MADISON, WI (AP)-- A Wisconsin tradition got off to a safe start.
Department of Natural Resources officials told reporters they had received no reports of accidental shootings or other injuries by mid-afternoon Saturday on the opener of the state's nine-day gun deer hunt.
DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp says officials have been hearing good reports from the field, although her own hunting party hadn't seen many deer.
The DNR has sold nearly 590,000 gun-hunting licenses, down 4 percent from this point last year.
But Stepp also says she's encouraged by the growing numbers of female and young hunters.
DNR officials say the harvest will likely be down again in northern Wisconsin where two harsh winters have depleted the herd, leading to tighter rules for taking antlerless deer.
The season runs through Nov. 30.