Back in September of 2020, as we were all locked down and trying to figure out what the hell the world was coming to, I blogged that with the border closed and no Americans going to Canada and spending $5,000-plus apiece to hunt for a big deer (closer to 8 Grand once you figure in airfare, incidentals, taxidermy, etc.) there would be a lot of pain in the outfitting business. But for the Canadian guides who could hang on and stay in business, this would lead to some spectacular opportunities in 2021, 2022 and beyond. With virtually no pressure in 2020, the bucks were able to mature and grow another year, creating better age structure and thousands of bigger deer [...]

A 5% increase in new deer hunters plus more time in the woods for longtime hunters led to increased whitetail harvests in many states. Maine: Some 33,157 deer were tagged, the highest total in 18 years. Wisconsin: Hunters registered 188,712 deer during the 9-day gun season, up 16% from 2019. The number of bucks harvested was 85,340, compared to 75,236 last year. Arkansas: The state reported an increase in license sales and a record-breaking harvest. Hunters checked more deer than any season since 1938, with a reported 214,022 animals and counting. Oklahoma: All-time record license sales led to a preliminary 2020 harvest exceeding 120,000 deer. Virginia: Hunters harvested 208,131 animals, up less than 1% from the 206,976 deer taken last year. West Virginia: [...]

Several times over the last 9 months I blogged that I thought COVID-19 would lead to an increased number of hunters, including new hunters and reactivated ones (people who used to hunt but gave it up for various reasons). I figured that most of these newbies would be deer hunters. The whitetail is America’s number 1 game animal, and the thought of hunting, killing and eating venison would appeal to many during the pandemic. Turns out I was right and then some. Some statistics: Michigan: More than 545,000 hunters bought hunting licenses through Nov. 11, nearly 10 percent more than at the same point in 2019, according to the state DNR. Pennsylvania: Game Commission reports a 5% increase in hunting [...]