Idaho hunters took fewer elk, mule deer, and white-tailed deer last year compared to 2018, while fewer hunters were in the field. According to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, 20-thousand-500 elk were harvested in 2019, down 8 percent from the year prior. Still, the numbers were about 4 percent higher than the 10-year average. Mule deer harvests totaled 23-thousand-600, down 13 percent from 2018, and about 15 percent lower than the 10-year average. The lower numbers were attributed to lower survival rates for fawns and adults, with a tough three-year stretch in eastern Idaho and in the Weiser/McCall areas. White tail deer saw its harvest drop 14 percent to 21-thousand-500. Meanwhile, there were 5-and-a-half percent fewer deer hunters in Idaho, while the number of elk hunters remained fairly consistent, seeing a light decrease of 1-and-a-half percent. (Idaho Fish and Game)
