Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Friday, April 29, 2016
(UNDATED) - Indiana hunters harvested 123,664 deer during the 2015 season, according to data released by the Department of Natural Resources.
This is a 3 percent increase from the 120,073 deer taken during the 2014 season.
The antlered deer harvest was 10 percent higher than the 2014 harvest, while the antlerless harvest was 1 percent lower than in 2014.
The overall 2015 deer harvest ranks as the 10th highest in Indiana history. The 2015 antlerless deer harvest ranks 11th highest.
To view the full report, go to widlife.IN.gov and locate "2015 Deer Report" in the "Hunting and Trapping" panel.
The 2015 season was composed of four statewide segments: youth (Sept. 26 -27); archery (Oct. 1 to Jan. 3); firearms (Nov. 14-29); and muzzleloader (Dec. 5-20).
A late antlerless season was available from Dec. 26 to Jan. 3 in 60 counties, with additional date restrictions for counties with "A" designated quotas. Also, hunters could harvest additional deer beyond the statewide bag limits in designated deer reduction zones during the deer reduction zone season which opened Sept. 15 and continued through Jan. 31.
Firearms season was the most productive, accounting for 72,555 deer, or 59 percent of the total harvest.
Archery season accounted for 32,753 deer, or 26 percent, followed by the muzzleloader season with 10,784 (9 percent), special antlerless firearms season with 5,105 (4 percent) and youth season with 2,467 (2 percent).
The total number of deer taken with a firearm during the deer reduction zone season was incorporated with the firearms season total, while the total taken with archery equipment was included in the archery season total.
Harvest exceeded 1,000 deer in 58 counties, 2,000 in 17 counties and 3,000 in one county.
Harrison County was the top producer for the third season, with 3,227 deer taken. Benton County had the fewest deer taken (90), followed by Tipton County (114).
The nine counties after Harrison with the greatest harvest in descending order were: Washington (2,891), Franklin (2,890), Switzerland (2,653), Noble (2,624), Dearborn (2,559), Steuben (2,523), Lawrence (2,502), Parke (2,390) and Crawford (2,370).
Three counties set unofficial record harvests in 2015. They were Dubois (2,040), Henry (601) and Lawrence (2,502).
For the first time, all harvested deer were checked in electronically.
Hunters have harvested approximately 3.5 million deer during 64 hunting seasons in Indiana.
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