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2003 Record Year For Deer Harvest In South Dakota
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[size 2]2003 Record Year For Deer Harvest In South Dakota[/size]

[size 2]PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota hunters can look back on 2003 as a record-setting year for deer harvest.[/size]

[size 2]According to harvest surveys compiled by the Department of Game, Fish and Parks, last year was the all-time highest recorded deer harvest in the state, and the fourth straight year that South Dakota’s deer harvest has increased.[/size]

[size 2]Game Harvest Survey Coordinator Corey Huxoll said that estimates indicate approximately 58,000 white-tailed deer and 12,000 mule deer were harvested during the 2003 hunting seasons, for a total of nearly 70,000 deer. That is an increase of more than 7,000 deer from 2002 and an increase of more than 24,000 deer since 1999. [/size]



[size 2]"We have harvest records back to 1929, when deer hunting was only allowed in the Black Hills, and never have hunters harvested as many deer as they did in 2003," Huxoll said. "An increase in the number of licenses available, the number of licenses an individual hunter could possess, season extensions and a decrease in the fees for antlerless licenses appear to have convinced hunters to go out and harvest an extra deer or two."[/size]

[size 2]Overall harvest success was similar to 2002 at 51 percent, and remained high despite an increase in the number of tags issued by more than 15,000 (8,425 of which were for the East River firearm season). Survey results indicated that there was a 43 percent increase in the West River firearm season doe harvest and a 24 percent increase in the East River firearm season doe harvest for a total increase of nearly 7,000 does from 2002.[/size]

[size 2]Most of the harvest increase consisted of whitetail does, which almost doubled from 16,553 in 1999 to 31,520 in 2003.[/size]

[size 2]"That is a good sign that the steps the department has taken to try to reduce the overabundant deer herd are beginning to have an effect," Huxoll said. "However, it may be another year or more before we are satisfied that the hunter harvest is effectively controlling the population."[/size]

[size 2]At least for the 2004 East River and West River firearm seasons, hunters should expect to have ample opportunity to harvest deer, both through the purchase of multiple licenses and through antlerless season extensions into December and/or January.[/size]

[size 2]"It is only through the cooperation of hunters completing harvest report cards that we are able to assess the success of the harvest for each of the deer seasons," Huxoll noted. "Some states have mandatory check stations and hunters may have to drive 20-30 miles or more only to wait in line to have someone visually document their harvest".[/size]

[size 2]The 2003 Big Game Harvest Projections Report is complete and can be accessed through the GFP web site at [/size][size 2][url "http://www.sdgfp.info/"][font "Arial"][#0000ff]www.sdgfp.info[/#0000ff][/font][/url][/size][font "Arial"][size 2] in the "What’s New" section, or can be requested in printed form from the Pierre office at 523 E. Capitol Avenue, 57501.[/size][/font]
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