BLACK EARTH, Wis. -- Saturday saw a much warmer start to the gun deer season than in the past couple of years, officials said.

As hunters made their way to the woods and fields early in the morning, some weren't sure what to expect. There was a lot of talk about the deer population, and how a week before the season started, sales of hunting licenses were down, officials said.

Hunters like Bill Cross, of Madison, seemed to feel that the season was starting with a sense of normalcy.

"When he hit the ground, it was a 'BBD' -- a Big Buck Down," said Cross about his brag board moment of Saturday’s opener.

It didn't take long for Cross to find his buck, or rather, for the buck to find him.

"He was coming in quick and I had to find a slot for him to be in to get a good shot at him. We went about 40 yards and then dropped," said Cross.

Although hunting license sales were down 13 percent as of last week, sales quickly picked up and now trail last season's sales by just 3 percent.

Cross said that the hunters are definitely out there.

"There was quite a few shots. I heard probably 20 shots before (my buck) came in, and that was before 9 a.m.," said Cross.

At the DNR Deer Check Station in Black Earth, there was no sign of a slowdown.

"It seems like they're doing really well this year. I'm real surprised. We had more this morning than last year. We had quite a few more deer," said DNR Wildlife Technician Frank Hinze.

The opening day of gun season 2008 brought about 70 deer to the check station, a number that was reached by mid-afternoon on Saturday. However, hunters still maintain that there seem to be fewer deer in the fields.

"The herd is considerably down as far as I'm concerned, and I've been hunting out here for approximately 30 years. You don't see the deer like you used to see them," said Cross.

But the decreased herd -- or the perception of one -- didn't bother Cross.

"You got to work a little harder, do a little homework," said a smiling Cross about this year's challenges.

While any hunter making his or her way to a deer check station obviously had a memorable day, the state Department of Natural Resources said only about 40 percent of hunters get a deer each year.

As for hunters trying to get an idea of how big the deer population is, officials said local populations vary widely.

The gun deer season runs through Nov. 29. For more information, go to the state Department of Natural Resources Web site.