(WJET/WFXP)-- The Pennsylvania Game Commission (PAGC) has released their harvest estimates for the 2024-25 season reporting approximately 11% more deer were harvested this year.
Pennsylvania hunters were busy this year with an estimated harvest of 476,880 deer, roughly 46,000 more than the amount harvested during the 2023-2024 though one PAGC official said that was part of the goal.
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This year, one of the PAGC's goals was to cut down on the amount of deer in the Commonwealth that are impacted by chronic waste disease, especially in areas where deer are impacting forest health and growing populations.
"Harvest estimates can fluctuate from year to year from a number of factors, so we caution reading too much into annual variation in harvest,” Game Commission Deer and Elk Section Supervisor David Stainbrook said. “The trends in data are what give a truer picture of what’s going on. We manage deer over longer periods of time, for example, looking at six-year population trends.”
Of the deer harvested this year, approximately 175,280 were antlered while the remaining 301,600 were antlerless. The buck take was up 2% over the year before, and 9% over the most recent three-year average while the antlerless harvest increased 17% over the year before and 21% over the three-year average.
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Those harvest amounts are measured in Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) with the collected data coming from hunters' reports along with data from deer checked by crews at processors across the state.
Hunters, of course, play a huge role in getting those numbers down in both the short and long term despite possible fluctuations in harvest amounts as one official pointed out.
“Pennsylvania’s hunting heritage is strong, and deer season reliably brings immeasurable enjoyment to hundreds of thousands of hunters who spend fall and winter days afield with family and friends, celebrating tradition,” Game Commission Executive Director Steve Smith said. “But those hunters also are key to managing an important resource so many of us care about. We rely on their commitment to conservation and they deserve our thanks.”
According to the PAGC, rifle hunters played the biggest role in reducing deer populations, taking in an estimated 283,760 deer, of which 86,530 were antlered and 197,230 were antlerless. Archers also helped with an estimated 87,540 antlered deer and 90,600 antlerless, while muzzleloaders got an estimated 1,210 antlered deer and 13,770 antlerless.
A full breakdown of deer harvested by area can be seen below with a breakdown by section available on the PAGC website here.
WMU 1A: 8,900 antlered (8,000), 16,600 antlerless (13,800).
WMU 1B: 9,200 antlered (10,300), and 14,100 antlerless (13,600).
WMU 2A: 8,800 antlered (10,000), and 13,800 antlerless (13,300).
WMU 2B: 8,000 antlered (7,000), and 14,300 antlerless (16,000).
WMU 2C: 10,400 antlered (10,600), and 21,700 antlerless (20,600).
WMU 2D: 13,400 antlered (11,800), and 28,800 antlerless (21,400).
WMU 2E: 6,800 antlered (6,900), and 14,900 antlerless (12,800).
WMU 2F: 11,100 antlered (9,100), and 17,700 antlerless (13,900).
WMU 2G: 9,300 antlered (8,100), and 8,200 antlerless (6,500).
WMU 3A: 6,300 antlered (5,200), and 6,600 antlerless (6,000).
WMU 3B: 7,100 antlered (7,700), and 8,500 antlerless (7,600).
WMU 3C: 10,500 antlered (8,900), and 12,300 antlerless (10,600).
WMU 3D: 5,600 antlered (6,200), and 7,700 antlerless (7,300).
WMU 4A: 4,000 antlered (5,700), and 9,700 antlerless (9.300).
WMU 4B: 6,200 antlered (5,000), and 12,600 antlerless (9,500).
WMU 4C: 8,000 antlered (8,200), and 12,000 antlerless (6,700).
WMU 4D: 8,600 antlered (8,400), and 15,800 antlerless (13,500).
WMU 4E: 7,400 antlered (8,100), and 15,900 antlerless (13,700).
WMU 5A: 3,900 antlered (4,100), and 8,300 antlerless (7,800).
WMU 5B: 11,200 antlered (9,700), and 17,200 antlerless (14,300).
WMU 5C: 7,700 antlered (9,100), and 17,000 antlerless (13,100).
WMU 5D: 2,300 antlered (2,900), and 7,700 antlerless (6,700).
Unknown WMU: 580 antlered (600), and 200 antlerless (410).
