by STEVEN M. KENDUS | MARCH 4, 2021 – Beating Delaware’s previous deer harvest record (16,969) by 296, Delaware hunters harvested 17,265 deer during the 2020-2021 hunting season. In a news release issued by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control on March 4, 2021, the department also announced that 2020-2021 was the eighth consecutive Delaware deer hunting season in which more than 14,000 deer were harvested.
As in previous years, Sussex County’s harvest numbers were the highest in the state with 9,580 deer, while Kent County hunters harvested 4,863 deer and New Castle County hunters harvested 2,822.
Additional 2020-2021 Delaware deer harvest statistics released by DNREC include:
- 7,072 deer were harvested during the November shotgun season (surpassing the previous record of 7,016)
- 14.8% of Delaware’s total 2020-2021 deer harvest occurred on public land (surpassing the previous record of 14.4%)
- Nine Delaware wildlife management zones (6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 17) had record deer harvests
- 8,439 adult does were harvested (surpassing the previous record of 8,122)
- 2,168 deer were harvested on Sundays
- 9,722 does (56.3% of total harvest) of all age classes were harvested
- 7,543 bucks (43.7% of total harvest) were harvested
- Antlerless deer (does and bucks without antlers or antlers measuring less than three inches) accounted for 72.4% of the total harvest
Delaware deer hunters also donated 758 deer to the Sportsman Against Hunger Program, which provided 84,000 meals (21,000 pounds of processed venison) to those in need.