ND deer hunting success rates released

North Dakota hunters reported success in the fields during the 2021 deer season. A post-season survey by the Game and Fish Department sug-gests hunters harvested 32,793 deer – a success rate of 57%. A total of 72,200 deer gun licenses were issued last year.
A total of 1,336 muzzleloader licenses were dished out. Hunter success was 47%.
A total of 29,762 archery licenses were issued in 2021 for a success rate of 31%.
The department is in the process of determining recommendations for licenses in 2022.
In addition to harvest rates and winter aerial surveys, Game and Fish staff monitor other population indices to determine license numbers, in-cluding depredation reports, hunter observations, input at advisory board meetings, and comments from the public, landowners and de-partment field staff.