Game Commission Figures Show Deer Harvest Increased 4 Percent in 2008-09

The Game Commission this week reported that hunters harvested an estimated 335,850 deer in the state’s 2008-09 seasons. That’s up four percent from the previous seasons’ harvest of 323,070.

 

Hunters took 122,410 antlered deer in the 2008-09 seasons, up from the previous license year’s harvest of 109,200. Also, hunters harvested 213,440 antlerless deer in 2008-09, which is almost the same as the 213,870 antlerless deer taken in 2007-08.

 

“This year’s antlered harvest is on average with the harvest for the last five years,” said Dr. Christopher Rosenberry, Game Commission Deer and Elk Supervisor. “As for the antlerless deer harvest, about one quarter of all antlerless deer licenses issued were used to harvest an antlerless deer, which also is on average with the harvest success rate for the past five years.

 

“It is important to note that in 2008-09 there was a shorter antlerless deer season for firearms deer hunters in WMUs 2D, 2G, 3C and 4B. As a result, in three of the four WMUs, the antlerless harvest dropped. In WMU 2G, the antlerless harvest was similar to last year.”

 

Rosenberry noted that the agency has launched a study to evaluate the impact of this split-season.

 

Bureau of Wildlife Management personnel currently are working to develop 2009 antlerless deer license allocation recommendations for the April Board meeting. Calvin W. DuBrock, Game Commission Bureau of Wildlife Management director, said that in addition to harvest data, the staff will be looking at population trend data, deer reproduction data, forest regeneration data, and input from new Citizen Advisory Committees.

 

Harvest estimates for 2008-09 seasons are based on 127,351 usable harvest report cards (44,995 antlered; 82,356 antlerless) returned by hunters to the Commission and 26,057 deer (8,791 antlered; 17,266 antlerless) examined by Game Commission personnel in the field and at processors.

 

For an explanation of the agency’s deer harvest estimating procedure, visit the Game Commission’s website.

 

Yearling bucks comprised 52 percent of the 2008-09 antlered harvest. Since 2003, the percent of yearling bucks in the annual harvest has varied between 50 and 56 percent. Button bucks represented 22 percent of the antlerless harvest, and similar to 24 percent in 2007-08.

 

For more information, visit the Game Commission's Deer Management webpage.