The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has released preliminary figures for the 2025 gun deer season, noting both license sales and harvest totals.
Overview
- The nine-day gun deer hunt in 2025 concluded with preliminary data indicating stable participation and a slight decrease in harvest compared to 2024.
- Total deer hunting licenses sold across all deer hunting privileges reached 790,044, down 0.12% from the prior year. About 550,611 of these licenses were for gun privileges specifically.
License Sales Details
- Preliminary license sales cover all deer hunting privileges (gun, archery, crossbow, conservation patron, and sports licenses). Final figures will be compiled in January after thorough analysis.
- Within the overall total, gun-related licenses numbered 550,611, representing gun, conservation patron, and sports licenses combined.
Harvest Totals
- Hunters registered 182,084 deer during the 2025 gun deer season, including 86,068 antlered and 96,016 antlerless deer.
- Compared to 2024, the gun season harvest total declined by about 0.8% statewide; antlered harvest fell by 2.6%, while antlerless harvest rose by 0.9%.
Next Steps
- Final license sales figures will be released in January after comprehensive analysis by DNR staff.
- Additional breakdowns and incident data are anticipated in follow-up releases as the deer seasons progress.
Context
- These preliminary results reflect ongoing deer hunting activity across Wisconsin and set the stage for year-end and next-year planning.
The provided data summarize how participation and harvest shaped the opening phases of Wisconsin’s 2025 gun deer season, with final totals expected in January.
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Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (.gov) — 2025-12-02