Photo by Curt Helmick

After all Wisconsin's 2004 deer hunting seasons closed and the registrations tags were tallied up, the final white-tailed deer kill released by the Department of Natural Resources was 517,169. Slightly over 6 percent, or 31,543 whitetails, were harvested during our late-season archery, muzzleloader, Zone T and CWD Zone deer hunts.

That's a lot of venison going into the freezer after the regular nine-day gun season has ended.

YOUR OPTIONS
The non-chronic wasting disease (CWD) deer management units (DMUs) offer some late-season opportunities.

Bowhunters get their late season from Nov. 28, 2005, through Jan. 3, 2006. The muzzleloader season also begins on Nov. 28 and runs through Dec. 7. A second Zone T herd-control hunt is scheduled for Dec. 8 through Dec. 11 in Zone T DMUs south of Highway 8. Metro units 1M, 59M, 60M, 64M and 77M are designated as Zone T units for 2005, but metro unit 1M will not have a late-season antlerless-only hunt in December.

If you are interested in hunting in CWD units, check with local DNR Service Centers or visit the DNR's Web site at www.dnr.wi.gov for more information. CWD units are covered by separate regulations, bag limits and offer expanded hunting opportunities.

BAITING RULES
Special regulations covering deer baiting and wildlife feeding are in effect in Wisconsin.

The DNR has a two-page pamphlet available online and at Service Centers to clarify these regulations. Currently, feeding and baiting deer is banned in 26 counties. Wildlife- and bird-feeding activities are regulated as well.

TAG AVAILABILITY
Antlerless deer carcass tags are available for most regular DMUs and Zone T DMUs this year.

Resident tags are $12 and non-resident tags are $20. Sales continue throughout the season until each unit is sold out. Hunters are allowed to purchase two tags per day. It's important to note that tags issued for regular DMUs must be used in the unit for which they are issued, while Zone T tags are generic and can be used in any Zone T unit in Wisconsin during any open deer season in that unit.

ARCHERY SEASON
Our state's late-season archery deer kill in 2004 totaled 10,145 deer. That figure is about 200 animals less than in 2003, but still much higher than the 2002 total, which didn't even reach the 3,000 deer mark.

Statewide in 2004, the percentage of antlered deer killed by late-season archers increased 3 percent over 2003. The 2004 figure of 26 percent is slightly above the 25 percent average buck kill for bowhunters in December.

Our top 10 late-season archery kill county list for 2004 reads almost identical to the 2003 list. In fact, nine of the 10 counties are the same. The 10 in order from the top were Marathon, Marinette, Douglas, Oneida, Wood, Price, Waupaca, Bayfield, Shawano and Lincoln. Tenth-place Lincoln County replaced Vilas County and, as usual, all these counties are in the northern part of our state.

Not surprisingly, bowhunters killed 39 percent of the 2004 total late-season archery harvest -- or 3,940 whitetails -- in the top 10 counties. This represents nearly a 10 percent increase over the 2003 figure.

Marathon County was our best county last year for late-season archers. Exactly 500 whitetails were registered, with 24 percent sporting legal antlers. Marinette County took second place with a kill of 463 deer, but only 18 percent were bucks. Douglas County in the far northwestern part of Wisconsin was our third-best bow kill county with 435 whitetails dying by arrow, and 33 percent -- 145 deer -- were antlered.