Whether you hunt with a gun or a bow, you will be able to get more bang for your buck hunting for deer in Door County this year.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources released its 2023 hunting forecasts for deer, upland game birds, migratory birds, bears, and furbearers on Wednesday. The forecasts provide hunters an insight into what to expect when trying to track down their favorite game species along with important information to know.

Door County is one of three farmland counties in the state offering up to four antlerless harvest authorizations per license, joining Marquette and Richland counties with that distinction.  Door County is also one of approximately 30 counties, which also includes Brown, Kewaunee, and Manitowoc counties, that will have both a holiday hunt period from December 24th through January 1st and an extended archery season from January 8th through 31st for antlerless deer. 

According to DNR Wildlife Biologist, last year’s mild winter has led to a higher deer population this year with staff and members of the public reporting lots of sightings this summer. He does warn that the dry conditions may also affect the quality of the corn and soybeans that deer rely on as a good source, re-emphasizing the importance of scouting where you hunt.

You can read the full report by clicking this link.