Hunters at Griffy Lake harvested 19 deer over two deer hunt weekends last month. That is significantly lower than previous years.
Last year, 33 deer were removed. Since 2017, the hunt has annually harvested 26 to 62 deer.
Griffy Lake is designated by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources as a deer reduction zone. The DNR schedules deer hunts to keep the deer population under control, and to maintain wildlife diversity.
Steve Cotter, Bloomington’s natural resources manager, says the lower total of deer removed could be because previous hunts reduced the overall population. It could also be the weather.
“It was pretty warm right up until the hunt began, he said. “So it's possible that the deer weren't out moving around as much, looking for food, as they had been in previous years.”
Despite the low number of deer removed, Cotter said it will still benefit plant growth.
“We do this program for the benefit of the plants, which then are required for the wildlife to survive at a nature preserve. So we're hopeful that it's being successful and that the plants will rebound.”
While it is an option for hunters to donate the deer meat to food banks, Cotter said hunters at Griffy chose to keep the meat or give it to friends and family.
More than 110,000 deer have been harvested in Indiana this year.
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