New York’s Deer Harvest Numbers Are In — And They’re Surprising

New York revealed the number of deer taken this season and the regions that dominated. One number in particular might shock longtime hunters.

The New York State DEC announced the deer hunting results for the 2024-2025 hunting season.

Deer Hunting Results For New York State

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According to the DEC, hunters harvested 223,304 deer during the 2024-25 hunting season.

This includes:

122,427 antlered bucks (adult males)
100,877 antlerless deer (adult females and fawns of either sex)

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"New York hunters had another safe and productive hunting season, providing a sustainable food source for themselves and their families and helping DEC manage the state’s deer herd," said DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton.

Overall Drop

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Across New York State, there was a 9 percent increase in antlered bucks and a 3 percent jump in antlerless deer, compared to the 2023-2024 deer hunting season.

However, the total number was slightly below the five-year average, officials say.

Where Deer Hunters Had The Most Success

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The DEC reports that the western part of the Finger Lakes region and the Lake Ontario Plains region had the highest deer harvest densities, with more than 10 deer harvested per square mile.

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Another notable stat is that nearly 67 percent of adult bucks were 2.5 years or older, that's a 53 percent increase from a decade ago, and 30 percent jump from the 1990s.

New Yorkers Encouraged to Remain Vigilant to Prevent the Spread of Chronic Wasting Disease

Last fall, Chronic Wasting Disease was confirmed in a captive red deer herd in the town of Columbia, Herkimer County.

Because of that news, the DEC tested 3,189 deer for CWD in 2024, the largest sampling effort since 2008.

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"No positive cases of CWD have been detected in wild deer since 2005," the DEC states.

Ranking 50 United States by Deer Population

The United States of America is home to one of the world's most impressive, and varied, deer herds. Using data gathered from each state by A-Z-Animals.com, let's count down to the state with the largest population of deer.

Gallery Credit: Scott Clow