WAUSAU, Wis. (AP) -- The Department of Natural Resources says two-thirds of the 23 snowmobilers who died in crashes in Wisconsin this winter were too drunk to legally drive a car.

The number of deaths is down two from a year ago. The average for the past decade is 28 fatalities each winter.

But Michael Cerny of the Wisconsin Snowmobile Recreation Council says 23 deaths is still way too many and the state has a long way to go in making snowmobiling safer.

Cerny says the council is moving closer to recommending that drunken driving on a snowmobile affect a violator's driver's license. Other states have already done that.

The DNR's Gary Eddy says 70% of the dead riders had been drinking, and speed was a factor in 74% of the deaths.