Record Number of Deer Harvested in Nebraska

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LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraska deer hunters produced a big year in 2010, setting records for overall and antlerless whitetail harvest, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

That went a long way to help Game and Parks, which has a goal of reducing the whitetail population in eastern Nebraska by killing more antlerless deer. Here’s how:

The total deer harvest during the 2010 season was 88,034 (77,028 whitetails and 10,709 mule deer). While a record 37,967 whitetail bucks were killed, a record 39,198 antlerless whitetails also were killed – marking the first time the antlerless whitetail harvest surpassed whitetail buck harvest.

The antlerless whitetail harvest increased by nearly 9,000 from 2009. Bonus tags, antlerless-first mandates in some units, additional hunting opportunities, and $6 youth permits all contributed to the antlerless whitetail harvest.

Here are other highlights to the 2010 big game hunting seasons:

— A record 141,573 deer permits were sold. The number of firearm permits sold increased while the number of archery and muzzleloader permits sold decreased from 2009.

— Deer hunter success rates were 68 percent for firearm, 40 for archery and 37 for muzzleloader.

— Electronic checking helped wildlife managers obtain harvest information faster. There were 25,000 deer checked via telephone or online.

— The first year of the $6 youth deer permit was popular, with 11,255 permits sold.

— Age structure of whitetails and mule deer bucks continues to improve. A record 75 percent of whitetail bucks and 83 percent of mule deer bucks taken were age 2 or older.

— Record numbers of youth (11,255) and nonresident (15,300) permits were sold.

— A record 166 elk were harvested – 77 bulls and 89 cows.

— There were 793 antelope harvested, including 509 in the firearm season, 185 in the archery season and 99 in the muzzleloader season.

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