More Bucks Harvested in 2020-2021 Deer Season Than Past Two Decades

Written by HLRBO| 2/12/2022

The 2020-2021 deer season was one for the record books. Findings from the most recent National Deer Association Deer Harvest Report found approximately 6.3 million deer harvested across the U.S. last year, making it the best season since 2011 and the highest harvest in 21 years. “In 2020, we saw the highest buck harvest in the new century, and amazingly we estimate that we set another new record for the percentage of those bucks that were 3½ years old or older,” said Kip Adams, chief conservation officer for the NDA. In fact, the 2020 season likely saw the greatest number of mature bucks killed by American hunters in modern history.

According to the report, deer hunters across the U.S. harvested an estimated 6.3 million white-tailed deer during the 2020-2021 season. Harvests of both antlered and antlerless deer were up from the 2019 season totals. What's more, the 2020-2021 estimated buck harvest of 3,041,544 was the most in two decades — reversing a three-year decline and putting the total back above three million for the first time since 2013. “We know 2020 hunting license sales increased by about 5% over 2019, and those license buyers took home half a million more whitetails than the previous season or an increase of almost 9%,” Adams said. “They helped increase the antlerless harvest back above the buck harvest where it needs to be, but they also saw more mature bucks in the woods than ever before. Hunters are clearly reaping the benefits of more naturally balanced age structures in herds across the whitetail’s range.”

This news comes as some states begin to report a slight drop in the number of deer harvests for the most recent season. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), for example, announced its preliminary results for the 2021-2022 deer hunting season. Although the year was slightly lower than last year, it was still above the five-year average. Some other key findings from the new Deer Report include: 65% of deer harvested in the 2020-2021 season were shot with firearms, 26% were killed with archery equipment, and 9% with a muzzleloader. Texas had the highest total buck harvest in the nation, with 449,933 harvested deer.  Alabama saw the greatest increase in buck harvest from the season before, climbing by more than 27,000. Delaware increased its buck harvest by the greatest percentage of all states — 57%. The “Diamond State” also took the top spot in buck harvest per square mile, at 3.9. Mississippi hunters killed 74 bucks per hunter — the most in “bucks per hunter” in the nation.  You can download NDA’s 2022 Deer Report for a complete breakdown of state-by-state buck harvest estimates, buck age structures, and other harvest parameters. Are you ready to try your luck at deer hunting? HLRBO can help. HLRBO has thousands of listings all over the country. Long and short-term leases, hunting guides, and game farms. Best of all, HLRBO is completely free. Create a free account and get started today!