The preliminary deer harvest numbers are in for the 2023 season

The preliminary deer harvest numbers are in for the 2023 season. Vermont Fish & Wildlife says hunters took 16,800 deer overall, with the buck harvest of 9,800 higher than last year and above the three-year average of 9,336. The antlerless deer harvest of 7,000, was below the three-year average of 8,101. Officials point to poor weather and less hunter effort during the bow and muzzleloader seasons as contributing factors to the lower harvest. Overall, they say the numbers are consistent with the last few years. “This is about where we would like to be in terms of how many deer are taken by hunters each year. And in most of the state we are right on where we want to be,” said the department’s Nick Fortin. The official numbers are expected in March.