The DNR says the number of hunters has been declining, in Wisconsin and nationally.

Last year, the DNR started offering a reduced first-time hunting license for just $5 -- and 15,000 sold!

"We're on pace to exceed that this year, so far. It's tracking at 13% higher than last year, but as really typical in any given year, the last day before the gun deer season, we typically sell almost 100,000 licenses out of just over 600,000," Tim Lizotte with the DNR said.

Lizotte also says the DNR has learned the social structure is vital for recruiting and retaining hunters.

"A one-time event is not going to do it. What we need to do is weave hunting into the social fabric and that includes spouses, peers, family groups," Lizotte said.

As for social media, the DNR's theme this years is "Sharing your tradition and your experiences."

"We want you to share that with your friends, with your family, but also with the DNR. We've got a Pinterest site, a Facebook site. We've got a Twitter feed going. What we're really trying to do is connect our hunters to each other and also to the DNR," Lizotte said.

The agency has even rolled out a new hunting app.

"That's going to help provide your location out in the woods, information on different wildlife species and a whole host of other things," Lizotte said.

Lizotte also reminds hunters that safety comes first and then fun.

The gun deer hunting season runs through December 1st.

CLICK HERE for additional information via the DNR's website.