02-10-2004, 04:21 AM
Lincoln, Neb. – Preliminary harvest figures for Nebraska’s 2003 nine-day November firearm deer season show that 52 percent of the 65,726 permit holders were successful, according to Kit Hams, the Game and Parks Commission’s big game program manager.
Hams said of the 34,242 deer harvested, 7,741 were mule deer and 26,501 were whitetail deer. The 2003 November firearm season overall harvest was down slightly from that of 35,565 in 2002.
The deer harvest in the eastern and southern deer units was similar to last year, but Hams said, “the harvest of whitetail deer in the western two-thirds of the state was down in many units, as the combined effect of drought and epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) appears to have caused a significant decline in whitetails.”
Hams said the staff will consider recommending changes in permit quotas and regulations for next year’s deer season in response to the population changes.
Permit quotas and regulations for the 2004 deer season will be set at the March 24 commission meeting in Lincoln.
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Hams said of the 34,242 deer harvested, 7,741 were mule deer and 26,501 were whitetail deer. The 2003 November firearm season overall harvest was down slightly from that of 35,565 in 2002.
The deer harvest in the eastern and southern deer units was similar to last year, but Hams said, “the harvest of whitetail deer in the western two-thirds of the state was down in many units, as the combined effect of drought and epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) appears to have caused a significant decline in whitetails.”
Hams said the staff will consider recommending changes in permit quotas and regulations for next year’s deer season in response to the population changes.
Permit quotas and regulations for the 2004 deer season will be set at the March 24 commission meeting in Lincoln.
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