Deer Management Update

2007 Harvest By DMZ

Deer Harvest Summary 1997 - 2008

2008 Deer Management Contibutor Program

NS History of Deer Harvest
1926 - 2005

Deer Management Update 2008

Status, Harvest & Condition of Deer in Nova Scotia

	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
Spring Herd Size Estimate (PGI)	51,504	52,570	46,549	47,475	45,332	37,170 ¹	43,139	55,532
Total Registered Harvest²	9,602	9,319	7,301	7,814	7,200	9,491	10,075	12,568
Total Antlered Deer Harvested	6,526	6,263	5,516	6,045	5,850	7,992	8,447	8,613
Total Antlerless Deer Harvested	3,076	3,056	1,785	1,769	1,350	1,494	1,606	3,923
Total License Sales	48,533	45,763	42,260	39,343	38,421	38, 973	39,193	33,396
Overall Hunter Success(%)	19.8	20.4	17.3	19.9	18.7	24.3	25.7	37.6
Bow Stamps Issued	2,670	2,475	2,307	2,192	2,164	2,338	2,371	2,096
Harvest by Bow	220	214	242	222	222	261	297	472
Non-Resident Licenses	623	538	450	397	377	373	389	322
Non-Resident Harvest	109	59	63	79	50	105	87	104
Fetuses per 100 Adult Does (> 2.5 yrs)	169	151	141	163	154	138	179	164
Mean Yearling Antler Beam Dia. (mm)	21.0	22.1	21.2	20.8	20.1	20.9	23.8	20.9
% Herd Mature Bucks - Post Hunt	25.0	26.5	20.4	15.9	13.3	20.4	22.65	N/A
% Herd Nutritionally Stressed³	47.6	14.9	18.3	23.7	16.7	6.6 (166)	12.6 (199)	5.9 (271)

¹ In Spring 2006, not all deer PGI plots were completed as effort was focussed on plots for mainland moose. Thus there is low confidence in the 2006 herd size estimate.
² Kills of unknown sex included in total

³Determined by assessing bone marrow fat content of dead deer found during 1 February through 15 May. When 25% or less fat remaining, the deer is considered to be in a state of advanced starvation.The value displayed in parentheses ( ) is the number of deer checked for condition in that year.

* License sale figures current as of March 2009 (not final)

Year 2008 Harvest by Deer Management Zone

D.M. Zone	ADHS Available	Applications Received	Antlerless Deer Kill Reported	"Buck" Kill Reported	Total Kill¹
1	1,000	3,408	242	1,260	1,503
2	3,000	6,560	718	1,775	2,508
2 A *	4,521	4,624	1,554	805	2,365
3	0	N/A	0	124	124
4	7,000	13,348	1,408	3,644	5,062
5	0	N/A	0	589	589
6	0	N/A	0	370	370
7	0	N/A	0	42	42
Unknown²	-	-	1	4	5
Total	15,521	27,940	3,923	8,613	12,568

¹ Kills of unknown sex included in the total.
² Hunters did not indicate on Registration Forms, the DMZ for these kills.

* Includes applications from special second application period .

Deer Harvest Summary 1997 - 2008

	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
Annapolis	427	457	605	672	394	429	309	381	370	489	542	551
Antigonish	355	469	631	605	322	392	210	216	227	287	304	396
Cape Breton	290	365	428	461	149	135	62	51	54	112	147	157
Colchester	1,020	1,382	1,639	1,805	1,032	1,173	704	859	799	1,143	1,126	1,454
Cumberland	842	1,058	1,414	1,384	694	707	609	573	568	780	927	1,053
Digby	347	392	528	536	337	338	260	243	228	323	411	433
Guysborough	527	669	713	710	339	363	223	226	267	376	352	373
Halifax	795	1,071	1,230	1,379	795	763	448	525	456	658	657	691
Hants	854	1,114	1,401	1,536	842	848	634	604	628	861	956	1,244
Inverness	392	456	508	399	134	66	55	43	21	67	83	79
Kings	402	496	775	872	453	384	332	368	301	445	495	404
Lunenburg	1,118	1,485	1,986	2,429	1,695	1,536	1,600	1,847	1,676	1,876	1,923	3,248
Pictou	869	1,158	1,377	1,508	748	741	530	547	472	675	698	855
Queens	447	560	617	747	481	413	391	402	335	435	359	572
Richmond	319	434	576	541	210	116	80	48	22	124	120	146
Shelburne	343	561	530	725	465	467	335	383	300	338	355	415
Victoria	103	125	81	30	20	16	12	8	10	24	23	26
Yarmouth	413	558	633	768	492	432	465	429	370	427	561	397
Unknown	0	76	146	72	0	0	42	61	49	51	36	74
Total Harvest	9,863	12,886	15,818	17,179	9,602	9,319	7,301	7,814	7,151	9,491	10,075	12,568
Total License Sales	58,061	54,036	55,808	53,060	48,533	45,763	42,260	39,343	35,662	38,973	39,193	33,396*
Hunter Success (%)	19	23.8	28.3	34.2	19.8	20.4	17.3	19.9	20.1	24.3	25.7	37.6*

* 2008 licence sales and hunter success rate current as of March 2009 (not final)

The data used to complete the chart is derived from jaws submitted from successful hunters
males = 647 jaws
females = 192 jaws

Nova Scotia's History of Deer Harvest, 1926- 2005

graph

Contact:

Tony Nette, Wildlife Manager, Large Mammals
Jennifer Madden , Wildlife Technician, Large Mammals

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Page last updated March 2009