How many deer can you kill in your home state?

[Ben Lamb]

In Michigan!……..oh hell, nobody cares.

Michigan: where bows have 5 rounds, and sound like a rifle.

 

[BOHNTR]

Arizona- one buck per calendar year.

 

[JDH]

Indiana
Bucks 1
If you can hunt an urban zone 1 addition buck.
If you get to drawn for a state park deer reduction hunt 1 addional buck per state park reduction hunt. Reduction hunts are residents only
Doe
2 archery
1 muzzleloader
Bonus antlerless based on county quota but you can literally go to every county in the state and kill that counties quota. If you did that you would be able to harvest close to 1000 antlerless deer!

I think one of the proposals for next season is trying to implement a max of 6 antlerless per hunter across the state. Of course the exception would be reduction zones.

 

[mntatonka]

5 in MN, only 1 can be a buck.

incorrect, although that's the case in most of the state.

If you get to the southeast, you can take an essentially unlimited number, including bucks. If you skip the CWD season in December, you can still take 3 bucks, one with each license type, up to 5 total, with 2 more in October.

edit, I should have read farther and seen more replies!

 

[rjthehunter]

incorrect, although that's the case in most of the state.

If you get to the southeast, you can take an essentially unlimited number, including bucks. If you skip the CWD season in December, you can still take 3 bucks, one with each license type, up to 5 total, with 2 more in October.

edit, I should have read farther and seen more replies!

I kept it simple the first time! It's an absolute mess of info to figure it all out. CWD really made a mess of the seasons!

 

[mntatonka]

I kept it simple the first time! It's an absolute mess of info to figure it all out. CWD really made a mess of the seasons!

Yeah, but I'm not complaining...I'm happy to be able to hunt the A and B seasons now.

 

[rebjfan]

Depends on which section of the state you're in and if it's private or public.

14 !

With CWD in the north central unit, you can now kill 4 bucks and 5 does on public, or 10 does on private.

Most of the state is 3 bucks, 5 does. The Southeast zone is only 2 does.

Daily bag limit on bucks is one. Bag limit on Does is one daily on public. No daily bag limit on does on private, you can kill all five or ten in one day.

A tagging system is pointless with this type of bag limit, but optional or mandatory harvest reporting would be nice to see the data.

I think the mdwfp folks here do not have a clue how many deer are killed in any county. I don’t think they have a clue how many deer are in any county, so how can they manage the deer herd?

 

[CMF]

I think the mdwfp folks here do not have a clue how many deer are killed in any county. I don’t think they have a clue how many deer are in any county, so how can they manage the deer herd?

It's a good question

 

[Robert N]

I’ll expound on TN just a bit more:

2 bucks statewide with the exception noted above.

Second buck exception: draw hunt bonus bucks

Far East TN (lowest deer density, non-traveling scenario):
2 bucks
2 antlerless archery
1 antlerless ml
1 antlerless Gun (date restricted)
Total: 6

SE TN (mid deer density, non-travel scenario):
2 bucks
4 antlerless archery
2 antlerless ml
2 antlerless gun
Total: 10

Mid and West TN (high deer density Unit L, non-CWD, non-travel scenario):
2 bucks
294 does (assuming 98 day season)
Total: 296

CWD Zone:
I can’t keep up with the convoluted replacement tag scenarios. Apparently you can kill more than Unit L

Of course, hunters are allowed to travel across unit lines to increase their antlerless harvest. Draw hunts often do not count towards statewide bag limits, but not always

Re: Middle Tennessee:

One caveat to the bucks/does: it’s Antlered vs. Antlerless deer. Antlered deer are defined as a having one antler longer than 3”.

So, button bucks are fair game and considered to be Antlerless.

Whack ‘em and stack ‘em on does.

 

[EastTNHunter]

Re: Middle Tennessee:

One caveat to the bucks/does: it’s Antlered vs. Antlerless deer. Antlered deer are defined as a having one antler longer than 3”.

So, button bucks are fair game and considered to be Antlerless.

Whack ‘em and stack ‘em on does.

Correct on does vs antlerless, dunno how I got it wrong on that one.

 

[LousyResident]

Sounds like I need to start driving further west to hunt lol. The deer population south of Knoxville is rough.

