Deer hunters had a successful year in northern St. Louis County, with final harvest figures up 20 percent over 2009.

A total of 14,213 deer were registered in northern St. Louis and Lake counties throughout the 16-day firearms season. Two out of every three deer registered were bucks (61%), while 39 percent were antlerless.

While the overall harvest was up 20 percent, the antlerless take was up 42 percent, mostly reflecting a significant increase in the number of antlerless tags issued in the region. The new intensive harvest zone in the Cook and Lake Vermilion area contributed to much of that increase.

Even so, according to Tower Area Wildlife Manager Tom Rusch, the five-percent increase in the buck harvest over 2009, is a good indicator that the overall deer population fared well last winter, which was exceptionally mild.

Due to the new on-line and telephone registration options available to hunters in 2010, traditional registration station comparisons are no longer valid. 

Therefore, comparisons can now only be made by deer permit area.  Additionally, many permit area boundaries in the Tower area have changed in 2010, so comparing old permit areas to new permit areas is also difficult.  Region-wide and Tower area comparisons give the most accurate indication of change.