2015-16 Deer Harvest Estimates

Results are now available for the 2015-16 deer seasons, which closed in January. Hunters harvested an estimated 315,813 deer – an increase of about 4 percent compared to the 2014-15 harvest of 303,973.

Agency staff currently is working to develop 2016-17 antlerless deer license allocation recommendations, which will be considered at the April 5 meeting of the Board of Game Commissioners. Wayne Laroche, Game Commission Bureau of Wildlife Management director, said that in addition to harvest data, staff will be looking at deer health measures, forest regeneration and deer-human conflicts for each WMU. Total deer harvest estimates by WMU for 2015-16 (with 2014-15 figures in parentheses) are as follows:

WMU 1A: 6,000 (5,100) antlered, 9,100 (10,800) antlerless;

WMU 1B: 6,900 (5,800) antlered, 7,700 (8,800) antlerless;

WMU 2A: 6,500 (5,100) antlered, 10,500 (9,600) antlerless;

WMU 2B: 5,200 (4,300) antlered, 15,000 (13,000) antlerless;

WMU 2C: 9,100 (7,000) antlered, 8,490 (9,029) antlerless;

WMU 2D: 12,300 (11,400) antlered, 15,700 (16,400) antlerless;

WMU 2E: 4,700 (4,400) antlered, 5,300 (5,600) antlerless;

WMU 2F: 7,000 (6,000) antlered, 5,400 (5,900) antlerless;

WMU 2G: 6,100 (4,800) antlered, 4,100 (4,700) antlerless;

WMU 2H: 1,400 (1,700) antlered, 1,400 (1,100) antlerless;

WMU 3A: 4,300 (3,300) antlered, 4,000 (4,300) antlerless;

WMU 3B: 6,800 (6,000) antlered, 7,400 (8,100) antlerless;

WMU 3C: 7,600 (6,500) antlered, 10,500 (10,300) antlerless;

WMU 3D: 3,500 (4,200) antlered, 3,700 (5,200) antlerless;

WMU 4A: 5,100 (3,300) antlered, 8,670 (6,805) antlerless;

WMU 4B: 5,700 (4,600) antlered, 7,000 (5,600) antlerless;

WMU 4C: 5,400 (4,800) antlered, 5,000 (5,000) antlerless;

WMU 4D: 7,200 (6,500) antlered, 7,443 (6,848) antlerless;

WMU 4E: 6,200 (5,800) antlered, 6,900 (5,900) antlerless;

WMU 5A: 2,900 (2,400) antlered, 4,600 (3,300) antlerless;

WMU 5B: 8,000 (6,900) antlered, 11,500 (12,400) antlerless;

WMU 5C: 7,400 (8,000) antlered, 13,600 (22,200) antlerless;

WMU 5D: 2,200 (1,300) antlered, 5,200 (3,800) antlerless; and

Unknown WMU: 80 (60) antlered, 30 (31) antlerless.

Read the full estimated deer harvest news release including the season-specific breakdown here.