WHILE GUN DEER NUMBERS ARE DOWN. THE DNR SAYS ARCHERY AND CROSSBOW NUMBERS HAVE INCREASED. — ASHWAUBENON (NBC26) - Extending the 9-day gun deer hunt to 19-days. That's a question the Wisconsin DNR says they'll start asking hunters this spring.
Wednesday, state wildlife officials made this decision. They're hoping to figure out if this would be a way to rekindle interest in hunting as a whole.
While gun deer numbers are down. The DNR says archery and crossbow numbers have increased.
“Archery is more of a challenge,” said Logan Weyman, Cabela’s group sales manager in Ashwaubenon.
While more people do use a gun, the numbers show an increase of people picking up a bow, especially a crossbow.
“Over the span of the year, we've seen a significant increase in crossbow sales from last year,” Weyman said.
The DNR says there was an 8 percent increase in crossbow kills with 51,121 deer, compared to 47,224 in 2018.
“We are seeing an increase of younger hunters purchasing crossbows due to the fact it’s almost a ready to hunt kind of setup,” Weyman said. “They don't have to practice like they would using a compound bow. They're set up ready to go for avid hunters up to experienced.”
While the archery and crossbow seasons are longer, the 9-day gun deer hunt also saw a 23.5 percent decrease in kills whereas archery as a whole was up more than 10 percent. Weyman says part of the reason is the newer technology.
“The sights, or scopes, have gotten to the point where a 100 yard shot is not out of the question, where 4 or 5 years ago that wasn't even a possibility,” Weyman added.
Another reason they say archery is growing in popularity is because you can just wear camouflage instead of having to just wear blaze orange. It’s also something they say couples can do, and a lot more women have been getting involved in the sport. Of the new hunters this season, nearly 23 percent were females.
The extended archery and crossbow season wraps up on January 31st.
