MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin wildlife officials say deer hunters bagged fewer deer on the opening weekend of the gun season than they did a year ago. The state Department of Natural Resources says hunters shot more than 85,800 deer, about 14,000 fewer than the traditional opener last year. That’s a decrease of 14% overall. Hunters shot 7% fewer bucks than a year ago. The State Journal reports that the number of deer shot in the northern woods was up by 9%. Those gains were offset by lower numbers in other zones, particularly the southern farmland area, where registrations were down 24%. DNR officials say more hunters are opting for archery, crossbow and earlier seasons. Overall hunters have registered more than 179,000 deer so far this year.
