2012-13 Virginia Deer Hunting Statistics

Wildlife biologists with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) recently released preliminary totals for deer harvests for the 2012-13 fall/winter hunting seasons.

During the past deer season 213,597 deer were reported killed by hunters in Virginia. The total included 96,712 antlered bucks, 18,061 button bucks, 98,781 does, and 43 unknown/sex not documented.

The fall 2012 deer kill total was down 8% from the 233,104 deer reported killed last year, and below the 10-year annual average of 232,573.

Total deer kill levels were down from last fall across most of Virginia, including Tidewater (down 15%), the Southern Piedmont (down 8%), the Northern Piedmont (down 9%), and the Southern Mountains (down 3%). Deer kill levels were stable in the Northern Mountains. Most of the decline in 2012 deer kill was in the female deer kill which was down 13% from 2011. The antlered buck kill was only down 2% from 2011.

Archers, not including crossbow hunters, killed 15,791 deer. The bow kill comprised 7% of the total deer kill. Crossbows resulted in a deer kill of 10,596 deer or 5% of the total. Muzzleloader hunters harvested 54,808 deer or 26% of the total deer kill. Nearly 160,000 deer (78%) were checked using the Department's telephone and Internet checking systems. The youth deer hunting day in September resulted in a deer kill of 1,977.

Total deer kill levels declined in 76 of 97 major deer management units. Five management units saw declines in the antlered buck kill of more than 20% from 2011, including King George (down 34%), Caroline (down 27%), Patrick (down 26%), Henry (down 26%) and Stafford (down 24%). In nearly all of these counties a significant outbreak of Hemorrhagic Disease is thought to be a major contributing factor in the declines.

Virginia's White-tailed Deer Management Plan can be viewed at www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/deer/management-plan/

Information about white-tailed deer in Virginia can be found at www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/deer/.

Source: Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries