With over 600,000 Wisconsin hunters taking to the woods in the coming days, the DNR is optimistic despite two years of disappointing hunts. The DNR is the only one anticipating the hunt though, as retailers gear up for the unofficial holiday.
There's fewer buck tags available this year according to the DNR and that will impact harvest numbers. But Wisconsin's gun-deer season is the second most popular hunt in the whole country, so it should come as no surprise that people are still heading out.
About 200,000 deer were harvested last year in Wisconsin, which is a 30 year low for the state. But on top of all of that, this year the DNR expects about 50,000 less deer to be registered compared to last year. That news however, doesn't seem to be affecting business at Gander Mountain.
"It's right up there with Thanksgiving and with Christmas for our retail season," says Steve Draxler the store Manager at Gander Mountain in Green Bay.
Deer hunting has a one billion dollar economic impact on the state and employees are noticing the impact.
"Some guys will know exactly what they need. Others it's that they forget it on their trip up north," adds Draxler.
While the DNR admits that the last two years, tag sales were down. They do contribute it to the rebuilding of the herd in portions of the state.
"In the north there are a lot less sales going on just because it's bucks only," says Joshua Martinez a DNR Wildlife Biologist.
Just like the majority of hunters though, the DNR is going into this season with some optimism.
"The southern two-thirds of the state deer populations are looking really good. Northern third, some areas, they've been hit hard with the winters in the past. But I fell this last mild winter is actually going to probably help them with their increase in population," adds Martinez.
So try to get some good rest on Friday, because it's not right to complain about the lack of deer if you’re sleeping in your stand.
In 12 counties in northern Wisconsin, it's a bucks only season as an attempt is made to try to build the herd back up.
