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Whitetail Deer Harvest Estimates Released

by | Jun 3, 2025 | ProtectCommunity | 0 comments

The NYSDEC released their 2024 whitetail deer harvest estimates last month (May 2025), revealing that hunters across NYS harvest approximately 223,000 deer during the 2024 big game seasons, reflecting a 6% increase in the harvest vs. 2023, and fall just 3,000 deer shy of the running 5-year average of approximately 226,000, statewide.  Digging deeper into the report, we see an increase in adult buck harvest (defined as 1.5 year old (YO) or older) over 2023 by 9%, with a similar increase in adult doe harvest (same definition as bucks), despite showing only a 3.4% increase in total antlerless deer take vs. 2023.  This overall increase for antlerless harvest was despite DMP permit issuance being REDUCED across the state by 6.6%.  In fact, DMP tags filled was effectively flat (<1% difference, despite 6.6% fewer DMP issued.)  The estimated success ratio for DMP was estimated as 13.9%, which is better than 2023’s 13.1%, but this still could be higher, as some hunters still secure DMP to intentionally NOT fill it, believing this will somehow protect a doe. 

For those watching age structure, most adult bucks harvested last year were 2.5 YO (66.9%,) which was close to 2023 (67.9%.)  Voluntary restraint and waiting for an older buck appears to be working better than mandatory AR in PA, where, after 22 years of mandatory AR, PA harvests “2 of every 3 bucks harvest are 2.5 YO or older.”  Education and voluntary efforts work – no need to manage hunters with regulation, education works! 

While the bulk of the deer harvest occurs during regular season, an estimated 50,502 whitetail deer were taken with archery during the early and late seasons, an 11.2% increase over 2023.  A little over 34% of those animals were antlerless, which is slightly less than the 2023 makeup of 35.3%.  Crossbow users accounted for @ 18,300 deer (up nearly 9%), while black powder firearms harvest came in at just shy of 22,000 deer, which was up over 22% from the prior season!  It is estimated that 58% of the 2024 black powder harvested deer were antlerless.  These recreational seasons accounted for nearly 91,000 deer, while the 23-day regular season accounted for over 132,000 whitetail deer being removed from the landscape.  This year, the special Columbus Day Youth firearms hunt harvest was down slightly from the previous season, down @ 2%.  Satisfaction with this youth season still remains high. 

Locally, the 2024 season brought the follow harvest figures for Erie County:
Total Deer harvest in 2024 – 6,327

Adult Bucks (>/= 1.5YO) – 3,171

Fawn Bucks (< 1.5YO, or button bucks) – 389

Adult Does (>/= 1.5YO) – 2,376

Fawn Does (< 1.5YO) – 391

Population density estimates for Erie County are published as 3.7 adult bucks per square mile, with adult does being estimated at 2.8 per sq. mi.  Total antlerless deer per sq. mi. is pegged at 3.7, same as adult bucks, which indicates our buck:doe ratio is pretty close to 1:1. 

When it comes to the Youth Hunt, the top counties in Region 9 taking great advantage of this opportunity to get youth involved are Chautauqua and Wyoming Counties, with Erie County no doubt hurt by the county prohibition on 12- and 13-year-olds being able to hunt with firearms – Erie County appears to be the only county prohibiting our parents from introducing their 12 and 13 year old children to firearms big game hunting.  These same youths can hunt deer and bear with archery, and can hunt all manner of small game with a firearm already, and have been able to for a long time; it makes no sense that Erie County will not lower the age with the rest of the state for big game.

 Much information exists in this annual report, far more than touched on here.  To get more information, please download the harvest report and review carefully for yourself.

You can download it directly here – https://dec.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2025-05/2024deerrpt.pdf

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