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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Vollmer" data-source="post: 32220" data-attributes="member: 8014">[h=1]N.D. deer hunting success rises slightly in 2014[/h]Decline in gun tags contributes to 60 percent success rate, up from 55 percent in 2013. North Dakota deer hunters shot about 26,300 deer for a success rate of 60 percent during the 2014 deer gun hunting season, the state Game and Fish Department announced this week.By: Forum News Service, Forum News ServiceDecline in gun tags contributes to 60 percent success rate, up from 55 percent in 2013.North Dakota deer hunters shot about 26,300 deer for a success rate of 60 percent during the 2014 deer gun hunting season, the state Game and Fish Department announced this week.Game and Fish offered 48,000 deer gun licenses in 2014, the lowest number since 1980, and all licenses were issued. Hunters spent an average of 4.4 days in the field.Hunter success for antlered white-tailed deer was 60 percent, and antlerless whitetail was 56 percent.Mule deer buck hunters fared better, with a success rate of 82 percent. Game and Fish didn't issue any mule deer doe licenses in 2014.Hunters with any-antlered or any-antlerless licenses generally shot white-tailed deer, as the licenses were predominantly in units with mostly whitetails. Buck hunters had a success rate of 65 percent, while doe hunters had a success rate of 63 percent.Game and Fish issued 932 muzzleloader licenses in 2014, and 814 hunters killed 356 whitetails -- 171 antlered and 185 antlerless deer. Hunter success was 44 percent, with each hunter spending an average of 5.4 days in the field.In addition, Game and Fish issued a record 23,450 archery licenses -- 21,500 resident and 1,950 nonresident -- in 2014. Department numbers show 19,918 bow hunters shot 6,046 deer -- 5,593 whitetails and 453 mule deer -- for a success rate of 30 percent. Bucks accounted for 78 percent of the harvest, and archers spent an average of 10.7 days afield.Game and Fish is in the process of determining license numbers for the 2015 deer proclamation, and department staff will discuss the recommendations at the upcoming spring Game and Fish public advisory board meetings, scheduled for March 30-31 and April 6-7.Game and Fish holds the meetings every spring and fall in each of the state's eight advisory board districts. The spring advisory board schedule includes meetings at 7 p.m. March 30 at Lake Region State College in Devils Lake and 7 p.m. April 6 in the UND Memorial Union.The proclamation will be sent to Gov. Jack Dalrymple's office for approval in late April.As deer numbers decline, Game and Fish has reduced deer gun tags the past several years in an effort to achieve the 70 percent success rate widely considered the benchmark for hunter satisfaction in the state.Ideally, deer populations would be high enough to accommodate 124,000 licenses and 70 percent success.Here's a look at license numbers and hunter success in the previous five years.• 2009: 144,400 licenses; 85,000 deer; 59 percent success.• 2010: 116,775 licenses; 67,000 deer; 64 percent success.• 2011: 109,950 licenses; 57,000 deer; 52 percent success.• 2012: 65,300 licenses; 34,500 deer; 63 percent success.• 2013: 59,500 licenses; 32,725 deer; 55 percent success.In addition to harvest rates and winter aerial surveys, Game and Fish monitors a number of other population indices to determine license numbers, along with depredation reports, hunter observations, input at advisory board meetings and comments from the public, landowners and department field staff.- See more at: <a href="http://www.northlandoutdoors.com/event/article/id/234134/#sthash.jkpLipck.dpuf" target="_blank">http://www.northlandoutdoors.com/event/article/id/234134/#sthash.jkpLipck.dpuf</a></blockquote>

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