MARQUETTE COUNTY -- Wednesday evening marked the end of the firearm deer season, and the Department of Natural Resources says hunters have seen a much larger and healthier herd this year.
Hunter expectations were high after two consecutive warm winters produced a larger number of offspring.
Although the official numbers won't be in for another month, DNR representatives stated the hunters they spoke to said there were plenty of deer. In some cases, hunters were even able to choose deer rather than taking the only one they saw.
"Really, the hunters have been really satisfied this year, reporting seeing lots of deer, seeing lots of small bucks, having to actually choose which bucks they want to shoot," said DNR Wildlife Biologist Brian Roell. "So it's a luxury we haven't seen or heard of in the last few years."
With archery season starting on Thursday and muzzle load season later this week, the DNR still encourages all hunters to bring their bucks into their check station.
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