Mule deer hunters enjoy success

JEROME - General season mule deer hunters pursuing game in Units 43, 48, and 49 enjoyed an overall 19 percent harvest success for the opening weekend of season according to Idaho Department of Fish and Game check station data. Department employees checked 415 hunters that took 82 bucks from Unit 43, for 19.8 percent success; 154 hunters harvested 24 bucks in Unit 48, for 15.6 percent success; and 248 hunters harvested 48 bucks in Unit 49, for 19.4 percent success. "Overall I felt the opening weekend of the general deer season was a success," said Randy Smith, Magic Valley Region Wildlife Manager. "Hunters were reporting to have seen lots of deer and harvest success was up by two percent over last year's opening weekend." In controlled hunts in the Magic Valley Region, hunters enjoyed much higher success. Hunters checked in Units 44, 45, 52, 54, and 55, had a 33.1 percent success rate. Hunters with controlled antlerless tags in hunting Units 43, 48, and 49, were 40 percent successful, and either-sex youth hunters enjoyed a 33.5 percent success rate. "During the past several years fawn survival has been high, resulting in increased deer numbers across most of the Magic Valley," said Smith. "With the good hunting conditions we're having this year; hunters are able to reap the benefits from the increase in deer numbers."