Hunters heading out Saturday to participate in this year’s gun deer season should face good hunting conditions. Long range weather forecasters are predicting a wake up temperature of 28 degrees followed by a high of 43 degrees.

Following a milder 2021 winter, there appears to be an improved deer population. Ask any DNR wildlife biologist about Wisconsin’s deer population numbers and they will tell you it’s somewhere on the plus side of 1 million animals.

Years ago the DNR would project statewide population numbers, however today numbers throughout the Wisconsin landscape are so unevenly distributed that they don’t want to misrepresent hunter expectations.

Current harvest numbers from the 2021 crossbow and archery hunt are very comparable to last year’s number.

Registrations were comparably lower to the last five year aver age, however as cooler weather approached, numbers increased dramatically throughout the past month.

To date, Wisconsin’s central farmland has harvested the most deer. As of last week, Chippewa County archers had registered a total of 243 antlered bucks and 161 antlerless deer for a total of 404 deer harvested while crossbow hunters registered a total of 442 antlered bucks and 284 antlerless deer for a total of 726 deer harvested.

The Chippewa County Northern Forest Region netted an archery total of 95 bucks and 43 antlerless deer while crossbow hunters registered a total of 144 antlered bucks and 63 antlerless deer. Chippewa County Youth Deer Hunt registered a total of 57antlered bucks and 78 antlerless deer.

Clark County Central Farm land archers had registered 316 bucks and 218 antlerless deer for a total of 534 deer harvested while crossbow hunters registered 602 antlered bucks and 574 antlerless deer for a total of 1,176 deer registered.

Clark County Central Forest Region archer hunters registered 136 antlered bucks and 64 antlerless deer for a total of 200 deer harvested. Central Forest crossbow hunters reg istered a total of 260 antlered bucks and 100 antlerless deer for a total of 360 deer harvested. Clark County Youth Hunt registered 101 antlered bucks and 130 antlerless deer.

Good luck to all headed out for the gun season this coming weekend. Remember to be safe and respectful of others.

Also remember if using a tree stand be sure it’s set up to manufacturers recommendation.