The 2021 Victorian Deer Harvest estimate report has been reached and there’s some great news for hunters in there,
According to the Game Management Authority’s Estimates of the 2021 Deer Harvest in Victoria report, 49,857 licensed hunters harvested 118,900 deer last year – representing a 20% increase in the number of deer hunters in 2020 and a 70% increase in the number of harvested deer.
The majority of the deer harvested were Sambar deer (68,916 deer), followed by Fallow (35,351 deer). Red Deer were a distant third (2,877 deer), trailed by Chital deer (421) and Hog deer (223), with no Rusa deer recorded.
The GMA acknowledges the increase is largely due to easing COVID restrictions in Victoria meaning more people can get out and hunt – but it’s still good to know there’s a lot of freezers in the region full of ethically harvested free-range venison!
