LINCOLN – With preliminary Nebraska deer check-in numbers coming in, the 2022 statewide harvest is down nine percent compared to last year’s November firearm season.
According to a release from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, the nine-day season lasted from November 12 – 20 where 33,866 deer were harvested compared to 37,053 in 2021.
While the overall statewide trend was down compared to previous years, regions of the state varied. Deer harvest in southeast Nebraska was up 2% from 2021, while southwest Nebraska was down 15%. The northwest district was down 9% and the northeast district was down 9% from 2021.
Mule deer buck harvest decreased 10%, with 4,875 taken, compared to 5,407 in 2021. Whitetail buck harvest was down 12%, with 18,942 taken compared to 21,070 in 2021. Antlerless mule deer harvest was down 12%, while antlerless white-tailed deer harvest increased 1% compared to 2021.
Game and Parks officials state there are a couple primary factors in the decline in deer harvest. Considering the increases in antlerless harvest due to depredation complaints over the past few years, it’s not surprising harvest numbers would start trending downward at some point with those deer populations declining. A fair number of reports of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease the last two years have also been brought up, particularly in northern Nebraska and that likely had an impact on whitetail populations.
The archery season will close on December 31 while muzzleloader season will last from December 1 – 31. The late antlerless season will run January 1 – 15 while the River Antlerless late season will run January 1 – 31.
Hunters are reminded that mule deer does are protected in many management units and public lands across the state. Refer to the 2022 Big Game Guide for details or view it at outdoornebraska.gov/guides.
Hunters wishing to donate venison can use the Deer Exchange program by going to outdoornebraska.org for more details.
