The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is reporting a record-high deer population ahead of the 2025 statewide firearm opener this weekend. They’re also saying that there aren’t enough hunters to control the population. We’re seeing the highest age group of hunters age out, leaving a gap that younger generations aren’t filling. Most Deer In Recorded History The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the DNR estimates there are 1. 825 million deer in Wisconsin. It’s a record-high, partially driven by huge populations in Wisconsin’s farmland areas. The forested areas also have healthy deer populations thanks to a couple of mild winters. Fewer Deer Hunters They also share numbers from the Wisconsin DNR for deer hunters. In the last 10 years, Wisconsin has lost about 50, 000 registered hunters. Most from that group are baby boomers who have quit hunting in their 60s. Fewer youth are getting into hunting, some other hunters may lose access to hunting land, and some have just lost the tradition of hunting. Read More: Deer Hunting Becoming A Thing Of The Past In Northern Minnesota Concerns With Overpopulation With more deer than ever before, we can expect to see a rise in vehicle collisions, crop loss from deer feeding, and the spread of CWD. Hunting has long been the way to control the deer population, but with declining numbers, how is the DNR going to handle deer management?.
https://wjon.com/ixp/150/p/deer-management-wisconsin-2025/