Deer Harvest Way Down

No shocker here.

On Monday, the state Department of Natural Resources released preliminary statistics bearing out those field observations.

Statewide, a total of 100,330 deer were bagged, down sharply from the 133,838 taken during the opening weekend of the 2008 hunt.

In the DNR’s 15-county northeastern Wisconsin region, which includes the Fox Valley, the total deer kill was 19,471, down 31 percent from the 28,213 taken during the same period in 2008.

Deer kill totals were down 32 percent in Brown County, 42.6 percent in Calumet County, 45.1 percent in Outagamie County, 32.9 percent in Waupaca County and 44.9 percent in Winnebago County. Kills were down 32.6 percent in Manitowoc County, 40.4 percent in Fond du Lac County, 37 percent in Waushara County and 19.3 percent in Shawano County.

“The final opening weekend tally will likely be somewhat larger, when all the registration stubs are entered into the data base over the next couple of months,” said Tom Hauge, the DNR’s wildlife management director.

I hear beer sales are up though.