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Statewide Annual Harvest Reports

Hunter survey results on the 2019-20 hunting season by deer management unit

The FWC commissioned Responsive Management, an internationally recognized public opinion and attitude survey research firm specializing in natural resource and outdoor recreation issues, to conduct an annual scientific survey of licensed deer hunters in Florida. The survey was conducted to determine deer harvest in Florida by deer management unit (DMU) during the 2019-2020 hunting season. In June 2020, the firm interviewed by telephone a random sample of deer hunters in each of the 12 DMUs to collect data on the number of people who hunted deer, where they hunted (county or WMA), how many days they hunted, what methods of take were used, how many deer they harvested (bucks and does), and number of antler points. The following graphs summarize highlights of this statistically valid survey. Please email Deer.Management@MyFWC.com for complete survey results.

Bar graph showing estimated harvest of deer on public and private land in each Deer Management Unit (DMU) during the 2019-20 hunting season: Zone A (public: 1,100; private:1,984), DMU-B1 (public: 1,179; private: 1,212), DMU-C1 (public: 820; private: 2,622), DMU-C2 (public: 1,198; private: 1,513), DMU-C3 (public: 2,317; private: 9,229), DMU-C4 (public: 2,256; private: 4,798), DMU-C5 (public: 592; private: 6,902), DMU-C6 (public: 1,316; private: 8,289), DMU-D1 (public: 3,465; private: 8,051), DMU-

Figure 1. Bar graph showing estimated harvest of bucks and does in each Deer Management Unit (DMU) during the 2019-20 hunting season: Zone A (bucks: 2,032; does: 1,052), DMU-B1 (bucks: 1,891; does: 500), DMU-C1 (bucks: 2,305; does: 1,142), DMU-C2 (bucks: 1,974; does: 738), DMU-C3 (bucks: 8,095; does: 3,451), DMU-C4 (bucks: 4,688; does: 2,405), DMU-C5 (bucks: 5,108; does: 2,389), DMU-C6 (bucks: 5,868; does: 3,751), DMU-D1 (bucks: 8,178; does: 3,338), DMU-D2 (bucks: 6,365; does: 3,650).

Bar graph showing estimated harvest of deer on public and private land in each Deer Management Unit (DMU) during the 2019-20 hunting season: Zone A (public: 1,100; private:1,984), DMU-B1 (public: 1,179; private: 1,212), DMU-C1 (public: 820; private: 2,622), DMU-C2 (public: 1,198; private: 1,513), DMU-C3 (public: 2,317; private: 9,229), DMU-C4 (public: 2,256; private: 4,798), DMU-C5 (public: 592; private: 6,902), DMU-C6 (public: 1,316; private: 8,289), DMU-D1 (public: 3,465; private: 8,051), DMU-

Figure 2. Estimated deer harvest during the 2019-20 hunting season for public and private land by Deer Management Unit. Zone A (public: 1,100; private:1,984), DMU-B1 (public: 1,179; private: 1,212), DMU-C1 (public: 820; private: 2,622), DMU-C2 (public: 1,198; private: 1,513), DMU-C3 (public: 2,317; private: 9,229), DMU-C4 (public: 2,256; private: 4,798), DMU-C5 (public: 592; private: 6,902), DMU-C6 (public: 1,316; private: 8,289), DMU-D1 (public: 3,465; private: 8,051), DMU-D2 (public: 2,013; private: 7,971).

Bar graph showing estimated harvest of bucks per hunter during the 2019-20 hunting season: 0 bucks (90,646 hunters), 1 buck (21,400 hunters), 2 bucks (7,943 hunters), 3 bucks (2,733 hunters), 4 bucks (584 hunters), 5 bucks (187 hunters).

Figure 3. Estimated harvest of bucks per hunter during the 2019-20 hunting season

Bar graph showing estimated harvest of does per hunter during the 2019-20 season: 0 does (105,808 hunters), 1 doe (13,200 hunters), 2 does (3,715 hunters).

Figure 4. Estimated number of does harvested per hunter during the 2019-20 hunting season.

Bar graph showing the estimated average number of antler points per harvested buck from the 2013-14 hunting season through the 2019-20 season: 2013-14 (5.9), 2014-15 (6.2), 2015-16 (6.5), 2016-17 (6.6), 2017-18 (6.7), 2018-19 (6.8), 2019-20 (6.7).

Figure 5. Estimated statewide average number of antler points per harvested buck by hunting season.

Pie chart showing estimated number of deer taken each hunting season during 2019-20: general gun (49,018), archery (11,954), crossbow (5,733), muzzleloader (5,112).

Figure 6. Estimated statewide deer harvest during the 2019-20 hunting season by season type.

Pie chart showing the estimated hunter satisfaction with the 2019-20 hunting season: very satisfied (22%), satisfied (53%), neutral (9%), dissatisfied (12%), very dissatisfied (3%), don’t know (1%).

Figure 7. Estimated statewide hunter satisfaction with the 2019-20 deer hunting season.