JEROME – Magic Valley check station opening weekend results show an increased success for mule deer hunters this year in the Magic Valley.
Last year at the four check stations, located in Gooding, Shoshone, Pine Road turnoff and Little Wood Road, officers checked 1,510 hunters opening weekend with 244 deer for a 16.37 overall harvest success.
This year officers check 1,374, with 367 deer, for a 24.5 percent success rate, 8 percent higher than last year’s opening weekend.
“We have a lot of happy hunters this year,” said Mike McDonald, Regional Wildlife Manager. “We had good over winter survival and had good numbers of yearling bucks on the mountain that made up nearly 50 percent of this year’s harvest.
“With the number of yearling buck we were seeing and the good body condition they are in, we can tell we had a highly productive herd this year.”
The general deer hunt will continue for the next few weeks, please check the regulations to determine when the season end in the game management unit you are hunting in.