Estimating The Deer and Bear Harvest (2025)

Mandatory Harvest Reporting

It took countless hours of work, days of scouting, trail cameras, top of the line gear, and the perfect shot, but you've done it, you've taken down that elusive buck or that crafty doe. Congratulations, you've earned it. Now comes the most important part - no, it's not field dressing, or dragging out your trophy, it's reporting your harvest. Be sure to report your deer harvest.

Calculating the Deer Harvest

Hunter Harvest Reports

Reporting your harvest is incredibly important. Hunter reports are a vital part of our deer management program, and without those reports DEC would not be able to effectively manage deer populations across the state. Not only are these reports essential for DEC's management program, reporting your harvest is also a legal requirement. We compile deer harvest data from two primary sources: hunter reports and DEC physical examination of harvested deer. Successful hunters are required by law to report their deer harvest within 7 days and may do so via DEC's automated phone report system, on-line, or mobile application. Additionally, DEC provides postcard report forms for hunters who do not possess a telephone.

The harvest report includes information that is critical for the harvest estimation process:

  • hunter ID number
  • carcass tag number
  • season
  • town, county, and Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) of kill

Other information in the report (e.g., sex of the deer or number of antler points) is useful should law enforcement action be necessary.

Deer Check

The other primary source of deer harvest data is the physical examination (check) of 14,000-17,000 hunter-harvested deer each fall by DEC staff. This deer check occurs predominantly at venison processing facilities and provides biological data about the harvest (e.g., sex and age of the deer, antler measurements, and other data as needed). Additionally, DEC staff record the deer carcass tag #, which is then compared against the hunter harvest reports to determine reporting rates.

Data Validation

After harvest data are compiled, they must be validated to identify erroneous records, such as those that contain incorrect town/county/WMU associations or spelling errors. We cross-reference all carcass tag numbers in the harvest report and deer check data files with a master list of tags issued to ensure only valid tags are included in the harvest calculation.

Calculating Reporting Rates

We use hunter reports and biologist checks to estimate reporting rates (Figure 1), which are an estimate of the percentage of deer harvested that were reported. Reporting rates (which vary by criteria such as region, season, and implement) are then applied to the appropriate records to estimate the total number of deer harvested. It is important to note that this process is conducted at the smallest spatial scale (Town/County/WMU; e.g., Saranac/Clinton/5C) and then summed to larger scales to ensure that estimated values are standardized.

Determining the Sex and Age Composition of the Harvest

Once the number of deer harvested is estimated, we then use DEC deer check data to determine the sex and age composition of harvested deer, such as:

  • fawn male
  • fawn female
  • adult male
  • adult female

Although hunters indicate the sex of deer in their harvest report, we rely on the physical examination of deer by DEC staff as a reliable sampling of harvested deer. By applying the age and sex distribution to the initial estimate, we then have the final deer harvest total by sex and age for each tag type, season, and location (e.g., county, town, WMU) in New York.

Accuracy of Harvest Estimate

Our system for calculating deer harvests was audited by a private group of professional statisticians in 1990. It was found to be very solid and produce highly reliable harvest estimates. The accuracy of our estimate varies from year to year based on changes in reporting rates and the number of deer checked by DEC biologists. However, our estimate has a precision within 1-2% annually.

Importance for Deer Management

Harvest reporting is essential for proper deer management. When hunters report their harvest, they perform a crucial step in the management process. Hunters are the sole source of two critical pieces of harvest information - when and where deer are taken. These data are used, together with reporting rates, to estimate the number of deer harvested in each town, county, and Wildlife Management Unit throughout the State.

Hunters in New York and across the nation face a growing battle to preserve the heritage and traditions they enjoy. Demonstrating to the general public that the hunting community takes seriously their role as cooperators in the game management process is an important element in maintaining their credibility and preserving their hunting traditions. Participation through game harvest reporting is integral in this process.

Contact for this Page

DFW, Bureau of Wildlife
625 Broadway
Albany, NY 12233

Phone: 518-402-8883

[emailprotected]

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Estimating The Deer and Bear Harvest (1)

Estimating The Deer and Bear Harvest (2025)

FAQs

How many does should I harvest? ›

If your goal is to increase the deer herd, harvest fewer than 20 to 30 percent of the does. If your goal is to decrease the herd, harvest more. Of course, this approach requires you to have an estimate of the number of does using your hunting land.

How do I report deer harvest in NY? ›

Call the toll-free automated reporting system at 1-866-GAME-RPT (1-866-426-3778). Use the New Game Harvest Mobile App (see below for details).

What does it mean to harvest deer? ›

“We use harvest,” one hunting mom said. “I think both apply. The animal is killed, but then gathered and used entirely. We aren't only killing.” Other commenters said that using a more “politically correct term such as harvest” sheds a more positive light on hunting.

Is it better to shoot bucks or does? ›

Doe harvesting helps balance the buck-to-doe ratio, which makes it easier to hunt trophy bucks. This is because bucks must work harder and travel more to find a mate in areas with less does.

Can you wait too long to harvest bud? ›

If you wait too long to harvest, it'll will essentially go “bad”. The flavor will be much softer and it'll take less time to cure.

How many bucks should be harvested per acre? ›

In general, you can produce about three to four 3½-year-old and older bucks for every 500 acres of high-quality habitat. I have helped manage lands where this number of bucks was difficult to reach and others with twice that harvest rate.

Is it better to harvest too early or too late? ›

It depends on the effects you're looking for. Early harvests provide a more energetic high, peak harvests offer a balanced high, and late harvests deliver a more relaxing and sedative effect.

Why is it illegal to feed deer in New York? ›

It is illegal to intentionally feed wild deer or moose in New York. Feeding of white-tailed deer causes unnatural concentrations near the food source, which can lead to ecological damage, damage to property, and an increased risk of transmission of disease between deer.

Do I need a police report if I hit a deer in NY? ›

New York state law requires motorists who hit an animal to stop, contact either the owner or the police, and file a report. Failing to do so can result in fines.

Can you retrieve a deer on someone else's property in NY? ›

If you shoot a deer and it runs onto posted property, you do not have the legal right to go on the property to retrieve it. You should locate the landowner, explain the situation, and ask permission. If the landowner refuses, the hunter will not be able to enter the property.

How long after killing a deer is the meat good? ›

Dry age the carcass or quarters for 2-21 days at a temperature between 34 and 37 degrees. A fridge (with racks removed) or meat locker works great to maintain even temperature. Get the right deer meat processing equipment. Cut and process the meat.

What to do immediately after killing a deer? ›

Hang Your Deer — Once you get your deer to your destination, make sure to hang it up right away. This keeps the deer off the ground and allows any remaining blood to drain out of its system. Now you can get your deer to the butcher or do the work yourself.

When a deer dies in your yard? ›

If you find sick or dead wildlife, contact your closest state or federal wildlife agency; they can decide whether to investigate. You might also contact your local health department to report this occurrence.

Can you have too many does on property? ›

And of course you need a few does around to attract bucks, but it becomes extremely easy to build a herd with too many does so quickly, that the more dominant sex -females- can easily take over any and all bedding areas.

How many deer should be on 400 acres? ›

Some properties can safely operate 1 deer for every 8 acres while others must keep their deer density closer to 1 deer per 15 or 25 acres. This varies across the whitetail deer's range as well as from property to property.

Why is the buck to doe ratio important? ›

And when a buck has to search or fight to find a doe, they'll have to cover more ground meaning it might be harder to pinpoint where they'll be. If the buck to doe ratio is fairly even, the bucks can stay where they're at and mate with the does in the area, rather than having to search for them.

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