MADISON, Wis. (WRN) — Preliminary numbers for Wisconsin’s bear hunting season are in.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources announced Wednesday that hunters harvested 3,724 bears during the 35-day season. That’s just below the overall harvest target of 4,075 , but within the expected range of harvest for the season, which ran from September 3rd through October 7th.
The DNR estimates the state’s bear population at around 23,000 with a range that covers more than half the state. A record 146,000 people applied for a bear hunting license for this year.