DANE COUNTY - Gun deer hunting season starts Saturday. Despite a slow economy, hunting experts TODAY’S TMJ4 talked to say more hunters are heading to the woods this year when compared with last year. The long lines for hunting licenses are surprising, even to those who work in the outdoor business. "Everyone was kind of panicked that the economy was going to really limit the participation in deer hunting but it's been just the opposite,” Ivan Gehl of Cabela's sporting goods store said. Just the opposite, Gehl says, mainly because of the lower prices at the pump. “I think the gas prices this summer just kept people from taking long vacations, and distant vacations, and now that gas prices are down to a comfortable level, they're going to go,” Gehl said. Despite an increase in the amount of hunters, there are some signs the tough economy is still playing a role in this year's gun deer season. Rick Gasper, manager of Gander Mountain, says more and more hunters are choosing to stay closer to home. “Instead of running all the way up north, it might save them a few bucks as far as gasoline goes and so forth, and with the economy being the way it is, there are guys who are trying to be mindful of what they're spending,” Gasper said. Seventeen year gun deer veteran Jeff Fischer says it would take more than a tough economy to keep him out of the woods. “Deer hunting has a strong tradition in my family and so it's still a part of what Wisconsin does so I’m still going to go regardless of gas prices or the economy,” Fischer said. The manager of Gander Mountain says another reason hunting in southeastern Wisconsin is getting so popular, is because deer around here have plenty of food options, being so close to people.