TOMAHAWK - Opening weekend for deer hunting is now over. So how did the hunters fare?

"I really like venison." Jeff Pederson of Janesville has been hunting for 14 years. This year, he says, there wasn't much action. "I did not see anything."

DNR Public Affairs Manager Jim Bishop says there were fewer permits for does this year. As for bucks...that depended on the area. Douglas County was up 30% this year. Oneida County was different. "Right now it's looking like we're about 20 percent down on the buck harvest from last year."

A decline Jerry Crass feels too. He processes venison at his Tomahawk home, and has only done a total of 13 deer. "Usually we do between 10 and 12 deer a day."

A reason for the cut? Bishop says the dark and foggy skies played a role. "People had to take a double look even to see if there was an antlered deer out there."

And though Jeff Pederson didn't get his deer...
"It just means I don't have any extra work when I get home." He'll keep his fingers crossed for next year.

Bishop says the hunters who were lucky did get some nice-sized bucks. He's also hopeful the numbers will improve since the season has just begun. The last day for the gun-deer hunt is November 29.