First Harvest certificates · harvest since 1960
Wisconsin Hunting Records
How Wisconsin records work: the DNR First Harvest certificate, the private Wisconsin Buck and Bear Club, and the harvest records the DNR keeps in numbers, deer since 1960, bears since 1957, turkeys since 1983 and elk since the first hunt in 2018.
Photo: tuchodi (CC BY 2.0)
First Harvest certificates and record clubs
The DNR celebrates first deer, bears and other first animals with a personalized certificate; record books for big racks and skulls are kept privately.
DNR First Harvest certificate
DNR personalized First Harvest certificates (deer, bear and other species) requested online with a photo.
Wisconsin Buck and Bear Club
Private club that keeps Wisconsin big game records; its website (wisconsinbuckandbear.org) disallows automated fetching, so minimum scores and state records were not collected.
Club site: wisconsinbuckandbear.org
No official state record list is published in the DNR data used here, so no record buck, bear or score is named on this page. To have a rack scored, contact the club directly.
Sources: First Harvest certificates, reviewed October 19, 2026.
Wisconsin deer harvest since 1960
2000 holds the all-time total at 615,293 deer. The 2025 season ended at 345,207, 52 percent antlerless.
Registered deer, all seasons and weapons, as charted by Deer Metrics. Sources: DNR Deer Metrics harvest history, reviewed October 19, 2026.
Wisconsin deer harvest by season and by year
The nine-day gun season carried 187,911 deer in 2025, crossbows 70,458 and vertical bows 42,118.
2025 by season
| Season | Antlered | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 25,959 | 16,159 | 42,118 |
| Crossbow | 43,037 | 27,421 | 70,458 |
| Youth | 4,392 | 4,117 | 8,509 |
| Disabled | 138 | 379 | 517 |
| Learn to Hunt | 14 | 28 | 42 |
| Gun (9-day) | 86,851 | 101,060 | 187,911 |
| Muzzleloader | 5,597 | 6,508 | 12,105 |
| December antlerless | 40 | 10,651 | 10,691 |
| Holiday Hunt | 28 | 11,477 | 11,505 |
| Extended archery | 138 | 644 | 782 |
| Extended crossbow | 258 | 1,107 | 1,365 |
| Total | 166,452 | 179,551 | 346,003 |
Every year since 1960
1960s
| Year | Bucks | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 33,074 | 29,028 | 62,102 |
| 1961 | 38,615 | 1,320 | 39,935 |
| 1962 | 41,391 | 6,057 | 47,448 |
| 1963 | 51,323 | 15,888 | 67,211 |
| 1964 | 65,763 | 30,846 | 96,609 |
| 1965 | 62,128 | 41,611 | 103,739 |
| 1966 | 68,719 | 47,329 | 116,048 |
| 1967 | 73,016 | 63,173 | 136,189 |
| 1968 | 64,445 | 62,475 | 126,920 |
| 1969 | 54,231 | 49,764 | 103,995 |
1970s
| Year | Bucks | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 52,083 | 27,281 | 79,364 |
| 1971 | 50,690 | 26,667 | 77,357 |
| 1972 | 51,372 | 30,542 | 81,914 |
| 1973 | 59,947 | 30,592 | 90,539 |
| 1974 | 69,394 | 38,696 | 108,090 |
| 1975 | 77,812 | 53,154 | 130,966 |
| 1976 | 74,285 | 61,860 | 136,145 |
| 1977 | 88,755 | 59,945 | 148,700 |
| 1978 | 93,869 | 75,089 | 168,958 |
| 1979 | 76,550 | 49,020 | 125,570 |
1980s
| Year | Bucks | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 89,991 | 70,587 | 160,578 |
| 1981 | 110,954 | 84,918 | 195,872 |
| 1982 | 110,431 | 103,251 | 213,682 |
| 1983 | 111,172 | 119,393 | 230,565 |
| 1984 | 134,300 | 160,656 | 294,956 |
| 1985 | 131,828 | 183,372 | 315,200 |
| 1986 | 137,012 | 162,718 | 299,730 |
| 1987 | 138,100 | 154,934 | 293,034 |
| 1988 | 143,553 | 162,264 | 305,817 |
| 1989 | 165,019 | 191,686 | 356,705 |
1990s
| Year | Bucks | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 166,989 | 232,342 | 399,331 |
| 1991 | 149,748 | 269,869 | 419,617 |
| 1992 | 141,468 | 207,830 | 349,298 |
| 1993 | 147,168 | 123,424 | 270,592 |
| 1994 | 172,346 | 201,537 | 373,883 |
| 1995 | 211,270 | 256,001 | 467,271 |
| 1996 | 172,247 | 289,485 | 461,732 |
| 1997 | 157,862 | 201,766 | 359,628 |
| 1998 | 193,585 | 213,970 | 407,555 |
| 1999 | 204,858 | 289,549 | 494,407 |
2000s
| Year | Bucks | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 212,332 | 402,961 | 615,293 |
| 2001 | 182,845 | 261,539 | 444,384 |
| 2002 | 155,778 | 216,243 | 372,021 |
| 2003 | 192,934 | 291,017 | 483,951 |
| 2004 | 166,858 | 350,508 | 517,366 |
| 2005 | 183,557 | 282,203 | 465,760 |
| 2006 | 177,359 | 329,865 | 507,224 |
| 2007 | 171,142 | 347,411 | 518,553 |
| 2008 | 138,507 | 313,378 | 451,885 |
| 2009 | 134,156 | 194,947 | 329,103 |
2010s
| Year | Bucks | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 148,378 | 188,493 | 336,871 |
| 2011 | 150,839 | 196,872 | 347,711 |
| 2012 | 165,457 | 202,857 | 368,314 |
| 2013 | 143,738 | 198,893 | 342,631 |
| 2014 | 143,397 | 160,892 | 304,289 |
| 2015 | 151,580 | 158,249 | 309,829 |
| 2016 | 156,893 | 159,850 | 316,743 |
| 2017 | 158,812 | 161,227 | 320,039 |
| 2018 | 160,075 | 175,168 | 335,243 |
| 2019 | 137,876 | 152,337 | 290,213 |
2020s
| Year | Bucks | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 157,735 | 181,104 | 338,839 |
| 2021 | 152,234 | 155,612 | 307,846 |
| 2022 | 163,806 | 176,476 | 340,282 |
| 2023 | 148,582 | 152,069 | 300,651 |
| 2024 | 161,641 | 164,907 | 326,548 |
| 2025 | 165,984 | 179,223 | 345,207 |
The harvest report season table totals 346,003 for 2025; Deer Metrics charts 345,207. Both are shown as each source prints them. Sources: Deer Metrics; Deer Harvest Report 2025, reviewed October 19, 2026.
