(WFRV) – Hunters registered fewer deer statewide during the opening weekend of the 2023 gun deer hunt compared to last year, but the DNR said weather may have played a role.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) released the preliminary data on gun deer license sales and harvest totals. This comes after the opening weekend of the 2023 gun deer season.

Officials say that hunters registered 92,050 deer statewide during the opening weekend of the 2023 gun deer hunt. That number is down from the 103,623 registered for the same period in 2022.

51,870 total bucks were registered on opening weekend, compared to 56,638 in 2022.

The release said that the temperatures increasing quickly each day seemed to suppress both hunter and deer movement in the afternoons.

As of midnight November 19, sales for gun, bow, crossbow, sports and conservation patron licenses totaled 774,369. 421,525 of those were reportedly for gun privileges only.

Year-to-date sales for all deer licenses are reportedly down 0.61% from the same time last year. Final license sales figures will be made available in January.