 

[shannerdrake]

Indiana

1. For simplicity sake - there is a “deer bundle” that gives you the right to hunt deer during any of the main seasons (archery, firearm, muzzleloader, and late antlerless (currently suspended)). With this tag you can shoot 1 buck and 2 does.
2. However, each county has a bonus antlerless quota that is limited in each county ranging from 0 to as many as 3. These tags can be purchased for around $30 per tag and a hunter could theoretically shoot the bonus antlerless limit in each of our 92 counties. Although that never happens.

Additionally, we have an Urban Deer zone that allows you a second buck but this land is entirely private and is located in our extremely populated metro areas.

We also have a few “reduction” hunts that are on a draw system and gives you the right to hunt various parks, refuges, or special case state owned land. You are able to shoot another buck and a set or unlimited number of does on these.

3. None

In summary for the average hunter hunting in a county, you can pretty easily shoot 1 buck and then somewhere between 0-3 “antlerless deer” (I just call them does because I’m a redneck).

Theoretically you could kill as many as 3 bucks and well over 100 does (but no one ever has). I would love to contact our DNR and see if they have documented/tracked and could share the most deer ever killed by a legal hunter.

 

[Redman]

I think one of the proposals for next season is trying to implement a max of 6 antlerless per hunter across the state. Of course the exception would be reduction zones.

Biologist told me there were going to be changes and it sounds like 3 doe cap.

 

[David Gough]

Nevada

One deer per year in the draw. No antlerless hunts will be offered in 2024, including juniors. Nevada's deer herd is hurting and in serious trouble.

You can buy as many landowner tags as you want, but they go from $5,000 - $20,000+.

 

[ismith]

All of them.

 

[wheels]

2 if draw second deer tag

 

[devon deer]

As many as I like, and many farms wish I could/would shoot more.

 

[Vanishe187]

I live in NM and it's 1 deer per person here. Either you can get a draw or buy a landowners tag. Really makes me jealous of other states being able to get more than 1. No doe hurts either except for a couple units, called an urban hunt. Can only do do hunt if you had buck hunt in that unit for archery. Doe hunt is after all hunts have ended usually end of January till February here for that doe hunt.

 

[Dubz337]

I am Metis and have my harvesting rights, so I have no bag limits on any big game animal as long as it isn't endangered. Don't have to apply for tags or draws. No seasons either so I can go hunt year round. I can't complain haha but that also means as an individual I have to use that responsibly and set a code for myself so I'm not abusing it or doing dumb stuff.

 

[Thistledew]

A recent exchange on another thread has me curious how many deer the average hunter can kill in each state.

Please note that I am not asking how many deer the average hunter kills, I am asking how many they could legally kill if they maxed out the available opportunity. Although the number of deer the average hunter kills could be good additional info. I'm sure there is a lot of nuance and individual state regulations that makes an apples to apples comparison difficult but let's give it shot. I guess I could go to each state's game management website and try to figure it out but I bet I can get faster answers here.

Generally, I'm most interested in item 1 below, the number of tags a single resident hunter can have each season; or if your state allows multiple deer to be harvested per tag, the number of deer that can be harvested on OTC opportunities.

If you choose to respond I would ask that you separate your answers into the following categories. If your state has another category, by all means list it as well. Provide a short explanation as you feel is necessary or average success rates.

1. How many deer can the average hunter kill on OTC tags?
2. How many deer can be added to item 1 by drawing limited quota or controlled tags?
3. How many deer can be added to the total by utilizing landowner tags?

For Idaho:
1. 1 OTC tag per resident. 1 more if there are leftover NR tags and you pay the NR price tag. The tag can be used on a buck or doe depending on specific seasons and units. Success rates generally fall between 20-30%.
2. 1 extra antlerless tag in specific units. A resident who draws a tag for antlered deer cannot buy a OTC tag for deer in the same year.
3. Depends on acreage but these tags are also limited on a unit by unit basis and landowners must enter a separate Landowner drawing pool.

In Idaho if you draw a limited quota tag for antlered deer, you cannot buy an OTC tag; it is an either/or situation. You are limited to 1 deer tag per year unless you draw an extra-antlerless tag or buy a leftover NR tag at the NR price.

So in general, the average hunter in Idaho can kill 1 deer per year and only 30% of them are successful.

Massachusetts: 2 Buck tags (Buck is any deer with at least 3" antlers)
Doe tag is a lottery system so one can apply for a doe tag; I may get one every few years.
However, in the eastern part of the state where there are too many deer (or not enough hunters) and lots of posted land, as a doe tag is filled you can purchase an unlimited number of tags.