Wisconsin black bear harvest history
2010 is the high mark at 5,133 bears. In 2025 hunters took 3,836, 28.4 percent success, and bait sat behind 2,344 of them.
2025 by method
| Method | Gun | Archery | Crossbow | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bait | 1,998 | 217 | 129 | 2,344 |
| Dogs | 895 | 9 | 11 | 915 |
| Dogs and bait | 468 | 2 | 10 | 480 |
| Other | 64 | 4 | 2 | 70 |
2025 by zone
| Zone | Target | Licensed harvest | All sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1,075 | 1,161 | 1,235 |
| B | 900 | 841 | 851 |
| C | 750 | 661 | 663 |
| D | 1,100 | 906 | 931 |
| E | 200 | 128 | 128 |
| F | 50 | 27 | 27 |
Totals include tribal, agricultural damage and Learn to Hunt bears; there was no season in 1985. Sources: Bear Harvest 2025; Bear Harvest 2024, reviewed October 19, 2026.
Wisconsin turkey and elk records
The spring turkey harvest peaked in 2008 at 52,880 birds; 2025 closed at 50,291. Elk hunting opened in the north in 2018 and in the Central Zone in 2024.
Northern elk zone (Clam Lake)
| Year | Applicants | Bull quota | State bulls | Tribal bulls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 38,494 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 9 |
| 2019 | 23,036 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| 2020 | 27,984 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| 2021 | 25,215 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| 2022 | 25,742 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| 2023 | 21,311 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| 2024 | 17,761 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| 2025 | 17,737 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
Fall turkey, last five seasons
| Season | Harvest | Authorizations | Success |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,900 | 83,131 | 4.7% |
| 2022 | 4,367 | 84,828 | 5.1% |
| 2023 | 4,301 | 87,323 | 4.9% |
| 2024 | 4,664 | 86,915 | 5.4% |
| 2025 | 3,955 | 85,714 | 4.6% |
Sources: Spring Turkey 2025; Fall Turkey 2025; DNR elk page, reviewed October 19, 2026.
2026 deer harvest so far, preliminary
Bow, crossbow and youth hunt deer registered through GameReg by mid-October; these numbers will change as the season runs.
| Deer zone | Antlered | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Forest | 2,215 | 1,944 | 4,159 |
| Central Farmland | 8,677 | 11,338 | 20,015 |
| Central Forest | 197 | 188 | 385 |
| Southern Farmland | 1,971 | 2,816 | 4,787 |
Sources: DNR total harvest to date, reviewed October 19, 2026.
Wisconsin records and harvest questions
Does Wisconsin keep an official state record book?
Not in the DNR data used for this page. Big game records are kept by the private Wisconsin Buck and Bear Club, whose site could not be read, so no scores are shown here.
How do I get a First Harvest certificate?
DNR personalized First Harvest certificates (deer, bear and other species) requested online with a photo.
How many deer were registered in 2025?
345,207 by the Deer Metrics count: 165,984 bucks and 179,223 antlerless.
What was the biggest deer year?
2000, with 615,293 registered. The buck high is 212,332 in 2000.
How big is the Wisconsin bear harvest?
3,836 in 2025, from 146,021 applicants; 2010 was the biggest year at 5,133.
How many spring turkeys were registered in 2025?
50,291 from 229,135 authorizations, a 21.9 percent success rate.
How many elk have been taken?
In the Northern zone, 7 bulls in 2025 from 17,737 applicants; the Central zone gave 9 elk in 2025.
Where can I see this year’s deer numbers?
The 2026 table above is the DNR running total, labelled preliminary; the DNR posts updates through the season.
Straight from the Wisconsin DNR
Property rules on a wildlife area, state park or county forest can be tighter than the statewide line. Pair this page with the property page and the DNR regulations before opening day.
Other photos on this page: USDA NRCS Montana (Public Domain Mark 1.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region (Public domain); USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain); Shenandoah National Park (Public Domain Mark 1.0); ShenandoahNPS (Public domain).