MADISON — It’s almost time for hunters across Wisconsin to head out for the 2024 nine-day gun deer season, opening Saturday, Nov. 23 and running through Sunday, Dec. 1. This is the latest nine-day window within which the season may occur, as established by state law.

With this year’s season starting further removed from the peak of breeding activity, fewer deer may be on the move relative to recent years with earlier openers. Still, there is reason for optimism, as other factors like colder temperatures and snow cover could still create excellent deer hunting conditions. Furthermore, last year’s mild winter means fawn production and antler development will likely be better than in recent years.

As of midnight on Oct. 29, year-to-date sales for gun, bow, crossbow, sports and patron licenses reached 444,743. Of that total, 123,861 are for gun privileges only.

Register Your Harvest

All harvested deer must be registered electronically by 5 p.m. the day after the deer is recovered. Hunters will need the unique harvest authorization number associated with each permit. Proper registration provides accurate harvest data for Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) wildlife managers and County Deer Advisory Councils for the management of Wisconsin’s deer herd.

The three options to register a deer are online with GameReg, by phone at 1-844-426-3734, or electronically at a participating in-person registration station.

Know Your Target

Elk sometimes venture outside of the elk management zones, especially during the fall breeding season, so hunters are reminded to properly identify their target. Any elk taken without a tag may result in a fine and a revocation of your hunting license.

Hunters should be sure of their target to avoid an accidental shooting of non-target animals.

See the differences between elk and white-tailed deer using the DNR’s comparison guide.