MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced preliminary deer harvest and license sale totals for the opening weekend of the 2023 gun deer season. The data shows the number of deer hunters in Wisconsin slightly decreased compared to 2022. 

According to a news release from the DNR, as of midnight Sunday, Nov. 19, sales for gun, bow, crossbow, sports and conservation patron licenses reached 774,369. Of that total, 421,525 were for gun privileges only. The year-to-date sales for all deer licenses are down 0.61% from the same time last year.

Final license sales figures will be available in January, at which time DNR staff will perform a thorough analysis and interpretation.

In total, hunters registered 92,050 deer statewide during the opening weekend of the 2023 gun deer hunt, compared to 103,623 registered for the same period in 2022. This is a 16% decrease from 2022 and 10% below the 5-year average. A majority of the decrease was due to a decline in antlerless deer harvest, but that usually picks up over the second half of the season.

A total of 51,870 bucks were registered on opening weekend, compared to 56,638 in 2022. This is a 13% decrease over 2022.

Conditions for opening weekend this year were mostly clear and dry. Mornings were cold, crisp and quiet. Temperatures increased quickly each day, which seemed to suppress both hunter and deer movement somewhat in the afternoons.