Jim Smukowski of Oconomowoc poses with a 9-point buck he shot Nov. 25 while hunting in Richland County. Credit: Contributed photo

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UPDATE: Paul Smith reports on the 2015 gun deer season, which wraps up Nov. 29.

Hunters registered 191,550 deer in the 2014 Wisconsin gun deer season, a 15% decrease from 2013 and the lowest kill in more than 30 years, according to a preliminary report released Tuesday by the Department of Natural Resources.

The 2014 harvest included 90,336 bucks (down 8% from 2013) and 101,214 antlerless deer (down 21%). The nine-day gun deer season ran Nov. 22 to Nov. 30.

This year's deer kill was the lowest since 1982, when hunters registered 182,715 deer.

State wildlife officials attributed the reduced harvest to a lower deer population in northern Wisconsin, poor weather in parts of the state on opening weekend and regulations that restricted the kill of antlerless deer. All or part of 19 counties were "buck only" this fall, an effort to protect female deer and increase numbers in future years.

The number of license sales also was down. The DNR reported sales of 608,711 gun deer licenses, a drop of 24,891 (4%) from 2013. The license sales total was the lowest since 1976.

On the positive side, the season was the safest on record with three non-fatal shooting incidents. The previous low was five incidents (three non-fatal and two fatal) in 2004.

The 2014 season featured several rules changes recommended in the Deer Trustees Report, a process initiated in 2011 by Gov. Scott Walker. The changes included a drop in the number of antlerless deer permits but an increase in their average price.

There was no link between rules changes this year and reduced participation or reduced harvest, according to DNR leaders. Hunter compliance was also said to be very good, although a report of violations won't be available until next week.

"Deer hunters throughout the state have been excellent partners in not only learning new rules, but passing on traditions to youth and first-time hunters out there in the woods," DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp said. "As always, we put safety first, and the efforts of hunters to do the same led to a banner year for safe hunting in Wisconsin."

Among counties, Waupaca County recorded the highest harvest with 8,223 deer, 10% fewer than in 2012. Marathon (6,439 deer), Trempealeau (6,079), Dunn (5,510) and Vernon (5,344) rounded out the top five counties.

Fifty-seven of the state's 72 counties recorded lower deer kills this year. The buck harvest, a common gauge of the deer population, dropped in 42 counties.

"That doesn't bode well," said Ed Harvey, 61, of Waldo, former chairman of the Wisconsin Conservation Congress and deer hunter for 49 years. "I think the department needs to look at what we're doing a little more closely."

The year-over-year deer harvest changes in the DNR's regions were: Northern region bucks (minus-18%) antlerless (minus-58%); Northeastern bucks (minus-2%) antlerless (minus-11%); West central bucks (minus-8) antlerless (minus-15%); Southern bucks (plus-1%) antlerless (plus-8%).

The lower deer harvest also was likely influenced by the timing of the season and the amount of standing corn. The season started on the second latest day possible, meaning the deer rut was mostly over. And prior to the season the corn harvest lagged last year's and the five-year average.

The Wisconsin season is shaping up much like Minnesota's, where hunters registered 111,000 deer in the 2014 firearms hunt, down 22% from 2013. Minnesota also sold about 4% fewer deer hunting licenses this year.

The preliminary nine-day deer harvest numbers are collected through a call-around survey of more than 600 deer registration stations across Wisconsin. The kill total likely will increase when all registration tags are officially counted.

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Ed Harvey has been a deer hunter for 59 years. He has been a deer hunter for 49 years.