Idaho’s big game hunters celebrate a notable achievement in the fall of 2024, with significant harvest increases in elk, mule deer, and white-tailed deer—the first simultaneous rise since 2020. The state witnessed a nearly 30% increase in mule deer harvest, rebounding from a previous decline due to the harsh winter of 2022-2023, with a total of 23,898 mule deer successfully harvested.
Elk harvest also rose about 13% from the previous year, yielding a total of 20,996 elk taken, while white-tailed deer hunters achieved an estimated 20,908 deer harvested, reflecting a positive trend for game populations. Biologists remain cautiously optimistic about the impact of winter conditions on the 2024-25 hunting seasons but emphasize that these increases are a promising sign for both hunters and wildlife conservation efforts.
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