STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE FISH AND GAME DEPARTMENT WILDLIFE DIVISION

16 January 2009
Total registered deer kill by Wildlife Management Unit

The deer kill by Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) for the 2008 season is listed below with comparisons to the previous 8 years. These are the actual deer kill figures from registration reports. The statewide total (10,916) was a 19% decrease from the 2007 kill which was the 2nd highest on record. The 2008 deer kill still ranked as the 6th highest in the past 20 years. While all WMUs exhibited at least some reduction in kill, most southern and western units saw more modest declines, down to harvest levels similar to those seen in 2006. Where the winter of 2007-2008 was most severe (in more eastern and northern WMUs), more dramatic declines in harvest occurred. Higher winter mortality, reduced fawn production and deliberate reductions in either-sex hunting days all contributed to the reduced harvest in 2008. While the effects of winter can’t be controlled, the reductions in doe kill will help the populations in these units recover more quickly.

Harvest data are now being analyzed in detail to determine the age-sex structure and physical condition of harvested deer on a WMU specific basis. The “2008 NH Wildlife Harvest Summary”, available in early April, will provide additional detail on the results of the 2008 deer and other big game seasons.

DEER KILL