According to the National Deer Association’s 2025 Deer Report, hunters across the U.S. are tagging a historically high number of bucks. The total buck kill of 3,086,182 in the 2023-24 season (the last season for which complete harvest records were available) is only the second time the harvest has topped 3 million in the last 25 years.

Big news: We’re shooting more mature bucks than ever! In 2023, 43 percent of the bucks shot across North America were 3½ years or older. That’s the highest percentage of mature buck harvest that the NDA has ever reported. Oklahoma hunters get the gold star for holding out for a mature deer; an impressive 85% of bucks shot in the Sooner State in 2023 were 3 1/2 years or older. Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas round out the Top 5 for mature buck harvest.

While the buck kill remains strong across America, the NDA is concerned with the latest doe harvest numbers. “From 2000 to 2015, doe harvest far exceeded buck harvest, sometimes by as much as 31%, but we haven’t seen a season like that in 10 years,” says Kip Adams, NDA’s Chief Conservation Officer and co-author of the 2025 report. “Deer populations are strong and growing in most areas, so it’s critical we continue working to boost doe harvest nationally.”