The New York State DEC recently released the deer harvest statistics from the 2023-24 hunting season. The estimated harvest reflects a statewide decrease of 9.8 percent.

In 2023, 209,781 deer were taken compared to 231,961 in 2022. The number is also down from the 5-year average of 229,839.

The greatest contributor to this decrease was a lower antlered deer harvest, which saw a 15.6 percent decrease, falling below both the 2022 harvest and the 5-year average.  

In 2023 hunters harvested 97,557 antlerless deer, which includes both adult does and fawns, which amounted to a 17.8 percent drop from 2022.

According to the DEC annual report, this past deer season harvest included twice as many older bucks, that are 2 1/2 years old or older, than were harvested in the early 1990’s and nearly five times as many than were harvested in 1969 when DEC first began monitoring the age structure of the deer herd.

DEC Commissioner Sean Mahar said, “Nearly 70 percent of the bucks harvested by hunters during the 2023-24 deer hunting seasons were two years or older, this demonstrates the continued effectiveness of DEC’s Let Young Bucks Go and Watch Them Grow campaign, and the willingness to voluntarily pass up opportunities to harvest older bucks.” 

Among the antlerless deer harvest, 14 percent of those were buck fawns, compared to 12.8 percent in 2022.

The archery statewide take was down 7.8 percent from the 2022 harvest of 39,271 compared to 45,433 in 2023. The archery five-year average take is 52,284.

New York’s crossbow hunting, limited to only hunters with disabilities, deer take of 16,883 was 2.4 percent higher than 16,495 in 2022. The five-year average is 12,712.

The muzzleloading deer take was also lower in 2023 with 17,843 compared to 23,856 deer taken in 2022. The five-year average is 19,194, and 62.4 percent of the muzzleloading harvest was antlerless deer.