The Game Commission officials announced this week the total deer harvest estimate for 2005-06 seasons is 354,390, down from the previous year's harvest estimate of 409,320.

While the antlered harvest was similar to the previous year, the reduction in the antlerless deer harvest followed changes in antlerless license allocations, which were decreased in response to declining deer population trends in most Wildlife Management Units (WMUs).

"Going into the year, we expected WMU antlerless deer harvests to drop in most WMUs because the Board of Game Commissioners approved an overall antlerless deer license allocation that was down 15 percent from the previous year," said Carl Roe, Game Commission executive director. "For example, in WMU 2G, a 44 percent reduction in the unit's antlerless deer license allocation resulted in a 42 percent drop in the antlerless deer harvest. Most of the changes in the antlerless harvest can be accounted for by the change in antlerless allocations, and demonstrates the strong relationship between antlerless license allocations and harvests.

"Also, as general hunting license sales are down by five percent this year, it is unreasonable to expect the overall deer harvest would have increased."

The Game Commission's 2005-06 antlerless deer license allocations were intended to hold deer population trends steady until the agency's Deer Management Section completed development of a new system of measures to gauge the impact of deer on themselves, the habitat and people. That work, which should provide a solid foundation to manage deer more knowledgeably and progressively, is nearing completion.

"Overall, we are pleased with the percentage of older bucks in the antlered harvests, and we continue to receive overwhelmingly positive comments about antler restrictions," Roe said.

Calvin W. DuBrock, Game Commission Bureau of Wildlife Management director, noted that weather, once again this year, played a role at the beginning of the rifle deer season.

"Most deer are harvested during the first two days of the rifle season," DuBrock said. "This year, hunters in some areas experienced heavy fog on ridge tops during the opening day, while heavy rain impacted the second day in many areas. As a result, harvests during the first two days were down from 2004-05, but increased on the first and second Saturdays.

"Given the antlerless deer license allocations provided to hunters, we are pleased with the overall results. The 12-day concurrent season increases hunter opportunity, reduces much of the variability in hunter effort associated with shorter seasons and unpredictable weather, and gives our deer management team a more consistent method of monitoring the impacts of the harvest. Given the relationship of antlerless license allocations to antlerless harvest, the 12-day season is a win-win situation for hunters and managers."

DuBrock noted that deer harvest data, as well as comments from hunters, demonstrates that the agency's efforts in recent years to reduce the deer herd in some WMUs are working.

"We are asking hunters to work with us and endure some short-term pain, in terms of lower deer densities than in the past, so that we can achieve long-term gain, in terms of better habitat that supports deer and other wildlife for all Pennsylvanians. In fact, many hunters, landowners and foresters have commented to us about the changes and regeneration they're seeing in the forests they hunt or manage.

"Hunters have once again performed an important service for the rest of society by controlling the state's deer herd. They do it willingly, and without burden to taxpayers. They also will enjoy many nutritious meals from the venison they added to their freezers or provided to needy families through the Hunters Sharing the Harvest program."

"Now that these harvest data are compiled, the Deer Management Section in the Bureau of Wildlife Management can begin to assess the impact of last year's harvest and prepare antlerless license allocation recommendations for the executive director to review, prior to presenting it to the Board of Game Commissioners for its consideration," DuBrock said. "Additionally, as directed by the Board, we will explore possible changes in season lengths for the 2006-07 seasons."

As was announced last year, DuBrock noted that last year was the final year of providing county harvest estimates, as the Game Commission has completed its transition to WMUs.

Harvest figures for the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP), which enables landowners to target hunter pressure where needed, are not available at this time, and were not included in these harvest results.

The total deer harvest estimate for the 2005-06 season is available online.

NewsClips: Deer Season Kill Falls 13 Percent

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Oh Deer! Numbers are Shrinking

Link: Game Commission’s Deer Management Program

3/17/2006