MADISON, WI (AP)-- Hunters killed slightly more deer during Wisconsin's nine-day gun season this year than in 2017.
The state Department of Natural Resources released preliminary data Tuesday showing hunters killed 211,430 deer this season. That's up nearly 7 percent from 197,733 deer last year.
The buck kill jumped 5.4 percent, from 99,002 in 2017 to 104,388 this season.
DNR Secretary Dan Meyer attributed the harvest increase to good conditions and a significant rut.
Fewer hunters were in the woods. DNR data shows 576,277 hunters purchased some form of gun deer license as of midnight Sunday, the day the nine-day season ended. That's down 2.3 percent from last year.
The DNR tracked three firearm-related injuries, the fewest number of injuries in the history of the nine-day hunt. No one died.
